Chapter Eleven
The high-pitched sound of screaming erupts from the hospital door and invades the hallway, twisting and jabbing through the airwaves until it reaches the unsuspecting ears of Lucky’s parents.
"Lucky!" shouts Luke in brittle voice edged in worry and fear. The harsh sound coming from Lucky’s room is eerie and unrelenting in its frantic tone. Luke and Laura race toward the door and fling it open.
Lucky is standing in a corner with his back to the door, bent over slightly and cradling his head in his hands. He screams continuously in a voice that starts to roughen and crack with disturbed emotion and overuse.
Luke strides purposefully toward him and gently wraps his arms around Lucky’s chest, pulling him away from the wall and turning him around.
Lucky jumps and stops screaming.
Luke feels the overwhelming tension in Lucky’s muscles, and he reaches his hand to raise Lucky’s chin so that their eyes can meet.
Luke strokes the side of Lucky’s arm. "It’s okay," he says, "It’s okay." Luke’s kind eyes look into Lucky’s frightened ones until Lucky calms and glances down.
"Helena," he says sadly. "I was back with Helena, locked in that coffin. I was trapped and couldn’t breathe." Lucky begins to shudder and take in quick gasping breaths.
"Look at me, Lucky," says Luke again, although he knows his son cannot hear him. Luke takes both of Lucky’s arms and jostles them lightly. "I’m here," he says slowly so that his son can read his lips. "You’re okay."
Lucky’s eyelids flutter in comprehension, and he nods and turns away.
Laura moves further into the room and takes him by the elbow to help him climb back into bed. She pulls the covers over Lucky and kisses his forehead. "I love you," she says slowly.
Lucky gives her a weak smile and closes his eyes.
Luke and Laura look at each other with worried expressions on their faces, helplessness and anxiety written plainly across their features.
Luke motions to Laura, and she walks over to her husband and nestles in his strong arms, hanging on for life. Luke cups Laura’s head as the two stand there silently for minutes. Luke breaks their hug and asks his wife, "What can we do to help him, Laura? We have to do something."
"He needs all of his friends and family surrounding him, showing him their love and support," Laura states decisively.
"I wonder where Liz is? Those two were inseparable. I haven’t seen her in the last two days. I don’t think she’s even visited the cowboy once."
"I heard that she had a very bad experience when she saw Lucky collapse with Helena’s virus. I’ll ask Audrey how she’s doing."
Luke nods. "I know one friend that he’ll want to see," Luke says with a sick look on his face. "I’d better get this over with before I change my mind."
~*~*~*~
Todd Manning is sitting up in bed, typing furiously at his laptop and sneaking glances out of the corner of his eyes at his unwanted visitor and sister, Tina Lord Roberts.
"What are you doing here? I told you to leave," he says insistently. "Blair’s not gone for two minutes, and you come slinking back into my room. GO! Git, scoot, scram!" Todd yells as he irritatedly motions with his hands toward the door.
"I’m your sister!" Tina protests. "I’ve come to see you on your sickbed. You treat Vicki twice as nice and she’s only your half-sister. We’re blood, Todd. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?" Tina stamps her foot and looks at Todd with feigned hurt and impatience.
"All I know is that it means God has a bad sense of humor!" says Todd loudly as he slams down the top of his laptop. "What do you really want, sister of mine? What man has left you penniless now? Everything in my will goes to CJ and Sarah, not you."
"I’m just looking out for the interests of my children. Show me some respect. I’m a successful business person."
"Yeah, you go shopping. I can’t believe people pay you to do that. You’re such a ditz," Todd scoffs as he exaggeratedly rolls his eyes.
"I’ve had enough of you!" Tina shouts as she stomps toward the door.
"Likewise," says Todd as he waves bye-bye to Tina’s back.
Tina yanks open the door and runs right into Luke Spencer’s chest.
"Well, hello, little lady," says Luke with a smirk.
Tina takes one look at Luke’s lascivious face and screams, "MEN!" as she roughly pushes past Luke.
"Something I said?" Luke asks with eyebrows raised.
"That’s Tina," Todd explains. "She’s a force of nature, like tornadoes or loud farts."
"While we’re on the subject of objectionable matters," Luke says. "I want to talk to you for a minute. It’s about Lucky."
