Chapter One Hundred Twelve:
Waiting For a Miracle

General Hospital, ER Waiting room.

Lucky is resisting the urge not to pace. Nikolas is not speaking, not doing much of anything except staring off into space. And this whole thing is taking too long. He tells himself “too long” is a good sign. After all, if she'd been as close to death as he'd thought, then they surgery wouldn't have even been necessary. He looks back at the close on the wall. Forty-five minutes. Give or take. He turns and joins Nikolas is staring across the room, towards the door. It's dark out, the storm clouds incredibly low in the afternoon sky, and the wind has picked up, bending the brittle tree branches. He shivers involuntarily, and turns back to Nikolas.

Sit down, he instructs himself. God, he's acting like a kid. But he's not used to feeling this completely helpless. It's making him restless. Impatient. He slides back into the hardback hospital waiting room chair, and tilts his head up to look at the ceiling.

Since Taggert had left, Lucky's mind had regained its focus. And it had focused first and foremost on how little sense this whole thing made. First of all, it was a bit sloppy for Helena, leaving Hannah still alive, but he chocked that up to this “frame up” thing she had going. That was the part that made him nervous. Not because he was seriously worried that she'd frame him for murder… But because he was pretty confident that she couldn't. It was too sloppy, too improbable. So she must be doing it for some other reason. Maybe just for Nikolas' benefit. Maybe it didn't matter if anyone else believed it but Nikolas. Except Nikolas didn't. Misfire. And he really wanted to believe that was all there was to it. He sits forwards again, his head in his hands.

Lucky: What time is it?

Nik: (monotone) Three-thirty. (Lucky sits back and looks up again. He can't do this. He looks sideways at Nikolas again.)

Lucky: Look, I have to… Walk or something. Do you want anything?

Nik: You don't have to stay. (Lucky looks over at him, trying to read his face. It isn't angry, or troubled, or much of anything. And his tone was completely matter-of -fact)

Lucky: No, I don't HAVE to. But exactly what else am I supposed to do? (Nikolas nods slowly)

Nik: Did you call Emily? (Lucky shakes his head firmly)

Lucky: I'm not telling her this over the phone. (Nikolas doesn't acknowledge him. Lucky waits a moment, then stands up again) Ok. I'll be back… (Nikolas doesn't move. He looks at him helplessly, thinking he should say something) Don't… go anywhere. (Again, no response. Lucky resists the urge to bang his head against the wall, and turns, walking towards the corridor. Water would be a good thing right now, he feels completely dehydrated. He turns down the hall and locates the water fountain. He stares at it a moment, then turns the knob and bends to drink. He is quickly stopped by the sound of his name. He jerks up to see Carly running down the hall towards him. He furrows his brow at her, both confused and relieved to see her).

Carly: There you are! Thank God!

Lucky: How'd you know I was here?

Carly: Bobbie had me paged, she said you came in with some shooting victim?

Lucky: (paling) She knows about that?

Carly: She had me paged about half an hour ago, but I had to take care of something, and it took more time than I meant it to.

Lucky: (heavily) So, what'd she want? To give me the third degree about Emily?

Carly: Well… She suspects you know. I think if she wasn't so busy she'd be hunting you out herself, but she's in surgery with that woman. (Lucky's face registers surprise, though he knows perfectly well that was a possibility) But… Ok. I'm supposed to tell you that she isn't going to tell the Q's about you being here because… Something about Emily and the woman, and… she said she thought you must have a reason or something. Does that make sense to you?

Lucky: (smiling slightly) Yeah, I get it. (He closes his eyes and slightly thanked his aunt for connecting those particular dots)

Carly: She said… She said that if Emily was in trouble, the Quartermaines do have a right to know, though.

Lucky: The Quartermaines always make too much noise. Figuratively and literally.

Carly: Amen. (She sighs) Well, Bobbie basically said if you did take her…

Lucky: Take her. It sounds like I robbed someone or something.

Carly: (bitterly) You did. The Quartermaines consider Emily to be one of their prized possessions. Bought, paid for, they even have the paperwork to prove it… God, if I had a penny for every time Edward waved that damn paternity test under my nose with Michael… (Lucky frowns bitterly)

Lucky: Edward. He must be about to bust a vein. (Carly's eyes widen and she reaches out, grabbing Lucky's arm)

Carly: Oh my God! You should have SEEN the chaos when they found out she was gone! It was nuts! They were paging the doctor who messed up the rounds, and Big Al was totally panicking all over the place. (She frowns, loosening her grip) You know how bad it was? I actually felt for them. (Lucky nods slightly. He doesn't have time to feel bad for the Quartermaines).

