Vincent shifted in the chair, running a tired hand through his crop of dirty blond hair. He released a heavy sigh, wondering if the tightness in his chest would ever go away after what happened with Danté at the Warehouse. Keeping secrets from Danté had cost him his life, something Vincent was certain Dominik would never, ever forget or forgive.
Vincent rubbed the back of his neck as he watched the nurse check Tori's vitals. She had been too delirious earlier on to understand that Danté was dead. It was still too hard to accept even for Vincent. Their deceit would be a weight their shoulders would have to bear alone.
Nearby, Tori groaned, moving groggily in the bed. Vincent pulled the seat closer and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.
"Danté?" she asked weakly, her eyes opening.
Vincent swallowed and shook his head. "No, it's Vincent."
Tori turned to the voice and smiled, squeezing his hand in return. "You were my second guess." Her smile faded. "Where is Danté?"
Vincent coughed and offered her a weak smile. "Concentrate on getting better, okay?"
Tori's eyes opened fully, now full of suspicion. "Where is he Vincent?" she demanded, her anxiety heightened by a nagging voice at the back of her head.
Vincent let his head drop, closing his eyes. He couldn't tell her. Tori's mouth widened in horror in response. "He's dead, isn't he?" she cried out, fresh tears blurring her vision.
Vincent looked up and nodded, unable to speak. He had to be strong, for everyone involved.
"Moreno killed him?" Tori's voice now filled with the sounds of desired revenge. Vincent took both of her hands in his, waiting until he had her complete attention.
"We killed him long before Moreno did," he said softly. Tori buried her face in her hands at his words. Danté was gone. Forever.
And it was their fault.
She continued to weep as Vincent gathered her in his strong arms and rocked her until she slipped back into an exhausted sleep.
****************
GH-OR waiting room
"You sure you don't want a coffee or anything Jason?"
Dara's soft voice echoed across the empty waiting room. Jason turned from his post near the bay window and firmly shook his head. "No, thank you." His voice was tight and controlled, unwilling to rest on his laurels while Sonny fought for his life in the Operating Room a dozen feet away. With the deaths of Danté Vitali and Anthony Moreno came an uncertainty as to who was going to control the territory run by both. Jason wasn't about to take any chances. Robin's security in France had doubled as it had for other people close to Sonny. The hospital, while already under heavy security, was unofficially guarded by men who'd been loyal to Sonny and Jason over the years.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Dara rubbed her weary eyes and trudged down the hall to the coffee and snack machines. Sabrina had been honest about Sonny's slim chances for survival, but had promised to do everything within her abilities to save him. Dara plunked in the silver coins and pushed the necessary buttons. Sonny wouldn't die, she repeated to herself as she had done for the past few hours since he'd gone into emergency surgery. "I gotta kick his ass first," she muttered, taking the small cup of coffee with a slight smile at her attempt at humor.
"Can I go first?"
Dara turned in surprise to the masculine voice. Marcus Taggert looked just as tired and haggard as she felt. Still, their previous argument stirred in her mind and she strode past him. "What are you doing here?"
Taggert noted the coolness in her tone. He deserved that. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. There was a lot going on at the crime scene and Mac had to deal with the higher ups, so I was left in charge." He paused as he followed her back down the hall. "How is he doing?"
Dara whirled around. "You care?" she bit out.
"I care about you," he countered, approaching her more slowly. "And I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier. I'm supposed to be your friend, and I wasn't." He paused again. "How is he?"
Dara blew on the hot liquid, taking a sip before responding. "Surgery," she started, tears filling her eyes once more. The look on his face when he'd fallen to the ground back in the warehouse was engraved in her mind. She couldn't shake it. Dara swallowed more of the coffee, her hand shaking. "He might not make it," she trembled, feeling herself well up with emotion, wanting to explode. She closed her eyes, not feeling Taggert take the cup of coffee from her hand. Gently he pulled her into a strong, comforting embrace. "I'm listening," he murmured. With a ragged sob, Dara's grief and pain burst open and she wept in his arms, hanging onto her good friend for dear life.
