Chapter 94

Helena's yacht

In the engine room, Roy stands guard as Luke works. Much to Roy's dismay, Luke had been right. They hadn't had any trouble dodging her guards and gaining entry to her yacht the second time.

If anything, it's further proof of Helena's waning power that she doesn't have a more effective security force. Which is just fine as far as Roy and Luke are concerned. It makes their job all the easier.

His face marred with black grease, Luke rises to his feet with a wrench in one hand and a small unidentifiable engine part in the other. He grins "Pay dirt."

Roy eyes it skeptically. "What's that?"

"A piece of the drive train. Without this little lovely, Helena's dead in the water." Luke tosses the piece up into the air towards Roy, who catches it easily and stuffs it in his pocket. "This should ground her for a while."

Just then they hear a door slam on the upper floor. Luke swears under his breath. They should have known it was too easy.

Roy ducks out inside the door of the engine room. "Got any great ideas on how we're getting out of here?"

Luke considers the question for a minute. "We swim."

Roy sighs. "I was afraid you'd say that. " Another leather jacket bites the dust.


Carly stands in the doorway, transfixed by the horrific scene in front of her.

The blood is everywhere, on his clothes, his bed, the floor. The bed is slashed and feathers mixed with blood are scattered about, making it look like some bizarre bird sacrifice had occurred. But no sign of Stefan's attacker.

Rushing over, Carly drops to her knees at Stefan's side. "Oh God, Stefan! No... " He looks too still. Lifeless. Please God, NO!

With a trembling hand Carly strokes his hair, afraid of hurting him further. Her hand touches his shoulder and feels the warm stickiness of his blood and then she finds the deep gash there. She rears back. Oh God....

Tears spill over and stream down her face unheeded as she reaches forward again and feels for a pulse at the base of his neck. "Please please please..."

At last she feels the slow steady beat under his finger tips and lets a out the breath she's been holding. "Oh Thank God!" Scrambling for the bedside table, Carly grabs for the phone and drops it. Breathing fast and heavily she forces herself to concentrate on picking it up and dialing. Finally it rings and too slowly for her peace of mind it's answered.

"Yes... I have a medical emergency. Stefan, he's just been stabbed!" Carly hiccups through her sobs. "Stefan Cassadine. Spoon Island... Yes, he has a pulse..." She watches Stefan's body rise and fall. "He's breathing... unconscious. He's bleeding everywhere.....I have to stop the bleeding... I don't know! Just get here fast, okay?" Ignoring the protests of the woman on the other end, she hangs up. Dashing to the adjoining bathroom on rubbery legs, she grabs towels off the nearest shelf and runs back to Stefan's to kneel at his head.. Not daring to open the wound further, she leaves his shirt intact and presses the towel against the deep gash on Stefan's neck and shoulder to stem the flow of blood.

Willing him to respond, she touches her cheek to his while she continues to apply pressure to his wound. "Stefan, Darling, please be okay, please please please....."


The Yacht Stateroom

With jerky furious movements, Helena removes her black leather gloves one finger at a time. "ANDREAS!" She calls out loudly, slapping the gloves against her palm. "ANDREAS!"

Nothing but silence. It takes a moment for her to remember she gave him the evening off. Of all the times for her to be generous.

Pacing the length of her Stateroom, Helena tries to contain her fury. What was she thinking? What a fool she'd been to think her plan would work. When had things ever gone as planned with her loathsome second son?! He thrived on thwarting her every move. Why couldn't he just die like he was meant to? The drug in the Port was supposed to render him completely helpless to defend himself. Ending his life should have been simple. Before he took his last breath, he would hear every word she spoke and she would have her vengeance. And she would be free at last.

But instead Stefan managed to fight her off. She still might have finished him off if it weren't for the tramp Caroline Benson arriving on the scene. Weaponless, Helena had no choice but to flee. She'd just barely managed to slip through the secret panel to avoid being discovered.

She comes to a stop at one of the windows overlooking the lake. Well it was done now. Her vengeance would have to wait in favor of slipping out of sight. It wouldn't do her any good to be caught by the local law enforcement.

