Chapter 22
"So far," Tony Jones said, "the test results haven't proven helpful.
Frankly, I've never seen a case like this before. Lesley says that
Laura had seizures from emotional stress twice during childhood.
This appears to be the first occurrence as an adult."
David Gray turned away from the reports he was studying, and sat down. "I thought these would be useless, and they are." He tossed them across the table. He wrote feverishly for a few moments then handed Tony a slip of paper. "And a neural ultrasound also," Gray said.
Tony glanced at the crabbed writing, and looked doubtful. "You suspect a congenital aneurysm? That was a brilliant series of papers - the ones where you traced a pattern of congenital aneurysms through multiple generations of the same family."
"Yes. Clever of you to remember."
"Don't you think that the probability of this type of aneurysm is almost nil? It's very rare."
Gray glanced over the tops of his reading glasses. "I think it's worth a try."
He picked up Laura's medical history and began to thumb through the folder again. Tony noticed the man's dismissive body language with irritation, but persevered. "If your hypothesis proves correct, how soon will you want to operate?"
"Immediately. My plane is on standby in case we need Fleming. He's one of the best."
Tony's goggled. "Fleming? Why won't you operate?"
"My good man," Gray snapped, "I owe you no explanations. Naturally, I'll supervise."
Tony held his tongue and left the room.
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Alexis began the day with her worst bout of morning sickness yet. After Stefan called with a comforting report on her mother, Luke delivered Lesley Lu to school, then drove Sergei to the hospital daycare center. Mrs. Landsbury had suggested that as a comforting alternative for the baby, who often stayed there when his mother worked.
Once he had disposed of the small Count, he took the elevator upstairs to check on Laura. In the hall outside intensive care, he found Stefan in conference with Tony and some other, older guy.
"How's Laura?" Luke asked without preamble.
The other guy paused in mid-sentence and looked annoyed.
"She is resting," Stefan said briefly. His heart pounded, and he breathed deeply. The age old rhythms of Tai Chi filled his mind as he struggled to maintain control. Luke was the last person he wanted near Laura. His presence might inadvertently prompt her to remember yesterday's revelations. Worse still, he might remind her of last night's dreams. Neither was acceptable. Until the physicians understood her condition, Laura must remain calm.
"So, can I see her?" Luke asked.
"No," said Stefan, at the same time that Tony said, "Maybe later ..."
Dr. Gray's bright eyes flickered with interest.
"I have asked Dr. Collins to consult with me before Laura sees visitors," Stefan added smoothly. "She doesn't remember yesterday. She was distressed this morning, because she thought our guests were on their way to dinner."
Luke nodded. "That's fine, but I plan to see her. And soon."
Stefan crossed his arms over his chest and rocked backwards slightly. His rumpled clothes, the dark circles under his eyes, and stress lines on his face bespoke exhaustion, but his voice was calm and determined, his control restored.
"If Dr. Collins agrees."
"Okay. Fine. But don't make this more difficult than it has to be." Luke turned and strode off.
He stopped and pivoted. "Don't bother to talk to Collins, Cassadine. Alexis and I see him today. I'll discuss it with him myself."
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? As you like, then." He shrugged, and resumed his conversation with the doctors.
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Laura lay in her hospital bed longing for home. It was bleak here. She knew that Stefan would have filled the cubicle with flowers if they were permitted. She felt woozy, a result of sedatives she supposed. She entertained herself by imagining the room filled with roses and daisies, and her husband leaning over her. Her mind leapt from image to image of him leaning over her - his shadow falling across her while she sat in a field of daisies, his body outlined by moonlight on a beach long ago. His eyes desperate, haunted, as he strove to assure her of his love before sending her back to the hell that was his brother's bed.
Unsettled by that painful recollection, her mind lurched away from memories of the island and settled on the most comforting image of all: Stefan leaned over her in their own bedroom. The fire flickered in the background, its sparks reflected in his eyes. His face intent, he surveyed her body in a proprietary fashion. He leaned over the bed, and with characteristic catlike grace, suddenly leapt onto the bed, straddled her in one smooth movement. Her hands reached upward to pull him to her, then slipped down his sides to tug impatiently at the knotted cord securing the waistband of black silk pajama bottoms, pushing them downward, out of the way of her busy fingers. She inhaled his clean scent as his lips brushed hers.
The door flew open, and two nurses appeared.
"Mrs. Cassadine, can you hear me?" the older of the two nurses asked.
"Yes," answered Laura, somewhat irritated at having her pleasant train of thought interrupted.
"She looks fine," said the younger nurse, whose pale blue smock identified her as a student.
"Check the connections on the machines," said the older nurse sternly. "Your blood pressure soared sky-high! Are you light-headed? Dizzy?"
Laura blushed. "No," she answered meekly, just as Stefan barged in the door.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Just a bit of a turn, Mr. Cassadine. Not to worry. She's fine." The gray-haired nurse adjusted a monitor, and admonished Laura, "Lie quiet now."
The women left the room, and Stefan leaned over the bed.
"Maybe you shouldn't," Laura said nervously.
"It distresses you?" Stefan asked, recoiling.
"No, I like it. That's the problem," said Laura, rolling her eyes. "That's what went wrong with my blood pressure. I was daydreaming that you were leaning over the bed. The real thing might blow every circuit in this room!"
Stefan stroked his mustache to hide his smile of relief.
"But..." she added with a sudden gleam in her eye, "We could disconnect these machines. I'm not that out of it."
Stefan laughed, and kissed her. We can wait until the physicians disconnect this equipment, and we may enjoy ourselves in the privacy of our own home." He gently stroked her shining hair.
