Lucky sat outside Elizabeth's hospital room while Monica Quartermaine examined her before releasing her to go home. It had been four days since Luke found them in the woods and they brought Elizabeth home to Port Charles and General Hospital. Tom Baker was in jail, no longer able to hurt Elizabeth. Not physically anyway. Mentally, Lucky knew would take a lot longer. Earlier in the day she had been forced to endure a grueling session with Detective Taggert. Not that Lucky blamed Taggert. He knew he was only doing his job and he had to hand it to him. He could not have been any gentler with her, and for that he was grateful. Lucky had been able to answer all of his questions about the time after he'd gotten to the cabin, but he needed to know what had happened the day Tom had kidnapped her and for the few days she was there with him before Lucky arrived.
Taggert had shown up at the hospital that morning while Elizabeth was still asleep. Lucky was sitting in the chair by her bed, dozing lightly, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, startled, "Oh, hi Detective Taggert."
"Sorry if I startled you." His voice was soft as he spoke. "She's still asleep?" Lucky nodded. "How is she?"
"Physically she'll be fine...the rest will take some time."
"Can we talk outside for a bit? I need to ask you some questions, and unfortunately I'll have to ask Liz some questions, too. I promise to go easy on her."
"It can't wait? I mean her part?'
"No. I've already given you both more time than I should have. I'm really sorry, Lucky."
He stood up and shook his head. "It's okay. I understand. Let's go."
They stepped outside the room just as Audrey was getting off the elevator. "Oh, Mrs. Hardy, good. I have to answer some questions for Detective Taggert. Can you stay with Elizabeth and let me know if she wakes up?"
"Of course, dear, and I have good news. Elizabeth can go home today."
Lucky ran his hand through his hair. "That is good news. I think she's more than ready to get out of here." Audrey nodded and turned to go into Elizabeth's room. "Oh, and Mrs. Hardy, I told Elizabeth I was going to be sleeping on her floor until I know she's okay. Is that okay with you?"
She sighed. "Well, I imagine if I say no you'll just sneak in the window and do it anyway." She smiled at him then. "Yes, Lucky, it's okay."
"Thanks."
He spent nearly an hour with Taggert, answering his questions and recounting the events of the days at the cabin. When they were finished they stood up as Audrey opened the door. "She's awake and asking for you Lucky. She's pretty agitated. I think she may have had a bad dream."
Taggert looked at Lucky and said, "You go spend some time with her, give her time to get her bearings. I'll come back in a little bit."
"I appreciate that. I also appreciate you not jumping all over me about going up there by myself."
Taggert smiled then. "To be honest, Lucky, it didn't surprise me. You love that girl and I'm not so sure I wouldn't have done the same thing myself if I were you. Now get in there with her. She needs you. I'll be back later."
Taggert shook Lucky's hand and turned to leave as Lucky entered Elizabeth's room. She was sitting up in bed, and she was crying softly. He sat on the edge of her bed and gathered her in his arms, his hand at the back of her head, stroking her hair. "What's wrong, Elizabeth? Are you okay?"
"Lucky." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "Where were you?"
He looked at her and wiped a tear from her face. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. I was just outside the room talking to Detective Taggert."
She pulled away a little and wiped at her eyes. "I'm okay. I just...I was just a little disoriented when I woke up."
"Do you want me to get Dr. Quartermaine?"
She pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "No, it's okay. I'm okay."
"You're sure? I can get her if you want. I want you to tell me if you're not really okay."
"No. I am. You're here so I feel better."
He looked at her, not quite believing her, but deciding to let it go for now. "Did your grandmother tell you the good news? You get to go home today."
She smiled. "Yeah, I'm glad. Anymore hospital food and I'll be worse off than I was before."
"I know. The food is pretty bad here. I'm not sure when you get to go home, but it will definitely be today. I told your grandmother I was going to stay with you for a few days. I don't think she was too happy about it, but she said she knew I would just come through the window if she said no."