But there was a silver lining in tonight's debacle. She discovered two new potent targets who would fill her requirements nicely. Lifting her chin, Helena smiles as a plan forms.


In the fog between waking and unconsciousness, Stefan feels himself beckoned by her voice. Soft and warm. Pleading.

Stefan opens his eyes. "Caroline--?" His voice a mere whisper.

Carly rolls back onto her knees to look at him, not sure if she can believe it, but it's true! His eyes are slightly open and she hears him whisper her name again.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," Carly places a soothing hand on his cheek. "You're going to be okay. I promise."

"You came...." Lifting his head up, Stefan looks around blearily, trying to make out the shapes he sees. His bedroom. He'd been so sick and then Helena tried to kill him. "How did you...?"

Carly smoothes back a lock of hair. "It doesn't matter. All that's important is that I'm here and I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."

"No...." He tries to rise. Helena could return at any moment, she could be lurking nearby. If anything happened to Caroline... Weakened, Stefan only lifts himself an inch before collapsing back down to the carpet. "You need.... to go... be safe."

"Shsshh. Lie still and save your strength," Carly urges. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

"If she sees you..." Stefan begins. Caroline has to know her life is in danger, he has to convince her to leave. He tries again, speaking more slowly. "Helena could still be here.... watching. Waiting to make a move. I can't protect you now... If she wanted to hurt you, I couldn't stop her... "

Stefan tries to rise again, but Carly easily holds him down by pressing the towel against his wound. "I don't care if Helena and a hundred of her flunkies are ready to pounce, I'm not leaving you like this. I love you, Stefan! I'm not going to leave you to die!"

"Nothing good can come of loving me," Stefan says grimly.

"Shut up," Carly orders, tears starting afresh. "Just stop it, okay? The best part of my life has been the time I've spent loving you. Don't you dare take that away from me, and don't you dare die on me either!"

Stefan closes his eyes, not able to bear the sight of her crying again. He's hurt her so much and he is doomed to keep hurting her. "If you truly love me...."

"No!" Carly interrupts, fuming. "Don't you even start with that 'If you really love me, you'll save yourself' bullshit. I swear if I wasn't busy trying to keep you from bleeding to death I'd smack you. What makes you think my love for you is that fickle, huh? Shit, you've stomped on my heart so much the last couple weeks, if that didn't kill my love for you, nothing will."

He hates lying here helpless and he hates not being able to protect her. And most of all he hates himself that his heart leaps at hearing she still loves him. After all he's done to hurt her, he doesn't deserve her.

Stefan is about to insist again, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the police escorted in by Mrs Lansbury. The Cassadine Housekeeper cries out when she sees Stefan lying prone on the floor, with Carly stopping the flow of blood with towels.

The police secure the room, and are quickly followed by the emergency medical personal who swarm around Stefan. The lead paramedic urges Carly to move back. "Ma'am, I'm Emilio Garza, a paramedic here to help Mr Cassadine. We can take over now."

"No, I'm not moving," Carly protests, shaking her head. No way. "He needs me..."

"Caroline---" Stefan reaches out to touch her sleeve to reassure her. "It will be all right."

"We need to assess his injuries, Ma'am, so we need you to step back," The paramedic tries again, this time more gently. "We'll take good care of him, I promise."

Officer Andy Capelli steps forward and bends down to draw her away. "Miss Benson, they can't help him if you're in the way. The best you can do for him is back up and let them do their job."

Letting him go is like a small death. With a sob Carly staggers back, steadied by Officer Capelli. Around them, several officers catalog evidence.

The paramedics go to work on Stefan, asking him questions, assessing his wounds and replacing the bloodied towels with fresh dressings. After several nerve wracking minutes, the paramedics start readying him for transport. The lead paramedic calls the hospital on his cell phone. "We have a male by the name of Stefan Cassadine, age 42, with multiple lacerations on his neck, upper back, shoulder and arms. Vitals are steady. BP 115/45, Pulse 70, Respirations 10... Helicopter standing by for transport... We should be there in 5-7 minutes."

