Devolution TOC

Chapter Fifty-Nine

"How are we going to handle our living arrangements?" asked Bobbie as she carried the stack of dishes to the dining room and began setting the table.

Tony picked up the silverware and placed forks on the left and knives and spoons on the right of the plates that Bobbie set. "I don't know," he stated honestly. "Lucky is seriously ill, and I'm not even sure when he'll be able to leave the hospital or what shape he'll be in when he does. Lulu will be here next week. I suppose we should convert the spare room here into a little girl's bedroom. She'll love all of those dolls." Tony smirked and shook his head.

Bobbie poked him in the ribs with an elbow. "You never liked my doll collection," she chided Tony.

"I don't think Lucky did either," Tony teased. "Poor Scarlett didn't fare too well. I think she needs plastic surgery or a new head or something."

Bobbie frowned and tried to look mad but didn't succeed. "Oh, Tony," Bobbie laughed in spite of herself.

"Lucas and Lulu could use some time by themselves to develop a relationship," observed Tony. "And, Lucky is used to living with me. Maybe we can live separately for a couple of months and plan a summer wedding. That will give us time to make arrangements for a different living space."

Bobbie's eyes lit up. "I have an idea about that, Tony," she said with a lilting voice. Tony looked at Bobbie with raised eyebrows and said, "Uh-oh. What's cooking in that pretty brain of yours?"

"I was looking at some real estate ads, and I was thinking that one of those large Victorians downtown would be perfect," she suggested. "It would be close to GH, PCU and Lucas' private school. We're sending Lulu to the same school, aren't we?"

"Definitely," agreed Tony. "Lucas has thrived at that school. Hmmm, that could be a good idea. Some of those Victorians have carriage houses. We could convert a carriage house into an apartment for Lucky."

"That's a perfect plan," Bobbie agreed excitedly. "An apartment could come in handy for a lot of purposes over the years. Well, I'm going to start looking around at real estate. And, yes, I think it would work to have Lucky with you for a couple of months. Of course, you two will be here for dinner most nights, right?"

"Unless we have a craving for pizza or White Castle," Tony added mischievously. "Come here, cutie pie," he said enticingly as he wrapped his arms around Bobbie's waist and bent her into a dip, nibbling her neck as she laughed and struggled.

~*~*~*~

"Why am I here, Luke?" Sonny asked in a bored tone of voice as his brown eyes swept the drab, gray visitor's room with a wary look. "I don't like being summoned to Pentonville," he said, spitting out the last word with distaste.

"What's the matter, Sonny-boy," Luke retorted. "I got caught, you didn't. Is your seat burning under you?"

"Make your point, Luke, we haven't got all day," Sonny demanded. He glanced at the guard by the door out of the corner of his eye and slapped his black leather lambskin gloves on the top of his knee.

Luke raised one eyebrow and looked Sonny straight in the eye. "You owe me a major favor, Sonny. I don't need to elaborate, do I?"

Sonny shifted uncomfortably in his hard wooden seat and glanced at the black prison guard. "No," he said. "I understand."

Luke's bright blue eyes bore into Sonny's dull brown eyes. "Time to collect," he stated evenly. "My ex is in jail in North Carolina. She's been abusing my children," he added. Luke's face turned stony and hard, and his eyes glinted dangerously as he regarded Sonny through three inches of glass and metal wire.

Sonny coughed and adjusted the phone to his ear. "I get your meaning," he said quietly. "But you're a hot head, my man. Think it over for a month. Then let me know." Sonny hung up the phone, turned his back on Luke and walked toward the visitor's room door. Luke's angry eyes stabbed him in the back all the way. "I put my life on the line for you," he yelled into the now useless phone. "You owe me!"

~*~*~*~

Dear Lucky,

My mom says I can't visit you now, but I can write you a letter. I love you, Lorenzo. You have my heart, and I hope I have yours. I think about you every day and wish I could tell you about my classes, the silly teachers, and the gossip that I heard today. You always give me such good advice about getting along with my family, and you really listen to me. You tell such corny jokes, just like your dad used to. The problem is, I can't tell them to other people. I start out, and they just look at me like I'm stupid. There's an art to joke telling I think. You and your dad sure have it. I can see your face shining and bright and laughing. You know, I can see every one of your teeth when you do that. You have such a big, happy smile. And whose beautiful hair can I cut and brush? You remember that I'm a hairdresser wannabe that's me! Maybe you'll need a haircut next time I see you. My scissors are ready, watch out. Many Hugs and Kisses!

All my love,

Emily a.k.a. Emmy-poo

~*~*~*~

"I WANT MY DAD!" Lucky screamed repeatedly, his face red and angry.

"We need to help you wash your hair," stated one nurse calmly as she gently lead Lucky toward the bathroom.

