A Brief Pause in Reality By Debbie Harrington   Author's Note: This one came to me in a dream. It's short, just two parts and won't be continued since I felt that I had said all there was to say about Stefan and Laura in my story Back to Greece. However, this dream woke me at three in the morning and wouldn't leave me alone until I got up and wrote it. Part 1   The sniper took a bead on the blond woman. She moved about and he moved with her. He would have preferred a heart shot, but the head would do in a pinch. His eyes narrowed as she was about to move inside. It would be now or never. He exhaled and squeezed the trigger. Stefan sighed in exasperation as his visitor scowled at him. He didn't want to argue with her, didn't want to have another pointless discussion. It hurt too much to look at her, to hear her voice. There had been a time when he would have enjoyed watching her eyes sparkle with annoyance, a time when he would have stored every word she spoke for ammunition in future battles. Now he was merely resigned to life without her. "I'm sorry, Laura," he said remotely. "The decision has been made. Nikolas and I return to Greece next week." "But why?" She paced the verandah. Are you going to make me say it? He ran a hand through his hair. "There's nothing for us here. Nikolas is homesick." "But you'll come back?" "No," he said firmly. "It's past time for us to leave. Let us say goodbye." Just leave, Lasha, he thought in defeat. Just let us go. She turned and met his eyes and must have read the finality in his gaze. She opened her mouth to speak when simultaneously she fell and the masonry behind her shattered. At first all he could see was blood. Stefan was at her side without knowing how he got there and turned her with shaking hands. Low moans came from his throat as he brushed the hair from her face. "Lasha," he groaned. "No, Lasha, no." Nik burst through the door, "What " He stopped as he saw his uncle cradling his mother's body in his arms. Blood dripped down the long blond hair and over Stefan's hands. "Call an ambulance to meet us at the docks," Stefan said hoarsely. "Now," he screamed when Nik hesitated. Murmuring, "It's going to be all right," he picked up Laura's body and ran to the launch. He held her to his chest the entire ride with one finger on the pulse in her neck. The faint throb was all that assured him she lived. "Faster," he said to the launch driver. The driver was about to protest he was going too fast now when he saw how his master's face was white, how his eyes were grim and cold and promised immediate death if his wishes weren't obeyed. "Yes, sir." He opened the throttle even more and tried not to listen as Stefan crooned the woman in his arms. "I have you, Lasha. Hold on. Just hold on." They reached the shore and the ambulance pulled up with a screech of brakes. They pulled Laura from Stefan who vaulted into the ambulance with them. With sirens wailing, they sped to General Hospital. Stefan stayed out of the attendants way, keeping his eyes fixed on the pulse at the base of her neck. He breathed in time with it, willing her to keep breathing, for her heart to keep beating. They reached the hospital and Laura was rushed into the emergency room. Doctors started barking out questions to the attendants, who answered. Stefan caught fragments of the discussion. "Gunshot wound to the side of the head possible skull fracture loss of blood, no response to " A nurse pulled him aside and gently pushed him into a chair. "Stefan? What happened?" she asked gently. Stefan numbly looked up at Bobbie. "What happened?" she repeated. "Someone shot her." He said it in a broken voice, as if the words were incomprehensible to him. "She was going to say something and she fell." Bobbie patted his hand. "Sit tight, Stefan. I'll let you know how she is as soon as I know." She walked toward the room where they'd taken Laura. He looked at his hands. They were covered with her blood. A part of him knew he should get up and wash them clean, but he felt unable to do more than sit there and stare at them in numb horror. Time ceased to have meaning. He kept remembering the way she had turned to him, her lips parted to say something to him. Suddenly it seemed vitally important that he know what she had wanted to say. While part of his mind turned over the possibilities, another carefully shut down his awareness of his surroundings. As long as he was able to concentrate on puzzling out what she might have said he could ignore the blood on his hands and the calls for another doctor and the chaos of the emergency room. "Uncle?" A light touch on his shoulder brought Stefan out of his reverie. He somberly looked up and saw Nikolas standing next to him. "Is she going to be okay?" Stefan pulled himself together for the sake of Nikolas. He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "I don't know. Barbara is going to let me know when there's news." Nikolas fell into the chair next to him. "They said she was shot. Is that right? Who would want to shoot her?" "I don't know," Stefan whispered numbly. "Stefan." Alexis knelt in front of him. "Nikolas called me. How is she?" "I don't know," he repeated. Alexis took his hands between hers and said gently, "Let's at least get you cleaned up. Come on." He allowed her to lead him to a bathroom, let her turn on the water, let her pour liquid soap into his hands and wash them with a rough cloth. Alexis bit back a moan of pain at the iron control she saw in his face and behind the cracks in the control the despair and agony. I told her we were leaving," he said almost casually. "I said there was no reason to stay, Alexis. I wanted to be the one who left this