The Compound

Michael sneaks into his Mother's room not wanting to wake her or the baby. First things first he tiptoes over to the bassinet and looks down into it. Still about the ugliest thing he'd ever seen with fingers like legs on a spider. But Mama seemed to like her. Michael shrugs and looks over his shoulder. She is sleeping on her stomach probably for the first time in months. Michael comes over to Carly and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Mama." He says softly in a hiss.

"enen." Carly mutters into her pillow and turns her head to the other side.

"Mama, I heard Jefe talking to Uncle Jason."

Carly pops up from the bed and onto her hands and knees. "Jason?" She gets herself untangled from the bed coverings and pulls her hair out of her eyes. "He's here?"

"On the phone, Mama. He's on his way."

Carly frowns. "But..." She bites back what she was going to say and instead asks her son. "Michael, will you go get Mama's brush."

"Okay." Michael goes running into the bathroom.

It gives Carly time to get the rest of the way up. This time with no abrupt movements. She walks over to the bassinette. It seemed like she'd been up and down all night long just to make sure that the baby was breathing but she wasn't like Shirley Mclaine in Terms of Endearment. She hadn't woke the baby up. Well cept that once and it was an accident. Terms of Endearment had been Virginia's favorite movie. Maybe that explained so much. Maybe she and Virginia would have been able to make peace with each other-- if she'd been diagnosed with a fatal illness rather than just being the rebellious daughter from hell. "Well here is your payback, Mama." Carly reaches over and runs a finger over her daughter's cheek with a feather soft caress.

"Here you go, Mama." Michael hands Carly the brush and stares at his baby sister waiting for her to do something.

Carly runs the brush thru her hair working out the tangles. Yesterday had not been a good hair day and she'd had other priorities than worrying about it. Then there was the whole going to bed with it wet. "What exactly did you hear, Michael?"

"Uncle Jason was calling from the plane. Cause they were almost landing. Jefe told him that there would be a jeep waiting to bring them to the compound."

Carly frowns. "Michael did Alcazar say anything about why your daddy isn't on the plane?"

Michael shakes his head. "I didn't hear anything, Mama."

"Okay." Carly thinks for half a second. "Go find Simon. He'll be going to get Uncle Jason I'm sure. See if he'll let you go with him in the jeep. That will give me time to get all dressed up." Michael races from the room. Carly goes over and locks the door. That way she can leave the door open to the bathroom and hear the baby if she should cry. Jason's coming. But where is Sonny?

The lights are dim. Sonny winces and reaches for his head which feels like the rehearsal for the anvil chorus. There is another pain this time from the back of his hand. He realizes he is not in his bed. He is not in his penthouse. He is in the hospital. "What the fuck?" He feels around with his free hand until he finds a call button and depresses it.

It doesn't take long for a nurse to arrive. Sonny winces when he sees who it is. "How are we feeling this morning, Sonny?" Bobbie asks in her fakest of concerned voices. Her daughter is God knows where and Sonny.. well push that one back. He's a patient now. Not just a prick of a son in law that hadn't even let her know for the longest time that her daughter was missing.

Sonny closes his eyes not wanting to see what was in Bobbie's face. "What happened?"

"Acute Alcohol poisoning. Max brought you in last night. You were barely breathing, Sonny. When he couldn't get you to wake up he brought you in. You almost killed yourself this time, Sonny. They had to put you on dialysis to get the alcohol out of your system before your kidneys shut down. We're still waiting for the liver enzymes to come back. What the hell were you thinking?!" Bobbie takes a step back. She'd just crossed the line between nurse and mother in law. All that information should have come from the doctor and with a much different inflection.

"Where is Jason?" Sonny mutters.

"He's not here. Max is outside. So is your sister and father."

Sonny winces at that. "Send Max in."

Bobbie nods at that. Oh yeah isn't that just typical. His family is worried have been up all night concerned that he might die and Sonny is taking care of business. "Of course. I'll send him right in."

"And get me my pants."

"No."

"What do you mean... No?!"

"I mean you aren't going anywhere until your test results come back and if you try to leave this hospital then I'm going straight to the Quartermaines and have two doctors put their heads together to have you declared a danger to yourself and others. For some reason I think they would, don't you?" Bobbie says smartly as she opens the door and lets it fall shut behind her. It would have been much more impressive if the door could slam but hospital doors are weighted to not slam. "He wants to see Max." Bobbie announces once in the hallway.