As they move Stefan to the gurney, Carly steps forward and grabs his hand. His grip is warm and reassuring. A lifeline. "I'm coming," She announces.

"Ma'am...." The paramedic starts to protest until he sees the barely contained hysteria under her determination. He relents. "Okay, but you HAVE TO stay out of our way. If I say stand back, you stand back. No arguments. You got it?"

"You won't even know I'm there," Carly promises.

"Okay, let's go." With a gliding snap the gurney rises to waist level.

Officer Andy Capelli steps forward for a moment. "Miss Benson, when things calm down a little I will need a statement from you."

"Fine," Carly replies flatly, before following the paramedics who wheel Stefan out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Officer Capelli strolls to where Stefan had lain just a moment before. Spying the dagger, he calls another officer over to take a digital picture. Then, with a gloved hand, he gingerly picks up the weapon and slips it into an evidence bag.



PC Grille

From their table, Nikolas watches Emily say goodbye to her father in the lobby. All things considered the dinner had been a success. Emily hadn't been reduced to tears and his head was still on his shoulders. Sure, Alan hadn't been happy at the news of the impending marriage, but he'd made a great effort to be civil and pleasant during the meal.

Now all he has to worried about is a sneak attack when Emily isn't looking.

His thoughts are interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Pulling it out of his breast pocket, he answers it. "Nikolas Cassadine."

"Master Nikolas! Thank God I found you. Something's happened to Mr Cassadine."

Nikolas's heart stops. The Cassadine housekeeper never calls him on his cell phone, it must be serious. "What, Mrs Lansbury?"

"He's... he's been stabbed!" She stifles a sob. It has been years since she'd seen anything like this. When she was younger she'd witnessed her share of Cassadine murders and weathered it with relative ease. But somehow it's different seeing Stefan covered with blood. She's known him since he was a little boy. That makes it all the more personal and frightening. "The paramedics were here and they flew him to General Hospital... Oh Master Nikolas, there was so much blood..."

Nikolas turns white. "I'm heading over to GH. I'll call you when I know how he is." Snapping the cellphone shut, he rises and tosses several bills onto the table.

Just as he's turning to leave, Emily arrives back at the table. One look at his ashen face and she knows something's terribly wrong. She touches his arm. "What's happened?"

"I just got a call... Father," Nikolas says in a tight voice. The fear has such a vice grip on his chest, he can barely get the words out. "He's been stabbed. I have to go..."

Emily takes the car keys from Nikolas's numb hand. "I'll drive."




General Hospital is bustling when Stefan is wheeled from the helipad down to the Emergency Room. Carly strides next to the gurney, still clasping tightly to his hand. Dr Chris Ramsey and two nurses step forward to greet the paramedics driving the gurney.

"Vitals are steady and the patient was conscious during transport," Emilio Garza informs Chris.

"Thanks Garza, we'll take over from here," Chris says, noting Carly by the gurney. His voice is kind but firm. "Ma'am, we'll need you to stay out here while we examine and treat Mr Cassadine."

Carly swallows painfully. She knew this was coming, but it didn't make it any easier to let go of his hand. "Give me a sec..."

"Quickly please."

Looking down at Stefan, Carly drinks in the sight of him. Pale and in pain, he is still the most handsome man she's ever seen. She cups his bearded cheek tenderly. "I'm counting on you coming out of this okay. Don't you disappoint me."

"Do not be afraid, I will be fine." Stefan turns his face into her hand and places a kiss on her palm, wishing he could give her more to hold onto. "Promise me you will be careful."

"I promise." Carly's eyes brim with unshed tears. "I love you," She adds in a choked whisper.

"Ma'am," The nurses reminds gently, touching Carly's arm. "We need to get him into a room."

In agony, she drops his hand and turns away quickly. Chris Ramsey and the nurses wheel Stefan through the double doors and into an examination room, leaving her alone to wait.

And that's how Nikolas and Emily find her when they come jogging into the Emergency Room a few minutes later: a lone figure standing motionless in the middle of the entryway, blood splatters on her clothes, her arms over her stomach, and tears streaming down her face.