Lucky: Did you tell them you saw me?

Carly: Yeah. (Lucky looks over at her sharply, about to tell her off, but she cuts him short) BEFORE you freak, I figured as talented as you are, you're not invisible. So in case anyone else saw you, I said that I'd seen you before break, that you'd been to see Em but she was asleep so you came to visit me and I walked out with you on my break. So you know, that put you out of the hospital WITHOUT her at 10:30 or something. (Lucky stares at her a long moment)

Lucky: Have I told you lately that I love you? (Carly looks taken aback. Lucky cracks a smile at her shock)

Carly: You… Uh, you've never told me that. (Lucky pulls her off the wall and hugs her)

Lucky: You're sneaky, you think on your feet, and you'll lie at the drop of a hat. How could I not? (Carly laughs, embarrassed and pulls back)

Carly: Don't get too excited, it's not like anyone believes anything that comes out of my mouth!

Lucky: (feeling like things are finally going his way for a change) Yeah, well… Welcome to the life of a Spencer. (Carly beams at him) You really are one of us, you know that?

Carly: I finally passed the test, huh?

Lucky: Ah, I always knew you had it in you.

Carly: Selective memory! You hated me!

Lucky: Why do you keep bringing that up? I'm not going to dwell on that.

Carly: Yeah, not as long as I'm helping you out. (Lucky's face becomes serious)

Lucky: Thanks. Really.

Carly: (shrugging) It wasn't a problem. I was kinda getting ticked about everyone talking about you like you were the Antichrist or something. (Lucky sighs and leans against the wall. Carly examines his expression) How is Em?

Lucky: (quietly) Fine. She's… (He sighs, putting a hand to his forehead) Everything just got really complicated on me. Again.

Carly: This woman?

Lucky: Yeah.

Carly: Ok. You realize there's no way in hell you're getting out of here without telling me what's going on.

Lucky: Carly…

Carly: Oh, no you don't! You can't pull this “hey we're family” thing on me when it's convenient and then pull back again.

Lucky: You don't want to get into this.

Carly: Tell me this… Does any of this have anything to do with that mood you had going yesterday? Because in that case, I'm already in it. AND may I remind you, I helped you out this morning. And I'm not going to run to Bobbie and tell her you DID take off with Emily either so…

Lucky: Ok, ok, ok. Keep your voice down, geeze! (Carly presses her lips together and smiles at him)

Carly: I got you, don't I?

Lucky: Yeah, enjoy it while you can.

Carly: Well, Nurse Bobbie S. Patton is being totally lenient and hasn't gone running to the Quartermaines, so I figure it's something pretty major. (Lucky sighs and slides down the wall)

Lucky: (heavily) That woman… She's Emily's aunt. (Carly looks at him, blankly) Her mother's sister, ok?

Carly: You mean Paige?

Lucky: How do you…

Carly: Hello! I LIVED with her, remember? We did used to talk before she decided she hated me!

Lucky: Ok, Ok. Paige has a sister. She showed up here a couple of months ago… And she's been in a lot of trouble… Some people are leaning on her pretty hard…

Carly: Wait. People?

Lucky: Carly.

Carly: Right. The question thing.

Lucky: You don't want to know more.

Carly: But this is why someone's trying to kill Emily?

Lucky: (wryly) You ARE smart…

Carly: Hey. Don't make fun. And you already told me who that was, remember? (Lucky looks up at her, confused)

Lucky: No…

Carly: Helena Cassadine?

Lucky: Damn. (He shakes his head, the conversation coming back to him) Man, I am really off my game today…

Carly: I'm… I'm still trying to put this together here. You took Emily out of the hospital because someone… Helena Cassadine… was trying to KILL her, right?

Lucky: In a nutshell, yeah.

Carly: Ok. And now you're back here because someone tried to kill her aunt… Who is being leaned on?

Lucky: Fine, you win. Helena Cassadine brought Em's aunt here to spy on us for her. That didn't exactly go as planned, so now she's trying to kill her, and… God. (He puts his head down on his knee)

Carly: (sliding down the wall beside him) God. And I think my life if complicated.

Lucky: (looking up again) I… Look, I've got this under control.

Carly: Under control? She's killing people!

Lucky: (tense) Not yet! She's still in surgery, she could be ok.

Carly: I'm sorry, sorry… I'm a pessimist, you know that.

Lucky: Not what I need right now. (He sighs) There's just no way, you know? I… I went over there because Em wanted to see her aunt again before we blew town. And I walk in there… (He stops dead)

Carly: God… You found her like that?