*****************
GH-OR
Sabrina sighed patiently as she aided Monica in the intricate surgery to save Sonny's life. She glanced up at the clock. Had they'd been listening to that gawd awful classical music this entire time? She didn't mind classical, in fact, her family had embraced the music generations ago, gathering a valued private collection that would have made any of the famous composers green with envy. But classical was best enjoyed in small doses, not multiple hours while piecing a man back together again.
"You seem a little distracted," Monica spoke up, interrupting Sabrina's thoughts.
Sabrina shrugged. "I was just thinking a change in musical flavor might be in order."
Monica raised her eyebrows, but kept her eyes firmly on her work. "You don't like Beethoven?" she teased.
Sabrina smiled. "I think something with a little more of a hop and a skip to it might be better for the patient." Monica looked up, somewhat startled.
"Dara Jensen made the request. She said it might help him," Sabrina explained.
"Dara did? For Sonny?" Monica shook her head. "I'm too old to be surprised anymore. What's the request?"
Sabrina grinned. "Sinatra, they're both huge fans."
Monica turned to a nurse, "would you mind changing-" she started before the nurse cut in.
"I'm way ahead of you," she said with obvious relief. It only took a few moments for the timeless voice to float in through the speakers. As Frank crooned about love, Monica smiled inwardly at the upbeat reaction of her crew. "No time for dancing," she scolded lightly, "we got a few more hours of work here."
*****************
GH-ER
Dominik wandered aimlessly, his feet dragging along the checkered floors of GH. Where should he go now? Pained eyes drifted past the various patients receiving care from nurses and doctors. He'd come in just as a nameless resident officially declared Danté as dead. A kind nurse had brought him to a quiet waiting room where he'd wait for Danté's things, but not the bloody, cut up clothing that had sat discarded on the Trauma room floor. They were being kept as evidence, not that Dominik ever wanted to lay his eyes on them anyway. Dominik had followed the nurse, but found the room as empty as he felt inside. As soon as she disappeared, he left. Only he couldn't find the courage to go home and tell his Mother that her only brother and youngest son had died violently in the same world as her husband. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks and Dominik absently wiped them away. He couldn't go to her if he continued to grieve like this. So locked up in his misery, Dominik did not here the voice calling him until his forearm was grabbed and he was turned around.
"Dominik?"
Dominik's dark eyes rose and met the pain filled aquamarine eyes of Stefan Cassadine.
"I came the instant I heard. Danté is gone?" he inquired softly.
Dominik nodded numbly at the man who had been his mentor and friend for many years. The man who'd guided Dominik through the early years of Vitali Inc. The man who had seen him through so much before and who would no doubt weather this storm alongside his prodigée again.
Stefan sucked in his breath, his hand cupping the side of Dominik's face. "Dominik," he whispered, knowing the searing pain of losing a brother. A brother that Dominik both loved and hated, was loyal to and would always protect but constantly shamed by his darker side. Stefan knew the sentiments all too well.
Dominik looked into the older man's eyes and saw a mirror image of his own pain and with a wail, grabbed Stefan tightly, burying his face into Stefan's broad shoulder. Startled, but not surprised by Dominik's sudden release, Stefan comforted the younger man, as if he was his own son. And despite the gawking of the strangers around them, both men mourned their respective loss.
******************
GH-Recovery
Vincent leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against Tori's forehead before straightening the collar on his jacket. Turning to the guard, he issued his strict instructions and what the consequence would be if those directions were not followed. The young guard swallowed, eyes wide, and nodded quickly.
"I'll be back as soon as possible," Vincent said quietly.
"They're going to make you leader, aren't they?" the young guard questioned.
Vincent drew in a breath of nervous air. The thought had occurred to him more than once over the past few hours. He hadn't entirely planned on taking Danté's role, but he wouldn't turn it down either. If the families wanted him, he would honor their request. With a cold stare to the guard, Vincent left without another word.
