Chapter Eighty-Three:
Breathe

Luke's Club, the parking lot.

Nikolas can't hear. The sound of the body bouncing off the hood of the car rings in his ears, echoing, blocking out all sound. He stands, not breathing, not moving, suspended in time. Finally he forces his eyes to blink, and time starts again. He moves, not nearly as quickly as he wants, to Lucky, lying on the pavement. From across the lot he can already see his brother move. He feels his knees buckle but refuses to acknowledge it, moving towards him.

Nik: Lucky! (Lucky slowly pulls himself up off the ground. He turns his head towards Nikolas, and struggles to focus on him. Nikolas meets Lucky's eyes, then, unable to stop himself, he looks past him, his eyes falling on Emily's perfectly still form. Lucky notices this, and turns quickly to see what Nikolas is looking at. Lucky stares at her a moment, then lets out a cry, a cry that sounds for all the world like his heart has just been ripped from his chest. Lucky stumbles, somehow, to his feet and moves like lightening, dropping down onto the ground next to her. Nikolas reaches them as Lucky, running his hands over Emily's face, shoulders, arms, tries to wake his girlfriend, she doesn't stir, her body completely slack and unresponsive.)

Lucky: Emily! Jesus, Emily, wake up. WAKE UP! (Nikolas grasps Lucky's shoulder)

Nik: Lucky! (Lucky ignores him. Nikolas forcibly pulls him away from her) LUCKY! (Lucky looks at him blearily. Nikolas notices he's shaking.) just... Breathe, Ok? (Nikolas slips his finger's under Emily's chin, locating a pulse. He sighs with relief) She's alive, Lucky. It's Ok, she's alive. (Lucky slumps onto the ground, his breathing ragged. He stares at her a moment, then moves towards her, again. Nikolas pushes him back) No! You can't touch her. We can't move her.

Lucky: Go to hell.

Nik: Lucky! Don't pull this on me now! (Lucky struggles to his feet and tries to move past Nikolas, who forcibly restrains him) You know I'm right. Come on. (Lucky pushes past him, but Nikolas holds him back.) We don't know what kind of injuries she has. If you touch her, you could hurt her. Do you understand? (Lucky leans back against him momentarily, until he realizes what he's doing and pulls away, trying to stand on his own two feet, unsteadily, but unsupported. He keeps his eyes trained on Emily.) Are you hurt? (Lucky shakes his head) Lucky? (He turns and looks back at him) Are you sure? (Lucky doesn't answer, his attention going to back to Emily. Nikolas stares at him, wishing he could get him to say something, but Lucky isn't communicating.) I'm calling the hospital, Ok? (Lucky nods slightly, which Nikolas takes as a positive sign. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his cell phone, flipping it open and dialing 911. He looks over and spots Hannah, standing frozen, her hand over her mouth.) Hello? This is Nikolas Cassadine. I need an ambulance to Luke's Club near the pier, you must know the address..... (Nikolas's voice fades from Lucky's hearing and he stumbles back over to Emily, dropping to the ground beside her. He looks down at her, trying to see any sign of life, a movement, a flutter of her eyelashes, or a twitch of her fingers. She doesn't comply. He reaches out and very lightly brushes her cheek. It's warm. He feels his heart tighten like a fist, and pulls his hand back, shakily. Nikolas folds up the phone and looks back at him.) Lucky. (Lucky slowly shakes his head) Lucky, help is coming. It's going to be Ok. (He looks back at Hannah. She drops her hand and looks at him in horror, but doesn't move from where she is standing. Nikolas debates what to do next. After a moment he turns from Hannah and crouches down next to Lucky. He puts a tentative hand on Lucky's shoulder. Lucky doesn't acknowledge it. Nikolas can see, even without looking at him straight on, that Lucky is shutting down. He clears his throat) Lucky. Are you listening to me? (Lucky looks over at him, a faint glimmer of annoyance in his eyes)

Lucky: Yeah.

Nik: (pulling back) The ambulance is on it's way.

Lucky: I heard you. (Nikolas hears foot steps behind him and looks up to see Hannah, standing shakily, staring at Emily with horror. She's white as a ghost, obviously terrified. He reaches his hand up and grasps hers. Lucky glances at her, but keeps his attention focused on Emily)

Hannah: Oh... god.