Elizabeth smiled faintly. "She's starting to know you as well as I do."
He laughed. "Yea, she may even be starting to like me."
"How could anyone not like you, Lucky?" She pulled him to her and kissed him softly.
Lucky pulled away from her when he heard the door open. He turned to look and saw Taggert standing at the foot of the bed, looking apologetic.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Elizabeth, I need to ask you some questions."
Elizabeth nodded slowly, but the blood had drained from her cheeks. "Okay."
He walked around to the side of the bed as Lucky leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'll be right here, sweetie."
Taggert took the chair and pulled it up to the bed, covering her hand with his. He looked into her eyes and saw only sadness and despair. This girl has got a long way to go, he thought. His voice was nearly a whisper. "I'll try to make this as easy as I can, okay? And if it gets to be too much, you just tell me, and we'll do it later."
She swallowed heavily and nodded, but said nothing.
"Okay. I need you to start by telling me what happened the day Baker came to your room and took you. What time was it, do you remember?"
"No. I don't know. I didn't even think about looking at the clock. But I went to bed at about eleven because we had a test at school the next day. And we were going to have breakfast together before class."
"Lucky mentioned to me right after you were taken that he talked to you on the phone around midnight."
She looked over at Lucky. "Yeah, he did."
"Okay, and were you asleep when Tom first came in your room?"
"Um, I...yes, I was. I thought...I thought at first that he was Lucky."
"He used to come to your room through your window, right? So it makes sense you would think it was him."
"Yes. He used to all the time right after I'd...when I'd been raped. And sometimes he still does...kind of like a tradition now."
Taggert smiled, then turned serious. He knew she didn't really want to talk about what happened and he couldn't blame her. "Can you tell me what happened after you woke up and realized it wasn't Lucky?"
She closed her eyes briefly. "I thought he was a dream. I knew he was a dream. I didn't even feel scared. But then he put his hand over my mouth and said 'Not a word' and I knew he was real. And all I could think was that I wouldn't let it happen again. I had to get away. And I tried but...I wasn't fast enough, or big enough, or strong enough. He caught me and he cut my hands...and then he dragged me downstairs and out the front door. And then..." She'd been talking so fast that her words had begun tumbling over each other and she stopped, her breath coming in tiny gasps.
Lucky sat at the head of the bed then, pulling her close against him, as Taggert looked at him, concerned, then back at Elizabeth. "We can stop if you want, Elizabeth. Just say the word."
She shook her head. "No. I want to get it over with."
Taggert nodded, and Lucky thought he looked like he wasn't even sure he wanted to continue. He was visibly upset by what Elizabeth was telling him. The way he was handling her definitely raised Lucky's opinion of him a few notches. "Just tell me a little about what happened after he got you out of the house and to the cabin."
"Okay. He took me out to his car and...he hit me on the head and put me in the trunk. I guess so I wouldn't know where he was taking me. It worked. I had no idea. And then in the cabin he locked me in this room and later...he tried to...he was going to rape me again. But I didn't do anything. I didn't even fight him, and for some reason he couldn't do it, so he got mad and left. After that he just left me alone. Then he brought me the phone and like an idiot I called Lucky, just like he probably wanted me to."
'And that's when Tom got on the phone and told Lucky he would take him to you?"
"Yes. He thought it was funny."
"Funny? Why?"
Her eyes started to fill with tears but she dashed them away quickly with her hand. "Because he knew how much I loved Lucky. He knew what it would do to me to see him hurt him."
"Did he threaten to hurt Lucky?"
She nodded miserably. "Yes. After he hung up the phone he started telling me all these things he was going to do. He said...he said that he was going to have a lot of fun seeing who he could make cry the most. He said...." Her eyes darted to Lucky then she fixed them on Taggert again. "He said 'I wonder how jealous your Lucky is. Do you think he'd mind if I did you right in front of him? I can't wait to find out.'" She covered her mouth with her hand suddenly, trying to hold back a sob.