"Carly!" Nikolas exclaims, his heart ricocheting in his chest painfully. No, it couldn't be! Not his father. He couldn't even bring himself to think the word. Fate couldn't be this cruel. It couldn't be as bad as it looked. "Carly! Where is he?"

Carly comes to at the sound of Nikolas's voice. She turns towards the double doors that lead to the examining rooms. "He's.. he's in there."

As Nikolas watches Carly's face crumble and her body start to shake, a familiar and almost comforting instinct takes over, pushing away the panic and helplessness that is eating him alive. Carly's vulnerability gives him a purpose. A role he needs to fill as much as she needs him to fill it. Infused with calmness, Nikolas moves forward and takes a hold of her upper arm to gently lead her to the ER waiting area. Carly follows him docilely, dropping into the chair he offers her. Crouching before her, Nikolas takes her hands in his and squeezes them. As desperately as he wants to know how his father is, he can see she's wrecked. He needs to be gentle with her or she'll fall apart completely. "Please Carly, tell me what you know."

She draws in a shaky breath, steadying herself. "I... I went to see him tonight, I had to find out if what Luke said was true. I used the tunnel in the stables to get inside Wyndemere because I didn't want him to have a chance to turn me away. But when I got into the main house, the conservatory was dark. Which is kind of is strange since he's always reading in the conservatory at that hour. Then I heard a loud thump come from upstairs.... I ran as fast as I could up to his bedroom. And there he was..." Reliving that horrible moment when she thought he was dead, Carly's face crumbles again.

Emily, who is standing behind Nikolas, doesn't say anything but puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. Nikolas swallows the lump in his throat. His voice is rough when he speaks. "What did you see, Carly?"

Carly forcibly pulls herself together before answering. "He was lying face down on the floor by the bed. His fall must have made that noise I heard. There was blood all over bed and the floor. When I realized how badly he was bleeding, I grabbed some towels to try to stop it. Stefan didn't really admit it, but I know it was Helena who tried to kill him."

"So he woke up then?" The knot in Nikolas stomach eases just a little, latching onto the hopeful sign.

Carly nods numbly. "After a few minutes he woke. But he was so weak he couldn't really move. He's so strong, you know? Always in command.. and to see him so helpless." Fresh tears spill down her face. As soon as she gets through one spate of crying, another wave of fear and pain hits her. "What am I going to do if he doesn't make it?"

Pushing back his own fear again, Nikolas reaches out and touches the side of her face, urging her to look into his eyes. When their gazes lock, he wills her to believe him as he wills himself. "He's going to pull through, Carly. He's the strongest man I know and he's not going to let this defeat him. You can believe it."

Carly puts a hand on Nikolas's forearm and squeezes, drawing on his strength and confidence. She takes a deep breath and calms. "You're right. He's going to make it. He's got to."



You promised me she would be on that bus!

"I delivered her there myself," Luke answers defensively. Freshly showered and in a dry set of clothes, Luke prowls around his back room. "Her and her little rugrat, car seat and all. In plenty of time to make the last bus."

Well, she didn't make it to Philadelphia, so where is she?

"Your baby girl is all grown up, Bobbie. What do you want me to do about it?" Luke rubs his head in annoyance. Damn it, he had the black widow where he wanted her. Carly was supposed to be out of town and out of harm's way in case things went south. He didn't need this right now! He needed all his wits about him to take down Helena once and for all. And Carly just screwed up EVERYTHING.

Well, Go find her!

"You got any ideas where to look?" Luke snarls back. "Because it's a complete mystery to me. The box she came in didn't come with directions."

Stop being difficult and start looking.... a pause. Start with Stefan, then Jason, then Vincent, then AJ. She has to be somewhere.

"I do NOT need this right now, Barbara Jean. I've got other things on my plate."

Fine! I'm coming back then. I'll handle it myself. *click*

"BARBARA JEAN SPENCER!" Luke bellows into the phone. Slamming down the receiver, he swears a blue streak.