******************
GH-OR
Monica shed her scrubs gratefully and smiled at Sabrina. "You were excellent in there. For once Stefan and Alan agreed on something and I'm glad it was you," she said admiringly.
Sabrina gently shook her honey dipped locks free from the confines of the hairpins, tossing her own scrubs into the disposal bin. "Thank you," she replied graciously. "Does this happen every night around here?" she asked with an amused grin, motioning her head to where residents carefully finished up with Sonny under Alan's watchful eye.
"That in there was mob related," Monica declared, a sudden tightness in her tone. Sabrina's eyebrows arched with interest and Monica continued as the two left the OR and headed down the long corridor to the waiting area. "Two other men weren't as lucky as Sonny Corinthos. One died at the scene, the other just downstairs. Alan said the one downstairs wasn't much older than our youngest son."
Monica's voice became constricted at the mention of Jason. Despite being firmly out of organized crime, she still feared for his safety constantly. She had lost her son once, and the thought of losing him again made her heart seize with unshed grief. "Anyway," she continued, trying to brighten the mood, "with Moreno and Vitali dead, Port Charles might finally be rid of organized crime. One can only keep their fingers crossed."
Monica continued chattering, not noticing that Sabrina had stopped cold at the mention of Moreno and Vitali, names she was all too familiar with. Sensing she was alone, Monica turned. "Sabrina? Are you alright?" she asked.
Sabrina rubbed her fingers along her tawny skin, suddenly cold. "I'm fine Monica. Death is a tender subject for me," she said unhappily. And very close to home, she added silently.
"Is he alright? Sabrina? Monica?" Dara rushed down the hall after hearing their voices. She reached out, clutching Sabrina's hands in hers. Her hope filled eyes searched Sabrina's face for any indication of Sonny's condition.
Monica's gaze shifted between Jason and Dara. "The bullet bounced all over the place, but miraculously, nothing was damaged too seriously. I can't guarantee a full physical recovery. There will be paralysis, most likely along his left side. Physical therapy will improve mobility and sensation, but permanent damage of some kind is most likely," she reported calmly.
"He'll be fine," Sabrina concluded softly, still reeling from the earlier bit of information. Dara hugged her warmly.
"Thank you Bri," she whispered fondly into Sabrina's ear. "I knew he was in good hands."
Sabrina smiled quickly in return, averting her eyes to the framed painting hanging on the wall a few feet down the hallway. "I'll be back in a bit to check on him," she promised Dara, squeezing her hands.
Dara nodded and watched Sabrina head down the hallway and disappear around a corner. "When can I see him?" she asked Monica, who was speaking quietly with Taggert. Monica's sad eyes trailed after Jason who had remained silent during the update. Now, his rigid frame was briskly heading towards the elevators. Turning her attention to Dara, she checked her watch. "In about an hour and only for a few minutes, okay?"
Taggert turned to Dara. "Why don't you go splash some water on your face, maybe put some food in you?" he suggested, watching Monica as she spoke with a few of the nurses at the Nurses Station.
Dara opened her mouth to protest but her stomach growled in hunger. Both laughed and Dara nodded. "I'll go try the hospital food Sabrina always raves about." She smiled, this time her eyes were full of renewed hope and the tension that had plagued her over the past few hours had lifted. She was starting to feel a little bit like her old self again. "You coming?"
Taggert nodded. "I gotta call Alex, but I'll be down in a few minutes," he assured her. He did have to touch base with Alex about how the warehouse shooting case was going, but he wasn't about to tell Dara what else he had in mind. Taggert's hand slipped into his pants pocket and grabbed the rosary that had landed a few feet from where Sonny had been shot.
He had another thing to do as well.
******************
GH-Office of Stefan Cassadine
"No one is to touch the Estate without my permission, is that clear?" Stefan said icily into the phone. "Vitali Estates is off limits and Wyndemere's security must be doubled for at least the next 72 hours unless I say otherwise," he instructed.
With a mighty crash, the office door flung open and Sabrina DeLane stalked into the room, her entire being radiating her fury. "You lying son of a bitch!" she accused slamming the door behind her.
