"Code blue in trauma room one, code blue in trauma room one." Kristina thought surely this wasn't happening. "Get Mrs. Quartermaine out of here now, please." the doctor said as he pushed past her. "Doctor, his blood pressure is 90/50, heart rate is 52; we're losing him." "AJ," Kristina screamed as Ned practically dragged her kicking and screaming from his bedside. "Ned let me go. I have to go to him. He's in pain, he needs me." she screamed as she struggled to get away from Ned. "Kristina, you have to let the doctors do their job. They're doing the best they can." Ned said as he tried to keep her from running back to AJ. "Ned, you don't understand, he squeezed my hand, I know he's okay. I just have to be with him. I just have to talk to him. If I talk to him he'll come back, now let me go." "AJ" she screamed as new tears fell down her already tear stained face. "Kristina, let the doctors do their job. Everything is going to be okay. I promise everything is going to be okay."

~end dream sequence~

"Kristina, it's okay, it's okay." AJ said as he tried to wake her from the apparent nightmare she was having. Her eyes flew open and her head snapped in the direction of AJ's voice. She clung to him with a death grip; as if to let go would mean he'd disappear. She curled against his chest and sobbed uncontrollably as he held her and stroked her hair. AJ didn't look forward to the task he had to do today. He moved to get out of bed and Kristina grabbed his hand. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I think it's time to help Michael come to terms with Carly's death, so I thought I'd take him to see her so he could say good-bye in his own way." AJ said as he stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. "Do you have to go right now? Can't you stay home with me and just let Monica & Alan take him?" AJ came back over to the bed and took her hand, "I have an idea. What do you say I take the kids over to my parents house and after I take Michael to see Carly, I'll come back and we can spend the rest of the day together." She nodded her head 'yes' and he went to take a shower and get dressed.

It had been weeks since Carly's death. AJ was worried about Michael, all he ever did anymore was sit at his window and stare out with a blank look on his face. This just wasn't normal, even under the circumstances. AJ wanted terribly to reach out to his son, but he felt him slipping away more everyday. Michael hadn't even mentioned his mother, wouldn't even say her name and AJ was at wits end. He decided maybe it was time to try to help Michael bring closure to his mother's death. He went upstairs to Michael's room. Michael was still in the same spot, he hadn't moved. AJ approached him carefully and knelt down to meet Michael's eyes. Those eyes that used to be so full of life, now just stared out the window with icy death in them. AJ walked up behind Michael and hugged him. "Something must be extremely interesting for you to be staring out the window as long as you have." "Dad, did she ever really love me, Carly I mean." He'd spoken, but the voice saying the words didn't seem to come from the person AJ knew as his son. They seemed to come from a total stranger. He'd made reference to his mother AJ thought, but he didn't refer to her as mom or even mother. He'd referred to her as Carly. "Carly may have done a lot of things wrong in her life, but the one thing I can safely say is that she loved you with all of her heart." Michael turned away from the window to look AJ in the eyes. "Then why did she lie to me all those years. I thought when you love someone you aren't supposed to lie to them." "What do you mean, she lied?" Lied about what?" "She told me you were dead and that you never really loved me. She said all you cared about was drinking, but since I've lived with you, you haven't even had one drink, not even on holidays when everyone else did." "Michael, sometimes when parents don't get along they say things to hurt one another, it doesn't make it right, it just means it happens, and no matter what else she did to me, I know she loved you very much so what do you say we go and tell her good-bye and I'll tell you what, if you don't ever want to go back and see her again then that's alright, I won't make you. I think you're old enough now to make that decision on your own." AJ turned to leave and was stopped dead in his tracks by the next words out of his son's mouth.

"Dad, what's a meat hook?" AJ's mind raced. How had he heard? Who told him? He turned to face his son's curious question. "What would make you ask a question like that?" AJ said as he tried to faine a smile, his mind racing and his heart pounding. "Did Sonny really do that to you?" AJ couldn't look his son in the eyes and lie, Michael may have only been a kid, but he'd know right away that AJ was lying. AJ turned to face Michael. "Yes, he did." "Why?" Michael asked. "Because Sonny was in love with your mother and she wanted me to do something I didn't want to do and Sonny tried to make me by hanging me on a meat hook." "He sounds like a real jerk." "He's gone now so there's no need to talk about him any further. Why don't we get your brother and sisters and let's go see your mom and then I'll take you guys to see your grandparents for a while." "Okay, I'll go see Carly but she's not my mom, my real mom is right down the hall." "Fair enough." "Dad, have you noticed anything strange about Kristina lately? She's not as fun as she used to be." "I think she just needs some down time so after I drop you guys off, I'm coming back here to spend some time with her." AJ got the kids ready and they left to say a final good-bye to Carly.

