At the hospital --

Detective Steel stepped off the 8th floor elevator at General Hospital looking for some answers. He had spent over an hour with Lt. Taggert and had found out about the recent shootout on the docks. His curiosity got the better of him and he went to the hospital to see for himself what kind of danger had come to this city.

As he reached the nurse's station, Amy noticed the stranger approach and asked him if she could help him. He reached in his coat pocket and flashed his badge telling her who he was and that he was there to talk with the victims of the shootout that had been admitted. Amy hesitant and cautious of his intentions and his credentials, she pointed him in the direction of the ICU. She watched him as he walked passed her and then down the hallway.

The detective was approached by Alan out in front of the ICU as he glared in at Jason lying in the hospital with Elizabeth sitting beside him. The nameplate on the door to the room read "Jason Morgan" "ICU # 2A", Jake jotted down his observations in his memory as Alan approached him.

"Can I help you?" Alan asked as he looked over the rugged young man who stood watching his son.

"I was told this young man is one of the victims of the shootout the other night." Jake replied as he turned around and faced the brut form of the Chief of Staff.

"May I ask who you are?" Alan questioned as Elizabeth noticed the commotion outside the room. Jake pulled his badge from his jacket and explained to Alan who he was and that he was there to talk with Jason.

"Alan?" Elizabeth said as she appeared from her husband's room. Both Alan and Jake turned towards her when she spoke, acknowledging she was there.

"Mrs. Morgan?" Jake asked extended his hand to her. Elizabeth glanced down at it and hesitantly shook his hand.

"Yes? I'm Jason's wife. Can I help you?" she inquired as Alan stepped in between Jake and Elizabeth.

"Perhaps this isn't a good time, you should be in there with Jason." Alan replied and tried to guide her back into the room. Jake reached for Elizabeth's arm as she walked back into the room.

"Wait .. I'd like to talk with you." he said as she turned around and looked over the young man.

"Who are you?" she asked again, insistent this time.

"Detective Jake Steel from the Miami PD. I'm here to talk with your husband about the shooting." Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder towards Jason and stepped out of the room so they wouldn't disturb him.

"Jason's in no condition to talk to you .... Det .. Detective." she replied as she kept a watchful eye on her husband.

"And I don't foresee him talking with you or any one else wearing a badge." she added as she looked at him sternly. She turned and walked back into the room and took her seat once again next to her husband.

"I guess you will be leaving now." Alan stated as the young man watched Elizabeth and Jason through the plexi-glass window. She noticed him watching and went to close the blinds. Jake got her point and turned towards Alan who stood in the doorway of the room.

"And the other person involved is ....?" Jake inquired as Alan crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"On another floor. He was moved last night to another room." he replied giving Jake very little information about Zander's whereabouts.

"You gonna tell me where to find him, or am I going to have search the hospital floor by floor?" Jake replied sarcastically. Alan sighed as he passed behind the young man and started walking away.

"I can tell you, he's not going to be telling you anything either, Mr. Steel." Alan added as he turned back towards him.

"I would at least like to see him." Jake added as he followed Alan down the hallway to the elevators.

"4th floor ... room 228." Alan answered as he pushed the elevator down button. Jake nodded in acknowledgement and stepped onto the elevator as Alan continued down the hallway, knowing full well that with Emily there with Zander and Monica hanging around, he was sure the detective was going to come up empty in his search for answers.

Outside Zander's room --

Jake stepped off the elevator on the 4th floor and made his way to the nurse's station. He asked where he could find Zander's room and the nurse graciously pointed him in the right direction. As he approached the room he noticed the door was standing open, and respectfully knocked on the door before entering the room. Emily sat by her husband's side as she noticed the young man appear in the doorway.

"May I help you?" she asked as she got up from her seat and approached him with caution.

"I hope so." Jake replied as he took one step into the hospital room. He noticed the equipment Zander was hooked up to before focusing on the young lady in front of him. Jake extended his hand and introduced himself.

"I'm Zander's wife, Emily .... how can I help you? Detective." she replied as she escorted him outside the room so they not disturb Zander who was sleeping.

She was sure to keep a watchful eye on her husband as she stood in the doorway of the room.