Mike and Courtney sit back down. Max looks at them kinda sheepishly and heads in. Bobbie blocks his access with an arm across the doorway. "Yeah?" He asks her.

"Sonny isn't going anywhere for at least 24 hours until all of his tests get back. His clothes were cut off of him down in the ER. He's going to want his pants. The answer is tough. And if you have trouble saying it... then just think what Jason or Carly is going to do to you if anything happens to Sonny."

Max winces. He always gets into these situations. Damned if he did. Damned if he didn't. Jason had almost killed him last night when he realized that Sonny had crossed from passed out to poisoned. But who knew that you had to guard the boss from his own demons? Normally you just made sure that nobody knew that the boss had them and that was good enough. He nods. Bobbie drops her arm.

Mike looks at Bobbie hopefully. "How is Michael, Bobbie?"

"The Doctor will have more information." Bobbie tries to brush Mike off. She'd run her mouth already too much this morning but the way that Mike's face falls has her changing her mind. "He's going to live, Mike. This time. But I'm sure the doctor is going to tell him that he has to quit drinking."

"Michael doesn't normally..." Mike pauses trying to figure out how to say it. "...Things are kind of... look I don't have to tell you..."

Bobbie cuts him off at the knees. "Sonny isn't doing my daughter or grandchildren any favors by killing himself... or maybe he is." She looks at her pager that isn't vibrating but what the hell any reason to get out of here and the excuse making for Sonny is fine with her. "I have to take this. The doctor will be by on rounds very soon and he'll be able to answer whatever questions you have." Bobbie strides down the hall.

Jason follows Michael's directions into the compound since it's his first time here. Michael rides on his back like a little monkey with his arms wrapped around Jason's neck and his legs around Jason's waist. Michael points out everything fun about the compound and keeps chattering. Alcazar meets them on the side of the pool nearest to Carly's apartment. "I have ordered a room prepared for you." Lorenzo tells Jason.

Carly's voice comes from behind Alcazar. "That won't be necessary. Jason is going to stay with me." Alcazar steps aside so that he can look at Carly and Jason at the same time. Carly walks toward them carrying the baby in her arms. She walks right past Alcazar to Jason.

Jason gives Michael a hand so that he can climb down and is ready when Carly offers him the baby. He carefully cradles the baby and peels back the blanket to see it's face. Then while the baby is cradled in one arm he reaches out with one hand and wraps his hand around the back of Carly's neck and pulls her in close for a one handed embrace giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You make beautiful babies, Caroline."

Carly wraps her arm around Jason's waist and buries her head in his shoulder. "I missed you so much. Oh Jase."

"Hey. None of that. Come on let me see." Jason says chidingly.

Carly takes a step back but stays right under Jason's arm. She looks at the baby. "I named her Morgan, Morgan Leigh."

"Really?" Jason seems to grow an inch on that one. Naming Carly's son Michael had been a way to honor his best friend and having Carly name this baby Morgan well that said a lot.

"Yeah, Sonny and I talked about it. Of course I thought she was going to be a he but..."

"She's perfect." Jason declares but he looks at Carly to get confirmation.

Michael interjects at this point just to be clear. "Her head is kinda smushy but she doesn't have to have surgery."

"Yeah, Morgan just like your Mom." Jason looks down at Michael. "She wasn't born hardheaded; she's just gonna get that way."

"Jason!" Carly gives him a punch in the arm. "Don't you dare malign me to my son."

"Michael knows you're hardheaded." Jason laughs but then gets serious. "How are you?"

Carly looks away and shrugs. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Jason insists.

"Really." Carly forces a smile. "Come on. Let me show you where you'll be staying. The couch is okay right? I mean I understand if you want your own rooms. Morgan will probably be keeping everyone up."

"Carly."

"Yeah."

"Shut up and show me where to put my stuff."

Carly takes his hand and starts leading him to the apartment. Their focus had been so much on the baby and Jason that it is only now that she really notices Lorenzo standing there. It stops her in her tracks not quite knowing what to do.

Jason looks at Alcazar and tries to read the vibes coming off of the other man. He'd heard enough from Sonny after the monthly visits. And then there had been the letter that Alcazar had sent him in Caracas. "We're going to need to talk."