Lucky: Yeah. (He rests his chin on his knee, staring hard at the floor)

Carly: God, that's horrible.

Lucky: Yeah…

Carly: Does Emily know?

Lucky: (heavily) Last time I saw Emily she was asleep, conserving energy from our exit from town… which was supposed to be half an hour ago.

Carly: Yeah, I guess this isn't really something you just spring on her.

Lucky: Nope.

Carly: Is she… Is she safe?

Lucky: Jesus Carly! What do you think? I just left her alone some place?

Carly: Of course not, I'm just… I'm trying to figure out if I can help some how.

Lucky: Got a miracle you don't need?

Carly: Do you know how bad it is?

Lucky: Uh… No idea. (He looks over at her) Could you find out?

Carly: IN the middle of a surgery? No.

Lucky: Then that's about it. (They both fall into silence).

Carly: I've… I've never seen someone shot. I mean, not outside of a hospital. (Lucky shudders involuntarily) Sorry.

Lucky: No, I'm ok. I just… (He stops) You know, I met her, I had no idea who she was. And I never… Until today, I never ever saw… (He stops, crossing his arms firmly against his chest as he slouches back against the wall) I never thought she looked like Emily. I never looked for it. Not even when I found out. But she does. Her hair… And she's tall like Em, and her mouth is kinda the same… (His voice catches)

Carly: It's not Emily.

Lucky: It could have been. It's… It's so damn easy to imagine that it was her.

Carly: Lucky! Why would you do that to yourself? I mean… GOD!

Lucky: Because… I'm… I'm trying to understand… (He stops and shakes his head)

Carly: Understand what? (Lucky doesn't answer) What is it?

Lucky: I just… (He looks over at her) When Emily was hurt, I was… I was totally out of it. It was like it wasn't really happening. But nothing was. I mean… I had a concussion. So I wasn't really thinking straight. But I knew… I knew she was alive. I knew she was… I never really thought about her dying. Not really. I though about her being really hurt, but not about her just being gone… But you couldn't… You couldn't look at Hannah on the floor like that and not think, “she's going to die”. I always kinda thought that something bad was going to happen, but it's different when you're there, and you look at the person and…

Carly: I know. I know what you mean.

Lucky: So… Say you're in love with that person. You come in and you see her and she's lying there, blood everywhere, passed out… (Carly looks at him, warily) How do you take that? I mean… I think I can sort of know how it would feel, but I don't KNOW. 'Cause I'm not doing it.

Carly: (Slowly) I'm going to assume that this has a point…

Lucky: I can't tell you how to help, Carly… 'Cause I don't know how to help either.

Carly: I think I get it.

Lucky: I… God. I just wish they'd tell me something. I mean, if she'd get out of surgery, then I could go back to Emily, you know, be there. Do something. I can't do anything here.

Carly: Who… I know you want to have a cone of silence going here, but…

Lucky: (heavily) she's at Nikolas', ok? And Jason has three guards on her. She knows them, you know, Johnny, Renaldo… But… That's it. Otherwise she's pretty much alone.

Carly: Wow…

Lucky: Yeah…

Carly: Where's Nikolas?

Lucky: Here.

Carly: HERE? (Lucky doesn't say anything) What's he doing here?

Lucky: He knows Hannah too… (Carly opens her mouth to say something then shuts it. The pieces are beginning to make sense to her. They sit in silence a long moment, while she thinks).

Carly: Uh, Lucky?

Lucky: What?

Carly: I'm not getting paid to sit on the floor with you. (She looks over at him) I'm done my shift, I was going to pick up Michael at the daycare, and everything… (Lucky frowns) I was just… If she wakes up and you're not there, and she doesn't know what's going on… (She sighs) I know I'd panic.

Lucky: Yeah.

Carly: So… If Nikolas wouldn't mind, you think that there's… I could go over there. I know she wouldn't be totally knocked out to see me, but she is Michael's Godmother…

Lucky: Are you serious?

Carly: Just… I lived with Jason, remember? Renaldo's a great guy, but when you're alone and scared… He has this unnerving habit of just saying what he's thinking… And he's got a really twisted mind, you know? (Lucky gives a weak smile) I just think Michael would be more comforting.

Lucky: Oh, yeah. No, she'd love it. (He looks at her seriously) And Really. She doesn't hate you. She's not very “up” on AJ right now anyway. I think she'd like to see some kind of family.

Carly: What should I tell her?

Lucky: Nothing. I think… Whatever it is, she should hear it from me.

Carly: (relieved) Good. Because I don't think she's going to want to see me with bad news. (Lucky laughs slightly)

Lucky: She'll be so happy to see Michael, she won't care.

