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When Cassidines Fall
Tough Call
KC yawns as she turns around to lock the door to her suite.
Glancing down at her watch she exhales in a sigh. It had turned
out to be a rather... busy weekend. Not that they'd gone anywhere.
There is a little smile and a spring in her step. When she'd left
Stefan had been sleeping. So much for insomnia. The trip in the
elevator is brief and she strides out to the front of the hotel
where her car is waiting. Glancing up at the sky she notes for
the first time since she's been here the sky is blue without a
cloud in sight. "Looks like it's going to be a good day."
"You said something, Dr Ryan?" The driver turns back to
glance over his shoulder.
"No snow."
"If it holds it'll be the first day in three weeks."
The driver replies ruefully turning back to keep his eyes on the
road. "You got a busy day today?"
"Depends on how my morning goes."
Lulu looks at the coffee maker biting her lip. She looks in the
back of it... there is water. Looks in the filter it looks like
dry stuff. She presses the little red button on the bottom hoping
that her father had done all the stuff right the night before
when he'd come in from the club. Getting the coffee started she
goes to get ready for school. The coffee pot hisses and the aroma
of dripping coffee wafts from the kitchen to the couch where Luke
has crashed. He groans and rolls over onto the floor and then
staggers to his feet. Like a creature from a double feature he
lurches to the kitchen stumbling, then swearing and hopping on
one foot as he steps on a barbie shoe. Luke grabs the counter
with both hands to get his balance back. Looking at a coffee mug
in the sink through blurry eyes he rinses it out and then fills
it with the black brew. The coffee completes the job that the
pain had started.
"Hey Daddy."
"Good Morning, Princess." Luke takes a sip.
"Mama has more tests today." Lulu pulls out her cereal
and checks the date on the milk carefully before opening it.
"Yeah, that's what Doc Red said."
"Gramma wants to be there to look at the tests. Before Dr KC
decides to do surgery."
"Yep, she told me. Baby, where is the aspirin?" Luke
groans.
Lulu pulls it from the cupboard by the coffee maker where it is
kept for convenience sake. "I wanna go to the hospital too."
Luke shakes his head. "After school." Lu gets an
obstinate look on her face. "Don't look at me like that,
Princess. Your mama might not even have surgery today and if she
does it won't be until you're out of school anyway." Luke
hears a knock on the door. "That will be Elizabeth."
"It's not fair." Lulu protests as she goes to open the
door. "Hey Lizabeth."
"Hey Lu. You ready to roll?"
"Yeah, she is." Luke answers for his daughter. He goes
over to Lu and gives her a smooch on the top of the head. "I'll
call you if something is up."
"You swear." Lulu looks up at Luke with her big brown
eyes.
"I swear." Luke crosses his heart and holds out a hand
to shake.
Amy and Bobbie work together to transfer Laura to the CT bed.
"Small blessings." Bobbie comments.
"Yeah, it's a lot harder when patients are awake. Even the
calmest folks get claustrophobic."
"Who can blame them? It's like being slid into a coffin."
Bobbie mutters. She squeezes Laura's hand reassuringly.
They step out of the room. "Have you heard from Jerry?"
Amy asks.
"He called over the weekend but I was called in here early."
"Oh I bet that made you a joy to be around."
Bobbie half laughs. "Lets just say nobody dared screwed up
within my sight on that shift." She glances back to the CT
lab. "What do you think of all this?"
"I don't know what to think." Amy says grimly. "It's
only been a couple of weeks, I know, but we have to do
something."
"How are the kids doing?"
"Nik has been a rock ofcourse. Everyone is hanging together."
"Good Morning, Ladies." KC says cheerfully as she walks
up on Bobbie and Amy. "You hear the weather report? No snow
in the forecast I think it's a good sign. Is Mrs Spencer ready?"
"The tech is just about to begin." Amy tells her. KC
nods and goes through to the control center and pulls up a chair
next to the tech. "What you think of that one?"
"I haven't spent any time with her. Laura's the only patient
that Dr Ryan has here so I haven't seen her in action. What do
you think?"
"She's good with Luke. That could be half the battle."
"I have to get back on the floors." Bobbie says
reluctantly. "Page me when you think there is going to be a
decision. I need to be there for Luke... and the kids."
