Chapter Nine: A Fire Inside

Courtney stood next to Bobbie obliviously surrounded by the sterile white walls of the hospital floor. The aftermath of her epiphany caught her off guard and thus she could not find the inner strength to pull herself back to reality.

“Courtney…Courtney…”

The words echoed distantly in Courtney’s mind as she felt her immense reverie slipping away with each repetition of her name.

“Courtney…”

Bobbie shook Courtney’s shoulders vigorously in a desperate attempt to gain her attention. The far away and grief-stricken look in her eyes frightened the older woman. As if on cue, Courtney snapped from her trance only to look just as blankly to Bobbie.

“What’s happening?” she asked warily.

“Well, Jason’s still in surgery and we’re waiting to get the news of his condition post-op. It’s been a long night, why don’t you—why don’t you go home and get some rest?” Bobbie suggested with concern for Courtney’s well being.

“No, I can’t—I can’t I have to stay here for Jason, Bobbie, I don’t have a home without him. He is my home, where ever he is I am with him!”

Bobbie’s hand flew up immediately in a mock surrender, “Alright, alright, well then, will you at least come sit down with me in the waiting room?”

Courtney began to nod in agreement when a figure appeared that commanded both of the women’s attention.

“I agree with Bobbie, Courtney, you need to be patient and relaxed for now, but before that I have to speak with you…alone,” Sonny said towards Bobbie. She understood his demand for her to leave and she did so hastily. As soon as she was just far enough out of earshot, Sonny continued, “We’ve got a problem. It’s New Years Eve.”

“Oh, I had completely forgotten that was today! Anyway, what’s—what’s so bad about that?” Courtney inquired, folding her arms across her chest.

“Well, see, Jason and I know that Detective Beck has been using you to get information on us,” Sonny began.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, how did you and Jason find out that’s what Brian was doing?” Courtney questioned angrily.

“It doesn’t matter, what matter’s is there is a huge New Year’s celebration on the Haunted Star tonight and we know for a fact that Brian is going to be asking to be your escort. You need to go to that party with him,” Sonny replied forcefully.

“Okay, no—no way, there is just no way! Jason is in surgery right now, Sonny, you seem to have forgotten that! I can’t just—just leave, let alone with another man, to go to some damn party! Have you lost your mind?”

“Look, Courtney, just—just calm down, alright? It was all Jason’s idea for you to go with him tonight anyway. It’s all just a set up to catch Brian, okay?

“Sonny, I just—I don’t—I don’t know about this. Now really isn’t a good time to be setting people up. I need to be with Jason right now, not with some other man,” Courtney stressed, reluctant to the task at hand.

“Yeah—yeah I know but this is how Jason wanted it. He really needs you to end this as soon as you can and the only way to do that is to let Beck know—you know—that you know what his motives are. You just—you got to do this, do…”

“Courtney!” Brian called as he speedily entered her and Sonny’s private conversation. He shot Sonny an accusing and menacing glare. Sonny smiled deviously at the waste of a man in front of him, “You’re still trying to run Courtney’s life aren’t you, Corinthos?”

Sonny continued to smile as he focused his attention back to his less than impressed sister, “Don’t forget what I told you. I’ll go check on Jason.”

He turned and exited the area swiftly paying no heed people he left standing behind. He knew in his mind that Courtney would adhere to the plan and thus was not worried about the minor details of the plot, which was waiting to unfold.

Brian watched the man until he was out of view before he turned back to Courtney, who stood with her arms folded across her chest and biting her bottom lip. Concern and worry were the only obvious feelings etched in her expression.

“Courtney, you need to get out of here,” Brian suggested hastily.

“What? No, if anything I need to stay here, Brian, where the hell do you think you get off telling me what I need and don’t need to do? My husband is in surgery right now and the only place I need to be is here and the only thing I need to be doing is staying with my husband. He needs me the most right now and even though we’re apart I can’t just leave him!” Courtney snapped.

“I’m sorry, you’re right, I was out of line, but Courtney don’t you think Jason would want you to relax and have a good time? He wouldn’t want you to worry all the time. He’d want you to be happy,” he implied, resorting to any possible plea for her approval in being his date. He was playing “fisherman” and Courtney was his “bait”.

“Really? And what exactly do you think is going to make me happy right now, at a time like this? Huh?” Courtney spat. His persistence and obnoxious questions exhausted her.

“You could be my date to the Haunted Star party tonight,” Brian practically ordered.

“What the hell are you thinking? Look I may not be with my husband right now but I am still very much a married woman, Brian, I have told you time and time again that I am not interested in being with anyone else right now. Is there something about that that you just don’t understand?”

“Whoa, hey, I just meant as friends. Just to get you out and have a good time, c’mon? Are you so sure that Jason doesn’t want that for you?”

Remembering Sonny’s request for her to comply with the plan of action she reluctantly made the choice to partake in this mission of sorts, “Alright, fine, you know what, fine. I’ll—I’ll go with you to this party but look it’s just as friends. Nothing more. And I come right back here when it’s over, alright?”

“Alright, deal, let’s go?” Brian asked, offering his right arm to Courtney, who hesitantly looped hers through his. A huge smile of victory spread across his face to which Courtney couldn’t help but roll her eyes at.

Sonny watched from a far distance just around a corner as Brian led his sister on to the elevator. He did not worry for her safety, he knew she could handle herself, but inside he felt a fire; A fire of rage that burned so furiously as if walls of his inner conscience would melt away at the wrath of its flames. Something about this night felt strange and chilling to him as faint tingles of anticipation ran the length of his spine. Something was unsettling and nerve-wracking as he watched the elevator doors closed, concealing the two passengers whom one he trusted and the other he felt the urge to kill.

Shaking his head in compassion and anger he slowly trudged down the hall to Jason’s post operation room. He had truthfully hoped that Jason would not wake up from his deep unconscious slumber until the entire ordeal was done but on the other hand he knew a situation could arise where he would need Jason. But inside he feared more for the one person who he knew in the end would need Jason more than any other time. The weakness he felt for the first time was not for him self but for the sudden lack of love that could possible fall upon his dear sister. Jason may not die but something about this night made Sonny feel as though things could change for the worst. He closed his eyes and silently whispered a small prayer in his mind as he clutched the door knob to Jason’s recovery room.