Life Moves Forward (General Hospital)

June 12th 2027 Part 1

10:06 a.m.
     Jo lowers herself onto the table bench. "Hi, Cassy."
     "Princess! You look so beautiful. I swear I haven't seen you in years. How's Cossette? Is she okay? Does she ask about me? Where does she think I am? How are the twins? Do you have a picture of them? Do they look just like you?" Cassy asks, almost standing to hug Jo, but catches herself.
     "I did bring you a picture of the twins with Cossette. You can hang it up in your cell, or whatever you have. I'm not here to chat. Cossette is safe and happy. She knows you're in prison. I'm not keeping that from her. She doesn't want you to be a part of her life, and neither do I. Cassy, I'm not waiting for you. I'm moving on. I'm sorry, but you're the farthest thing from my mind."
     "Jo, please don't throw away everything we have." Cassy begs, holding Jo's hand, dropping it quickly. "Please, I didn't do it. I didn't kill my father."
     "You confessed and the evidence was there. They have a video of you running away with the murder weapon."
     "I found him murdered. I went to my dad's place and we got into an argument. I pushed him and he fell down the stairs. He was alive and conscious. He was pissed and told me to leave, so I did. I went out and got fucked up, then I felt bad and went back. That's when I found him murdered. I wasn't thinking and I was high, so I pulled the knife out of him. The blood got all over me and I freaked out. That's why I ran. I just never dropped the knife. I didn't kill him, though. It was someone else."
     "You expect me to believe that in the twenty minutes you weren't there someone else managed to get in without being on the camera pointed right at the only entrance, killed your dad, and escaped without being picked up by the camera again? Cas, I majored in criminology. And you confessed. Why confess if you're so innocent?" Jo asks, starting to get frustrated.
     "I had to confess, it was part of the deal with the DA. If I confessed he'd give me only ten years and you'd get custody of Cossy. I couldn't risk her going back into the system, not when she had you."
     "Sorry, Cas, I just don't believe you didn't do it. Goodbye. Stop calling, cause I won't answer anymore."

     "I'll try calling Jodie back soon. How are you feeling?" Alan asks, resting his hand on Gordon's shoulder. "Do you need anything?"
     "Some peace and quiet. First you guys say you don't want me, then you get proof I am really Tom's son, then I get beaten up and now you want me? What's your game?" Gordon asks.
     "No game, just concern. Jodie's been hurt by family before, we all have. She just didn't want it to happen again. Not with the twins in the picture now, and Cossette too. Jodie didn't mean to make it seem like she didn't want you. She does, trust me. You just look a lot like your father, it brought some emotions. Tom was, is, her hero. Seeing you, it made her afraid she was gonna lose him again. You should get some sleep. I'll call Jo later. Then maybe you'll tell me what happened to you. I'm getting more coffee. Eat your ice, you're dehydrated."

     "Mom, I know he's biologically my brother, but that doesn't make him any of your concern. You're on thin ice with Jodie as it is, do you really wanna push your luck?" Shane asks.
     Pam turns to him. "Yes."

     "Dinosaurs themed?" Kristina asks, turning her phone for Dillon to see.
     "Yeah, let's just do that. This conversation has gone on three days too long." He groans, laying on the couch, head on Kristina's lap. Mick bounces from his seat next to Kristina.
     "I think Mick likes that idea too. Or he just wants to play with your head. Micky, play with Daddy's head." Kristina says, moving her arm so Mick can smack his father head, which he promptly does. "So, how about time?"
     "Early afternoon to evening. How's one to seven?"
     "Too long. One to five thirty. That gives us time to clean up after. Where are we having it?" She asks.
     "We could rent a hall. The Finnish club should be available."
     "I loved Leo's tenth there. Yeah, let's go there. June 26 at the Finnish club from one to five thirty." Kristina says, looking down at her phone. "I have to go get Evan soon. He wanted an extra hour with Dr. Holmes today. I think he's struggling with not being in school, he needs the distraction."
     "I hope Dr. Holmes can help him. He's hardly slept in weeks and it's affecting the other kids." Dillon says. "I'm surprised Mick isn't super cranky right now."
     "I nursed him while ago. I know we're trying to get him off it all together, but it calms him down and after only sleeping for about three hours straight last night, he needed to calm down. Evan's nightmares have really started to get out of control. I don't even think he's having nightmares about that house anymore, I think it's something else."
     "Eban?" Mick asks, looking up at Kristina. "Eban?"
     "Evan will be back later." She says.
     Mick sits and starts to cry, hitting the couch. Dillon sits up, taking Mick with him, patting his youngest's back. "Easy, Micky, you're gonna make yourself throw up."

     "I can't express enough just how proud I am of you for understanding that you needed to come see me more." Dublin says. "So, about that hobby I told you to find, how's the search going?"
     "Good." Evan lies, hiding behind a smile.
     "Really? Evan, your art instructor describes your drawings as horrifying, gruesome, disturbing, and highly concerning. You had a panic attack your first karate lesson, during the name game, you refused to kick the ball at soccer, and when your dad tried to take you on a hike you said you had to run or she might catch you, then took off into the woods for a half an hour. I don't think the search is going very well."
     "I don't know why I need a hobby." Evan says.
     "Because it's good to do something fun. What about Ezra and his friends, what do they do for fun?"
     "They play a card game and they have a band."
     "Do you ever play the card game with them?"
     "I don't want to. It's confusing and Calvin and Noah aren't my friends, they're Ezra's."
     "While I do love your use of conjunctions, I really do, that's just not true. You boys are a friend group, Noah and Calvin are your friends too. Just like Ezra is." Dublin explains. "It's like how your other friends have friends that you know but aren't really friends with, until you spend time with them."
     "I don't have other friends." Evan says.
     "Well than, we need to make you some. Not now, I know you're still figuring things out. Going back to school I think you should try to make more friends. I know. When you meet with your counselor every Tuesday during lunch, invite another kid. You two can play games, watch funny videos, or just chat. How does that sound?"
     "Alright, I guess."
     "I'll talk to your guidance counselor about it." Dublin says, scribbling that into his notepad. "I wanna move onto the nightmares, but more specifically fear. I know you still fear the woman who did this to you, so much so that you won't even allow me to say her name. Now, I know that Ezra and you have spent a lot of time together. Has he made you listen to Nothing More yet?"
     Evan nods. "Yeah, I like them."
     "Good. Have you heard Funny Little Creatures?" Again, Evan nods. "Well, I had to look up the lyrics to know what they're saying, but I know now. Do you know the words?" Evan nods, yet again. "Fear is a liar. That's one of the lines. Don't you think it's true? Fear is a liar."
     "But he's been right before." Evan adds. "That's the next line."
     "I knew you'd say that. Which is why I'm read with the line after that. If you fight your shadows you get lost in a war. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
     Evan smiles. "Yeah, I can't let fear win, cause I'll lose."
     "Good, very good. Now, would you mind describing the nightmares to me? I wanna know what to focus on helping you with. Is it about the beatings, losing friends, what?"
     "Oh, I don't get those nightmares too much anymore. I get nightmares them from the horror movies I watch before bed."
     "Evan."
     "Yes, Dr. Holmes?"
     "Stop watching horror movies before bed."
     "Okay, Dr. Holmes. I don't like them that much anyways. That's not what a severed hand looks like."
     Dublin runs his hand over his face. "Okay, Evan."

Looks like Evan's a little more normal than everyone thought.