ER Waiting Room

Carly and Nikolas look up when Emily reappears, a carrier with three hot coffees in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. "After I made the call to Alexis, I went for some coffee. I figured you'd want some."

Nikolas takes the carrier from Emily, hands one coffee to a grateful but quiet Carly before taking his own. "Thanks Emily."

Emily holds out the bag for Carly. "I thought you might want to change while you wait."

Carly looks down at her blouse and jeans and for the first time notices Stefan's blood splattered on them. And then she sees the brown rusty stains covering her hands. So startled by the gruesomeness of it, she almost drops her coffee. "Oh God. I'm a mess."

Nikolas looks pleadingly at Emily who nods then offers. "If you want, I can help you get cleaned up."

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea." Rising, Carly hands her coffee to Nikolas and follows Emily to the Ladies Room.

Nikolas sips his coffee as he watches the double doors, willing Dr Ramsey to come through them. With Carly gone, so is his reason for holding it together. He can feel the panic multiplying in his gut.

The ER ward clerk had been sympathetic, but she hadn't been able to tell him anything. She kept saying that she had no new information on his father's condition, that the ER staff were still treating his father's injuries, and the doctor would speak to him after he was finished. He'd tried charm, he tried intimidation and none of it got him a different answer. For all his family's power, he was still just another loved one in the ER waiting room praying for good news. But like all Cassadines, he didn't handle waiting well.

Nikolas tips back his head and closes his eyes for a moment, trying to stem the tides of fear and regret, forcing himself to push them away. There would be time for that later, he needs to be grounded now. Carly and Emily would be back soon. Alexis would be arriving too. They would all need him. He draws in a slow deep breath and lets it out slowly, counting as he does so.

His focus is broken when he hears his name called. Sitting up, he opens his eyes to find a Port Charles Police officer several feet away from him.

"Are you Nikolas Cassadine, Sir?"

"Yes, that would be me. Can I help you?"

"I'm Officer Andy Capelli." The officer steps tentatively into the waiting room. "I was at Wyndemere when the paramedics arrived to treat Mr Cassadine. I was looking for Miss Benson, hoping to interview her about your father's attack. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find her?"

"She's in the restroom getting cleaned up," Nikolas replies, bringing the coffee cup to his lips. "But I can save you the trouble of waiting for her. She isn't in any shape to talk to you right now."

The officer gives Nikolas a speculative look. Soon after he joined the PCPD force, he was given a dissertation on the Cassadine mentality when it came to law enforcement. He knows better than to take anything at face value. And yet Carly Benson had been pretty shaken earlier. He decides to take a different tack with Nikolas. "Any news yet on Mr Cassadine's condition?"

"None." Nikolas takes another sip of coffee, keeping his voice and gaze leveled. "I won't allow you to upset her, Officer. She's been through enough tonight as it is."

"Nikolas?" Officer Capelli and Nikolas look up at the sound of Carly's voice as she walks into the waiting room, with Emily is a few steps behind her. Looking pale and fragile from the stress and absence of make-up, Carly glances between the two men. "What's going on?"

Chapter 95

General Hospital Emergency Room.

Carly looks between Nikolas and Officer Andy Capelli. "What's going on?"

As Nikolas rises, Officer Capelli stands aside, allowing Nikolas to help Carly to a seat. When Nikolas reaches for her hand, she pulls back. "Has there been news?"

"Nothing yet," Nikolas replies.

"So why is he here?" Carly demands, then her thoughts catch up to her question. "He's here about the attack, isn't he?" She turns her full attention to Andy. "Have you arrested her?"

"Ma'am," Andy begins gently, sitting in the chair beside her so she is flanked by Nikolas on one side and him on the other. "Before we can arrest anyone, we need a statement from you about what happened."

Nikolas shoots a warning look at Andy, knowing that Carly is in no condition for this. "Carly, you don't have to...."

Carly cuts Nikolas off. "Helena Cassadine tried to kill Stefan tonight."

"You saw her try to kill Mr Cassadine, Ma'am?" Andy sits down beside her and starts writing.

