Julian was in his car on his way back to Harmony. He took this time to think about what he had to do. So far, no one knew that Eve was at the sanitarium. And, that’s the way he liked it.  He had to admit to himself that he was getting scared for Eve. He thought, at first, that she just needed rest. After all, it had been Hell On Earth that she was going through. But, Julian thought that Eve needed a little rest. Her being this unresponsive going on four months. She was retreating. There had been a couple of days where he thought that he was connecting with her. He’d make some especially lewd comment, hoping to get a rise out of her, but, nothing. He could be telling her the prophecies of the Bible from God himself, and he had gotten no response from her.

He clicked on his voicemail, and retrieved the messages on his private line, going through them until he stopped at this one:

Mr. Crane, it’s Alexis Davis. I’ve gotten the formal papers from the Medical Review Board, with regards to Dr. Russell. They’ve moved up the hearing. It’s in a month. And, I’ve gotten initial divorce papers sent to me by T.C. Russell’s lawyer. I’ve delayed some, but, that hearing will be a month, at the latest.  I’ve done all I can do, but, I have to talk to Dr. Russell to get her feelings on both situations.

“ Damn!”, Julian muttered.
 

Neither piece of information is what he wanted to hear. Though he knew that Eve would care about the divorce action from TC, Julian’s main focus was the Medical Review Board. When the s#@# hit the fan, and Eve’s past with him was exposed, the sanctimonious Sam and Grace Bennett, immediately moved to have Eve’s medical license revoked. Julian blamed that wacko ‘Psychic Friend’ of a niece of Grace’s, and had pulled every Crane string he had, to make sure that Eve’s case wasn’t immediately dealt with, but, put at the WAY end of the line. Julian thought that if the situation had time to cool down, and the media spotlight was away from the situation, then, cooler heads would prevail. That, and Julian had spent a small fortune finding out any secret  that he could use on the members of the Review Board, so that they would be in a more ‘reasonable’ frame of mind when Eve’s case was brought before them.

But, all the blackmail in the world won’t help if the good doctor herself wasn’t able to defend herself in person at the hearing. THAT was a rule that Julian just couldn’t get around. And Eve, in her current state as a zombie, would get nobody’s vote.

Julian thoughts went to Alexis Davis. Julian shook his head. A looker, smart as hell, but, completely no nonsense. He had flown to upstate New York to recruit her, because he wanted someone who was top of the line, yet couldn’t be visibly recognized as a Crane attorney. Their dealings had been very hush-hush, and he wanted to keep it that way. ‘Eve’ hiring someone like Alexis Davis meant that she was ‘all business’, and kept people from prying too deep into Eve’s whereabouts. Usually a woman like Alexis would be the sort of challenge that Julian relished, but, to be honest, the woman came from an even scarier family than the Cranes. When Julian  decided to ‘announce’ himself at her home, an absolutely creepy place called Spoon Island, he wound up promptly looking down the barrel of a Glock, held by Ms. Davis herself. Julian had heard stories about the Cassadines…after all, maniacs who <I> really </I> try to rule the world make headlines. But, she was take-no-prisoners, and her Harvard-trained mind was sharper than many of the cronies on his staff. She had gotten all sorts of kidnappers and murderers off, so, helping Eve keep her Medical License shouldn’t be a stretch.

Julian’s mind went back to Eve. He knew things were hard for her, but, even he didn’t realize, until it was almost too late how bad  it had become. His mind wandered back to that night:
 

 Flashback

The phone was answered on the fifth ring.

“ Hello?”

“ Eve, what took you so long?”

“ What do you want, Julian. I’m busy.”

“ Well, I want you, but, I’ll settle for some conversation.”

“ Not now, Julian. I’m due at the clinic right now, and I’m late.”

“ Ok, Eve, but, we have to talk about it.”

“ IT?”

“ This situation.”

“ Situation? Julian, I’ve been in ‘situations’ before. This isn’t a situation. This is a complete disaster.”

“ Ok. So, it doesn’t look to well on my end either. My family’s in as much turmoil as yours.”

“ I seriously doubt that. I have to go, Julian. I’ll meet you for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“ Where?”

“ Lobby of my hotel. Around nine?”

“ Sure.”

Julian was about to hang up when he heard, “ Julian?”

“ Yes, Eve?”

“ Promise me that you’ll take care of our boy. “

“ Eve….”

“ Promise me!”

“ Fine. I’ll take care of him. We both will.”

“ Goodbye, Julian.”

And, the phone went click.

Julian hung up the phone and looked at the tabloids spread out on his desk. He had thought that the publicity would have died down by now, but, it’s just gotten worse. The Star, Enquirer, Globe. Those British tabloids have had a field day. Julian knew that this story was too good to be true, with so many angles, that the press COULDN’T give it up. But, seeing his face on those supermarket tabloids gave him a headache. He was surveying them with disgust when he heard a knock on his door.

“ Come in!”, and in walked Sheridan.

“ Sheridan, I’m in no mood for a lecture from you today. Can’t it wait until morning?”