"NO!" he screamed. "You're killing me! He won't let you. He'll make you pay. DAD!!!" Lucky grabbed at the doorway, his fingers turning white with his efforts to avoid the bathroom. The nurses stopped struggling with him and one said to the other, "We need orders for a sedative." The other nurse nodded and left the room. Lucky collapsed in a sobbing heap and tilted forward with his head on the floor.

~*~*~*~

Lucky sat in a chair across from Kevin, his hair dirty and disheveled. He was wearing a robe around his standard hospital gown, and he kept pulling on the sash and playing with a loose thread. His breathing was heavy with the effects of his sedation.

Kevin looked closely at Lucky's face and said, "You've been asking for your dad. Do you know where your dad is?"

Lucky shrugged but didn't look up. "He's home.".

"And where's your mother?" Kevin asked.

Lucky got agitated and shifted in his seat. He looked up, down and all around the room, avoiding Kevin's eyes. "She's dead," he whispered. "She's not coming."

"And how do you know she's dead?" Kevin asked with a worried look on his face.

Lucky's face grew red with his efforts to hold back his tears. He dug his fingernails into his palms and took in rapid breaths. "She's not coming," he repeated. "She's dead."

"How do you know she's dead?" Kevin asked again.

Lucky looked panicked and afraid. He grabbed tufts of his hair and pulled as if to access the information from his brain. "I don't know, I don't know!"

~*~*~*~

Lucky was seated at a table by himself in the recreation room. There were sheets of white paper in front of him and crayons. He picked up a red crayon and made geometric symbols on the paper over and over until it covered the entire sheet. He grabbed a fresh sheet and used the same red crayon to write word Elizabeth over and over. The art therapist walked up to the table and commented, "Nice geometric symbols. Why all the red crayon?"

"That's blood," Lucky pointed out as he continued writing. "Who is Elizabeth?" asked the therapist, pointing to the paper where Lucky was writing. "She's my girlfriend," he said, smiling and nodding. "We're married."

~*~*~*~

Lucky stared warily at the dinner placed in front of him. He placed a tentative hand on his plastic spoon, but then quickly retracted it. He started to sweat and took in a sharp breath as his hand shook. He frowned with  frustration and tension, and he looked sideways at the nurse standing beside him. "I can't," he whispered sadly.

"Why can't you eat your dinner? Do you need help with anything?" Lucky shook his head repeatedly. "It's poisoned," he declared loudly as he slammed his fist onto the tray. "NO! You can't make me eat. It makes me tired and sleepy."

"Try some of the pudding first," the nurse calmly suggested. "Watch me take a bite, and you'll see that it's okay." She scooped a small amount of the chocolate pudding with an extra spoon and ate it in front of Lucky. "See? It's great. Try it."

Lucky trembled as his hand grasped a spoon. He took a scoop and put the spoon in his mouth. It tasted good. He quickly finished the pudding and started in on the mashed potatoes when a memory assaulted his consciousness. As he was transported to another time and place, his facial expression blanked, his mouth parted, and his eyes stared blindly in front of him. The spoon fell from his hand and clattered onto the plastic tray.

*** Faison stepped into the room and collected Lucky's cleaned plate. "Good, Master Spencer. I see that mild starvation works wonders for your appetite. But be careful what you wish for - you might get it."

Lucky's eyes widened as the pain shot through his stomach.

"What do you think was in the food, Lucky? Was it poison? Glass? Or maybe some rotten meat? Oh, wrong guess then. Congratulations Master Spencer. You've been drugged!"

Lucky fell over on his side and tried bring his vision into focus, but the image of Faison danced and jeered in front of him.

"Time for a little question and answer session," Faison laughed merrily. ***

"I won't tell, I don't know anything," Lucky said in a bland, breathy voice. The nurse looked puzzled.

~*~*~*~

Tony and Bobbie sat in Kevin's office, holding hands as they tried to comfort each other. Bobbie sniffed occasionally to keep the tears in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. Tony's face was red and set hard.

Kevin walked into his office and took his seat. He'd abandoned his white coat and was dressed in a navy blue double-breasted suit that complemented his lean physique. He looked very fatigued.

"Thanks for coming," Kevin started. "Tony and Bobbie, I want to keep you up to date on Lucky's condition. I'm concerned on several points." Kevin rubbed his forehead and ran a hand through his hair. "He's displaying more confusion and agitation than I would expect to see given the circumstances of his catatonia and ECT. Frankly, his behavior is similar to the description that Tony gave me prior to his failed suicide attempt and subsequent collapse. I want to observe him for a few more days before I make a diagnosis, but his symptoms point to psychosis. I may ecommend adding a neuroleptic to his medications to help him regulate his thoughts and emotions."