"I'll call. And thank Audrey for pulling me from the
schedule today."
"Face it. Your head wouldn't have been in the game."
Bobbie replies. "You can cover for me when Jerry gets back."
PCPD Detectives bull pen. The room goes cold and as quiet as it
gets. Agent Ford feels the shiver run down his spine. Being here
is not his idea of a good time. Especially after all that had
gone down. Taggart is distracted by the sudden silence and looks
up. Everyone is ignoring the Special agent and giving him plenty
of distance. Taggart gets a look like sucking on a lemon and
rises to his feet. "May I help you, Special Agent Ford?"
Ford gives a little sigh of relief. Normally the badge and the
suit were enough to get cooperation but Larkin had blown that all
to hell. "Is there somewhere we could talk privately?"
Taggart looks around and then shrugs. "Over here." He
leads the way into the interrogation room. "What's up?"
"Do you have anyone in Chinatown?"
Ford's frustration comes through.
Taggart sits on the conference table. "This is what you were
talking to Dara about."
"Yeah." There is a map in the room. Ford goes over to
the map and traces over the area that bounds Chinatown. "I
think this shipment has already landed. Those SOBs think
they are getting away with it. Hell-- they are getting away with
it."
"We got a few connections down there-- damn few."
"Anybody in the department that speaks Chinese?"
Taggart shakes his head no. "Spanish is the second language
of choice. What about you guys... You're suppose to be the big
bad."
"We're stretched kinda thin. I've put a request in but..."
Ford shakes his head.
"What's the intel on these guys?"
"I only know what they did in California." Ford's face
grows grim. "I have translations from the survivors. The
folks pay up front for their passage but they don't have the full
rate. No matter how much they have it's never enough. So they are
told they will be given jobs once they get in the states to pay
back the rest of their passage."
Taggart straightens suspiciously. "What kind of jobs?"
"Oh they're told jobs in restaurants, factories, landscaping
you know jobs where they'll fly under the radar. But looking at
who was taking passage..."
"Let me guess... not a lot of old people or kids."
"No. Youngest was about 12 and the oldest about 25. What
intel we have is actually from organization taps where they are
talking about purchasing fresh meat. That's why we're looking at
Port Charles. The taps are from the families down in The City."
"You think they are using Corinthos' network?"
"You know the guy better than I do. He's antidrug which is
strange enough for a man in his position but how does he feel
about prostitution?"
KC puts up slide after slide on the backlit device. Lesley walks
over to the slides. She puts on her glasses that she uses only
for reading. Even then she is squinting. KC points out the point
on the slides that interest her. "These are before and these
are from this morning. If there is any change it is minimal. No
improvment but..."
"Where is it located?" Lesley asks.
KC goes over to a model of the human skull and starts pulling it
apart. "Here." Lesley winces. "You see the problem."
Luke who had been holding his counsel sitting off to the side
next to the window speaks up. "Well you can explain it to me."
"I can get to the lesion. I can even zap it. No problem."
"Then what is the problem?" Luke asks.
Lesley answers. "In order to get to the lesion..."
Lesley traces a path along the brain.
"I may have to do more damage to get to it and there is no
guarentee that zapping the lesion is going to wake your wife.
Yes, It's the right area to stimulate. But in order to get there
I'm going to going through the areas that effect memory, emotion."
"How?"
"It's a small lead." KC picks up a pencil. "Smaller
than the point of this. Run on a wire. The wire works as a camera
and a zapper. I'll be able to see what's going on. It's not like
the old days when we'd be opening up her skull to gain access."
"How?"
"Inner corner of the eye."
"That's a lobotomy." Luke protests "You're just
using a wire instead of a knitting needle."
KC winces. "Exactly my point. Yes, in order to get to the
lesion I would have to traverse territory where any screw ups
would result in the possibility of your wife waking but being an
entirely different person. We still don't know everything about
the brain but we do know the most about the frontal lobes. Even
everything going right I'll be zapping cells to get to
the lesion. There will be consequences with surgery. Because I'm
good-- it'll be minimal, but it will be there."
"And still no guarantee she'll wake up." Luke says
morosely.
"It's the right region... but no. No guarantee." KC
agrees. "Sensory Stimulation could still pull her out of it.