“ Julian, I didn’t come to lecture you. I came because I’m your sister. I know that our relationship has never been close at all, but, I wanted you to know that if you needed anyone to talk to, I’m here. “

“ Why? I’m not exactly the Poster Boy for Compassion.”

Sheridan laughed, “ No, Julian, you’re just YOU. But, you had some serious news thrust upon you without notice, and, everyone needs someone. Nobody should be all alone. I’m not going to condemn you, Julian. There aren’t many other people in this house that can say that.”

It was Julian’s turn to chuckle. “ No, you’ve accurately assessed that situation. “ With more sincerity than Sheridan ever believed Julian could muster, he looked her dead in the eyes and said, “ Thank you, Sheridan. I can’t talk right now, but, I know where I can come to when I need to.”

“ You know where I live.”, Sheridan said, and quietly left.

Julian put on the bootleg copy of Eve’s singing days and began to listen to it in earnest.
After he listened to it for the second time all the way through, he looked down at the clock. Even though it was late, he knew that he would get no sleep. Sleep had been eluding him these days. It was best if he actually spoke to the person who would understand what he was going through, and that was Eve. He knew that he had told her that he could wait until morning, but, he thought that if he called The Clinic right now, that he might be able to catch the time for whatever break she could.

“ Harmony Free Clinic.”

“ Hello, I’m looking for Dr. Eve Russell.”

“ I’m sorry, but, Dr. Russell isn’t here tonight. “

“ You must be mistaken, I know she’s supposed to be there. Check your schedule.”

“ I don’t HAVE to check the schedule, because I’m the one who wrote it out.”

“ Maybe she came in when you weren’t looking.”

“ This is a Free Clinic, not the Taj Mahal. Dr. Russell isn’t working here tonight, or any other night anytime soon.”

“ And, how do you know this?”

“ I hate to gossip, but, the word came down this afternoon. The Harmony Hospital won’t send us anymore of their staff to volunteer down here if they kept Dr. Russell on here. So, she had to go. She’s not allowed to work here anymore. Damn shame, in my opinion. Before it became a Harmony Hospital ‘program’, and a way to earn brownie points with those in charge, Dr. Russell was in the trenches giving her time here for no money at all. But, they couldn’t offend the big wigs, and she was booted. She cleaned out her office here today. I helped her load her stuff into her car myself. So, did that answer your question?”

“ Oh, yes. Thank you for all your help.”, and Julian hung up.

Julian was curious. Why had Eve lied to him about working that night. He called her hotel room, and there was no answer. He called the front desk, and the person on duty hadn’t seen Eve leave the hotel, but, couldn’t know for sure. Julian called back to her room, but, no answer again. His mind went down a list of who she could be with at this time of night. And, he couldn’t find a single person to call in his mind. He recalled their last conversation, and a chill rushed over him. Maybe it was nothing, but, he had to go check it out.

Julian picked up his phone and hit one of the speeddial buttons.

“ This is Julian Crane. I want you to meet me at the Harmony Hotel, Room 1215. I want you to come up the back way, so that nobody sees you. And, I want you to bring along our ‘medical’ help. “ Julian hangs up the phone without waiting for a response and gets up to leave his library.

“ Oh Eve, I hope I’m wrong.”

Julian had had enough secret rendezvous over the years to know the way in and out of the Harmony Hotel without being detected. As he was getting off the service elevator, he saw Mike and help come from the back stairs.

“ Mr. Crane.”

“ Mike. Dr. Luster.”

They all walk to the door. They try the knob, but, it’s shut. It doesn’t take Mike 60 seconds to jimmy the lock and they enter the dark hotel suite. The place is very neat. Nothing in the sitting room has been touched, except for that there are pictures of TC, Whitney and Simone, on the desk and table. Julian walks over to the desk, where this is a picture of Eve with her family, Julian sees some envelopes: one addressed to TC, one to Whitney, one to Simone, one to Chad and one to himself. He is startled by Mike’s yell,

“ Mr. Crane! In here!”

Julian goes to the bathroom, and sees Eve naked in a bathtub of red tainted water. The doctor was at the medicine cabinet, looking the different types of drugs that Eve had downed.

“ Not again.”, Julian said to no one in particular. Julian took his handkerchief out of his pocket and tore it in half, wrapping one part around Eve’s wrist, very tightly. The doctor looked at Julian for a second as he did this, but, then, their goal was to get Eve out of the tub. They got her out and carried her to the bed. Julian brought her robe and put it on her.

“ Dr. Luster?”, Julian asked as the doctor opened Eve’s eyes.

“ Though the loss of blood isn’t a positive, it’s the drugs she put into her system that will kill her first. We’ve got to pump her stomach.”

“ Did you come prepared Mike?”

“ Yes, sir. I have the phony ambulance in the garage, and a Crane helicopter is waiting on the roof.”