Alcazar nods. "Yes. But for now I will leave you to your reunion."

Carly starts walking before Alcazar can change his mind. Michael runs ahead to open the door to the apartment. "Where is Sonny?"

"I don't want to talk about that around Michael." Jason says quietly.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't want to talk about that around Michael." Jason repeats.

That gets Carly really scared and she looks around wondering what she can tell Michael to do away from the apartment so she can find out what is going on. "Michael... we don't have a single thing in the kitchen for Uncle Jason. I know he must be hungry after his flight. Could you run to the big kitchen and tell them that we need... well you tell them what you think Uncle Jason will like." Michael sets off at a run wanting to get the chore over as soon as possible. Carly takes the baby and lays her back down in her bassinet. "Now tell me."

"Sonny's been drinking too much." Jason says flatly. "He didn't answer the phone last night cause he was passed out."

"He could have sobered up, slept it off, on the plane. It's a long flight." Carly counters.

"I had Max take Sonny to General Hospital. I would have stuck around but I knew that the plane wouldn't wait."

Carly sits down on the couch. "The hospital."

"I think it was alcohol poisoning, Carly. I didn't want to take any chances." Jason sits down next to her. "Maybe I should have stayed too but...."

"I'm glad you came. I hate not knowing what is going on."

"Alcazar doesn't tell you what's going on in Port Charles?"

Carly shrugs. "Some. Not much." She makes a face. "He probably doesn't want to... upset me. Of course that was while I was pregnant too. I'm always just marking time until the next visit."

Jason rests his elbows on his knees and puts his hands in his hair. "I tried to get you out of this, Carly."

"I know." Carly rubs a hand over Jason's back in a soothing motion. "I know. But you've got to think about Courtney too. There was a WSB agent here yesterday."

Jason straightens and looks over at Carly. "What? Who?"

"He said his name is Conrad Donner. He's working as an advisor for General Diego something. I don't think they ever said what country. Lorenzo says it's some revolution backed by CIA money."

"Why do you even know that much? DAMN IT, CARLY! You've got no business being into Alcazar's business. I don't want you anywhere near it."

"It's something I'm good at, Jase. Dinners, playing nice. I don't actually listen to any of the deals. I know better than that. I just... set the scene."

"I know you're good at it. But this guy isn't AJ, and this isn't ELQ."

"Well duh."

"You know what I mean." Jason says tersely. "Carly, you're the guy's hostage. If you know too much then he won't let you go. He won't be able to let you go. It's already been dragging on too long. It isn't about landing product. I don't think it ever has been. It's about destroying Sonny and it's working. Or that's what it was in the beginning."

The baby wakes and starts fussing getting both Carly and Jason's attention. "Well hey there, Miss Morgan Leigh. Are you hungry?" Carly asks. Carly picks the baby up and then looks toward Jason. "I'm going to go try to feed her... I really don't want her to be on formula. It'll be easier if I don't have to worry about where Morgan's next meal is coming from."

Jason starts to protest but then nods. Carly had a point. If she had a chance in hell of escaping that would be one less thing to worry about. "I'll go find out what is keeping Michael and check in with Alcazar. It'll give us more time later."

"Just don't go away okay?"

Alcazar retreats to his own side of the compound. From the shaded corner of the second floor balcony, he observes the comings and goings, in particular Michael racing from Carly's quarters. So Carly had found an excuse for her son to leave, to be alone with Morgan and his name sake. Probably questioning Jason about Corinthos and yet.... There was something about the way Carly laid the baby in Jason's arms something... intimate. She's said once upon a time that a mutual friend had introduced her to her husband. Lorenzo'd observed Carly with Sonny on a number of occasions and as odd as it seemed and as out of character-- Carly is Sonny's sanity. Without her he began to shut down (and in a similar way it appears as if Jason provides the foundation for Carly).
With Luis' thin dossier of Morgan the quick dismissal of him as JUST a lieutenant, just the muscle-- Luis had missed a key piece to the puzzle. Another facet of this obsession-- he'd investigated Sonny, investigated Jasper Jacks, but he hadn't bothered with Carly or with Skye never believing them competition for Brenda. And he'd been half right.
A thought occurs to him. The intimacy between Carly and Jason explains the sudden short lived marriage of Brenda to Morgan. Perhaps Carly hadn't been so confident for her husband after all. And all his observations would indicate that friend is a weak descriptor for what is between Mrs. Corinthos and her husband's lieutenant. Preoccupied with his thoughts, Alcazar has to cover quickly when he is joined by Jason.

