(Sonny Corinthos sat staring out the window of Kelly’s, slowly sipping a cup of coffee. He was waiting for his wife to meet him there, they were going to have a special evening together. Her appointment must have lasted longer than originally planned. Then, almost as instantly as he finished his thought, he saw his beautiful wife walking up from the corner. She was across the street, thin legs propped up on thick black heels, black pants fitted tightly to her legs, and a light blue silky tanktop. She had a slight smile on her face, and her hair was flowing behind her. She had that look on her face, the one that drove every man crazy for her...especially him. Sonny got up from the table suddenly, with a smile now spread across his face, and went to the door. He opened it up. He walked out onto the sidewalk outside of Kelly’s, and whistled. The kind of whistle men make when they see a pretty lady walking by. Brenda looked. She stopped on the other side of the street, and turned to cross. Her smile got wider and she beamed when she saw Sonny. He smiled back at her, and she looked beautiful. She started to cross the street.)

B: Sonny... (her smile never left her face)

(Just then, a car pulled forward, out of no where, right as Brenda stepped off the curb. The cars brakes squealed, and Brenda’s smile disappeared for the first time as she tried to block the car from hitting her. Sonny’s face also fell, and the next thing he knew, he was looking at a man get out of his car, a shocked look on his face, and Brenda, lying still on the ground. Sonny ran over to Brenda as fast as he could.)

S: Oh my God.

(he knelt down next to her, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. When he did, he realized that Brenda had a cut on her forehead. He checked her over, and leaned his head down to her face to listen to see if she was breathing. Sonny looked up at the man.)

S: (with a sudden bitterness) You better hope she lives. (not as bitter now, just concern floating around in his voice) Do you have a phone?

M: No, I’m sorry, I-

S: Forget it, use mine... Call 9-1-1, and you tell them that they HAVE to get Dr. Alan Quartermaine to come down to the ER immediately. Okay? Tell them that Brenda Corinthos....

M: (talking to phone) Yes, I need an ambulance out to Kelly’s Diner. It’s a woman, I hit her with my car. Her name is... (the man looked at Sonny)

S: (repeating himself, annoyed) Brenda Corinthos.

M: Brenda Corinthos. (pauses, listening) I don’t know.... (to Sonny) How do you spell that?

S: (ticked, grabs the phone away from the man) You listen to me. I don’t care if you spell her name all wrong, you have to get an ambulance over here NOW. And I mean NOW. (to the phone) I know that you have records and stuff to keep, and I can answer those questions on the way to the hospital! Just get one here now!

(Sonny hung up the phone, then leaning down, closer to Brenda, began to talk to her.)

S: (choked up) You need to hold on, you hear me? You HOLD ON. Don’t you dare leave me. Don’t you dare.

(The ambulance sped up the street, and came to a screeching hault near Brenda. Sonny hadn’t even noticed before, but there was a crowd forming around them. The paramedics moved Brenda onto a backboard and then onto a stretcher. They put an oxygen mask on her and then moved her to the ambulance.)

S: I’m riding with you!

P: Who are you?

S: I’m her HUSBAND!

P: Okay. (looking at the driver) Who are you?

M: I’m the driver of the car that hit her. Can I follow you to the hospital? Please?

P: The police will need to talk to you.

M: They can come to the hospital, I’ll give them all the statements they want there.

P: Okay. But you arrange that with them.

(They finish loading Brenda up into the ambulance and Sonny jumped up in there, grabbing Brenda’s hand. They rode to the hospital, as people were hooking all sorts of things onto Brenda. They arrived at the ER, and Sonny jumped out of the ambulance, still holding her hand. They were about to take her into the trauma room, where he would have to stay outside. They stopped for a second, and Sonny leaned down to whisper in Brenda’s ear)

S: Don’t you leave me. You hang on. I’ll be right out here. You be strong. I love you... (he gave her a small kiss on the forehead as the doctors and nurses that were now crowded around took her away. Sonny stood there, bewildered, knowing that someone else now held his life in their hands. And the only person he trusted to do that was Alan Quartermaine. Just then, Alan walked up, about to go into the trauma room. Alan stopped and looked at Sonny.)