Lucky started to speak, "Detective Taggert...."
Taggert put his hand up to stop him, then turned to Elizabeth. "We can stop now. I think I've got enough and if I need anything else, I'll call you or come by your house to see you."
"Okay," she said faintly.
Taggert stood up then and said, "Thank you, Elizabeth. I know this wasn't easy for you. But you don't have to worry about Tom Baker anymore. He's going to go away for a long time." He touched her shoulder briefly. "Feel better, okay?"
"I'll try."
"Good."
"Thanks, Detective Taggert. Call me if you need anything more from me. I'll be staying at Elizabeth's house for a few days."
"Okay. See you later. Take care Lucky." Taggert turned and left the room and Lucky sat back on the bed taking Elizabeth's hand in his two.
"Are you okay?"
She made a little choking sound in her throat, but no words came out.
Lucky had never felt so helpless to comfort her. She continued to sob as he pulled her into his arms and held her close. Finally he pulled away and looked at her. "I'm going to go find Dr. Quartermaine and see if we can take you home now. I think you'll feel better when you get out of here."
He leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips and had turned to walk toward the door when she called out to him. "Lucky?" He stopped and turned to look at her.
"Hurry back okay?"
"Your grandmother is right outside. I'll have her find Dr. Quartermaine."
"Good. Because I want to go home. And I don't want to sleep in that room anymore."
He nodded and left the room for the few moments it took for him to ask Audrey to find Monica Quartermaine.
Now she was in with Elizabeth and it seemed to be taking forever. While he was waiting, Jason got off the elevator. "Hey, Jason."
"How is she?"
"Monica's in with her now. Hopefully she can go home as soon as she's finished."
"I just came by to see how she was doing. I won't bother her. Tell her I asked about her, will you? And Sonny, too."
Lucky nodded. "Hey, man, thanks for everything you did for her out there."
Jason shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I just hope she gets better."
"Thanks, Jason." As Jason got back on the elevator, Monica came out of Elizabeth's room. Her expression was grim.
"What is it? She can go home can't she?"
"Yes, I'm going to let her go home. But, Lucky, she needs a lot of rest and she's going to need a lot of support. I know you'll give it to her, but you need to be prepared. I don't think this is something she's going to get over quickly."
"Don't worry Dr. Quartermaine. I'll take good care of her."
He entered Elizabeth's room and found her sitting on the bed, dressed and ready to go. He smiled. "How's my girl?"
She tried to smile back at him, but he saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm ready to get out of here, Lucky. But I don't know if I can even go back to that house."
He sat down beside her. "Why don't we try it? If you can't be there, I know my mother would let you stay with her at her house."
"You would stay with me?"
"Of course I would. Elizabeth, I'm not going to leave you."
On the ride home from the hospital, Elizabeth held Lucky's hand tightly. He stayed quiet, sensing that she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Going back in that house wasn't going to be easy for her and he was sure she was trying to mentally prepare herself for it. As Mrs. Hardy pulled into the driveway, Lucky felt Elizabeth's hand tighten around his. He pulled her close and felt her whole body shaking against his. He looked into her eyes and his heart stopped when he saw the same expression he remembered seeing right after she was raped.
Lucky turned to Elizabeth as Audrey stopped the car. "Are you ready? I'll be right here with you, you'll be fine."
She nodded and they got out of the car, Lucky holding her hand on the walk from the car to the front door. As Audrey unlocked the door, Elizabeth started to back away from Lucky, shaking her head. Her eyes were wide as they darted from Audrey to Lucky. "I can't go in there," she said in a low, trembling voice.
Lucky reached for her. "Okay, we don't have to go in, not if you don't want to." He tried to touch her arm, but she pulled away from him.
"I can't. I can't. There's too much blood..." She stared at them for a second, then with a small cry turned and ran off the front steps toward the car.