The Best Laid Plans -Chapter 51
Justus sees Nikolas and Stefan leave Sasha’s room. He enters and goes next to Sasha and holds her hand.
“ I would have been here sooner, but your family has been keeping an eternal vigil at your bedside. I have to say that I have been quite impressed by them. I never thought I’d say that about the Cassadines. But, I believe I see what you see in them; you all really are a family. Well, I didn’t come here to talk about your family, I came to talk about us. What us, you might say? Hell, I didn’t know that there was an us either, until I saw you being pulled from that wreck. That scene is one I’ll never forget. I was lost, and maybe I still am lost, and I’m trying to find my way. I know one thing, I feel like I’m on solid ground when I’m with you. No wandering.
Now, I may not feel good about the man I am with you, but that’s not your fault, it’s mine. I had very high standards set for me, and, when the time came, I failed myself. And, it’s been punishment time for me ever since. Until you arrived. I suppose it’s because you never knew me before. That your assessment of me is the one total positive one in my life. Everyone else whose opinions mean a great deal to me have these disappointed looks in their eyes, like, “ I remember you Justus, when...”. Why don’t they understand that THAT Justus Ward is gone. And, he can never come back. You’re much too beautiful to die. And much to ornery. I suspect that once you come out of this, you’re going to bursting out orders with a vengeance. I feel sorry for whomever gets in your way.” Justus laughs.
“ But, in all seriousness, I want you back, Sasha. I want the chance to know if what I’m thinking and feeling is an illusion, or real.” Justus goes to Sasha and kisses her on the forehead and leaves.
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Bobbie is looking for a book in the GH Library when Carly walks in.
“Jason?”
“ No, Carly. Jason’s not here.”
“ Well, someone told me that he had come this way.”
“ He’s not here, your new victim.”
“ Excuse me?”
“ You heard me. I heard from Tony how you walked out on him, naming Jason as the father.”
“ Jason IS the father.”
“ How could you do that to Tony? Oh, yeah, I forgot, you’re nothing but a gold-digging hussy.”
“ You know what, Bobbie? I don’t care what the hell you think of me. After what I know about YOUR background, who are you to throw stones?”
“ I admit that I’ve been no saint, but, I have never led a man around and so completely destroyed him , with such a massive lie. You KNEW what this baby meant to Tony, but you didn’t care. You saw better fortune with Jason, so, you took that poor defenseless baby, and sold him to the highest Daddy-bidder.”
“ YOU are going to talk about me and my baby? Who the hell are you? You threw away your baby!”
“ I gave my baby up for adoption. I did not go around, shopping for candidates for a baby lottery. God, you really are a tramp.”
Bobbie turns to leave, but Carly grabs her arm.
“ Oh, no, Bobbie. Not this time. Me, a tramp? Maybe, but, at least I can say, IF I’m a whore, I got in naturally.......from my MOTHER.”
“ What the hell are you talking about.”
“ What I’m talking about Barbara Jean, is that I learned everything about being a slut, a tramp, a whore from YOU!”
“ Now, I know you’re not only demented, but insane.”
“ Take a good long look at me, Bobbie. Do you recognize anything? Say, yourself? I wonder, where do you think I was conceived? In one of those seedy hotel rooms? In the backseat of a car? Or, was a I a ‘quickie’ in the alley? Maybe, it was done in style: in Ruby’s whorehouse. Got any ideas, MOMMY!!”
Bobbie stares at Carly. Then, there is a spark of comprehension of what Carly is saying.
“ That’s right. I’m your bastard daughter. The child of you and some unnamed john. The baby that you threw away and never looked back for again.”
” THAT’S NOT TRUE! Why are you saying this? My daughter is dead.”
“ NO, that’s what LUKE told you, when you found me in bed with Tony. Your daughter, Caroline Bensen, is me. That picture that you have of me, it was taken at Daytona Beach, when I was 7 years old.”
” WHY are you saying this? My daughter is dead!”
“ NO SHE’S NOT!! IT’S ME!! This tramp, slut, whore who stole your husband and ruined you life, is ME, your ever devoted daughter. Welcome to this is your life, Barbara Jean Spencer.”
“ You’re LYING! Because, Luke would NEVER lie to me like that.”