Laura pretended to pout. "Black silk pajamas?" she asked.
"I promise," he whispered, "to make it worth the wait."
"You look so tired," Laura said. "Go home. Sleep. I'll lie here quietly practicing deep breathing, so my blood pressure won't go up while I plan my reward for patience...."
"You are incorrigible," Stefan smiled. He looked up as the door opened to admit Tony and David Gray.
"Laura." Tony nodded, "Have you met Dr. Gray?"
"Hello," she said. Her eyes widened as she instinctively reached for Stefan's hand. "We haven't met, have we?"
"No, we haven't, but I'm quite pleased to meet you, Mrs. Cassadine." Gray smiled.
Oh brother, thought Tony. The guy must like women or well-paying patients. He certainly hadn't exuded this much charm for anyone else.
"Dr. Jones and I reviewed your tests. May I sit down ?" When she nodded, Gray pulled a chair next to the bed and patted her hand.
"I flew in last night. What do you remember about yesterday?"
"Nothing, honestly," Laura answered.
"Not surprising," he responded kindly. "You had a bit of an upset in the afternoon, and you fell. Probably you fall resulted from a seizure. Your mother and sister both reported two earlier instances of seizures."
Laura nodded. "They told me. I don't remember those times. I don't remember yesterday."
Her brow wrinkled, she turned to Stefan, "What upset me?"
Dr. Gray spoke before Stefan could. "That's irrelevant just now. We've discovered a physical reason for the seizures. An aneurysm. It needs to be repaired."
Stefan grip on Laura's hand tightened. "You're sure?" he asked.
"Yes, an odd one. A rather rare type actually. We found it with a neural ultrasound."
"It's in my head? My brain?" Laura asked.
"Yes."
She felt for Stefan's other hand. "Do we have to do anything? I feel okay today."
"You've been lucky, my dear. Another episode like yesterday's could kill you. If you did survive, you might be blind or paralyzed."
Stefan sucked in air. "There's no other option?"
"No." Gray was firm.
Stefan nodded grimly. "Laura?"
"Tony, what do you think?" she asked.
"I agree. It needs to be done. There is some good news, however. This type of surgery used to take anywhere from ten to twelve hours, but now, it is simpler and much faster."
"That's all true. One of the best surgeons I know is on his way here." Gray checked his watch. "He should arrive in about three hours."
"You will oversee the surgery?" Stefan asked.
Gray nodded.
"It's scary." Laura said. "You'll go into my head?"
"No, we'll begin with a small incision in your left thigh."
"My leg? I don't get it?"
"We'll insert a guide wire and a tiny micro-catheter into your femoral artery and guide it into your brain from there. We''ll be watching it on a series of tv monitors, moving the wire carefully through your body to the site of the aneurysm."
Gray pulled an ultrasound image from a folder. "That's where it is. Once we get to the aneurysm we'll send an electric current to detach a tiny coil of platinum filament from the end of the micro-catheter. Then we'll carefully withdraw the wire and the micro-catheter. That tiny coil we leave behind will soon be covered by your body's tissue and will become the new wall of that vein. Your difficulties will be ended. It should take an hour to an hour and a half."
He replaced the ultrasound plate in a folder. "What do you think?"
"You make it sound so simple," Stefan murmured.
"The procedure is not without risk. It requires great precision to move the wire through the circulatory system without damaging other organs, but it is far simpler than older procedures. Even ten years ago, your wife would be living with a death sentence," Gray added gravely. "We have much to be thankful for."
"When will you do the surgery?" Laura asked.
"Tomorrow morning," Tony answered.
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Dr. Collins leaned back in his chair, considering his new patient.
"If I understand what you've told me so far, Alexis, then we need to think carefully about our treatment goals here."
"Correct me if I'm wrong. You want to carry your baby to term."
"Yes. Absolutely." She gripped Luke's hand.
"Your obstetrician called. He's discussed risk factors with you."
She nodded.
Luke turned to Alexis. "Nobody's talked to me about risk factors."
Alexis's eyes shone. "This is my first baby; it's considered a high risk pregnancy due to my age. But my nightmares are a significant cause of additional stress."
"Isn't Luke aware of your obstetrician's recommendations?" Kevin leaned forward. "I didn't know you hadn't discussed this with him."
"What recommendations, baby?"
"An abortion. But I won't," she added fiercely. "I won't."
Luke put an arm around her. "Why would he even suggest it?"
Alexis hesitated. "Something could go wrong."
"What's the risk? You'd need to stay in bed for part of your pregnancy? The baby might be born early? What are we talkin' about here?" Luke asked.
Alexis seemed preoccupied with the patterns on the rug. "One of us could die," she said finally.
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Helena Cassadine's morning had been a busy one. From sources on the hospital staff, she had learned that Laura's condition was stable.
"A pity," she murmured as she folded back the cover sheet on a fax that had just arrived.
A preliminary report from her operatives on Gordon Stuart Gray. She scanned it rapidly. He once lived in Port Charles. His wife recently deceased.
She laughed and fingered her necklace. "Poor dear. He needs comforting."
Mr. Gray dispersed his wife's ashes in the Port Charles River. He went home, then returned, made another sudden trip, and once again came back to Port Charles. But why?
Why had he gone to Wyndemere for Thanksgiving Dinner? Why had he spent so much time with Luke? And of this she was sure. Her first impression that Stefan was very interested in this man had been correct.
Dinner tonight, she thought. She unlocked a drawer in her dresser and withdrew a small vial. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror and began to sing softly. "Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star...."
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