time. But if she had asked me to stay," his voice broke. He took a deep breath and the control was back. "I think maybe that's what she was going to say, before the bullet hit. I think she was going to say please don't leave." As they walked back to the waiting room Barbara came through the doors and walked directly to him. "She's alive," she said without preamble. "The bullet didn't penetrate the skull, it just grazed the surface. Her skull is fractured and there is some swelling of the brain." "So what does that mean?" Alexis asked sharply. Bobbie shrugged. "I'm not a doctor so this is off the record. She's lost a lot of blood. She hasn't regained consciousness." Her eyes darkened. "There may be brain damage. Only time will tell. She's in recovery." "I need to see her," Stefan said grimly. "Stefan, no. Only family members." "Do I count?" Nikolas asked. "Of course." "Then I want my uncle with me." Bobbie sighed. "Fine. But only for a few minutes." They walked into recovery and saw Laura laying almost motionless on a bed. One side of her head had a bandage covering it. Her skin was as white as chalk and a monitor beeped erratically. Nikolas approached her and hesitantly touched the back of her hand. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I wasn't going to leave forever," he said whispered. "I just needed some time away. I never would have left forever." Stefan stood behind him and put his hands on his shoulders. The doctor came in and said, "Bobbie told you the extent of the injuries?" They nodded. "The blow to her skull is what concerns me the most right now. I understand when she fell she also hit her head?" Stefan nodded. "Well, there is some cranial swelling, but nothing to warrant surgery yet. You're family?" At a whispered explanation from Bobbie the doctor sighed and said, "Well. You may stay as long as you move quickly should there be a need." Bobbie and the doctor conferred in one corner of the room, at a question Bobbie said sharply, "I don't know where he is, I can't get in touch with him." Nik sat in a chair on one side of the bed, Stefan the other. Laura remained unconscious. The doctors who checked on her refused to say or even speculate when she might wake up and Stefan refused to leave her side until she did. One unfortunate nurse who was brave enough to ask him to leave was subjected to a whispered diatribe that ended with a suggestion that she remove herself from the hospital. As the night wore on Nik dozed off. Stefan moved to sit on the edge of the bed and took Laura's hand. He gently touched her cheek. "Lasha," he whispered. "You " his voice broke, then he continued. "You left me twice before. The last time I thought you were dead." He ran his finger over her cheek. "I thought I would die too. Don't leave me again, Lasha. I love you." Her eyes fluttered open and met his gaze. "What?" she whispered. "Lasha," he said in wonderment. Carefully, as if he feared he would break her, Stefan leaned forward and kissed her forehead, letting the tears in his eyes fall as he hit the call button. As the doctors and nurses hurried in, Stefan kept her hand in his, held her gaze and silently assured her that all would be well. The doctor examined her eyes while Bobbie made notes. Afterward, Bobbie said, "Okay Laura, just one more thing." Laura's gaze met Stefan's and she whispered, "Why do they keep calling me that?" Bobbie said, "Laura? Because that's your name." Her hand clinging to Stefan's, Laura closed her eyes and whispered before she drifted back into sleep, "No. My name is Lasha."   Part 2   "Amnesia? I thought that was something made up by unimaginative melodramatic hacks." "Mr. Cassadine, I assure you that while rare, it does exist." They both whispered in a corner of Laura's room. She still slept and luckily so did Nikolas, who had slept through the influx of doctors when she had briefly awoken before. "How long will it last?" "Most cases end when the trauma to the brain is gone, in this case the swelling. In rare cases the damage can last longer or result in intermittent loss of memory retention. It's very rare that the loss is permanent," he assured Stefan. "What about Jason Quartermain?" "That case is quite different. Mrs. Spencer's trauma is nowhere close to that degree of severity." He laid a comforting hand on Stefan's shoulder. "Give her time. She had just awoken. It's not unusual that she might have a period of disorientation at first. Chances are that next time she wakes up she'll remember everything." His pager went off and the doctor left the room. Stefan sat next to Laura and watched her face for signs of wakefulness. He held her hand and gently rubbed it between his. Her eyelids fluttered open. She stared into his eyes with absolutely no recognition in her lovely blue eyes. "You're going to be all right," he said gently. "How does your head feel?" "Hurts," she whispered. "I'm sorry," he said with sincerity. "Let me call a doctor." Her hand tightened on his. "Don't leave me," she pleaded. "I won't. I promise." He pressed the call button again. The doctor came back in and said, "So, you're awake again." He smiled at Laura and said softly, "Mr. Cassadine, would you leave us please? Just for a few minutes," he said hastily when Stefan frowned stubbornly. "No," Laura said. The monitor started beeping wildly as her heart rate accelerated. "Okay," the doctor soothed. "He can stay. I just want to check a few things." He shined a light in her eyes and made noncommittal noises. Then he pulled out a note book and clicked a pen. "Can you tell me what year it is?" "I don't know." "Can you tell me who the president is?" "No." "Do you know where you are?" "A hospital." "Do you