Restored Together

12

Jackson took his coffee to go, heading out of the diner he ran into Elizabeth Webber outside. He saw her sitting at the table alone, looking down at her phone with a shattered look on her face.

"Everything okay?" He asked her carefully, approaching the table.

"Jackson. Hi." Elizabeth looked up quickly from her phone, "Hi." She said again a bit more relaxed, letting out a deep sigh. "Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind." She apologized, realizing how much of a mess she probably seemed.

"How is Cameron doing? Anything I can help with?" He asked taking a seat, wondering if the teenager was getting into more trouble.

"He's doing okay- the best he can be, I suppose." Elizabeth spoke, shaking her head as she glanced back at her phone. "We've still been having reporters trying to contact us with this whole court hearing. "I don't know what they want me to say. Obviously, I am not happy that my husband isn't my husband anymore. He was forced into a memory transfer and he woke up a new person. Literally." She ranted to him, laughing at how ridiculous that just sounded. She felt like she was in some twisted movie.

"I'm really sorry. That's a lot for one person to deal with. Let alone, your kids as well." Jackson agreed at the absurd situation she was in. "You'll get through this." He added a comment of encouragement.

After leaving the diner, Jackson made his way to work. He neared the gym, suddenly getting the sense that someone was behind him. When he looked behind him, a large man was approaching him with aggression. He turned back to keep walking and was met with another man. They ambushed him and shoved him into the alleyway. Punching and kicking him until he stopped fighting back. They were hurried away by a woman's voice hollering at them. Sam and Jason rushed up to the person to make sure they were okay. She was shocked to see that it was Jackson as she dialed 911 on her phone.

When they got to the ER, Jackson was in an exam room getting checked out. Sam stood outside discussing what happened. "This wasn't Sonny, was it?" Sam asked her boyfriend.

"No. Not that I know of." Jason told her truthfully, he would know if this was Sonny. "What about Ava? I'm sure she's pissed at him for coming clean to Kristina." Jason suggested, thinking Ava was the one retaliating against him.

"Yeah, that's definitely possible." Sam agreed, "In fact, I hope that is the case because I really don't want to find out that he's into something worse."

Elizabeth assisted Jackson in the ER exam room. She got his cuts and bruises cleaned and bandaged up. As she finished getting him aid, his eyes fluttered open. He looked around as he came to realize where he was.

"Hi there." Elizabeth smiled at him as she saw him awake, "Do you know where you are?"

"Looks like I'm in the hospital." Jackson looked around at his surroundings, "Unless you're some kind of crazy nurse that sent her goons to attack me." He joked, holding his side as he felt his body ache.

"Good to know your memory and sense of humor is still intact." The nurse told him with a smile. She did a routine checkup, making sure his cognitive abilities were okay. "I will let the doctor know you are awake but you're looking to make a full recovery. You're probably going to ache for a bit. If Sam and Jason didn't find you when they did, you could be seriously injured."

"I'll be sure to thank them." Jackson told her with a nod, holding his side as he readjusted in the bed.

After Elizabeth exited, Sam entered the room. "Jackson." She greeted her friend with a weak smile as she approached his bed side. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm holding." Jackson assured her, feeling the aches in his body from where he was hit.

"Do you have any idea of who would do this to you?" Sam asked him, investigating the situation.

"Other than Sonny or Ava? I don't know." Jackson told her honestly. "This was more likely to be Ava than it is Sonny."

"I asked Jason and he said Sonny didn't do this. And Jason would know if this was Sonny." Sam informed her friend.

"It's fine." Jackson shook his head, "I figured this was Ava. Sonny's doing a great job keeping his enemies close." He said referring to his job at the gym.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sam asked him after a moment, not only referring to his physical state but his mental and emotional well-being as well.

"I'll be fine." He nodded, meeting her gaze.

Later, Jackson was getting checked out as he finished signing the discharge papers. He stood by the nurses station, signing the discharge papers. He didn't feel like he needed to stay any longer since the doctors said he was good to go, just to take it easy and rest.

"Jackson." He heard a familiar voice approach him.

"Kristina." He responded, surprised to see her.

"I heard about what happened." She told him as she scanned his bruised face. She could see by the way he was standing that his body ached. "I was with my dad when I found out. I asked if he did this and he said no."

"I know this wasn't your father." He assured his ex-girlfriend, "This was Ava. It had to be."

"Jackson Thomas." He turned around to see the detective greet him, recognizing her from the bar.

"Detective...?" He stated, letting her fill in the blank.

"Spencer. Valerie Spencer." She officially introduced herself, glancing at Kristina. "I'm here just to ask you a few questions about who attacked you earlier." Valerie told him, getting out her pen and paper.

"I honestly couldn't tell ya. I didn't get a very good look at the guys." Jackson told her, not wanting to get the police involved. He figured Ava would just retaliate more if he did.

"Really?" The detective eyed him, "So two guys just jumped you for no apparent reason?" She questioned him, not believing a word he said.

"Unfortunately." Jackson nodded. He could tell she didn't believe him but he knew she couldn't do anything about it. Kristina kept quite as well, not getting involved.

"You know your record might suggest otherwise, Mr. Thomas." Valerie suggested, stepping up to him.

"I can assure you this was just a random, unfortunate, event." Jackson told the police officer, not giving any indication that he knew who had him attacked.

"If anything jogs your memory, you can give me a call or call the station." Valerie told him carefully before leaving him be.

"You're not going to say anything about Ava?" Kristina asked him once Valerie was out of earshot.

"Why would I do that?" Jackson asked her, shaking his head, "I'm not trying to make her more of an enemy than she already is. She's clearly upset that I came clean to you and now Sonny knows the details about her business doings."

"Is that what happened? You came clean?" Kristina scoffed, crossing her arms. "I practically had you trapped in a corner.

"You know what I mean, Kristina." He told her irritated. "I told you the truth about what was going on. Yes, I wish I had done things different. I do and had I told you sooner, maybe things would be different."

"Maybe so." Kristina nodded, meeting his eye. As much as she wanted to forgive him, she hated that she let someone else in and they hurt her. "I'm glad your okay." She told him before walking away and leaving with Valerie on the elevator.