Carly: (smiling to herself) My magic man.

Lucky: Do you have a pen? (Carly pulls a pen out of her pocket)

Carly: Here. (Lucky takes her hand and turns it palm up. He starts to write on it.)

Lucky: This is the address. (He finishes it up and she looks at it)

Carly: (a little nervous) So what do I say to her?

Lucky: I'm taking care of something at the hospital, you thought she'd like the company.

Carly: She'll buy that?

Lucky: IF you say it causally enough and time it to go with whatever it is that Michael does that makes her do that cooing thing. (Carly laughs)

Carly: Ok. OK. Come on. (She pulls herself up, offering Lucky a hand. He takes it, rolling his eyes, and slides back up the wall, and starts down the hall with her) This will work out.

Lucky: Yeah.

Carly: Are you… Are you guys leaving anyway?

Lucky: What do you think?

Carly: I think I'm out of questions.

Lucky: Good thinking. (The reach the end of the hall, and Lucky eyes immediately find Nikolas who seems looks EXACTLY the same as he did when he left. He looks over at Carly who is also staring at Nikolas) Look… I should…

Carly: Nikolas is in love with this woman, right?

Lucky: What?

Carly: Look at him. (Lucky sighs)

Lucky: You know, I think you were easier to deal with when you were totally self-involved.

Carly: I got bored with myself. Besides, you can't be self-involved and be a Mom. Fact of life. (Lucky nods)

Lucky: Either way, Caroline, I have to go. (Carly smiles at him and reaches out, squeezing his hand quickly)

Carly: I'll see you soon.

Lucky: (unconvinced) Yeah… (Carly turns around and takes off towards the GH daycare center. Lucky watches her walk off, then looks back at Nikolas. He can't help but think of what Carly said to him the other day… He's not sure how he went from having no use for her to actually relying on her a bit. Like family. He shakes his head. His guard is slipping, and this is not a good time for it. No matter what's going on, Nikolas is still Nikolas. But for some reason, Lucky's having a hard time remembering why that's a bad thing. The guy is… Well, he's everything that's always driven him crazy, but right now he's just a guy who's more than a little shell shocked. And that feels like it's all that matters right now. He walks across the room and sits down beside Nikolas again. Nikolas looks up at him)

Nik: Did you find out anything?

Lucky: Just that I can't find out anything.

Nik: (sitting back) It's been almost an hour.

Lucky: Yeah. But, look… That means that… It means that they can do something, right?

Nik: Yeah.

Lucky: So… That's better than the alternative. (Nikolas sighs and leans his head back against the wall) Look, Nik… I just sent Carly over to the apartment. I don't want Emily to be alone, and she thought she'd like to see Michael. (Nikolas nods, still staring off into space. He blinks.)

Nik: You keep calling me that.

Lucky: What?

Nik: Nik.

Lucky: Uh… I guess I do.

Nik: Why? (Lucky looks over at him, a little irritated. Nikolas looks sincerely puzzled, however, so Lucky lets it go)

Lucky: My family shortens everything. Bobbie, Lulu…

Nik: Lucky is the same length as Lucas.

Lucky: Yeah, but it's shorter than “Luke Jr.”. (Nikolas nods slightly. Lucky can't hold back anymore) Why, does it bug you?

Nik: What?

Lucky: Being called Nik.

Nik: (considering this) No… It's fine. I guess. Just usually when people mess around with my name it's supposed to be derogatory. Or… (He stops short of saying “familiar”) Or they're trying to ingratiate themselves. (He looks over at Lucky) You, however, have called me much worse. (Lucky looks away. Another day, another time, he might have found some humor in this conversation. Instead he's finding it deeply unnerving. After a moment Nikolas frowns) Lulu used to call me Nikky, but she stopped.

Lucky: (without really thinking) Yeah, it wasn't formal enough.

Nik: What?

Lucky: She does that. Haven't you noticed? You call her Lesley Lu, so she calls you Nikolas. It's like how she stands straighter when you're around, she speaks slower… (Lucky says this almost by rote, obviously something he's taken stock of before. Nikolas looks over at him)

Nik: No, I didn't notice that.

Lucky: (bored) She does. She tries to be like you when you're around. Like playing Princess or something. (Lucky looks over at Nikolas. He can see something tangible in his eyes, something like… amusement. He's *almost* smiling. Somewhere far back. Lucky feels a sudden panic rise in his chest. He sits up suddenly) I… (He looks back at Nikolas who is looking at him in surprise) I have to get some air or something. This place… (He gets up, quickly, not bothering to finish the sentence, and walks for the door of the emergency, very purposely not looking back).