"How is the kid?"
"That $^#&#* Greek goon banged Lucky’s head into the wall so hard that he had to have surgery to repair the damage, and now he’s lost his hearing," Luke says vehemently, sadness invading his features and settling there.
Todd turns pale. "Is it permanent?"
Luke shifts his weight and rubs his head. "Docs don’t know," he sighs. "It’s wait and see."
"Man," says Todd solemnly. "Is there anything I can do?"
"That’s why I’m here," says Luke. "For some weird reason, my son has taken a liking to you, Toddy boy. I think he could use a friend right now. Are you up to visiting him?"
"I’m pretty patched up myself, but sure, I’d like to see the kid,"
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," snorts the non-religious Luke. "Never thought I’d see the day when I ask Todd Manning for a favor. I’ll go get you a wheelchair."
As Luke turns for the door, Todd Manning impudently sticks his tongue out at him.
~*~*~*~
"Will you please tell me why I’ve been so rudely summoned here this evening?" Alexis asks Mac with flashing, inquisitive eyes and an angry tone of voice. She looks around his disorganized office with disdain. "How do you keep track of your cases?" she asks as she picks up one stray file that lands on the floor, an escapee from the large stack on Mac’s desk.
Mac takes the offered file and sits back down in his brown leather swivel chair. He wears a worried, strained look on his face, a deviation from his usual calm yet intense expression. "Alexis," he says. "Please take a seat. I have some news that concerns you." Mac offers a hand in the direction of the two wood and vinyl padded chairs in front of his large paneled oak desk.
Alexis sits down with a puzzled look on her face. Mac’s never been like this before.
Mac clears his throat, rubs his chin, and then looks directly into Alexis’ eyes. "I’m sorry, Alexis, but your nephew Nikolas has been killed in a car accident." He holds her gaze with intense green eyes. "His Jaguar crashed into a large oak tree near the hospital this morning. There was a fire and…the body was burnt beyond recognition. We believe that it was Nikolas because he is missing from the hospital, and the car is registered in his name Somehow he escaped the police guards this morning. We’re not sure yet of all the details. Alexis, I wanted to tell you first."
Alexis sits in the chair, stunned beyond belief. "Nikolas?" she asks. "How can that be? He can’t be dead!"
Mac shakes his head. "I’m sorry Alexis, but it’s true, Nikolas died this morning."
Alexis’ eyes widen. "This will destroy Stefan," she whispers. "Nikolas was his entire life."
Mac looks sadly down at his desk blotter. "That’s why I wanted to tell you first so you could go to Wyndemere with me tonight to inform your brother of his loss."
~*~*~*~
Stefan turns sharply toward the strange sound emanating from the secret room. Nikolas is awake and struggling to free himself from the fitted prison of his unzipped black body bag. He makes an angry sound halfway between a wail and a growl. Stefan rushes over to his side and reaches down to push the bag away from Nikolas’ sides.
Confused by Stefan’s sudden movement and haunted by the attack on him earlier that day, Nikolas thrashes out his clenched fists with a shout. His right fist connects solidly with Stefan’s upper arm, and a fingernail on his left hand leaves a long, bloody scratch on Stefan’s cheek. As Stefan reaches for Nikolas’ arms, Nikolas grabs a tight hold on the right sleeve of Stefan’s black smoking jacket, ripping the sleeve jaggedly from the shoulder seam. For long minutes, Stefan physically struggles with his strong, muscular son, his smoking jacket twisting and rustling with the effort. Stefan’s welling tears of fear and worry begin to fall as wet droplets onto Nikolas’ face and chest.
Shocked by the feel of moisture dripping onto his skin, Nikolas stops struggling and looks up into Stefan’s sad, downturned eyes. "What?" whispers Nikolas. "Whaa…Uncle?" he questions as recognition seeps into his eyes, energizing them with life and energy.
"Brephos," murmurs Stefan, placing a firm hand on Nikolas’ flushed cheek. "Yes, it is your uncle. Let me help you up." Stefan pulls Nikolas to a sitting position and helps him swing his legs toward the bed’s edge. Lifting Nikolas’ chin with a cupped hand and turning his head left and right, Stefan clenches his jaw as he reviews the significant damage that the goons have inflicted on his only son. Nikolas’ one eye is badly swollen with a reddish bruise that is quickly turning black and blue to match the puffy bruise on his cheekbone.
