by HollyJo
**GETTING TO THE TRUTH**
Chapter 37
"Mum! Dad!" Jerry yelled as he opened the door to his parents. John and Jane came through the door beaming and Jerry pulled them both into his arms for a hug.
John slapped him on the back with affection and pulled away. "I hear the wedding is back on. It's about time, Son."
Jerry grinned, "I had nothing to do with it. This is all Hazel's doing."
Jane laughed, "Well, knowing Hazel, this time it will actually happen."
"It would have happened last time if our poor Brenda hadn't been killed," John said with a frown.
"How's Jax doing, dear" Jane asked Jerry as he led them into the living room.
"He was doing a little better once he became active in the investigation...saw a few of the old sparkles in his eye. But since Mel got hurt...." Jerry shrugged.
"Who's Mel?" John asked. "Was he the guy doing the investigation?"
Jerry nodded, "Yeah, but Mel is a girl...or rather a woman. Seems like she figured out that one of the cops she worked with was one of the robbers of the jewelry store. She followed him into an old fishery....but it was a trap. He had set a bomb, unfortunately Mel didn't get out in time."
"Oh how horrible!" Jane exclaimed. "Is she alright?"
"It's been touch and go. She actually died on the operating table. The doctors said it was a miracle that she lived. But she seems to be doing a little better, although she's still in a coma. She had massive head injuries. She was a mess." Jerry explained.
"And the boy took it hard?" John asked.
Jerry shrugged again, "Who can tell what Jax is thinking. He hasn't said much about it, but he's at the hospital most of the time. Just sitting there in her room."
John coughed slightly, "Does the boy have feelings for her?"
"Who knows. I know that he respected her. And I think he liked her. But it's rather soon after Brenda's death for him to have any more feelings for her." Jerry said.
"Love is strange," Jane said thoughtfully, "One never knows when it will strike. And it certainly doesn't follow any time tables."
"No Mum. I think he just feels bad that she was hurt. She was the first person that seemed to get through to him. So it's no wonder that he's worried about her." Jerry said.
"Jane! John!" Libby yelled as she came into the room. Jane and John stood up and laughed as they hugged her. "When did you get here? Jerry didn't say you were coming?"
"That's because he didn't know," Jane said with a smile.
"That's right," John said. "We got a call last night from Hazel. She said to get our butts to Port Charles and help plan a wedding!"
Libby moaned and flopped down on a couch. Jerry grinned at her and sat down next to her, "Poor darling! She just doesn't know when she's licked. She knows that with Hazel on my side, she'll have to become my wife."
Libby moaned again and threw her head back with her eyes closed.
"Did I hear moaning in here?" Hazel's bright voice broke into the room. "We must be talking about the wedding then if Elizabeth here is moaning." Libby looked at her grandmother with one eye and saw her bounce into the room, looking as spry as a 20-year-old.
John, Jane and Jerry all laughed, while Hazel stared at Libby with a frown of disapproval. "I don't know why you are fighting this so hard. It's not many men that would want to buy the cow after he's already milked her."
"Granny!" Libby said in exasperation.
"What?" Hazel said with an innocent smile of confusion.
"Oh I don't know Hazel," John said, "Depends on if the milk was sweet and creamy or if it was sour and lumpy." Jane elbowed her husband but laughed in spite of herself. John grinned at Jerry, "So how was she?"
"John! For goodness sake....What a thing to ask! Leave the poor girl alone!" Jane said as she slapped his arm.
Jerry grinned, "Well, I'm willing to marry her, so I guess you have your answer."
Libby, red-faced stood up stiffly and walked from the room.
"Now look what you've done!" Jane scolded her husband, then turned her irritation on her laughing son, "And you! No wonder the poor child doesn't want to marry you. I wouldn't either."
"Oh Mum!" Jerry said.
"I mean it! You go find her and apologize." Jane said with her fists on her
hips.
Jerry sighed and got up from the couch. He went to his mother and kissed her on the cheek, then left the room. Once out of their sight, he hurried up the stairs looking for Libby. He met her as she was coming down the stairs. Her purse over her shoulder and a light weight jacket on.
"Libby?" Jerry asked uncertain.
Libby wouldn't look at him. She pushed past him and headed to the front door. Jerry caught up with her just as she was opening the door. "Libby, listen. I apologize. We were way over the line in there."
"Yes you were!" Libby said, still refusing to look at him.
Jerry grinned at her, "So I'm forgiven right?"
Libby glared at him, "Wrong!" she said as she jerked the door out of his hand and left the house.
Jerry watched her head to the garage and yelled at her, "Where are you going?"
"None of your business," Libby shouted back at him over her shoulder.
"If you're going to the hospital, wait a minute and I'll go with you," he yelled back at her.
Libby turned around and glared at him, "I wouldn't go to heaven with you. Back off!" and she twirled around and entered the garage. A couple minutes later, Jerry watched as she peeled out of the driveway in her sporty little car. He turned to go back into the house and saw his parents and Hazel standing at the door.