Nik: Hannah.

Hannah: This.... (she stops. She has nothing to say. Nothing she can do or say can take this away. She looks at Lucky and can't help but let the words out.) I'm sorry. (Nikolas winces, awaiting the inevitable explosion of anger Lucky will no doubt being directing her. He looks back at him, but Lucky doesn't move. Nikolas feels a chill run through him.)

Nik: Lucky.

Lucky: (quietly) There's nothing to be sorry for. (Nikolas looks at Lucky, feeling himself quickly falling into the grip of fear. He has no idea what to do. He looks back at Hannah, who is shaking slightly. He pulls off his coat and drapes it over her shoulders. She nods at him, gratefully, and Nikolas puts an arm over her shoulder, turning his attention back to Lucky. At least there's something he can do for Hannah. He has a sinking feeling that Lucky is out of the reach of help right now.)

Helena's Lair

Ari enters, and clears his throat. Helena, standing by the window, turns and smiles at him.

Helena: Give me good news.

Ari: The girl was hurt. We don't know how badly yet.

Helena: Well, Mission accomplished, then.

Ari: There is a chance her injuries are life threatening. In fact, we're not entirely sure that she's not dead already.

Helena: (frowning) That would be unfortunate. Keep me informed. (She waves a hand dismissing him)

Ari: There... there is something else. (Helena turns back, the smile now gone)

Helena: Is there?

Ari: The Spencer boy was hit as well.

Helena: (coldly) And how did that happen?

Ari: It was unavoidable.

Helena: NOTHING is unavoidable. Is he hurt?

Ari: It seems that any injuries he sustained are minimal.

Helena: Well. And that should save someone's neck.

Ari: I will speak to him.

Helena: We can't afford mistakes.

Ari: I understand.

Helena: Do you? Do you really? Then perhaps you should impress that on your underlings. Lucky Spencer is NOT expendable. Not at this time.

Ari: I will ensure that is understood.

Helena; Don't disappoint me, Ari. I've grown rather fond of you... I wouldn't want to be forced to end our acquaintance. (Ari nods, and turns, leaving Helena to her thoughts).

Luke's Club, parking lot.

Lucky kneels by Emily, his eyes trained on her face. She is still as death. He can't see any sign of life, despite Nikolas's assurance that she does have a pulse. He can't imagine that's true. He doesn't feel his own pulse, let alone hers. He's heard people say that people look in death like they did when they slept. It's not true. He's seen Emily sleep and it's not like this. That morning, he'd lain next to her after they'd made love, and watched her drift off into sleep, her skin pink and healthy, her chest rising and falling steadily....he'd been able to feel her breath on him as it escaped from her parted lips. They were parted the same way now, but nothing seemed to be passing them. He wanted to hold her, to gather her up into his arms off the cold hard ground, bring her close enough that he COULD hear her heart, feel her breath.... But he couldn't. If he moved her, he could hurt her. Again.

It occurs to him that she has to be cold. The ground is freezing. He moves to pull off his jacket and is hit by a sharp pain in his side. He's been dully aware of it for a while, but hasn't bothered to investigate. He lowers his arm, and slides his other hand beneath his jacket... blood. He's bleeding. He wipes his hand on his shirt and pulls the jacket around him, camouflaging it. Lucky feels Nikolas's hand on his shoulder again, and blinks. Nikolas is looking down at him with concern.

Lucky: What?

Nik: The ambulance. (Lucky feels himself make a slight shift in reality and sees the ambulance coming up the road at a similar speed as the other car, lights flashing and siren blaring. He stands up, moving away from Emily. The ambulance pulls into the parking lot and the paramedics leap out, descending on Emily. Lucky steps back and watches. The sound of the approaching siren has attracted attention and people begin to spill out of the club, curious to see what's happened. It would be easy to just blend into the crowd. He doesn't, though, standing in place and waiting. They check vitals, brace her neck, and prepare her for transport to the hospital. The questions they're asking are all directed at Nikolas, and Lucky lets himself drift out of the moment again, focusing again on Emily. They are covering her with an orange blanket, and Lucky becomes aware that they are saying his name. He shakes his head.

Lucky: What?

Frank: (still attending to Emily) You were hit?

Lucky: No.

Nik: Yes, you were.

Lucky: I'm standing here, aren't I?

