WHAT GOES AROUND, PART ELEVEN

    "I'm going over to the hospital to see Nick." said Paulina,

    "May I go with you?" asked Patrice.

    They found Sofia sitting by Nick's bed in the ICU.

    "How is he?" asked Paulina.

    "He's in a coma." said Sofia, "The doctors say he might never come out of it, or he might be brain-damaged.  They don't know."

    "I'm so sorry!" said Paulina.  Patrice cleared her throat softly, reminding Paulina of her presence in the room.

    "Sofia, this is Sister Patrice Roberts." she said, "Patrice, this is Sofia Hudson, Nick's wife."

    "How do you do?" said Patrice.

    "Sister Patrice?"  Sofia was obviously confused by Patrice's worldly appearance.

    "Ah'm a member of the Order of St Mary and St Martha." Patrice explained, "With your permission, Ah'd like to pray for your husband's recovery."

    "Thank you, Sister."

    "Oh please, call me Patrice."  She took her rosary out of her purse, and knelt at the bedside.

    "I just came to see how Nick is, and to say goodbye." said Paulina, "I'm going to Reno.  I don't want to stay married to Joe any longer than I have to!"

    "I don't blame you!" said Sofia, "I never saw Joe like that!  He was like a crazy man!  What if he got that mad at you - or at Dante?"

    "I don't even want to think about it." said Paulina, "I just want him out of our lives!"

    "What was it all about, anyway?" Sofia wondered, "Why was Joe so mad?  What were those photographs?"

    "They're of Joe, in what looks like a motel room, with Toni Burrell."  Paulina explained.

    "With her?  You mean  -  Joey and her  - ?"

    "Having sex."

    "Oh!"

                                                    ********

    Meanwhile, at the Cory Mansion, Rachel was reading the papers Cass had given her. (Amanda had put them back in the desk, after sharing the contents with Matthew.)

    Rachel knew she had better confront Carl about his plans for Cory Publishing as soon as possible.  She could hear the murmur of his voice, out on the terrace.  Following the sound, she located him, with Cory and Elizabeth.

    "Once upon a time, " he was saying, "There was a man who lived on the top of a hill, in the sunshine, and life was beautiful.  But there was another man,  - not a nice man at all  - who lived at the bottom of the hill, in the  darkness, and he took everything the good man had, even the sunshine."

    "Darling, we need to talk." said Rachel.

    "Can't it wait, Love?" said Carl, "I'm telling the Grubs a story."

    "I think it's time for their nap."

    Right on cue, Debra, their nanny, appeared. "Nap time!" she said, "Say bye-bye to Mommy and Daddy!"

    "I love you!" said Carl, kissing each child in turn.  "Now, Rachel, I am yous to command."

    Rachel waited until Debra had taken the children into the house.

    "Cass showed me the papers you had drawn up, re-structuring Cory Publishing."  she said.

    "Dear Cass, so predictable!" Carl murmured.

    "You're selling off the European Division?"

    "The parts of it that don't show a profit." said Carl, "Just as I'm dropping the authors whose books don't repay the cost of production.  It will increase profits."

    "Are you hoping for a stock buy-back?" 

    "Yes, among other things."

    "But, why did you do these things without consulting me?" said Rachel, "We have always made these major decisions together, Carl!  It's My Family's company you're dealing with."

    "Your family!" said Carl, suddenly angry, "The Cory Family!  After all this time, you still consider yourself a Cory, not a Hutchins!"

    "That's not fair!" Rachel was stung by the accusation.

    "No, it's not fair."  Tears welled in Carl's eyes, "I thought making the company more profitable would please you, Rachel.  Everything I do, I do to please you!"

    He headed back inside, only to walk into the door jamb.

    "Carl!  Are you all right?" cried Rachel.

    Shane wheeled himself into the living room, "What just happened?"

    "Carl bumped his head on the door!"

    "I'm prefectly all right!" said Carl, clenching his teeth, and rushed from the room.

     "Carl never struck  me as bein' the type of man to walk into doors." said Shane.

    "No, ordinarily, he's very well co-ordinated." said Rachel.

    "Does Carl get migraines?" said Shane, "Ah've noticed that he's very sensitive to light. Ah'm sure you have, too."