The lesion isn't life threatening. There has been some evidence
of the coma being... shallower then before."
Luke looks at her. He'd been visiting Laura since the day after
the accident. He hadn't seen any change. "Les?"
"I'll back your call, Luke." She smiles sadly when she
sees Luke's eye roll knowing she's been no help at all. "I
mean it. Luke, I'll back your call." Lesley leans forward
and takes Luke's hand. "You and I both know what Laura would
want."
"Do it, Doc." Luke stands up. He goes over to the door
and opens it up. Outside Amy, Nik, Lucky and Bobbie all wait for
him.
Lesley comes out behind Luke. "We decided
that surgery is the best option. Dr Ryan believes she can take
care of the lesion on Laura's brain. A coma would be Laura's idea
of Hell... not being with all of you. Anything we can do to bring
her out of it... we will do."
"Thanks Les." Luke says gratefully.
Bobbie comes up and gives him a hug. "What ever you need,
Big Brother."
"Be there for her, Barbara Jean." Bobbie nods at Luke's
request and then goes into the doctor's office.
The Mansion. Maddy walks up to the instructor after class. "I'm
doing my college applications. I need to have a reference from a
teacher."
The instructor nods. "I've already been working on them. You
and Emily both have been procrastinating but I won't reference
that in the letters."
"Thanks. I appreciate that." Maddy says ruefully.
"I made some serious headway on them last night. I know I
already missed one deadline."
"What schools are you considering?" The instructor asks.
Maddy lists them off. The instructor nods agreement at her
choices. "Most of these schools have their application
materials online. The colleges themselves prefer to do things the
old fashioned way as far as acceptance. You are planning
visitations of course as part of your selection process?"
"I've already walked Xavier and Tulane back in New Orleans."
Maddy replies. "I have a coffee kiosk on the PCU campus...
so I've been there at all hours."
The instructor nods. "Many considerations. But you've made a
good first step with your selections. I'll have your letter back
to you by the end of the week. Plenty of time. I will also
prepare your transcripts. Then it will be out of your hands until
the replies come back."
"What do you think my chances are?"
"Good. You are capable of any of the coursework at these
schools. I would say... look now as to what your first choice
would be. Each school has it's own advantage."
"PCU?"
"It is a good regional school with a solid reputation. There
are other schools on your list that have a more national even
international reputation. You and I both know if you choose PCU
it will be because of... collaterial issues. You have to assess
your long term goals."
"And you think that's wrong? If I picked PCU?"
"It's your call. I believe you should be challenged. It is
the way I teach. If you decide on PCU the challenge won't be
academic."
The instructor falls silent as Emily returns. "I just talked
to Elizabeth. They are going to go forward with surgery for Mrs
Spencer."
"Go Forward? When?"
"Now." Emily asserts. "Lizabeth is going to get
Tammy to cover for her at Kelly's and head over to the hospital.
Are you going to take the van or do you want to ride with me? You
can leave Cinnamon here with Raoul or we could take her with us...
She can visit with Larry while we sit with the guys."
Maddy shakes her head. "You go on ahead. Tell N... them I'm
on my cell."
"Maddy?!"
"I got to go." Maddy packs up her things and whistling
for Cinnamon heads for the door.
"Okay that was really weird." Em stares after Maddy.
A few hours later, Lucas looks from the corner of the school as
the bus pulls away. The grapevine had already reached him. Lulu
had been picked up early from school by her Aunt Amy. Mom is in
surgery... brain surgery and would be for hours. This is it. The
time had come to put his plan in action. Lucas goes into the
office and goes up to the secretary. "I missed my bus. Is it
okay if I call my sister to come pick me up?"
The secretary brings out the phone. "Dial nine to get an
outside line."
Lucas pulls a number out of his backpack. He'd gotten it from one
of his school mates who has an older sibling who'd gone to the
high school with Maddy and used her shopping service to get
concert tickets. He dials the number. "Maddy? This is Lucas.
Lucas Jones. I missed the bus... mom's in surgery and I can't get
hold of Carly. Could you pick me up at the school?" Lucas
hangs up the phone and tells the secretary. "Voice mail.
I'll just wait outside."