Frank: (getting up) You hurt?

Lucky: I'm fine. (He gestures to Emily) She's your patient.

Frank: If you were hit you could have sustained injuries you aren't aware of.

Lucky: I wasn't hit.

Nik: (getting frustrated) Yes you were!

Lucky: Look, who's word are you going to take? His or mine? I'm the one the car supposedly collided with. Don't you think I notice? (Frank frowns, confused)

Frank: And you're saying you weren't hit.

Lucky: I was knocked over. I don't think the car actually touched me. (Nikolas furrows his brow. What is he doing? He's SURE he saw the car clip Lucky, but he's denying it with such firm conviction that his memory of the incident is starting to blur)

Frank: You were just knocked over.

Lucky: Look, there was car coming straight at me, I tried to get out of the way, it came pretty close, I fell. That's it.

Frank: (slowly) This is your girlfriend.

Lucky: Yeah.

Frank: Well, look. Ride along, they can check you out at the hospital.

Lucky: Hannah is her aunt. She should go. (Nikolas, and Hannah both stare at Lucky incredulously.) I'm fine.

Frank: I still think you should get checked out.

Lucky: (steadily) Can you do that? Can you force people to go to hospitals when they are standing on their own two feet and have no visible injuries? (He smiles slightly) I'm not sure how my insurance company would feel about that.

Frank: (getting annoyed) You're right. No one can force you to do anything. But if you WERE hit by that car, you'd better look into it. (to his partner) Ready? (he nods and they lift Emily up, moving her into the back of the ambulance.) Who's coming? (Hannah looks at Nikolas helplessly)

Nik: You go. (She nods, numb, and looks at the paramedics)

Hannah: I am. (She looks back at Lucky, but he's not meeting anyone's gaze. She steps up and gets into the back of the ambulance. The doors close and Hannah looks down, sitting on the thin "bench" beside the gurney, at her niece. She's so white... She looks up at the paramedic, blearily.)

Hannah: Can I... Can I hold her hand?

Frank: Gently. (Hannah reaches out and takes Emily's hand in both of hers as the ambulance starts to pull back out into the traffic, the lights flashing again. She instinctively waits for the fingers of her hand to close around hers, but Emily's hand, like the rest of her remain limp.)

Hannah: How... you said her vitals were strong?

Frank: Her pulse is steady, she's breathing on her own, no signs of obstruction or internal bleeding at this point. That's all I can tell you right now. (He smiles at her, his eyes kind and she feels comforted somewhat) But we'll get her to General Hospital, and they'll take care of her there. (Hannah nods. She feels her eyes fill up with the tears she didn't dare shed in front of Lucky. She couldn't let herself cry in front of him, or show anymore distress than he was, she didn't feel like she'd had a right to it. And since Lucky had been so cold she'd held everything so tightly she feels still like she's going to rip apart from the seams. She chokes on a sob, and bows her head, letting her hair cover her face. You can't cry, Corrine, she tells herself. This isn't your tragedy. This is your FAULT, yes, but you don't have a right to the tears. You just have to get through this. Somehow get through it, and make sure that Lucky and Emily do too. And after that do everything in your power to make sure this doesn't happen again. After years of pretending to herself that she didn't owe her sister anything, it's becoming clear that she was wrong. She owes her the right to her piece of immortality. She can't let this child die. She can't allow her to be harmed. She closes her eyes in silent prayer to his sister's spirit, swearing that nothing will harm Emily again. Please, God. Get her through this, and nothing will ever harm her again, I'll make sure of it. To do that, I may have to make a deal with the devil herself, but just keep this child safe. Maintain her life. She can't die for reasons that don't mean anything.)

The ambulance doors close and Lucky flinches slightly. He didn't watch. In fact, since the interrogation by the medic, he didn't look at her at all. He is aware that there are people, dozens of people, most of whom probably know him, at least by sight, are standing right behind him. He focuses on the road at the edge of the lot and starts to walk towards it. He can't be here anymore. Nikolas intercepts him and grabs his arm.

Nik: What are you doing?

Lucky: (dully) Leave me alone.

Nik: Lucky.