    Rachel nodded. "He never used to be.  I'm hoping that it's just that he's been under a lot of stress lately.  He's so  - volatile!  Angry one minute, tearful the next!  I'm worried about him."

    "Carl needs to see his doctor."

    "What do you think is wrong with him?"

    "Ah prefer not to speculate." said Shane, "You get Carl to have a complete check-up, and then we'll know."

    "Is it something physical?" said Rachel, "Or is it  - mental?  Could Carl be having a nervous breakdown?"  There, she had finally said the words.

    "There's no telling until he has the check-up."

                                                           *********

    "Cass, Ah need yo'help." said Lila, entering his office.

    "In what way can I be of service, Lila?"

    "Shane has promised to pay chile support.  Ah wawnt you to make sho' mah chile gets what he deserves from his daddy." 

    "Sorry, Lila, I can't help you." said Cass.

    "Whyevuh not?"

    "Two reasons:  First of all, I'm Shane's attorney, so representing you would be a conflict of interest. " said Cass, "Secondly, Shane has no intention of paying you one red cent!"

    "But - he promised!"

    "That was before he found out that what you're carrying is Matt Cory's baby, not his!"

    "Thass a lie!"

    "I'm also Matt's lawyer." said Cass, "He's going to have the baby's DNA tested as soon as its born."

    "Ah won't allow it!"

    "You can't stop it."said Cass, "All your lies are coming home to roost, Lila."

    Lila turned and ran from the room.

                                                   *******

    "What are you doin' here?" said Sofia, as Joe entered Nick's hospital room.  There was a bandage on his temple, from where Sofia had hit him with the skillet.

    "I made bail." Joe shrugged. "How is he?"

    "Half-dead, thanks to you!" said Sofia, "You were my hero, you know that?   I looked up to you - my big brother!"

    "Bambina - "

    "Don't call me that!" she cried, "Don't you ever call me that again!  I know about the pictures, Joe!  How long have you been cheatin' on Paulina?"

    "Bam - Sofia, a man has needs." said Joe, "When we got married, Paulina had a great figure.  Then she turned into a fat slob!  I was supposed to want to make love to THAT?  I could hardly stand to look at her!"

    Sofia shook her head. "I didn't know you at all!  I don't blame Paulina for takin' those diet pills!  She woulda done anythin' to lose weight, knowin' that you thought she was repulsive."

    "I never told her that!"

    "Like she wouldn't know!"

    Nick suddenly gasped.  Sofia turned towards the bed. "Nick?"

    She bent over him; so did Joe.  Nick's eyes opened, then alarms went off as all the machines hooked up to him went crazy.  The nurses came running.

    "You'll have to leave!" they said.

                                                         *********

    Carl rubbed his temple; the headache was excruciating.

    "You look like you're in pain." said Shane.

    "Too many late nights." Carl replied. "My candle burns at both its ends/ it will not last the night/ But oh my foes and oh my friends/ it makes alovely light!"

    "How long have you been gettin' headaches?"

    The doorbell rang, giving Carl an excuse not to answer, as he went to answer the door.  It was Lila.

    "You again!" he said, "Be off with you!"

    "Ah gotta tawk to Shane!"

    "I shall set mantraps, cunningly adjusted to trap women, to protect him from you!" said Carl, blocking her attempt to push past him.

    "Carl, it's okay." said Shane, "Ah got somethin' to say to her."

    "As you wish."  Carl stepped aside. "I'll leave you to it."  He exited.

    "Shane, Ah dunno whut lies Matt has tole you - " said Lila.

    "You are beneath contempt, Lila!  Tryin' to pass off another man's child as mine, to get your hooks into me!"

    "It's not true!"

    "What happened?  You hoped you were pregnant after our night together, and when you weren't , you looked around for someone to be a sperm donor?  Did you take your temperature before you took Matt Cory to bed?"

    Lila's chin lifted in defiance.  "Ah did it fo' us!  We belong together!"

    "You belong in outer space, Lila!  Did you think Ah wouldn't notice that the baby was kinda un-premature?  What were you gonna do?  Bribe some doctor to induce labour in the eighth month?"

    "Ah did it because Ah love you so much!"

    "Love?  You don't know the meanin' of the word!  Ah despise you, Lila!  Ah never want to see your face again!  Now go away and don't come back!"

To be continued.