Emily looked at him with unmasked surprise. “Why would I mind? I’m your guest, remember?”

“It’s hard to think of you as a guest when you’ve been living with me for over a month.”

Emily blinked. “I didn’t even realize how long it’d been,” she admitted. “I guess time flies when you’re having fun.” Lucky nodded in agreement. “Wow, it seems like I only just got here. Oh well,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve stayed past my welcome, really.”

“No,” Lucky told her firmly. “You haven’t.”

“My point,” Emily continued, blowing Lucky off. “Is that you can do whatever you want at your house. I don’t have any jurisdiction.”

“Sure you do.”

“No I don’t! And besides, I want to see Gina. If I remember, she was a pretty nice woman. I don’t think I ever met her myself, but I’ve heard from plenty of people how nice she is. You, Nikolas, and Jason for example.”

“And Sonny,” Lucky added.

Emily wrinkled her nose. “I was leaving him out on purpose. Sonny’s isn’t exactly an opinion I want to trust.”

“You’re being prejudiced,” Lucky said. “You don’t even know him.”

“I don’t have to, Lucky. I can tell what an awful person he is just by his actions. Not to mention the general opinion of everyone in Port Charles.”

Lucky sighed, giving up hope, and got up as he heard the doorbell ring. “That must be…Gina!”

Gina stood in the doorway, smiling brightly. “Hey!” she cried, sweeping Lucky into a tight hug. Emily watched from across the room, trying without much success to hide her jealousy. “Wow, you live here?” Gina asked. She glanced around the room quickly until her eyes fell on Emily. “Hi,” she said. She sounded slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.”

“No, we haven’t,” Emily said curtly. “I’m Emily Quartermaine.”

“Gina Williams. I’ve heard so much about you, Emily,” Gina said, sitting, without being asked, Emily noticed with some distaste, on the couch. “Lucky and Nikolas have nothing but praise for you. It’s all I ever hear from them…Emily this, Emily that.”

“Does that bother you?”

Gina recoiled, shocked at the tone of Emily’s words. “No, of course not. I was just saying…they think you’re wonderful. I’m glad I finally get to meet this woman that everyone’s been raving about.”

Emily sat beside Gina, her relief evident. She smiled gently. “I guess I’m a little touchy,” she said by means of apology. “I’m just not used to fighting for Lucky’s attention.”

“Lucky?” Gina looked over to him, eyes wide. “You let her call you Lucky?”

Lucky looked away. “She’s my best friend,” he muttered.

Emily stared at Gina, taken aback. “What do you call him?” she asked.

“Luke. If anyone dares call him Lucky…he freaks. I thought he was that way with everyone.”

“As far as I knew, everyone called him that,” Emily said. Her shock had not yet worn off.

“Emily,” Lucky said quickly. “Everyone that you’re around with me is related to me. They’ll call me whatever they want, regardless of my thoughts about it.”

“True…” Emily said slowly. She looked again to Gina. “We’ve gotten off to a bad start I think. Why don’t we start over?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Gina agreed. She extended a slim hand to Emily. “Gina Williams,” she introduced herself.

Emily took the hand, pumping it gently in her own. “Emily Quartermaine. It’s nice to meet you. Lucky and Nikolas just love you to death. I’m so glad we can finally meet.”

Gina grinned. “Me too. So, Lucky…” Lucky looked at her sharply, then sighed.

“Fine,” he relented. “You tell a soul that I let you call me that…like Jason or Sonny, for example…and I disown you and never let you anywhere near me or my daughter again. You get me?”

“Whoa…that’s steep. Alright then, Lucky. I promise I won’t tell a soul…even though I think it’d be great if you let everyone call you Lucky.”

Lucky scowled. “It makes me sound like a pimp…or a mobster.”

“Is that so bad?”

Lucky threw his hands in the air, disgusted. “Women,” he muttered.

“Oh, Lucky,” Emily cried, wrapping her arms around his thin waist. “We love you. We’re just taking care of you, is all. Part of that is putting you in your place. I mean, your ego has to be five times its normal size, finding out that Gina came to town with the sole purpose of seeing you.”

“That’s what Nikolas told me.” He turned to Emily, a mischievous grin creeping across his face. “Is that why you were so jealous of Gina?” he inquired. “Were you afraid you’d lose me to her?”

Emily punched him lightly in the arm, then started at the sound of the doorbell. “Are you going to get that?”

“No, I think I’ll let them stand outside for a while.”

“Lucky!”

Sighing, Lucky turned to the door and pulled it open, expecting to see Bobbie or Nikolas. To his shock, it was neither. “Mom.”