"No, but I know she did it." Carly shifts in her chair impatiently. "Listen, just arrest her. She tried to kill Stefan, there's just no doubt that she did it. Stefan was so worried about how she might come after me that he kept trying to get me to leave."

"So Mr Cassadine named her specifically?" Capelli clarifies.

"Yes, he said he was worried she might come after me." Carly's eyes flash with anger and suspicion. "Are you going to take my word for it and arrest her or are you going to let her get away with this? Maybe he got lucky this time and he'll live through this. But next time, she's going to do it right!"

"Ma'am, when Mr Cassadine is available to give a statement, I'm sure I'll get the full story," Andy explains, trying to reassure her. "but unless you saw Helena attacking Stefan, we can't arrest her on because you believe she did it."

"Fine, I saw her stab Stefan," Carly snaps. "I'll sign any statement you need to lock her up before she hurts someone else!"

Shaking his head, Andy starts to rise. He wasn't going to get a reliable statement out of her now, if ever. They'd have to rely in physical evidence and Stefan's statement. "Ma'am, You've already said you didn't see her attack him, you can't change your story just to get Helena Cassadine arrested..."

Carly comes out of her chair and grabs Capelli by the front of his uniform and twists the collar so it tightens around his throat. "YOU ARREST HELENA CASSADINE RIGHT NOW, or so help me GOD, I'll take care of her myself!"

Nikolas leaps up and pries Carly off the officer. "Carly, let him go, this isn't going to get them to arrest Helena." He glowers at Capelli as he holds a struggling Carly around the waist. "Get out. I warned you she wasn't up for this, now go!"

The officer steps back, shaken by Carly's sudden attack. "I'll be back to take Mr Cassadine's statement, when he's ready. I'm sorry to have upset you, Miss Benson."

Carly strains against Nikolas's hold trying to get to the officer. Eyes flashing with rage, she screams at Andy Capelli. "It'll be his blood on your hands if Stefan dies and you did nothing! I know she did it! She tried to kill Stefan! She's not gong to stop until he's dead!!"

Emily steps between a thrashing Carly and the officer and ushers Andy out of the waiting area. Deprived of her target, Carly begins cry in earnest.

His heart in his throat, Nikolas leads her back to the chairs, where Carly collapses in a heap. Nikolas takes her hands and uses a soft tone to help calm her. "Hey, Carly, it's going to be okay. We're not going let Helena near Stefan again, I swear on my life."

Carly lifts her head to look at Nikolas. Face red and streaked from crying and her eyes bloodshot, she looks ravaged. "But what if it's too late? What if---"

"The doctor could come through that door any minute," Nikolas reminds her. "Chances are, he's going to tell us that Stefan is okay. You said it yourself, Stefan was awake when you both arrived at the ER. His chances are good." They have to be good

As if on cue, Chris Ramsey comes out of the double doors and heads for them. Carly, Nikolas and Emily see him simultaneously. Carly freezes in her chair while Nikolas rises and Emily joins them.

Chris urges them to sit again then takes one of the chairs and flips it around so he's leaning his forearms on the chair back. "I'm Dr Chris Ramsey and I'm the doctor treating Mr Cassadine. I understand you've been waiting anxiously for news."

Nikolas swallows convulsively. "How is he?"

"You can thank this lady," Chris says, indicating Carly. "He is in remarkably good condition considering the extent of his injuries. Her quick thinking ...calling for an ambulance immediately, keeping him still and applying pressure to his wounds, will really speed his recovery. He has some nasty gashes that needed to be stitched up, but no vital organs were struck. I'm very happy to report that there appears to be no nerve damage. Mr Cassadine will need time to recuperate, of course, but there's no reason he shouldn't make a full recovery."

Nikolas leans back and draws in the first full breath he since the call from Mrs Lansbury. "Thank God."

Carly blinks several times, not believing. "He's.... he's going to be okay? But he was so weak, he could barely move.."

"That was pretty puzzling to us as well," Chris says with a nod. "His blood loss and injuries were not extensive enough to explain it. I've come to the conclusion that he must have been under the influence of a drug. That's consistent with the fact that his immobility has worn off since we began suturing his wounds."