know that name of the hospital?" "No." He made a few notes, then said casually, "And can you tell me your name?" She looked at Stefan then at their clasped hands. "Lasha." "Um hmm. And your last name?" She looked at the ring on her hand. "Cassadine?" "Okay." The doctor smiled in a noncommittal manner and put his pen away. The intercom beeped and a voice said, "Doctor Morse, code blue. Doctor Morse, code blue." The doctor excused himself and quickly exited the room. Stefan stared at the ring on her finger, a ring he had not placed there. For a moment he played with the idea of going along with her confusion, to use this to grab a few, sweet moments for himself, but he rejected the thought almost instantly. A false memory was worse then none. Still he met her gaze, saw the near panic that she obviously struggled to keep at bay. Her hand clung to his, as he raised it and kissed the back. "You're going to be fine," he murmured. She stroked his cheek with trembling fingers. "Were you crying for me?" she asked in wonder. "Yes," he said simply. "I was afraid I would lose you." "What happened? Why does my head hurt? Why can't I remember anything?" He stroked her cheek. "There was an accident," he said with deliberate vagueness. "Your head was injured when you fell. But soon you'll be able to remember everything. Until then I'll take care of you. I promise." Her eyelids fluttered shut and she nestled her cheek against his hand as she drifted back into sleep. "Don't leave me," she whispered as she drifted back to unconsciousness. "I won't leave," he promised. Through the rest of the night she awoke intermittently. Each time she would ask a few more questions. Once she looked at Nik sleeping in the chair and asked, "Who is that?" "Our son," Stefan whispered. Laura's eyes took in Nik's sprawled form and rested on his face. "He's beautiful," she whispered in awe. Her gaze met his again and wordlessly told him that she found him beautiful as well. Her lips parted to speak, but no sound emerged. Her eyes clouded in distress. "What is it?" he asked "I I can't remember your name." "Stefan." "Stefan," she sighed as slumber overtook her again. Alexis poked her head into the room to ask Stefan if he wanted anything. The intense look of painful longing on his face as he stared at the sleeping Laura stopped her from speaking and she backed out of the room as quietly as she had entered. At timed hospital staff entered, checked her vital signs and the monitors, made notes and left. Through it all Stefan held her hand and assured her that all would be well. As morning crept into the room her eyes opened again and again Stefan was still there, still holding her hand, still patiently waiting. He looked exhausted. His eyes were rimmed red, his hair was mussed and his suit was wrinkled and covered in rusty stains she assumed was her blood. A wave of emotion swept over her, a feeling she identified as love with a touch of sorrow. She felt an overwhelming urge to speak, to let him know. The feeling of urgency puzzled her, but she didn't question that she needed to say the words aloud. "I love you." His eyes closed for a moment, a muscle in his cheek tightened as he clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and said gently, "I love you, Lasha. Rest now." She closed her eyes and felt true sleep overtake her, not the light half doze she had been in before. "Don't leave me, Stefan," she whispered one last time before her eyes closed. She didn't see the spasm of pain pass over his face before he said, "I won't. Ever." Nikolas awoke and stretched the kinks out of his neck. "How is she," he asked quietly. "Resting now," Stefan assured him. They both stood and paced the room to look out the window at the new day. Just then the door burst open and Luke rushed in. "Laura?" he said in a gruff whisper. Her eyes opened and recognized him. "Luke," she said in a puzzled voice. "What? Why does my head hurt? What am I doing here?" He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand. "Someone shot you, baby. Don't you remember?" Laura closed her eyes and said, "I remember talking to Stefan. We were arguing and I was going to leave then I woke up here with you. That's all." Luke kissed her hand. "You're going to be fine, darlin. Bobbie said something about you losing your memory but that must have been confusion." He stared at her face with such intensity that he didn't even notice Stefan and Nik quietly leave the room. A few hours later a nurse approached Stefan in the waiting room and said, "Mrs. Spencer wants to see you." Numbly, he stood and followed her back to the room. He braced himself for the rejection that he knew would await him within. Her eyes opened and they were Laura Spencer's eyes, cool and wary, not those of the woman he had watched over during the night. "Bobbie told me you stayed with me last night. I wanted to thank you." He made his voice impersonal. "Nikolas stayed as well. We were concerned." She glanced down and took a deep breath. "Stefan," she said hesitantly. "Yes?" "I was going to ask you something before " she gestured to the room. "Before this all happened." He waited. "Would you," she paused and took a deep breath. "Would you and Nikolas consider staying in Port Charles? For Lulu's sake?" she finished in a rush. Stefan turned his back and closed his eyes. Said goodbye to the woman who had only lived for a few hours and died with the dawn. He sighed. "We'll stay," he finally said coldly. He left before she could see the despair in his face. Afterward: "She's going to live, you idiot!" Helena slapped Ari, hard. "I'm sorry Mistress." "Next time, I expect success." "Yes, Mistress."   Home Email Debbie