Laura stepped inside, smiling benignly. “I’m sorry I didn’t call first,” she apologized. “I was just in the neighborhood and I thought…well, maybe I could take Katie out for dinner or something. You know, since I missed her birthday party.”

Lucky flinched, something that could have been guilt coloring his cheeks. “You don’t have to do anything for her,” he insisted. “Not after that wonderful little gift you gave her. I think that was quite enough.”

Laura bit her lip. “I didn’t realize she’d take it that way,” she murmured. “I was just trying to do something nice for her. If I thought that she would be so hurt I wouldn’t have given it to her. But you have to understand where I’m going with this Lucky. She needs a mother…even if it’s just a memory of her. You have no right to deny her that.”

“Mom…” Lucky began, then stopped, clearing his throat. “Mom, she cried when she saw it. She cried! Do you know how often Katie cries?”

As if on cue, Katie appeared, looking somewhat disheveled, in the living room. Her face lit up when she saw Laura standing just inside the door. “Grandma!” she yelled, and launched herself at Laura.

Laura, caught off guard, stumbled back as Katie’s weight crashed against her legs. “Well, hi, Katie!” she exclaimed, picking her granddaughter up. “How are you sweetie? You look just beautiful…were you taking a nap?”

Katie nodded, throwing Lucky a reproachful look. “Daddy made me.”

“Oh, now what’d he do that for?” Laura wondered aloud. Katie giggled in response.

“That’s enough,” Lucky warned.

“Look, Lucky…about the dinner…”

“No.”

“Lucky, please. You know how much time I get with her. Katie should get to spend a little time with her grandmother.”

“Oh, daddy!” Katie cried. “Can I? Can I?”

Lucky frowned. He shook his head, then pulled his daughter out of Laura’s arms. “All right, you can go,” he said quietly. “But you have to promise to be good. And be sure to thank grandma after you’re all done.”

“Thank you daddy,” Katie whispered.

Lucky smiled. “Ah, I have to share you sometimes Katie. Everyone loves you so much, it’s not very fair for me to hog you all the time, is it?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. Now give me a kiss and get your coat on. There’s no reason to keep Grandma waiting.” Lucky couldn’t help but grin as Katie leaned forward and planted a kiss on his nose. “Oh, you got me!” Lucky cried, faking shock. “Right where it hurts!” He kissed Katie lightly on the lips, then set her on feet.

“Thank you,” Laura murmured, then led Katie out the door.

Emily waited to hear the familiar roar of the car engine before approaching Lucky. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, which he quickly shrugged off. “I can’t believe I let her take Katie,” he said. “After all that she and my dad put me through. God, I thought I was going to be firm with them.”

“It’s Katie,” Emily assured him. “She has that effect on everyone.” She smiled slightly. “At least she didn’t cry,” she said softly.

“Oh yeah,” Gina agreed. “That would’ve been terrible.”

Lucky managed a small smile. “Yeah, that’s true. If she’d cried, I would have given her the car keys.”

As if on cue, Jonathon, lying down in the other room, burst into tears. Emily smiled apologetically at Lucky, then ran to comfort her son. Lucky turned to Gina, despair in his eyes. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” he asked.

Laura smiled at Katie as she tightened her seat belt. “Did you like your dinner, honey?”

“Yes, Grandma,” Katie replied. “Thank you.”

Laura sat back, once again struck with awe at the girl’s manners. Her granddaughter never did fail to surprise her. “Well, I guess we should get going then.” She smiled again. “Unless, of course, you want to get some ice cream first.”

Katie squealed for joy, tugging at her seatbelt. Then, suddenly, her squeals cut off and the eerie calm descended on her again. “What about daddy?” she asked quietly.

“What about him? If you’d like we can get something for him too. We could take a whole quart for him and the girls.” Laura winced, realizing she had just referred to two grown women as girls. Katie, however, did not notice. She continued to stare down at her palms, a frown creasing her tiny brow. “Katie, hon,” Laura said softly, smoothing the girl’s light hair from her forehead. “What’s bothering you?”

Katie looked up at her grandmother, her blue eyes glimmering with tears. “I miss Daddy!” she sobbed.

Laura stared at her for a moment, at a loss for words. Finally, she reached across the front seat and embraced Katie, her heart in her throat. “Oh, Katie, I’m so sorry. You’re probably not used to being away from him for so long are you?” Katie only sniffled. “Ok, that settles it, then. We’ll take you home. If you want some ice cream, I can pick it up for you and bring it back to the house. How does that sound?”

Katie responded with another squeal. She pushed against the bonds of the seatbelt, and frowned as the resistance hit her chest. “What’s this?” she asked, tugging the belt again.