Stefan's expression remained unchanged. "You have your instructions," he said, hanging the phone up. "Sabrina," he welcomed evenly.
"No way," Sabrina replied firmly. "You aren't pulling this crap on me. You told me Dominik Vitali ran Vitali Inc. out of San Fransisco. What the hell is he doing in Port Charles?" she demanded.
Stefan rose calmly from his leather chair and came around the mahogany colored desk. "He moved back, to help care for his Mother."
Sabrina clenched her fists. "And you didn't think it was important to tell me?" she shouted. Remembering Monica's earlier words, her tone changed. "And Danté's dead?" she asked, tears already glistening in her eyes. Her fists unclenched and instead her arms drew up, hugging herself.
Stefan eyed his sister, still unable to fathom how anyone could switch gears with the fluidity and ease that Sabrina did. She had always been a spitfire, ready to throw herself into the fray at a moment's notice and fight for those she loved dearly. Her moments of tenderness were a sight to behold as well. She could be cold, ruthless and unforgiving in one moment and in the next, full of sorrow and comfort. She felt everything with the passion Stefan had never witnessed in another. Most times he sought only to keep up with her, other times he would watch her from afar, mesmerized by both the inner and outer beauty.
On the rare occasion, when he was feeling foolish and daring, he would try to control her.
And each time, he paid the price.
"Yes." Stefan's reply was a somber one, remembering the pain Dominik had wept earlier. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed quickly.
Sabrina did not bother with wiping the fallen tears as she embraced Stefan. All was forgiven. Both had seen Danté's path would eventually end with a moment like this one. Their grieving his premature death.
After a few moments, Sabrina pulled away and regarded her brother. "Where is Dominik?"
Stefan shook his head. "No Sabrina. It would not be wise for you to meet him at this time." Looking into her eyes, he knew his words would fall on deaf ears. He sighed deeply. "6th floor, East Wing in Room 112."
With a gentle kiss to his cheek, Sabrina was gone.
Stefan sat back down in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh Brina, please tread carefully this time," he murmured aloud. For everyone's sake.
**********************
GH-Recovery
The young guard saw him coming down the darkened corridor. The man approached him, his eyes glancing cautiously around him. "This place is crawling with the kind of people I don't want to meet," he growled.
The guard lowered his eyes. "Sorry sir, but you wanted to come in undetected." The man silenced the guard with a glare.
"Is she awake?"
The guard shook his head. "Tyson won't be back for awhile."
The man smiled. "Just as I arranged."
The man entered the room, locking the door behind him and silently approached the bed.
Tori's eyes fluttered open. "Vincent?"
The man's eyes glittered with amusement. "There is no one by that name here."
Tori turned, horrified. "What do you want?" she asked fearfully, too weak to be anything more.
The man smiled briefly. "It's quite simple. I want you to disappear. It has all been arranged. Your things will be packed and you will be transported to an undisclosed location until you recover completely. No expense will be spared in your care and you will be rewarded handsomely, so long as you do not attempt to return to Port Charles or contact any of its citizens in any way. Is that clear?"
Tori frowned in confusion. The man sounded different, almost formal. Gone was the man who always fell in line behind Moreno. Now he was arrogant, demanding and exuded a confidence she hadn't seen before. "Who are you?"
The man smiled icily. "I think the more appropriate question, is what can I do to you if you ignore my request?"
Tori shivered in response. She glanced around the room. There was no way for her to call for help and Vincent was nowhere. She had no viable choice. "Okay, I'll do it," she agreed uncertainly.
The man's smile grew. "Excellent. I will see you again, before you are released. Good day."
Tori shrank back as she watched the man leave as quickly and quietly as he had come. She observed with wide eyes as two more men entered her room and efficiently packed her items, noting that each wore latex gloves to cover their tracks. In a bid to calm herself down, she clenched her eyes together tightly.
The nightmare was not over.
In the back of her mind, Tori feared that not only for herself, but for Port Charles, the nightmare was just beginning.