Jason doesn't bother with pleasantries but sits right down and cuts to the chase. "You need to send Carly home."

"Excuse me?" Alcazar quirks a brow in the direction of the second in command of the NE territory. It wasn't Jason's place to make demands. And the Corinthos lieutenant knew it.

"I'll stay. Hell Sonny was ready to trade a month ago. Either one of us. Your choice but Carly needs to be home in Port Charles."

"Wants?" Alcazar nods. "Needs? I think not. This is working just fine."

"No, it's NOT." Jason snaps. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. Carly needs to be near a hospital, near her family and friends. She has to be out and about."

"Carly has already had the baby." Alcazar says dryly. "It's a little late for a hospital."

"It's probably already happening." Jason mutters to himself.

"What?"

"When was the last time Carly went outside the compound? Took a walk around the outside? Michael told me he goes out all the time with that Simon guy. What about Carly?"

where is this going? "Carly is more comfortable with the pool."

"Yeah, I bet she is. When was the last time Carly set foot, one foot, outside the compound?" Jason indicates his emphasis with a raised index finger.

"Why?" Alcazar is starting to get an inkling that there might actually be a problem and not just a manipulation on Morgan's part.

"Cause you probably don't need to double the guards unless they really are for that WSB agent. This is the way that it starts, first it will be not going out of the building then it will be not coming out of her apartment."

"Mrs. Corinthos is agoraphobic?" Alcazar looks at Jason suspiciously. "I've never heard or seen anything that would suggest such a thing."

Jason makes a face. "She gets anxious. And I've seen it both ways. The afraid to go outside, that's actually the preferable of the two."

"Both...two."

"Carly had post partum depression after Michael was a born. I read a few things after it happened. It can get worse with each pregnancy: Michael, the miscarriage now having a baby under these conditions..." Jason shakes his head. "Carly needs to be in Port Charles-- near a hospital, near her mother who is a nurse. Bobbie could be keeping an eye on things. Carly says she's fine."

"And you believe she is lying."

Jason snorts.

Michael comes racing full speed up to the two men. "Uncle Jason, I brought you a sandwich; it's at Mama's. Jefe, do you want me to get you something too?"

"No, Thank you. I have business I must attend to. Perhaps dinner?"

Michael nods. "I'll tell Mama." Michael takes Jason's hand and starts tugging him in the direction of Carly's quarters going along the second floor balcony and taking him into the quarters via the second floor bedrooms.

Alcazar goes to the doctor's quarters. The doctor is packing up to head back to his own residence and his own clinic. "Did Mrs. Corinthos suffer from Post Partum Depression? Is it likely to reoccur? What can you tell me about Agoraphobia?"

The doctor starts unpacking his bags.

Michael had had enough meals with uncle Jason to know that the sandwich needed to be piled high with everything on it. He sits across from Jason at the small table in his Mother's quarters. "Mama and I go swimming every day in the pool and take care of the gardens making sure there are no dead flowers anywhere. Grandma Lila taught Mama just like she taught me. In the afternoon, Mama takes a nap and I keep an eye on things letting her know anything that happens while she's asleep. So she doesn't miss anything." Michael looks toward Jason for approval.

Jason grunts but keeps eating. He was actually not too thrilled with that arrangement. He didn't want Michael knowing any more about Alcazar's business. He'd prefer if Michael and Carly both knew a lot less.

"And when the Jefe has business dinners then I eat early and Mama eats with them. She says it's making nice. This last one there was a WSB agent there. I wanted Mama to hide with me but she said that the agent was probably expecting to see her and if she hid then it would be weird and the agent might come looking for her."

Jason swallows the bite he is working on and asks, "Did your mother tell you to hide?"

Michael shakes his head. "No, it was the Jefe who said it was a good idea when I asked him if I should. Cause the WSB guy was lying to the Jefe. Jefe doesn't like it when people try to trick him. He's gonna get that WSB agent for trying to be sneaky. Jefe says that it's safe here and Mama doesn't have to worry about Ric stealing her or the Quartermaines stealing me like back home."