A: I can’t believe this....Again?

S: This time it wasn’t a set up, Alan, it was just an accident. She ran out into the street and the driver didn’t see her.

(Alan nodded, and was about to walk into the trauma room)

S: Alan?

(He turned around)

S: Please, Alan... Save my wife.

A: I’ll do my best, Sonny.

(He walked into the room, leaving Sonny looking through the windows. Momentarily, a nurse walked up to Sonny.)

N: I need to get some information from you.

(Sonny nodded)

N: First, I need to know your name.

S: Sonn--- I mean, Michael... Michael Corinthos, Jr.

N: Alright, Mr. Corinthos. What is the patient’s name?

S: Brenda...

N: That’s....?

S: B-R-E-N-D-A.

N: Last name?

S: Corinthos!

(The nurse looks at him funny)

S: I’m sorry, it’s just frustrating. She’s my wife, okay? C-O-R-I-N-T-H-O-S.

N: Middle name?

S: Veronica... V-E-R-O-N-I-C-A.

N: Birthdate?

S: 3-31-74

N: So, she’s how old?

S: 24.

N: Do you have insurance?

S: Yes.

N: What’s the number?

S: 148799235. Brenda’s covered under mine.

N: Okay. Um, you’re living where?

S: Harborview Towers, Pent House 4. Port Charles, NY 14432

N: Phone?

S: 555-4901

N: Alright, Mr. Corinthos. If she needs to have any surgeries, we’re going to have to ask you to sign consent forms.

S: That’s fine... Anything. Just bring them to me.

N: Thanks Mr. Corinthos, we’re gonna do our best to help you’re wife.

S: Thank you.

(Sonny looked back into the window of the trauma room, at his wife. The next thing he knew, someone else was tapping his shoulder. Sonny turned around, it was the man who hit Brenda.)

M: I wanted to tell you how sorry I am.

S: I know you’re sorry, and I know you mean well. But you don’t understand. That woman in there, lying on the table, with all the tubes connected to her, she’s my life. And she was just walking down the street an hour ago to meet me. She was looking beautiful, and the only thing attached to her was a smile. And now I look in there, and she has no expression on her face, and I’m not completely sure I’ll ever get to see those beautiful brown eyes that take my breath away, or the gorgeous smile that makes my heart stop.... ever again. If you had seen her... I was waiting for her, she was supposed to come meet me at Kelly’s, and we were gonna have a quiet dinner. Then, we were gonna walk down to this... special... place we have, and we were gonna have a great time together. And I was sitting in Kelly’s waiting for her, and I was starting to worry about her. She had a checkup with her doctor, and I was hoping that nothing was wrong. And then I saw her. I saw that beautiful creature walking down the other side of the street, so familiar, yet she always shocks me with her beauty everytime I see her. She had a little smile on her face, and I ran outside to meet her. And I... (he smiles slightly) I whistled at her, and she turned to look at me, and when she saw me, her smile grew so much wider... She was truly beaming. When she smiled like that... I knew she was healthy, and that things had gone well. And a relief went over my body, because I knew that her being healthy meant that she was with me longer. She was so joyful looking...And I couldn’t figure out why at first. And then I realized... It’s because I have finally figured out how to make this woman happy. I just have to love her. She stretched out her arms slightly, and I knew then that when she came across the street she was gonna throw herself in my arms and that I was going to spin her around a couple times. I was gonna put her down, and kiss her, like I always do when she does that. And then, still smiling, she stepped off that curb, and I mean, you came out of no where. The next thing I knew, I was watching you get out of your car and I was watching as my wife lay unconcious on the ground.

M: (gulping, speaking really quietly) I’m sorry.

S: I’m sorry for laying that all on you. You don’t know us. But, Brenda can’t hear your sorries.