Carly laughs. “ You really are a fool. Not only WOULD Luke lie to you, he’s been doing it everyday for over a year now. Seems you don’t know your brother as well as you think. But, then again, how smart could you be? I’ve been leaving hints all over the place for the better part of two years, and you were as dumb as a post. Wise up, Bobbie. Luke scammed you like he does everybody else. You only THOUGHT you were special. I used to dream of you taking me in your arms and calling me your daughter. Now, I could care less. You are so pathetic. Why am I even wasting my time with you?”
Carly brushes by a completely dazed Bobbie, leaving her there. Carly hurries into an empty elevator, closes the door, and bursts into tears.
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Justus is sitting at the bar of the Port Charles Grille when Katherine walks in.
“ Hello, Justus.”
” Katherine? Long time, no see. How are you?”
“ Why don’t you buy me a drink and find out?”
“ Certainly. “ To the bartender as Katherine gets seated, “ Give the lady a martini, three olives, I believe.”
” You have a good memory.”
“ Lawyer’s training. What are you doing here?”
” Just unwinding after a business trip.”
“ Oh. I thought you’d be at the hospital.”
“ With Stefan? No. Stefan doesn’t want or need me around his daughter. Not when he has Bobbie.”
“ Oh. Well, tell me about your trip.”
“ I had to go visit a couple of ‘Deception’ factories. Some problems have arisen.”
“ Nothing serious, I hope.”
” Not yet. I think I’ve gotten a handle on the situation.”
” Good for you.”
” And, how’s life treating you? I would guess well, considering ...”
“ Considering that I’m an ELQ Board Member, and the ‘trust.’ “
“ Yes, THAT ‘trust’. It must be thrilling to really be a member of the Quartermaine Club.”
“ Am I?”
” Of course you are. You’re not only Edward’s Grandson, and Chief Counsel, but you have a seat on the Board, and your own economic powerbase to boot. Ned can’t look down on you now, can he?”
Justus laughs. “ I forgot that you know my cousin Ned very well.”
“ I think I do.”
“ So, any advice as to how to deal with Ned?”
“ By deal, do you mean that you want to know how to get rid of Ned?”
“ Get RID of Ned? No. I wouldn’t be talking to you. I’d be talking to Sonny.”
They both laugh.
“ You know what I mean, Justus. Do I smell a coup in the making.”
” You smell nothing, Katherine. Except for that delicious perfume you’re wearing.”
“ It’s called ‘Forbidden Passion’. It our high end brand.”
“ And, are the customers pleased with it?”
“ Of course. Aren’t you?”
“ It is a delicious scent, I do admit that. So, about Ned..”
“ Let’s not talk about Ned. I’m much more interested in what your plans are for the ‘trust’. What kind of force do you see yourself as, Justus?”
“ I didn’t know I was a ‘force.’ “
“ Right now, you’re not. But, you could be.”
“ With the right guidance.”
“ The right spin. Certain well placed interviews with the right magazines, and you’d be as high profile as Ned.”
“ Maybe I don’t want to be high profile.”
Katherine laughs. “ Justus, you were a politician. Please spare me that you don’t like limelight. Unless, you’re going to try and tell me that City Councilman was the highest office to which you aspired.”
Justus laughs. “ No. My goals were beyond that.”
“ See. I knew it. We understand one another, Justus. I see something in you that wasn’t there before.”
“ And what is that, Katherine?”
“ Ruthlessness. You were always smart, witty, ambitious and competitive. And, when you were just that, well, politics was a great field for you. And , I never thought you could be anything to ELQ, when I first heard you had joined. But now...”
“ Now?”
“ You could beat them all. At their own game. I’ve bet you studied them all. You’ve analyzed their strengths, and weaknesses. You’re walking on the edge of something great.”
“ And, what, Katherine? You want to be on the edge?”
“ There’s no place else that I enjoy more.”
“ Really. Well, you know, I’m just the black sheep of the family. It’s dark and dangerous territory that you’re talking about.”
“ I like dark and dangerous. In a lot of things.”
Justus laughs. “ Well, Katherine. You’ve certainly given me food for thought. I have to get back to ELQ for some overnight faxes.”
“ You do that. And remember, if you need a PR person...”
“ I know where to call.”
Justus gets up and leaves the bar. Katherine order another martini for
herself, and decides to have dinner alone. She decides against trying to
check on Stefan tonight, knowing that he’ll be at the hospital anyway.
So, after dinner, she leaves for her Penthouse.
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Stefan and Nikolas are at Sasha’s bedside. Stefan is lost in thought, and only comes back to reality with the sound of Nikolas’ laughter.