“That’s a seatbelt,” Laura responded, confused. “Haven’t you ever used one before.”

“No,” Katie replied. “Daddy always makes me ride in the other thing, the…”

“Car seat?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” Laura sat back in her seat, astounded. As old as Katie sounded and acted most of the time, it was easy to forget she had just turned four years old. She turned again to Katie, smiling lightly. “Well, I’m sorry I don’t have one for you sweetheart. I hope you don’t mind just having the belt. It’s been a while since Lulu…you’re aunt…had to use one of those.”

“How old is she?” Katie asked curiously.

“Nine,” Laura said swiftly. “Come on, let’s get you home. Your father’s probably worried sick.” After turning the ignition in the car, Laura glanced briefly behind her to check for traffic, then, seeing none, headed out into the street. Katie sniffed in the seat beside her. “Oh, honey, do you need a tissue?” Laura asked, concerned. She used her right hand to rummage through her purse, keeping her eyes trained on the road.

After minutes of fruitless searching, Laura let out an angry hiss and let her eyes drift slowly to the purse beside her. As she did, a long black car, the headlights long burnt-out, turned the corner at the intersection. In the three seconds that Laura’s eyes were averted, the car shot around the corner and, traveling at a good twenty miles over the speed limit, barreled at Laura and the precious cargo in the front seat.

Laura looked up just in time to see the car swerve into her lane. She realized with sinking horror that it was heading straight toward them. “Oh god, Katie!” she screamed and turned the wheel sharply in her panic. It was too little too late. The car smashed on the front right side of the car.

Katie lunged forward, her tiny body flying forward with the impact of the hit. Searing pain ripped through her chest as the belt tightened against it, but her body was simply too small for the belt to be effective. As her head struck the dash, Katie reached out for the one person she trusted to help her, screaming out for him in agony. And Lucky, safe in the confines of their home on the far side of town, heard her.

Part 3 - Reactions

“Katie!” Lucky sat bolt upright on the couch, his face streaming sweat.

“Lucky!” Emily ran into the living room, concern written all over her face. She crossed over to the couch and knelt beside it, eyeing Lucky carefully. “God, did you have a nightmare?” she asked, smoothing sweaty strands of hair from his slick forehead.

Lucky nodded. He felt his whole body go cold. Emily, seeing Lucky shiver, pulled the blanket tighter across from him. “Where’s Katie?” Lucky asked, looking around the room wildly.

“She’s out with your mom, remember?”

“What?” Lucky stared at Emily, the cold making its way down his spine again. He actually thought his blood might freeze. “What is she doing with her?”

Emily shook her head. “You must’ve been more tired than you thought. Don’t you remember anything, Lucky? Gina came over, and then your mother, and she took Katie out to eat...”

“I remember,” Lucky said miserably, sinking his head into his hands. “I just don’t want to.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad, Lucky,” Emily insisted. “I guess that whole nap thing was a bad idea. You weren’t even out for half an hour.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…” She cut off, frowning. “What was that dream about?”

Lucky looked up at Emily, his eyes haunted. “I dreamed that Katie had been hurt,” Lucky whispered, his voice taut with contained terror. “It seemed so real, Em. Like she was calling out to me…”

Emily sat beside her friend on the couch, and started to slowly rub the tight muscles at the small of his back. “You’re so wound up Lucky,” she murmured. “That’s what this is about. You aren’t comfortable with her being out with your mother, and it’s just…well, I don’t know what it’s doing, but it isn’t good.”

Lucky sighed as Emily’s prodding hands hit an especially tense muscle in his back. “It seemed so real,” he repeated. “You have no idea, Em. I swear, I thought she was…”

Emily leaned over and, placing a gentle kiss on Lucky’s mouth, stilled his tongue. “Shh,” she whispered. “Don’t worry about it. She’ll be home safe and sound before you know it.” Sensing Lucky’s weakening guard, Emily leaned further forward and presented her friend with another, deeper kiss.

This Lucky accepted gratefully. He felt his fears drift momentarily away as he lost himself in the kiss. He felt the soft warmth of Emily’s tongue, brushing his lip ever-so-gently, and sighed heavily. Tangling his hands in her thick hair, he felt the world tilt and then slide beneath him, oblivion beckoning. The moment was interrupted, cruelly, Lucky thought, by the ringing of the phone.

Lucky reached over, pushing Emily gently away from him, and lifted the phone in a trembling hand. The nagging fear returned with full force when he heard the voice on the other end of the line. “I’m calling him right now, Amy.”

“Bobbie?”