Nikolas clasps a hand to his painful head, groans and begins to sway and fall backwards.
Stefan firmly grasps his arm and whips the black body bag off of the bed to the floor. He lowers Nikolas carefully onto his back and places a pillow under his head. He grows concerned as he looks into Nikolas eyes, which have become hooded with an uncertain focus. How long has Nikolas been unconscious? He must have been under for several hours. This is not good. Those incompetent men will pay with their lives for this abuse. Stefan shakes Nikolas’ shoulder. "Nikolas?" he asks loudly, trying to gain his attention.
Nikolas weakly tries to put on a half-smile and attempts to look at Stefan, but his eyes wander. He sighs and his eyelids flutter, then shut completely.
~*~*~*~
For all the sound and fury of efficient workmen building a soundproof room within a 24 hour time period, one important detail has been overlooked. There is no soundproofing between the ventilation systems shared by the two secret rooms on the fifth floor west wing of Wyndemere. Stavros Cassadine is standing on a simple wooden chair under the air vent, quiet as a church mouse, alerted by the name that he has heard spoken. Nikolas? Stefan has taken my son, my baby boy!
Stavros raises a tense, clenched fist to his trembling mouth as he remembers a day long ago…
*** Sweat drips down Stavros’ creased forehead, a sign of the extreme exertion in speaking his parting words and his fierce struggle against the pain of his badly broken neck.
"Remember me. The power does not die with me. You and your Luke…you will feel my rage long after..."
Stavros’ final breath hisses softly from his upturned lips.
.
.
.
A confusion of sound, light and pain wakes him from his unnaturally deep slumber. Stavros’ eyes open and take in the interior of a private jet equipped with all of the latest medical equipment. He winces as he is given yet another injection, a drug that pulls him firmly from his staged death. As his body systems begin to wake up, he feels the desperate need to obtain more oxygen, and his lungs fight for life-giving air. A grim face appears above his, a face devoid of affection and love. "Stefan?" questions Stavros in a voice so weak it can barely be heard. "Welcome home, brother," says Stefan with no smile at all and flashing, dangerous eyes.
~*~*~*~
Stefan hangs up the phone in his study with a trembling hand. The night nurse is on her way. Nikolas must be all right, thinks Stefan worriedly as he brushes off his smoking jacket, and his hand lingers on the ripped shoulder seam. Stefan has dismissed all of the servants early for security reasons, and he starts from his desk chair when he hears the doorbell ring. Who can that be? he wonders, smoothing a hand over his hair and adjusting his medallion around his neck.
Stefan opens the imposing carved oak front door, surprised to see the couple standing before him. "Alexis," he says smiling. Stefan loses his smile as he stares haughtily at Mac. "Commissioner Scorpio," he says with disdainfully
Alexis’ brown eyes reflect her worry as she enters Wyndemere. "Stefan, we have some devastating news. I think you’d better sit down."
Stefan carefully walks over to a Victorian settee in the living room and sits down slowly.
Alexis’ eyes fill with tears, and she sniffs and wipes at her eyes furiously while taking a seat beside Stefan. "Nikolas has been killed in a car accident," she says as she takes her brother’s hand and strokes it gently. Stefan sits there without speaking or reacting. Mac looks intensely back and forth from Stefan to Alexis with his arms held behind his back.
"Stefan?" asks Alexis. She reaches for his face and pulls her fingers back in shock as they contact warm, sticky blood. She presses her fingers together, taking in the texture and color of the blood covering them. "Stefan! What has happened to you?" she asks, looking closely at his scratched face and ripped clothing.
Stefan startles, pulled from his apparent daze. "What?"
Alexis says, "Stefan, your face and clothing..."
"You look like you’ve been in a fight," Mac adds.
Stefan crosses his leg and sets his face to stone. "A clumsy fall, an accident," he explains.
Alexis takes his hand again, and looks deeply into Stefan’s steely green eyes. "Do you understand what I said, brother?"
"Uh, what? Yes, Alexis," Stefan replies oddly.
Alexis and Mac exchange worried glances.
Stefan asks, "Commissioner Scorpio, when will you have a coroner report?"
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