General Hospital Rewrite Part One

November 12th 2016 Part 3

1:26 p.m.
     "Follow my finger with your eyes." Griffin instructs. Jo's eyes follow the tip of Griffin's finger. "Good." he says. "I have a few more things I wanna check but I'll be fast. You can get back to sleeping or whatever you wanna do." he says. "I wanna eat. I haven't eaten anything all day." she motions to the untouched breakfast on the counter. "I'll see about getting you something. Maybe someone can even sneak you something actually good." he says. "The hospital food is gross." Jo states. "Everyone says that."
     She laughs weakly. "You're a priest right?" she asks. "Yes." he answers. "So what I say stays between us?" she asks. "Of course." he says. "I'm scared." she admits. He looks down. "You've been through more than most people will in their entire lives." he says. "I'm scared for the people around me. I yelled at my mom. She didn't deserve it. What if I drive away everyone I love?" she asks. "You won't." he says. "How can you know that?" she asks him. "Because you're sixteen and you've just been through a horrible and traumatic event. You need time to recover. Once you do, things will go back to normal."
     "When I was twelve, Benson Jameson raped me. The same man who attacked me the other day. After I got out of the hospital, I wasn't the same person who went in. I was angry, I held a grudge. I changed, or the worst maybe. What if it happens again?" she asks. "You have something new this time." he tells her. "A family." he states. She smiles. "Last time you didn't have three adoring nephews, three big sisters and a big and little brother. Plus, your niece on the way and that little sibling. You're not a ray of sunshine but you are a good kid and you'll stay that way. You've got a heart of gold."
     "Thank you Dr. Monroe, or do you prefer Father?" she asks. "Dr. Monroe is perfect." he says. She looks at the door. "You expecting someone?" he asks. "My mom's calling my uncle Tom. He was supposed to come this morning." she tells him. The fear builds in Griffin's eyes. "Something wrong?" she asks. "No no. I've just heard your uncle is a colorful guy." he says. "He's a total asshole but he's my uncle. I mean with all he's gone through he could be worse." she starts. "My grandparents died when he was only twenty, he had to raise my mom, she was thirteen. He took a job that could destroy you. I mean, some of the stuff he's seen, it's Criminal Minds in real life."
     "I beat it's hard." he says. "It would make anyone cold." she says. He looks back down at his hands. "But he's kinda my hero in a way. He does so much good for the country and most people don't know. He's caught horrible people and put them away forever so they could never hurt anyone else. He's made a big difference in the world." she beams. Griffin sits there, not knowing what to say to her. He'd promised not to tell her but the lying was getting hard. "I'd love to sit and talk with you, I really would you're a great kid but I do have other patients I have to go see and I need to hurry."
     He could see the disappointment in her eyes. "I can come back another time." he offers. "Okay." she says.

     Alexis holds Jo's phone and gives a defeated sigh. Julian walks over and puts his hand on her lower back. "What's going on?" he asks. "Nothing much. Tom promised to come see Jodie this morning. He never showed. I just called him to ask but he didn't answer. Actually it went straight to voicemail." she tells him. He shifts uncomfortably. "What do you know that I don't?" she asks. "What do you mean?" he asks. "I know you Julian Jerome. I know you. I know you're hiding something from me." she says. He laughs. "I'm not hiding anything, okay you caught me." he gives up. "Tom isn't gonna be coming today. He was shot. Two times actually. He's in surgery, Lucas is in with him."
     "What?" she asks. "Griffin told me and Sam." he tells her. "Is he telling Jodie?" she asks. "No, I asked him not to. She doesn't need that stress right now." he says. She holds her stomach. "Is he gonna okay?" she asks. "I don't know. Lucas is amazing but he's not a miracle worker." he points out. "I don't know how Jo will take it if he dies." she says. "Let's hope he doesn't. For everyone's sake. You know he's hunting the hospital killer." he tells her. "I heard." she says. "Who do you think this was?" she asks. "I don't know. It could be the organisation, it could just be someone angry about an arrest he made. Its not exactly a small list of people who didn't like him."
     "I hope for Jodie's sake they find who did this. She's already going through so much, I'm not sure she could take losing her uncle. He's the last piece of her old life. Even her neckless is gone." she says. "What happened to her neckless?" he asks her. "She'd lost during the attacked but the police found it. It was all broken and Jo threw it out. I went to pull it out of the trash incase she wanted it back but it wasn't there. I guess they must've taken the trash bag and changed it." she says. "She loved that neckless." he comments. "Wore it everywhere. Even if it didn't match what she was wearing."
     "I was thinking we get her another neckless but it doesn't change the fact that the other neckless was a gift from her best friend and she'll never be able to replace it." Alexis says. "We gotta do something for her. Like a welcome home party or something." he says. "Does Jodie really seem like someone who'd want a welcome home party?" Alexis asks. "Absolutely not. Which is why we are throwing one." he laughs. Alexis gives a small laugh too, walking into him. "How are you holding up?" she asks. "I have to." he answers. He puts his hand on her stomach. "Are you taking care of you two?" he asks. "I'm not getting much sleep. I try but I'm so worried about Jo. I'm not drinking as much water as I should and I need to eat better."
     "Your body doesn't care what's going on, you have to keep taking care of yourself." he warns, rubbing his hand in a slow circle. "I will." she promises. "Okay, and I mean, it's not like Alan is that far." he reminds her. "I know. I will text Kristina and as her to bring me something that isn't hospital food and I will drink plenty of water and this baby will be happy." she says.