Maddy finishes up the kiosk in the business district and climbs
into the drivers seat. She pulls out her cell phone and checks
her voice mail. Swearing when she get the message from Lucas.
"Don't do it, Maddy." She mutters to herself. "He's
a big boy. He can get home on his own. It's a play." Then
the sucker in her rebuts. "He's a diabetic; it's f'ing cold,
and he's just a kid." Maddy turns on the van and pulls out
into traffic going in the direction of the elementary school.
Maddy pulls around the circle in the front of the school stopping
by the front doors. Lucas is sitting huddled on the bench out
front. His shoulders hunched up around his ears and his hands in
his pockets. When he sees the van he hops to his feet. The
secretary comes out of the building when she sees the van pull up.
"You aren't Mrs Quartermaine. Lucas, you said you were
calling your sister."
"I did."
"That is not your sister." She says emphatically.
"I'm calling the cops."
"She is too my sister." Lucas declares. "Tell her,
Maddy."
Maddy rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulders. "You familiar
with the phrase ****** in the woodpile? Lucas takes after our
father. You did know he was adopted right? It's really pitiful.
No rhythm and he doesn't even like collard greens. He's a total
disappoint to my side of the family. So of course we found a nice
white bread family to raise him so he wouldn't feel so deficient."
"Well I never!" The secretary sputters.
"You oughta. Live a little." Maddy suggests. "Course
you know what they say about black guys." She looks over to
Lucas. "So are you going to get in the van or you going to
wait for a cop to take you home?"
Lucas races over to the van and climbs in the passenger seat.
Maddy comes around and climbs in the drivers seat. He waits until
she is all buckled in and has put the van in gear. "Maddy,
what do they say about black guys?"
"They have big feet."
Bobbie pulls off the cap and uses it to wipe the sweat from her
brow before dropping it in the laundry along with her gown.
Assisting Dr Ryan had been an... interesting experience. "It
was a pleasure working with you, Doctor."
"Back at you." KC replies. Bobbie unknots the back of
KC's gown. KC drops it in the laundry along with her cap. They
are both now dressed in their scrubs. "Stefan has a good set
up here."
"This theatre hasn't been used as extensively since Tony..."
"Since Dr Jones had his accident. Dr Quartermaine told me
that surgery is probably out of his future."
"He's a very good administrator." Bobbie decides to not
bring up their history.
"Mrs Spencer's sister told me that you used to be married to
him."
So much for that plan. Damn Amy. "You know how it is working
in a hospital. The only people you met are through work."
"Yeah, it's tough especially when we specialize in crazy
hours." KC agrees. "You ready to talk to the family?"
Together they walk out to the waiting area. Lulu is cuddled up
next to Luke. Lucky and Liz sit next to each other holding hands.
Nik sits next to his grandmother. He rises to his feet when he
sees KC and Bobbie. "Well?"
KC looks around seeing that she has everyone's attention. "The
surgery went as expected. Now we wait." She looks to Luke
and Lulu. "You two have been through this before. There is a
time after surgery when we just wait and see. Give your mother
time to wake up from the anesthesia."
"You gave her sleeping stuff when she was already asleep?"
Lulu asks.
"Yes, 'cause I didn't want her to wake up during surgery.
That would have been very scary for your mom and for me too. She
should be asleep for a few more hours and then we'll start trying
to wake her up again." KC explains specifically to Lulu.
Then her comments are more general. "She's in post op where
she'll be constantly monitored... and won't be moved back to her
room until morning. Her visits will be short. Ten minutes one
person at the top of the hour. I suggest you draw straws and the
rest of you get some dinner... get some rest. I've given up on
telling families that they ought to come back in the morning.
Nobody ever takes that recommendation." KC turns to Bobbie.
"I'll be in the hospital. Have me paged."
Bobbie nods. Luke comes over and takes his sister's arm leading
her away from the family. "How did it go? Really?"
"Luke, it was textbook, really. No problems. But you're back
to the wait and see." She gives him a hug. "I have to
call home and check on Lucas. Do you want Lulu to spend the night
with us?"
Luke runs a hand over his grey stubbled scalp. "Yeah. I
guess."
"Okay. I'll just go get changed and then I'll be back. It
went really well." Bobbie says convincingly. "You made
the right call."
"We'll see."