"Did you find any drugs in his system?" Nikolas asks.

Chris shakes his head. "The only chemical the bloodwork detected was a small amount of alcohol but that wouldn't explain his immobility. Do you know of anything Stefan might have taken which would have caused this kind of reaction?"

Nikolas shakes his head. "No, nothing. While he drinks on occasion, he abhors drugs, even the prescription kind. If he was under the influence of a drug, then it was given to him without his knowledge."

"Well then," Chris shrugs. "We may never know because our toxicology lab couldn't detect anything. I'm recommending Mr Cassadine spend the night at General Hospital so we can monitor his condition and to be assured he doesn't overexert himself."

"Can I see him?" Carly asks, rising to her feet.

"Yes, but one visitor at a time." Chris stands. "He's exhausted, but awake. Don't wear him out."

Nikolas helps Carly to her feet. "You go first," He urges.

"Thank you." Carly surprises Nikolas with a quick hug.

Carly follows Chris back to the ER examination room. Chris pulls the curtain back to reveal Stefan laying with his head on a crisp white pillow, his eyes closed. The nurse at his bedside fiddles with the IV drip which is giving him fluids through the tube attached to his left wrist.

"Mr Cassadine, you have a visitor," Chris announces.

"Thanks Dr Ramsey," Carly says, but her eyes never leave Stefan. Relief floods her when his eyes blink open. Even with all of Chris's reassuring words about Stefan's condition, it isn't until she sees Stefan smile back at her that she can feel the truth of them.

"The nurses will be coming by in a bit to move him to the medical floor." Chris warns, before waving the nurse away, leaving Carly and Stefan alone.

Stefan reaches out his hand to her and she takes it. His eyes are warm and gentle and she drowns in their welcome. She swallows the lump in her throat, struck by how much she's missed that particular look from him these past few weeks.

She folds his hand between hers and takes a seat on the rolling chair at his bedside. "They say you're going to be okay."

"Yes, it appears so," Stefan says roughly, his eyes drinking her in. She was a beautiful sight, but much too pale for his liking. "And I have you to thank for that. I'm not accustomed to having my life saved. By a woman is an even more rare blessing."

Carly runs the back of his hand against her cheek. For what seems like the hundredth time that day, tears well up in her eyes. "I was so afraid.... I didn't know if you'd ...." She couldn't even say it.

Even though it's painful to move, Stefan reaches over with his other hand and strokes the top of her head soothingly. "Shsssh, it's all right. I am going to be fine. There is no need to be afraid anymore."

"Don't ask me to stay away from you, Stefan" She kisses his hand. It isn't enough, she wants more. She wants to be closer to him, to hear his heart beat, to breathe in his scent.

Stefan closes his eyes, at war with himself. At her words, he is hit suddenly with how much he wants her right where she is. The idea of her being anywhere but by his side is physically painful. The love he can feel pouring out of her warms him to the core. It frightens him how much he needs it. But at the same time it was dangerous to have her near, and he can't live with the idea of anything in his life hurting her. "Caroline..."

"Please don't send me away again," Carly says, afraid to hear his rejection. "I know why you broke things off. You didn't do it because you didn't care about me, did you? You did it to protect me."

Looking into her brown eyes shining with unshed tears, he couldn't stand to lie and hurt her again, even to protect her "Yes. There is little reason to deny it now." Each day he thought it wasn't possible to love Carly more, and yet in the time they were apart he'd discovered uncharted depths he was too frightened to confront. But he couldn't run anymore, and he was tired of the lies. "My mother knows the best way to destroy me is to hurt someone I care about. So I set about making you insignificant." He brings her hand up to kiss. What she had done for him tonight, no woman had ever done. "But after this evening, Helena will know it for the ruse it is."

"She won't touch you again, I promise," Carly vows, squeezing his hand.

"No, you will not pursue her." Stefan shakes his head. This is his worst fear, in part the reason he pushed her away to begin with. Caroline could so easily play into Helena's hands. And if anything happened to Carly, it would annihilate him. He has no doubt of it. "If you do, She will exploit the opportunity and she will use it to crush me."