"I was hoping to talk with your husband, Emily." Jake inquired but by the look Emily shot back at him, he knew that wasn't happening.

"I'm sure you know, Detective, my husband has been through alot over the past 3 days, he's in no condition to talk with anyone." she answered as she heard Zander becoming restless.

Jake peered around the corner of the doorway to see if perhaps her husband was awake so he could ask him some questions.

"I know it's been a terrible time for both of you, but if you could just give me 5 minutes ..." she interrupted with a direct and honest "...uh no." "I would really appreciate it if you'd come back at another time. My husband needs his rest and I can tell you this now, Zander's not going to tell you or anyone else wearing a badge, anything."

Emily added as she turned away from the detective and back into the room to be with her husband. Zander was no where near ready to talk with anyone, he was still recovering from surgery the day before and Emily wasn't about to allow some Detective to lurk about her husband like a vulture waiting for his prey.

Jake stood outside Zander's hospital room for a couple more minutes just watching and observing her demeanor. Emily noticed him still hanging around outside the room, and she got up and closed the door to the room. Steele reached into his jacket pocket and stuck his business card in the nameplate outside the door hoping that either of them would change their minds and call him.

"Okay, that went well ...." he mumbled under his breath as he walked down the hallway towards the elevators. As he walked passed the waiting area, he was approached.

"I thought I told you to leave my hospital?" Alan said as the detective tried to avoid a confrontation with the big man.

"Well now I have what I came for, I will be leaving." Steele lied through his teeth to the Chief of Staff, but he'd be back another day to get his answers.

"I very much doubt that, especially if you were just talking with my daughter. You'd be lucky to get the time of day wearing that badge." Alan chuckled as Steele gave him a smug look before walking off.

Alan knocked on the door to Zander's room and Emily cautiously opened it for him. "Hi sweetheart." he greeted her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "How's he doing?" her father asked as he approached Zander.

Alan checked the monitors Zander was attached to and read the numbers hoping they would improve from the day before.

"He isn't awake yet, so I guess he's doing about the same." Emily replied as she sniffled back the tears, wanting so much to stay strong.

Alan checked Zander's pulse as he held Zander's wrist in his hand. Alan's face didn't tell Emily what she wanted to hear.

"Dad, what's wrong?" she became worried and agitated.

"Nothing, sweetheart. There isn't anything wrong, I was expecting a stronger pulse that's all. He's fine." Emily sighed heavily, she didn't know what she'd do if she lost him.

"How's Devon?" she asked. Devon had been staying at the mansion while Zander was in the hospital, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, so her parents had offered to take Devon for a while.

"Devon's great. He's really a blessing in our house. Your grandfather is spoiling him rotten." Alan laughed. "I can just imagine ...." Emily replied with a smile. It's the first smile Alan had seen on his daughter in days. He wished he would have some good news to tell her to bring a smile to her face like that one. Zander was just the same, and the prognosis wasn't looking any better as time went on.

"Do you think Reginald could bring Devon by later? I'd love to spend some time with him, I could take him to the children's center for a while." Emily asked. She missed her little boy and just needed to tell him how much she loved him.

"Sure, I'll call home and have Reginald bring Devon to the hospital." he agreed with her request and she got up from her seat and went to him. "Thanks Dad, it really means alot to me to have Devon here." Alan embraced his daughter and gave her all the love he could muster.

Emily sniffled back the tears as she watched her husband sleeping, she prayed he'd wake up, he needed to wake up if he was going to get better. The longer he was out, the worse his chances got of a recovery.

"Don't worry, Zander's gonna be fine, he's a fighter, Em. He survived our family hasn't he?" Alan joked hoping to see that smile again on Em's face. She mustered a giggle. "Yeah he has." Her tears moistened her father's white doctor coat as she kept watch on her husband.

Alan pulled from the embrace and cupped his large hands around Emily's chin. "Zander is going to get through this, you have to believe that, Em." He could see it in her eyes, she wasn't holding on to much hope.

"I know. Would you come with me to the chapel? I want to light a candle for Zander and for Jason." she asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Sure I'll go with you, sweetheart." he replied with sincerity as she looked once more at her husband before she left the room. Alan walked out of the room and waited for her in the hallway. She pulled the door closed and they went to say a prayer to bring Zander back to her and their son.