"Looks like you got your work cut out for you, Son," John said.
"This is all your fault, Dad," Jerry said pointing his finger at his father.
John nodded his head, "Probably so....but then I'm not the one marrying her,
am I?"
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Libby stepped out of the hospital elevator, her face still red and mumbling
to herself about big ignorant Australian oafs. She was just rounding the
nurses station when she stopped short as she saw Miranda cautiously backing
out of Mel's room. Libby ducked behind one of the pillars in the waiting
area and watched as Miranda slowly and quietly shut the door. Miranda looked
quickly around the hospital area and her eyes froze for a second when she
saw the elevator doors open. Libby watched suspiciously as Miranda quickly
ducked around the corner. Libby turned to the elevator to see what had frightened
Miranda into hiding and saw Stefan and Alexis standing by the nurses station.
Libby's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as she wondered why Stefan and/or
Alexis would make Miranda hide. She quickly looked back to Miranda's hiding
spot and saw the toe of her shoe just in view.
Stefan and Alexis finished talking and went their separate ways, leaving
the area. Libby watched as Miranda came out from her hiding place and headed
for the elevator. Libby ran for the stairs, determined to follow her.
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Jerry's hand reached for Mel's hospital room door just as it opened. He stepped
back as Bethany and Jax came from the room.
"Jerry!" Bethany exclaimed, "We've got good news. Mel is starting to come out of her coma. Dr. Jones is in with her now."
Jerry kissed Bethany on the cheek and smiled at her, "That's great news!"
"Yeah it is! I'm going to call my parents. They went to my house to get some sleep." Bethany said as she headed for her office.
Jax and Jerry smiled at the departing Bethany, then Jerry cleared his throat, "Speaking of parents..."
Jax looked at Jerry, "what?"
"Our parents have hit town."
"I didn't know they were coming," Jax said.
"Neither did I. Seems that Hazel called them and told them to come help plan the wedding."
Jax laughed, "Sounds like Hazel. I bet Libby threw a fit."
"That's putting it mildly," Jerry groaned. "Actually we had a little fight. I thought she might be here. Have you seen her?"
Jax shook his head, "No, but I've been in Mel's room for a couple of hours."
"Jax?" Mac said as he approached the two brothers. "How's Mel doing?"
"She seems to be doing better. Dr. Jones thinks she's coming out of the coma." Jax responded.
"That's great! I'll pass the word to the other officers." Mac said.
"Is that why you came by?" Jerry asked.
Mac glared at him, then turned back to Jax, "Is Bethany around?"
"She just went to call her parents. Why? Have you got anything new on the case?" Jax asked.
Mac sighed and thought for a minute whether he should tell Jax or not, but then spoke, "They found Smithy trying to board a plane."
"Who's they?" Jax asked.
"The New York City police. Seems he's been lying low in New York, waiting for the heat to die down. We are going to bring him back to Port Charles tomorrow."
"I still don't understand why he tried to kill Mel. I mean, what good would it do?" Jerry asked.
"I don't know either. And he's not talking. I'm thinking that maybe he thought if he killed her, no one else would figure out what she was on to and he could continue with his life. Maybe he stuck around long enough to find out that she was still alive, so he booked it out of town." Mac speculated. "We do know that he's pretty heavy in debt with the bookies. So that's why he probably agreed to rob the jewelry station. Hopefully we'll find out more once we've had a chance to talk to him here."
"Did you ever find the woman he had sex with in the file room?" Jax asked.
"Yeah, she was a secretary. She doesn't know anything." Mac said and shook his head. "She actually came to me when she found out that Smithy was behind the bombing."
"There's still two men out there that was involved in the robbery," Jerry said.
"I know that Jerry. We're still looking for the other two." Mac said with a glare in Jerry's direction. "Look, I'm going to go call the station. If you see Bethany, can you tell her we got Smithy?" he asked Jax.
Jax nodded his agreement and Mac gave Jerry another glare and left.
"Well, I'm going to go find Libby and tell her the good news," Jerry said. "Maybe it will put her in a better mood. Don't stay here all night. You're looking tired."
"Yes Mom!" Jax smarted off.
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"Melanie?" Bethany spoke softly to her sister. "Mel? It's time to open your
eyes. Come on! Open them for me."
Jax watched Bethany trying to talk her sister out of the coma. His glance fell back to Mel. The respirator had been removed from her mouth, but her face was still a pale gray color.
"Melanie Eliza Langley! Open your eyes!" Bethany said, this time not so softly.
Jax stepped closer to the bed and watched in amazement as Mel's eyelids started
to flicker.
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"Hey! Listen up! Commissioner Scorpio just called," Taggert yelled in the police station. Every head turned. "Mel is coming out of the coma!"
A loud cheer went up in the room and officers slapped each other on the back
as if they had brought about the miracle. People were laughing......all except
for one officer who snook quietly to an office and shut the door. He took
a deep breath and picked up the telephone and dialed a number.
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End of Chapter 37
HollyJo