M: That’s her name?

S: Yes. Brenda.

(The man looked saddened. If the woman had a name, to him it meant that she was actually real. It was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s friend....someone’s WIFE that he had hit with his car.)

S: All I ask is that you pray for her.

M: Yes. I’m catholic, I’ll pray for her.

S: Please, just go to church and pray. I would go, but I don’t want to risk leaving her side. Please. Just go to church and beg God not to take this woman away from me. I’ll do it from here. That’s what you can do for me. And for her.

M: I will. (The man walked off)

(A nurse walked out of the room)

N: She’s stable now, Mr. Corinthos, we’re running some tests, but she seems very lucky. Nothing seems really badly injured. She has a concussion though, and we’re kinda worried about it, it’s severe. She’s not into a coma state yet, but she’s as close to it as she can get. We’re hoping that she wakes up very soon. The longer she’s sleeping, the worse it is for her. You can go and see her now.

(Sonny walked into the room, as a whole bunch of doctors and nurses were leaving. He pulled up a stool and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. He stared at it for a long time, and then he brought it closer to his face. He rubbed his own face with the back of her hand, and then kissed every one of her fingertips. A tear fell down his face, followed by others. He closed his eyes briefly, and then looked at her face. She had an oxygen mask on, and the cut on her forehead was butterflied up. He began to speak to her.)

S: Hi baby. Sweetheart, you can’t leave me like this. You’re too young, and I’m too young to be a widow. And we’ve been married too short a time. (pauses, letting tears fall) I can’t.... I can’t live without you. You’re the reason I get out of bed every morning, you’re the reason I fall asleep every night. You’re always in my arms, like I need you to be. Your smile lights up my life, your laugh makes my heart feel warm. I NEED you in my life. Please... don’t die on me. You have to wake up.

(Sonny placed his head on her stomach. A couple minutes later, he felt an abrupt movement from Brenda. He raised his head, and looked at her. Her eyes slowly opened. Immediately she smiled. Sonny couldn’t believe she was smiling.)

S: Hey baby.

(it was evident to him she wanted to talk.)

S: I don’t think you’re supposed to take the mask off baby.

(Brenda lifted the mask up slightly to talk)

B: (smiles) Since when do we follow the rules?

(Sonny smiled at her, and kissed her forehead.)

B: (lifts mask up) I knew that when I woke up, you’d be here by my side.

S: I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Why are you so happy?

B: Because they must have me on some pretty strong painkillers, cause I can’t feel any pain. (pauses) It better not be Hydrocodone.

S: It’s not. (he smiles)

B: Good. (pauses) I need to tell you something.

S: (grins) What, that you got hit by a car?

B: No. When I saw you across the street, I was ready to throw myself in your arms and to have you hold me. And I wanted to whisper something in your ear that would be the shock of a lifetime. But now all the romance is sucked out of it, and even though I would rather do it somewhere else, I want to do it before any one else does. No one has told you anything surprising, right?

S: (confused) No.

B: (smiles) Good. Sonny... (pauses, then smiles) I’m pregnant.

S: (shocked) You’re joking.

B: Would I joke at a time like this? (waits for him to say something, and when he doesn’t, she goes on) I just wanted to get to Kelly’s so fast to tell you. I guess that’s why I didn’t look before I crossed. (pauses) Are you gonna say something?

S: There are no words... What do you want me to say?

B: How about you tell me what you’re feeling?

S: I’m feeling... overwhelmed. I’m feeling happy.... And lucky. Lucky that you’re alive, lucky that you love me, lucky that you’re giving me a child. It’s all I need Brenda. All I need.

B: You’re all I need. Our baby is gonna be so loved.

S: Yeah... And you’re loved too. I love you.

B: (smiles) I know. I love you too. Forever.

S: Always.

(Sonny leans over and gives her a kiss. Sonny knew that his wife was going to live. He knew then that they were going to have a happy life. And that.... was all he needed.)

THE END