"She tried to kill you!" Carly is flabbergasted. "The cops aren't going to do squat! You're in no condition to take her on. There is no one else. I can do this."

Stefan's expression turns dark. "Promise me. She is my mother and it is my choice how she is dealt with."

"No, I can't promise that," Carly argues stubbornly, shaking her head vehemently. "No one hurts someone I love and gets away with it."

"Promise me, Caroline," Stefan insists just as vehemently. "You must trust me to handle my mother. I know her better than anyone, and I know the best way to defeat her. If you do not give me your word, I will page for the nurse and have myself released from the hospital tonight, and I will have my guards keep you at Wyndemere until Helena is disposed of."

Carly and Stefan match steely expressions, but it is Carly who blinks first. "Even on your deathbed you bully me. Fine, I promise."

"Tell me what you are promising," Stefan presses, not letting up the pressure.

"I will leave Helena alone," Carly repeats, not at all happy. "But this is the last round you're winning."



Emily comes up behind Nikolas who is staring pensively out the window into the pitch black night. She wraps her arms around his waist. "This is great news. Stefan's going to be okay."

"This time," Nikolas mutters. Then softens when he puts his hands over hers. "I can't get that out of my head, how close Helena came to killing him tonight. And how angry I was at him the last time..." His throat tightens and cuts off his voice while he blinks back tears. "God Emily, what if he hadn't been so lucky? What if Carly hadn't been there to call the ambulance? He could have been lying bleeding for God knows how long... Or worse, Helena could have..."

Emily squeezes him tightly, letting her cheek lay against his back. "I know... You didn't think anything like this could happen.... You thought, like we all think of our parents, that your father is indestructible. How were you to know?"

"He warned me, that's how!" Nikolas says in a burst of self-loathing. "We knew Helena was on the warpath. That's why he insisted on the guards for me and Alexis. Why didn't he see that he'd be her most likely target.... And damn it, where were his guards? How did she get that close to him?"

Emily lifts her head up for a moment. "You don't think he left himself vulnerable on purpose, do you?"

Nikolas bows his head and swears under his breath. "If he wanted to draw the fire away from the rest of us... that is exactly what he'd do."

Alexis comes bursting through the doors to the ER, with Ned right on her heels. "Nikolas!" She stops just a few feet from Nikolas, out of breath like she ran all the way from the gatehouse. "How is he?"

Nikolas turns and pulls Emily around to his side. "Dr Ramsey came out a few minutes ago to tell us that Stefan is in good condition. He should recover fully."

Alexis places her hand on her chest and forces herself to breathe deeply. She sends up a silent prayer of thanks. "When is he allowed visitors?"

"I let Carly be his first visitor, she is with him right now. She was pretty shook up after finding him and calling the ambulance." Nikolas leads the group to some seats in the waiting area. "We owe her his life."

"We're lucky she was there," Alexis sinks into a chair and pulls Ned into a seat next to her. "But where were Stefan's guards during all this?"

"That's the question I want answered." Nikolas pulls out his cell phone and dials grimly. "And I intend to get the answer right now."



Outside Stefan's hospital room, a guard stands watch. Roy ambles down the hall, looking at the room numbers and rubbing his chin. He smiles at the dour guard disarmingly. "Hey, maybe you can help me."

The guard stiffens suspiciously. "That is not likely, I am..."

"I'm sure you can. See I'm all turned around. I was trying to find my wife's room. They said they brought her up here.. Room 215? Do you have any idea where that would be?"

The guard turns and points Roy towards the nurses station. "The odd number rooms are on the other side of that nurses station..."

"Nurses station?" Roy asks cluelessly. "I thought the nurses station wasn't on this floor.

Luke peeks his head out from under an abandoned laundry cart and seeing that Roy has the guard distracted tiptoes out and into Stefan's room. There he finds his quarry, sitting at Stefan's bedside. "I had a feeling I'd find you here, Baby Girl. Just can't stay away from the bloodsucker can ya?"

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