“ Nikolas, is something the matter?”
“ No, Uncle, I was just remembering something.”
” What?”
” The summer that the three of us spent on Sasha’s boat. Do you remember all the good times that we had back then?”
” Yes. I remember that summer very well. We certainly enjoyed ourselves.”
“ I was remembering the first time that I attempted to cook dinner by myself. It was a complete mess. I almost completely destroyed the kitchen. I forgot what I was trying to cook. Was it the lobster..because I did ruin them too...”
“ No. You ruined the calimari.”
Stefan and Nikolas turned. The words came from Sasha.
“ Katya?”
” You nearly poisoned us with that calimari Niko.”, Sasha said weakly.
Stefan had tears in his eyes. “ Katya. Do you know who I am?”
In a weak voice, “ Yes. Papa. And, he’s Nikolas.”
“ Nikolas! Go get the doctors!”
Nikolas hurries out of the room.
“ Oh Katya. You’ve come back to us. Thank God.”
The nurse and the doctors all come in. They usher Stefan and Nikolas out into the hallway. They spend what seems like an eternity in Sasha’s room. Finally, they come out of the room and over to Stefan and Nikolas.
” Dr. Hiroshi, how is my daughter?”
“ Mr. Cassadine, she has defied modern medicine. Everything indicated that she should never have survived that crash, but she did.”
“ You were in there, for quite a long time. Is there something wrong?”
“ Just the opposite. She’s come through with flying colors. We had been worried about possible spinal injuries. “
“ And?”
“ No. Your daughter passed all our tests. Now, she’ll still have to be in the hospital, giving her body more time to heal, before I would be comfortable with releasing her. But, barring something unforeseen, I believe that your daughter is well on her way, to a complete recovery.”
” Thank you, Doctor. May we go in and see her now?”
“ Yes. But, be warned, she’s very tired. And, will be, for the next few days, as she slowly regains her strength. So, don’t stay long.”
“ I assure you, we won’t. Thank you, once again.” Both Stefan and Nikolas shake Dr. Hiroshi’s hand, and then go into Sasha’s room.
Sasha looks up and smiles at the two of them.
“ I’m glad to see you.”
“ Well, we’re ecstatic to hear your voice again, Katya. And to see your eyes.”
“ You better believe we’re happy, Sasha. We came so close....”
“ Didn’t I tell you once, Niko, that the American’s say, ‘close only counts in horseshoes, and not even then.’ “
“ Everyone had given up on you. The doctors said that you were a lost cause. That you wouldn’t survive. They all said it.”
“ All except for Barbara.”
“ Bobbie?”
“ Yes. Barbara’s been involved with your case, since the beginning. She told me to have faith in you and my love for you, and she was correct. Well, the doctors told us not to tire you out. We will leave, for now, but will return in the morning.”
“ Bye.” Sasha was already drifting off to sleep. Stefan and Nikolas both kiss her and leave the room.
“ You know Uncle, I don’t know if I’m ready to go home. I have this sudden burst of energy.”
“ I understand, Nikolas. But, I wasn’t going to suggest that we return to Spoon Island. Actually, I was going to suggest that we find Barbara and tell her the good news.”
“ Uncle, you’re right! We should find Bobbie.”
At this moment, Amy walks by.
“ Amy, I was wondering, have to seen Barbara?”
“ Actually, I just saw her. She went that way.” Amy points to the stairwell. “ But, she seemed sort of out of it.”
” Out of it.”
“ Spaced, Stefan. She acted as if she didn’t know me.”
” I wonder why.”
Amy shoots Stefan a dirty look, and then says to Nikolas, “ Your Mother was so pleased that you came to visit her.”
Stefan looks at Nikolas, who looks down to the ground, and mumbles, “ Oh. Well, I didn’t do it for her.”
“ Even if you didn’t, she enjoyed it. Well, ta-tah boys.” Amy leaves and Stefan is about to speak to Nikolas when Nikolas says, “ We should be going to look for Bobbie.”
They walk around the hall, and get to the only door in the corridor: the one to the stairs.
“ Why would Barbara take the stairs.”
” I think it’s because she was going onto the roof. She goes up there sometimes on her breaks.”
” Oh. “
Stefan and Nikolas walk up the stairs to the roof. They open the door and walk out. They walk around, and Nikolas yells, “ BOBBIE!”
In the moonlight, Bobbie is standing on the edge looking down.
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