“Lucky…” She sounded…off. Lucky could not quite place his fingers on it, but he had heard this tone of voice before.

“What’s wrong?” Lucky asked, sitting up straight. Emily straightened beside him, her expression concerned. “It’s Katie, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Lucky…how did you know?”

“How did I…oh god, then it is Katie?” Lucky slumped forward.

“Yes, Lucky, I’m afraid…well, she’s hurt, Lucky. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Lucky couldn’t handle anymore. He let the phone fall from his hand with a strangled cry, and clutched his stomach with stunning ferocity. Emily bent, eyeing Lucky with real concern, and retrieved the phone from the floor. She could hear Bobbie calling out Lucky’s name worriedly. “Bobbie!” Emily said sharply. “It’s me, Emily. What’s happened?”

There was a short pause as Bobbie assessed the situation on the other end. “Well, Katie’s been in an accident, Emily. She and Laura both actually. On Canyon Road, over by that old Italian restaurant. The car that hit them…I don’t think the driver even saw them.”

“Oh god.”

“He was drunk. When he realized that he had hit them, and he saw Katie…he feels just awful.”

“He should.” There was another long pause. “Bobbie?”

“Yes?” Emily could hear the choked strangle in Bobbie’s voice; realized she was crying. “How is she?”

“Well…she isn’t good, Emily. That’s why I need to talk to Lucky. He needs to get here, so…”

Emily hung up the phone before Bobbie could continue. She looked to Lucky, who was still slumped in his despair. His arms were wrapped protectively around his stomach, his eyes fixed on the carpet below. “Lucky…”

“Don’t.”

“Please, Lucky.”

Lucky looked up, his eyes already red-rimmed from crying. “How bad is she?” he asked, his voice hardly a whisper.

“I don’t know. Bobbie said she was bad. But that could mean anything, Lucky!” Emily added hastily, seeing his immediate reaction to her words. She rubbed his back gently, coaxing him out of the hole he was threatening to crawl in to. “Come on, Lucky, stay with me.” His eyes flicked back to her. “Ok, look…I’ll go get Jonathon from the bedroom. We can take him over to Jason and Carly’s, then head over to the hospital. Your aunt said you need to be there.”

Lucky’s eyes came alight, as if a spark had ignited them. “Of course I do,” he said hastily, standing. He swayed slightly, then caught himself on the edge of the coffee table. “I just have to make it to the hospital,” he said, determined. “If I can get to her, I can…”

“I know, Lucky,” Emily said soothingly. “We’re going to the hospital. You’re going to see your daughter.”

***

The ER waiting room was crowded. Too crowded, Lucky thought, for a Wednesday night. As he took his seat beside Emily, he felt the fluorescent lighting overhead seep into his skin. It felt as if it might bore into his very soul. He hugged his arms to his chest.

“You aren’t still cold?” Emily asked. She sounded shocked.

“No,” Lucky replied sullenly. “I’m hot. It’s hot in here. Look, why don’t I just go outside for a minute…”

“Lucky!” Emily cried sharply, rising to her feet. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Lucky flushed. “Out, I told you. I’m just going out for a quick walk…” His voice trailed off as his eyes came to rest on something behind Emily. She craned her neck to follow his gaze and was startled to see Bobbie just behind her.

“Thank God you’re here!” Bobbie cried, throwing her arms around Lucky. She wiped away tears with the back of her hand and regarded her nephew seriously. “She isn’t doing so great,” she admitted. “But I think it’s safe to say she’s out of any immediate danger.”

“You think?”

“You never know with these type of injuries, Lucky,” Bobbie explained carefully.

Lucky closed his eyes, wanting only to shut out the harsh reality of his aunt’s words. “You never know,” he murmured. He kept his eyes firmly shut.

“Lucky…” Bobbie started.

“Let me see her.”

“What?”

“I want to see her.”

“Lucky, I really don’t think that this is a good time. The doctor is with her right now…he said there were some complications…”
“I thought you said she was out of danger.”

“They should be minor…”

“Then I can see her.”

“Lucky…”

“Bobbie,” Lucky said in low tones, stepping forward menacingly. He stood only a breath’s width from his aunt, his face contorted in rage. “If you have any regards whatsoever regarding your own wellbeing, I suggest you let me in to see my daughter. Before you go waving some possible diagnosis around in my face I want to see her. I’ll decide for myself what kind of condition I think she’s in.”

“Lucky!”

“Look, Bobbie!” Lucky shouted, near the end of his rope. He swallowed painfully, biting back the angry words that threatened to spill out of his mouth. He started again. “If you’re just guessing right now…isn’t my guess as good as yours?”