AJ walked into the house after having dropped the kids off at their grandparents house and slammed the door. "Kristina," he yelled as he went up the stairs "Kristina, what's the big idea putting out an --" AJ's blood ran cold and his heart almost stopped when he saw the sight of his wife. She had the shattered look of a human being who'd been immensely tortured. Kristina was curled into a fetal position rocking back and forth with an almost catatonic expression on her face as Rose held her. AJ was terrified at the sight of his wife like this. He'd never seen her like this before and Heaven help him, he never wanted to see her like that again so long as they both lived. He went to her and tried to get her attention. "Kristina, it's me, it's AJ. Kristina talk to me sweetheart. Say something." Kristina said nothing, she just continued to look right through AJ as if he weren't even in the room. At that very moment AJ knew he had to do the hardest thing he's ever had to do in his life. "Rose pack some of Mrs. Quartermaine's things please." AJ said as he picked up Kristina and took her to the car. AJ knew this was going to be the longest ride of his life. While they were in the car AJ made a phone call. It was one he'd made before but somehow this time it was very different. It wasn't like when he'd done this to Carly, then he'd done it for revenge. This time however was tearing him in half. When they reached Fern Cliff, the doctors were already waiting and as they took Kristina inside she somehow seemed to come back to reality and that's where the nightmare really began. Kristina was aware of her surroundings at that moment, but was still unable to convey to AJ what deep dark pain was causing her to feel this way. What was she supposed to say, 'AJ I feel like every time you leave me, it's the last time I'll ever see you. I feel like after watching you die in front of me that letting you go kills me inside.' She couldn't because she didn't want him to think her weak, so she kept it all inside until now. As AJ tried to get Kristina inside she started to scream. "AJ NO! Please don't do this. Don't leave me!" "Mrs. Quartermaine it's all right, everything will be all right." Please AJ, please don't leave me here." "I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry." AJ said as he kissed her and the tears rolled down his face. As the doctors took Kristina inside he could still hear her screaming "AJ". When he reached his car he turned on the motor and sped away as if to try to outrun the immense pain this was causing him.

It had been 2 weeks since AJ had committed Kristina to Fern Cliff. AJ was sitting on the sofa trying to decide when the exact moment was that his world came crumbling down around him. Kristin Lila came downstairs to where her father was and asked him, "Daddy, did mommy have to go away because she cries a lot?" "Kristin, baby, what do you mean mommy cries a lot?" AJ asked of his daughter curiously. "I can't tell you. Mommy made me promise I wouldn't tell you." "Well I wouldn't want you to break a promise to mommy, but I really need to know if there's something wrong, and I'll tell you what, we can keep this between you and me." "Mommy cries a lot when you leave, and she doesn't come out of her room, she just stays in her room and cries." AJ was finally getting it. The pieces were finally coming together.

AJ knew at that very moment that he had made the biggest mistake of his life. He called up the stairs for Michael and got the rest of the kids packed and ready to go back to their grandparents house in record time. He raced to Fern Cliff like a bat out of hell. When he reached Fern Cliff, he barged in and demanded to see Kristina. "Where is Mrs. Quartermaine, I've come to get her." "Mr. Quartermaine we can't release Mrs. Quartermaine until she's well enough and remember you did sign the papers." At that moment something in AJ snapped. It was like seeing Sonny tell him he'd signed away the rights to Michael and AJ was tired of being told he'd signed away the rights to people he loved. AJ had all he was going to take from this "quack." He wanted his wife and he wanted her now. He'd had enough of the games. As he picked the doctor up several inches off of the floor he said in a menacing voice, "I've heard your suggestion, now maybe you should hear mine. I don't care about rules, I want my wife and I want her now, so you go get her or I'll buy this "two-bit" hole you call a hospital and then I'll make sure you never practice medicine in this country as long as you live."
The doctor wasn't stupid, he knew from the fire in AJ's eyes he meant every word he said and he had the power to make things happen if he chose to. "She's in that room over there." The doctor escorted AJ to Kristina. AJ didn't like what he saw. "What the devil did you people do to her? She looks like a zombie." "She's just under sedation to keep her calm." "Calm! This is what you call calm?" AJ said, his voice raising and his temper flaring by the second. "I don't care about your rules, I'm getting her out of here now. I never should've brought her here to begin with." "Mr. Quartermaine I strongly urge you to leave her here, at least until she's conscious." "I strongly suggest you get the hell out of my way." AJ said as he picked Kristina up and carried her out of Fern Cliff. When they reached the car AJ gently put her in the seat and reclined it after he belted her in. "Next stop, home." he said as he ran to the driver's side of the car, never taking his eyes off of her except to drive at a pace so slow it could cause a massive case of road rage, but AJ didn't care. As far as he was concerned, he had precious cargo and getting her home safe was all he cared about at that moment.