When neither Tony nor Bobbie commented, Kevin continued. "The ECT was successful, in my opinion, due to the fact that he is no longer catatonic, and his depressive symptoms have lessened. He's taking an antidepressant to maintain that and may have to be medicated on a long-term basis to prevent a reoccurrence. Right now, I'm most concerned about his psychotic symptoms. As you mentioned to me, Tony, he believes his father is at the family home but refuses to visit him." Kevin hesitated. "And he firmly believes that his mother is deceased. He also believes that he is married to his former girlfriend, Elizabeth Webber."

Tony slapped his knee in frustration and stated firmly, "I want him to come home, Kevin. When will that happen? When will he get better?"

Kevin looked uncomfortable. "Tony, my goal is to stabilize Lucky and get him out of the locked unit as soon as possible. Given the severity of his illness, it's not realistic to expect that to happen in a week's time. It may take longer for his medications and psychotherapy to have a marked effect. I'm sorry. I know that's not the answer you want to hear."

~*~*~*~

Lucky lay curled on his side, but sleep wouldn't come. He was still connected to an IV, but the IV site ached and bothered him. He'd been told plenty of times throughout the day to leave it alone, so he did. He was too scared to sleep. He still wasn't sure where he was exactly. The locked doors and the constant questions spooked him. He tried so hard to answer the questions correctly, but he didn't want to tell his dad's secrets. He kept waiting to be punished and hurt for giving the wrong answers. And he did give the wrong answers. He could see it in their disappointed faces. He was trying to stay strong so his dad would be proud of him, but it was so hard. He couldn't figure out what was going on, and people walked in on him constantly, surprising him.

Why were Kevin and Uncle Tony in Faison's compound? Did Faison want them to tell him their secrets, too, or were they imposters with clever disguises? Lucky shivered and drew his arms and legs closer to his stomach. He just had to get out of here and see Elizabeth again. An uneasy feeling flitted through his mind, and he started to cry. His dad was never coming, and the hope that he had trailed away until it was a dusty afterthought. His dad hated him, was disgusted with what his son had become. A brief longing for his mother surfaced in his mind, but he angrily shoved it away. She was dead, and it was stupid to even think about her. He tried to move his thoughts back to Elizabeth, but he cried harder and harder until he wore himself out and fell asleep.

~*~*~*~

Luke paced as well as he could in a tiny concrete block cell. He'd been so angry all day after his encounter with the smug Sonny Corinthos. Where did Sonny get off? He owed Luke a favor, and by gum, it was time to collect. But, it was hard to maintain his anger in the cool cell. His hot anger bounced around the tiny room until it was seemingly absorbed into the concrete.

Luke's thoughts turned to Lucky. A vise of fear surrounded Luke's heart. Cowboy was in a bad way, and there was nothing Luke could do for him. Would Lucky ever be the same again? And to be truthful, had Lucky been the same since he was released from Faison's compound? And where did Luke's responsibility lie in that situation? Had he been so involved in his fight with Laura and Stefan that he'd ignored all the signs that cowboy was in trouble?

*** Luke's voice rose in anger, its intensity bouncing off of the surfaces of the bedroom he shared with Laura. "Our son has been home for two weeks, and you barely acknowledge him. You're constantly gone, and here's a kid that needs a hug, a shoulder to lean on. And where are you? Where's his mother? He's been gone for a year. Is he still dead to you?" Luke's eyes filled with tears as he implored his wife. "Please tell me what's going on. What's wrong?"
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"You're spending too much time at Wyndemere!" yelled Luke.

Laura's face set in anger, and she sneered at her husband, "I have another son, Nikolas, remember? I'll visit him as often as I please."

Luke slammed his fist onto the table, making the dishes jump. His glass of water fell over, spilling its contents freely on the oak surface. "You have a family here at home, or did you forget?"

Laura fumed silently at one end of the table, and Lulu's eyes looked sad. Mommy and Daddy fought almost every day now. Seated across from Lulu, Lucky was very silent, his head bent down and his food untouched. If anyone had bothered to notice, his thin body shook slightly with his efforts not to cry.

Luke's expression softened when he glanced over at his son. "Do you want some dessert, Lucky?" he asked. Lucky shook his head no and left the table. Soon after that, Lucky left the Spencer household, moving instead into the apartment over Jake's. ***

Luke's eyes refocused on his hands folded in his lap. Why didn't he notice that cowboy was too quiet, that he was afraid of the strangest things, that he'd constantly blank out. Well, maybe he did notice on some level, but why didn't he do something about it then? Luke shook his head and banged his fist on his knee. It's time to finally forget about Laura, put her out of my life entirely - she' not worth the revenge. I need to focus on my children, he thought with determination.

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