“ Then, let’s go.” Mike picked up Eve and they all left by the freight elevator. Once in the helicopter. , the staff there, began the procedure, so that Eve would be ready to go for the stomach pumping as soon as they arrived at their destination. In the chopper, it takes no time at all, and as soon as they land, the medical staff rushes out to get Eve on a gurney. They rush in. Julian comes into the office of the director.

“ Dr. Calvert.”

“ Mr. Crane.”

“ I would like to believe that I could count on your discretion in this matter.”

“ Of course. “

“ NOBODY is to know that Eve Russell is here. NOONE. Not her family. NOONE. This is imperative.”

“ This clinic has been of service to the Cranes for years, and will continue to be. We will see to it that Dr. Russell gets the best medical attention.”

“ Dr. Russell? You know who she is?”

“ Mr. Crane, I read the papers.”

“ There can be no trace of her on record here.”

“ I know how to do my job, Mr. Crane.”

“ Then do it, and help her.”

Julian was about to say something else when Dr. Luster came in. Dr. Calvert excused herself.

“ WELL?”, Julian asked.

“ We’ve pumped her stomach. Came awfully close to losing her. I can tell you this, Mr. Crane. She was determined. Those cuts on her wrists were just camouflage. The only thing that they will leave is scars, but, they weren’t meant to kill her. She knew the combination of pills to take, and she didn’t want anyone to figure out about the pills until it was too late. The pill bottles were buried in the trash in the bathroom. “

“ But, she’s fine.”

“ Physically, she will recover. But, emotionally..”

“ That’s all, Dr. Luster. May I go see her?”

“ Certainly. But, she’ll be out of it for quite awhile.”

Julian followed Dr. Luster to a room. He turned the key and undid the lock, and they walked in. Julian’s heart sank. Eve was on the bed, sleeping. She looked so tired and weak. The IV was in her, as well as some sort of medical drip. He looked down to her wrists, and they were strapped to the bed with restraints. She had always been so full of life, this just didn’t seem right. Julian pulled the chair up besides the bed and sat. The nurse came in for a  few minutes to check on things and then left. She told Julian that if he needed anything just to buzz them.

Once she was gone, Julian pulled out the letter that Eve had left for them. He had taken all of them. He began reading:
 
 

Julian,

If you’re reading this, then it means that I am gone. I’m not expecting maudlin sentiment from you, Julian…we both know better.

We also know that this would have happened long ago, and maybe should have happened when it was supposed to, all those years ago. But, it didn’t, because you saved me, Julian. Just one of many things that I know I should thank you for over the years.

We’ve always been honest with one another, Julian. Well, as honest as we could be. No, I’ll say that we were honest with one another, until I chose not to be. And, maybe that’s what really ruined our relationship.

‘ Our relationship’. Makes me almost laugh to try and put into words what meeting you meant to me and my life. So many times I tried to package it into a nice little box, and discard it, the way you do with so much of the garbage that you throw out.

But, if I am to be honest, we weren’t a ‘package’, and we weren’t  garbage. Meeting you changed my life in so many ways, some good, some bad. Actually, definitely more good than bad.

Yes, you are a rotten, amoral pig, Julian. But, that’s not the sum total of who you are. Because, I’ve seen the other part. Maybe it’s not a very large part in you, but, I know it exists. I’m proof that it exists. As is our son.

Our son.

He needs you, Julian. Oh, he might never tell you that he does, but, it’s true. He’s a lot like you, Julian. I didn’t think it was possible for him to get all your good points, and none of your bad ones, but, it seems so. Tread carefully, Julian. He’ll demand complete honesty from you, and though it’s a stretch, you better give it to him. Unlike children that you raise, he has none of that built-in guilt, to give parents who mess up, another chance. He has no idealized version of you. I think he’ll take you at face value.

This is it, so don’t blow it, Julian.

We OWE him.

Grown man, or not, it is our fault that he lived the life that he did. I was young and naïve, and I never thought I’d say it, but, you were naïve too, Julian, and didn’t suspect that you could ever be subject to treachery. He has scars that will never heal. Nightmares that will haunt him always. And, the reason for it, is that he wasn’t with us. If he asks you about me, tell him that I did love him, and, that I hope he finds a way to be a brother to Whitney and Simone.

As I end this, I realize that we’ve often been obscure about the true depth of our feelings with one another. As if we ever put a name to how we really felt, something would evaporate. I thought, and tried to believe that I hated you. I put a lot of energy into it. Wasted energy, though. I never hated you. Angry with you? Disappointed in you? Wanted to smack sense into you? Yes. Hated you? No.

I could never hate you, Julian. Every bit of happiness I’ve had in my life was because of you. You met me when, emotionally, I was about to die, and you brought me back to life. You kept me alive, when I wanted to die. And, you made me see that I had options, and not only that, but, gave me the means to fulfill my dreams. As odd as it sounds, without you, I never would have met TC, married him or had my girls. The happiness they brought me meant more to me than you can imagine. I lived a dream for 20 years. I think Thomas Wolfe was wrong. You can go home again. I was born into a nightmare, and I have returned to it.

Take care of our son.

Love,

Clarissa