AJ took Kristina up to their bedroom and put her in bed when the doorbell rang. 'This had better be the Pope that's all I have to say' AJ thought as he went downstairs to answer the door. 'No such luck' he thought as he opened the door. "Where's my sister AJ?" Alexis said as she pushed past him. "Good afternoon to you too Alexis, come right in, make yourself at home." he said sarcastically "Don't be sarcastic AJ. I can't believe you did this to her. I go away for a vacation with my husband and I come back and find out that my sister was committed to an institution. I've been to Fern Cliff AJ, she's not there, so where is she?" "She's upstairs resting." "I want to see her." "Did you hear what I just said, I said she's resting." "She's my sister AJ, I have a right to see her." Yeah, and I had a right to see my son all those years, but we don't always get what we want now do we." "I was doing my job AJ. One thing has nothing to do with the other." "Tell me something Alexis. How does it feel to know that you defended a career criminal and kept a father and son apart for no good reason?" "This is getting us nowhere AJ, I'm going to see my sister." "Alexis Davis Ashton Cassadine or hell maybe you'd prefer Corinthos, if you take one step toward those stairs I'm going to throw you out on your legal briefs, of course I'll have to consult my cousin as to any other form of briefs." "This isn't over AJ, not by a long shot." "Of course it's over Alexis. This whole conversation is over." he said as he opened the door and threw her out. He slumped against the door and looked in the direction of his bedroom and said "As much as I can't stand your sister, we have one thing we can agree with, we both love you so just do me a favor and come back to the land of the conscious, please."

AJ went back upstairs, got into bed with Kristina, wrapped the blanket around her and just held her. He thought about all the events that had happened the last few weeks. How could he have been so blind? How could he not have seen the pain his wife was in? He called Monica and asked her about the drugs Kristina was given and about any possible side effects. Monica said that there most likely wouldn't be any serious side effects but that she'd probably be very tired for quite some time. He just held her and he thought for a moment. He thought that when he was in the coma that he somehow heard people talking to him and he thought if that were true then maybe it would work now. "Kristina, I'm sorry honey. I'm sorry for everything, for not being there to help you when you needed me, for not listening more. I was once told that I needed to listen less with my ears and more with my heart, but the truth is, I never knew how to do that until I met you. I built a wall around my heart a long time ago to keep all the pain out and try as I might, you were still somehow able to get through that wall and straight to the shattered pieces of a heart I never thought I'd be able to use and even if I could, I didn't know if I'd want to. We can work this out, I know we can, all you have to do is wake up. Please just wake up and give me another chance to make things right for you again." "Can't a person get some sleep around here." Kristina said, lifting her head off of his chest. AJ looked into her eyes, they had a small spark of life in them again. "Welcome back, you had me worried there for a while. How do you feel?" "I'm a little tired." "How long have you been awake?" "Long enough to know that I'm married to the most wonderful man alive. I wonder if my favorite lullaby is playing." "I can turn on the radio and see if we can find it." "I don't think any of the radio stations play that particular tune." "If you tell me what it is, maybe I can hum a few bars." "That's okay, I think I know just where I can find it." She laid her head against AJ's chest and let the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep. AJ couldn't have been more grateful. He had another chance and this time it would be different. He would never again take for granted the time he had with her or his family. He needed to make things up to her. Time away! That's what they needed! He thought for a moment of the things she liked to do. Skiing, she liked skiing. He hated it personally. He could never see the point in the sport, but he'd take up field hockey if it would mean her happiness. Port Charles was like a black hole that sucked people in and never let them out. She'd lost so much in her life and if he could help it AJ was determined that she would never have another thing taken from her again unless it was dark days and shattered dreams.