Bobbie stepped back, startled. “Well, yeah, maybe. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, Lucky. She isn’t exactly herself.”

“I’ve seen people hurt before, Bobbie. Remember Elizabeth?”

Bobbie’s smile was gentle, almost apologetic. “But not your daughter,” she whispered, then shook her head. “All right, if you want to see her…”

“Do you mind if I look in on her too?” Emily asked. “I wouldn’t ask to go inside with Lucky, but maybe I could just peek inside? There’s a window or something right?”

“Of course!” Bobbie said excitedly. She waited a moment while Lucky walked on ahead, then turned back to Emily. “I think he’s going to need your support anyway,” she whispered, then turned to follow Lucky out of the waiting room.

***

“Mr. Spencer!”

Lucky stepped forward, a low growl in his throat. “Why don’t you people get it?” he asked tiredly. “I just want to see my daughter. Why does everyone have to make something of it?”

“I’m not making something of it,” the doctor protested. “Katherine is facing some complications right now. We think it’s best for her…and for you…if you stay out here until the problem clears up.”

“What exactly is the problem?” Lucky asked shortly.

The doctor hesitated a moment, looking to Emily for support. Emily, knowing better than to cross Lucky, only gave him a tiny encouraging smile. “All right, Mr. Spencer. Katherine is…”

“Katie.”

“Yes, Katie. Your daughter was having some problems breathing so we gave her some oxygen, from a mask, to help her out a little.”

“Problems breathing?” Lucky asked sharply.

“We think she broke some ribs in the crash. One of the ribs could have splintered, and pushed into her lung.”

“Oh no,” Lucky groaned.

The doctor faltered, flustered. “Well…the oxygen mask didn’t seem to be working too well with her. So Dr. Talbot…”

“Who?”

“A colleague of mine. It doesn’t really matter. He recommended a respirator, so of course we took immediate action.”

“So what’s the problem?” Lucky demanded. “You’re just talking in circles here.”

“Lucky…”

Lucky glared at Emily, and the words caught in her throat.

The doctor sighed and glanced briefly into the examination room before returning his gaze to Lucky. “Your daughter’s body doesn’t want to accept any foreign objects into it just now, Mr. Spencer. She started to choke on the breathing tube and then her heart…it just took off. Out of absolutely nowhere. We’re trying to get her heartbeat to slow again now. Her pulse is too fast at this time, and too erratic…it could give out due to the continued strain. She is, after all, only four years old. Her body just doesn’t…”

Lucky turned from the doctor. He had heard enough. Suddenly the door to Katie’s room flew open and a nurse, looking more than a little panicked, appeared in the hallway. “Dr. Abbot!” she cried, her voice frantic.

“What is it?”

“We’ve got a problem in here, doctor. The girl…”

“Flat-line!”

The new voice carried over the nurse’s into the hall. This voice was firmer, more sure of itself. Lucky knew that it was the doctor inside.

“Oh god,” the nurse whispered, casting Lucky a worried look.

Lucky didn’t even hear her. His attention was fully focused on the action inside the room, where Katie lay. His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he made his way, slowly, toward the open door.

“Mr. Spencer!”

Lucky brushed the restraining hand off of his arm and continued forward again. His face was set in a painful grimace. The view inside the exam room brought a whole new meaning to the word chaos in Lucky’s mind. The doctor inside was barking commands to the cluster of nurses around him, pausing in his work only long enough to shout at the doctor outside. If he noticed Lucky enter the room, he didn’t mention it.

“Excuse me.” The doctor from the hall, Dr. Abbot, Lucky remembered distractedly, brushed past him into the room, grim determination in his eyes. “Your daughter’s going to make it,” he muttered to Lucky before joining Dr. Talbot at the bed. “I won’t let her die.”

Dr. Talbot glanced over at the other doctor, frowning. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Derek,” he said darkly.

“I’m just…”

“Well don’t.”

Lucky watched from the doorway, his eyes wide with worry. The shrill sound of the heart monitor, still a long single note, echoed emptily in his head. He could not remember hearing a more heartbreaking sound.

“We’re not getting any action here,” Dr. Abbot growled. From across the room, standing his silent watch, Lucky could see sweat pop out on the doctor’s forehead. Dr. Abbot stepped forward, ready to jump Katie’s heart back into action. “Clear!” he shouted.

Dr. Talbot’s hand flew to cover Abbot’s, restraining it. “What the hell?”

Talbot shook his head firmly, and looked to Lucky, his expression changing instantly to sympathy. “We have no brain activity, Mr…”

“Spencer.”

“Spencer. Like I said…no brain activity. There’s no point in reviving her.”

To be continued...

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