The room was silent except for Emily’s strained breathing, “Who’s Jason?”
Emily’s head snapped up, she wished she knew who it was, or at least be able to recognize the vioce, but she couldn’t. It was deep and smooth…nothing she’s ever heard before.
“Who’s there?” She couldn’t stand this, not being able to see who was in the damn room! First Jason just sitting there not helping her, and then her mother making her go to the hospital, she had had enough!
She slammed her hand onto the metal try next to the bed forcing a sharp pain to shoot through it; she ignored it and continued to listen.
“ANSWER ME DAMMIT!” She couldn’t take it, anymore! She jumped of the table and began to cross the room to where she thought the door was located. She practically ran across the room to whoever was there.
She was almost to the door when she rammed her foot into something solid…something metal…something…that HURT! “AH! Shit!” She leaned over to rub her foot when she finally heard him.
He came rushing to her side, “are you alright?” His voice was deep and smooth and she thought she actually heard concern.
“NO! I’m not all right! Now who the hell are you?!?!” He grabbed her by the elbow and started to pull her up. OK, now he’s helping me…so he’s a nice stalker?
He was just about to speak when she cut him off, “Hold on…you know what? I don’t want to know! Just get the hell outta my room…y-you freak!” Just as she was about to stand on her own he dropped her and she landed smack on her butt.
“Last time I checked this was a PUBLIC hospital” He folded his hands over his chest and was about to continue to yell at this little brat, when he noticed she was silent, just waiting for him to continue.
He took a deep breath and began in a much calmer tone, almost playful. “Huh, Sonny was right about you, you’re a fiery one.”
Emily got up quickly and brushed herself off and straightened her clothing, “OK, first off all, How do you know Sonny? And secondly, ‘you’re a fiery one’” she said imitating him, “…last time I checked we weren’t in a forties movie”
One thing Emily had to admit was that with all she was going through, she hadn’t lost her sense of humor…no matter how snotty or twisted it was.
The stranger chuckled, “Well, first of all Sonny and I go way back, he was almost my step-father,” he thought for a second, “…or was my step-father,”
He glanced at Emily and he could tell she was slightly confused, “…it’s a long story, but it makes sense at the end…in a Jerry Springer sorta way. Second…What can I say, I’m a big Clark Gable fan.”
Emily was completely stumped…ok, some guy comes into my hospital room, won’t identify himself, helps me, and is now making jokes…Welcome to the twilight Zone.
“I’m Juan” he said extending his hand, it took a minute to realize she wasn’t going to shake it and pulled it back embarrassed. “Ok, Juan” She sighed, “just what the hell are you doing here?”
Emily shifted uncomfortably and dropped her head slightly so that her hair fell over the bandages.
"Well?" She asked expectantly, becoming impatient.
"Laughter." he spit out. She thought about this.
"What?"
"I heard someone laughing as I was going past-more of a chuckle actually...I take it that was you?" Emily reached out for the chair by the door and took a seat.
"There wasn't anything funny, I promise you that."
"There must have been."
"Can you leave?" she suddenly asked. "I'm supposed to meet someone."
"In a hospital?"
Emily's head moved towards the voice and replied rather sarcastically, "Yes. I'm a person in a hospital, a public hospital," she stressed, "that's called a patient. Patients are supposed to meet with their doctors. Now, do you mind?"
But Juan didn't leave. In fact, she could hear him move a step closer.
"What are you doing?" She gripped the arms of the chair so tightly that her knuckles began to whiten. "Please leave!" she demanded more urgently.
And then his voice, so close to her...so soft. And was that sympathy she detected?
"Why are you here?"
"I thought I asked you to leave."
"What are those bandages for?"
If she could see him reach out to brush her hair out of her face, she would have hit him, she decided afterwards. But she didn't see it coming-quite literally. She jumped and let out a startled cry. The boy jumped backwards.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, apparantly taken aback by her sudden outburst.
"Don't you ever do that again!" she yelled fiercly. Her lower lip trembled with fear. "Do you know what that's like..." she paused, he stared at her. "...for someone that's blind?"
He watched the clock as the smaller hand clicked to the three. A bell chimed, telling him that it was a quarter after the hour. He heard that bell chime four times already, and he made a mental note to throw it in the trash.
Or he could give it to Carly as a late housewarming present.
He chuckled at the thought and turned around just as the penthouse door opened.
"You're late, Jason." he commented as he mixed his drink.
"I was with Emily." the man answered.
Sonny Corinthos immediately softened. "How's she doing?" Jason sighed as he took a seat on the leather couch.
"Giving up. I don't know what to do. Sonny sat down in a chair across from his business partner.
"I didn't help her." Jason explained. "She was looking for her shoes and I told her to find them herself."
"She needs to be independent, Jason." He took a sip of his drink as Jason shook his head.
"She's the exact opposite of me, Sonny. The exact opposite. I wanted to be independent, I didn't want anything from the Quartermaine's. But with Emily, with Emily it's different. It's like she's scared of doing things on her own because it means that there's nothing left for her to look forward to."
Sonny raised an eyebrow, but Jason went on.
"She feels as if there isn't any hope."
"And she told you this?"
"I could see it."
Sonny understood. Jason did have a way of seeing things, their emotions, that others couldn't. Standing, he walked over to his desk and pulled out some papers.
"You can't change what she's feeling, Jason. It's tough on her, let her work through it. But you let her know that if she ever needs anything-"
"To come to you. I'll tell her." Sonny nodded as he sat down in his chair once again.
"Now, the reason I called you here." Sighing, he placed the papers in front of Jason on the coffee table.
"We have a problem."