Lucky: (Looking Nikolas straight in the eye) You have to leave me alone. (Nikolas drops his arm in surprise. Lucky keeps walking away from him. Nikolas watches after a moment, then looks back at the crowd, which has now dispersed somewhat. He has no idea what's going on with Lucky, but he's not going to let him walk away this time. He runs after him, yet again)

Nik: (catching up) Lucky, I'm not loosing my mind. I know I saw that car hit you. (Lucky stops at the edge of the parking lot and looks around, trying to find someplace to go.) Lucky, come on. I understand the ambulance thing. It's not the best entrance to make. I'll drive you to the hospital. You don't want to be here.

Lucky: (turning to start along the road) I'm not going.

Nik: What do you mean you're not going! Come on. You have to be there.

Lucky: No. (Lucky is walking determinedly at a decent pace. Nikolas follows stubbornly a couple of steps behind.)

Nik: Lucky! Come on! Just wait a minute, Ok? (Lucky stops, breathing heavily. He reaches out and grips a guy wire with his hand for support.)

Lucky: Could you stop? (The sentence comes out more like a request than a demand.) Could you just stop, please? (Lucky 's voice is suddenly breathy, uneven. He looks thoroughly disoriented. Nikolas reaches out to touch him, but he angrily jerks his arm away. Nikolas takes in his condition, realizes just how much Lucky was covering.)

Nik: (firmly) You're coming to the hospital.

Lucky: I'm not going anywhere.

Nik: You're hurt!

Lucky: Do you really think that a couple of bruises are going to add up to what happened to Emily?

Nik: (grabbing him) Why does it have to add up, Lucky? This isn't about Emily, this is about you. You were hit by that car. You were hurt. You have to go to the hospital.

Lucky; (dizzily) I don't' have to do anything. Just leave me alone.

Nik: So you can go find some place to lie down and bleed to death? Do you think that's going to make it even? (Lucky doesn't answer) This wasn't your fault, Lucky.

Lucky: Go to the hospital, Nik. It doesn't matter.

Nik; What doesn't matter.

Lucky: (distantly) I told her I'd make a mistake.

Nik: Lucky? You're not... Lucky, come on. Talk to me. (Lucky looks up at him, blearily)

Lucky: LEAVE me alone!

Nik: No way.

Lucky: Nikolas!

Nik: This isn't a choice, Lucky. You don't have a choice. I'm not going to let you go off some place to self-destruct on us.

Lucky: You have..... You have to leave me alone. (he shakes his head) Why don't you get that? You have to leave me alone.

Nik: NO! I don't! (Nikolas puts his hands on the back of Lucky's neck) Look at me. LUCKY! Come on. Focus! (Lucky meet Nikolas gaze, though he doesn't seem to be entirely present.) Forget about you, Ok? Bad idea. You want to worry about someone else, you don't want to go to the hospital, fine. But if Emily wakes up and you're not there, you're going to regret it.

Lucky: *If* she wakes up.

Nik: If she wakes up before you get there! Come on, we both know where it is you have to be right now. You have to go to GH.

Lucky: Why won't you just go away?

Nik: Why do you want me to so badly? What are you trying to do, Lucky? Come on. You're coming with me if I have to drag you.

Lucky: (groaning) Why are you still here?

Nik: I know what you want. You want me to leave you alone so that you can go and do something really stupid.

Lucky: I don't have to go anywhere to do something stupid.

Nik: (in utter frustration) LUCKY! GOD! (He turns away, trying desperately to figure out what to do next. Lucky pushes himself off the guard wire and starts to walk again. He makes it about two steps then sway, sinking to the ground. Nikolas rushes to him and pulls him back onto his feet.) Lucky! What do I have to do to get you to CARE! Come on. (Lucky lets Nikolas support his weight a moment, finding the strength to walk again. He pulls away, and Nikolas lets him, until he is standing on his own two feet again. He looks back at Nikolas)

Lucky: I do care.

Nik: Just not about yourself, right? (Lucky doesn't answer) Look. Emily needs you. She is going to open her eyes and the first thing she'll think is "Where's Lucky?". And I'm not going to tell her I left you like this on the side of the road. She'd kill me. (Lucky looks at him, a little more steadily than before.) She needs you, Lucky. She needs you to be with her. Now are you coming or not?

Lucky: Do I have a choice?

Nik: No. Come on. (He waits a moment, and Lucky nods slightly, and begins to walk back to the parking lot. Nikolas sighs in relief and follows after him).