"Sean, I'm sorry to be a pain. I was just wondering if you'd gotten a chance to ask or look or..." Bobbie trail off awkwardly. She knows she is asking for a lot.

"Conner saw her, Bobbie." Sean says kindly.

Bobbie's knees go weak and she sags down onto one of the benches in the nurse's locker room barely keeping her grip on the phone. "Really?! How is she? Michael? The baby? Has she had the baby yet?"

"He saw her yesterday, and she was pregnant then. Extremely pregnant according to Con."

"She's due any day now." Bobbie agrees with a nod.

"He didn't see Michael and didn't have a chance to have a private talk with Carly. It was a business dinner. No reason that Michael would be there really." Sean reassures Bobbie. "Look Bobbie, I am looking into things. Conner picked up a few clues.. enough to narrow things down a bit. We're not looking for the whole wide world just one little corner of it."

"But there is no way she's going to be home to deliver the baby." Bobbie counters.

"No, it's going to take some time." Sean agrees. This is not the time to give false hope. Not when Bobbie was already prepped for bad news. "The good news is that the WSB is interested, Bobbie. I'm going to be able to put Conner on this full time."

"Not my daughter, they aren't interested in Carly. They want Alcazar. Just like the FBI wanted Alcazar and didn't really care about the kidnapping. Damn it, Sean!" Bobbie has already been down this road before. Thanks to Sonny's criminal involvement nobody would lift a finger for Carly without an agenda.

"Bobbie, you know that isn't me. And it isn't my son. If the WSB is behind it-- Great! Gives us a chance to get in there and get the lay of the land with some real resources. Like a satellite looking for the runway at Alcazar's compound." Sean defends his agency.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm asking a lot. It's just..." Bobbie tries to get by the lump in her throat. "You don't know how bad it was before. Sean, she almost bled to death when she had Michael. Alcazar is a killer. Sonny-- I was so sure that he'd do something but he's falling apart which isn't doing a thing for my daughter. I have no idea where Jason is."

"What about Luke? I thought sure he'd be up to his ears in this. It's right up his alley."

"Where's Luke. Yeah. That's something I'd like to know too." Bobbie says bitterly. "He and Carly never got along but I thought he would do something for me." She shakes it off. "Luke hasn't been the same since Laura had her last breakdown."

"He'll pull out of it, Bobbie. It'll just take some time."

"I don't have time. My daughter needs him now." Bobbie notices a quality of the silence on the line. "What else, Sean? What aren't you telling me?"

"Con got in on the coattails of a guy he is shadowing for the WSB. Bobbie, everyone thinks that Carly is La Senora of Lorenzo Alcazar. Nobody is saying so it's just assumed and nobody is denying. Not Alcazar and not Carly."

"My Gawd, Caroline, What have you done?!" Bobbie mutters and then says in her normal voice. "Sean, she's nine months pregnant... she wouldn't..." oh yes she would. Her daughter had no confusion between love and sex and never had, not really. Caroline would sleep with the seventh fleet if it would get her what she wanted. She played crazy enough to fool me so that she wouldn't spend 20 years in jail and miss Michael growing up.  "Sonny's been visiting regularly... they're still married, I think." Okay so I have no idea of their anniversary date and they have had more marriages and divorces then Alan and Monica but.... I'm sure they are still married. "I'll call you back." Bobbie hangs up the phone. "My Gawd, Caroline, What have you done?!"

The snick of the lock on the door is Conner's first warning of trouble as he is rushed by masked men. A piece of him is relieved by that. If they are wearing masks then they are avoiding being identified and dead men don't give witness. He gets in a few blows before he is overpowered. He is forced to sit back in the hard back chair and bent nearly in half so that his hands can be tied behind him but not behind the chair.
Then one of the men grabs a pillow case from the pillow on the bed and brings it down over Conner's head effectively blinding him. From then on all he can go by is the sound of the crew effectively tearing the room apart in search of every trace of him. They aren't asking him any questions. Not a good sign. Conner starts working the knots that restrain him but is soon noticed by one of the thugs who comes over and boxes him upside the head knocking him out cold.

"You know I brought a sedative for him." Simon says wryly but he pulls off his mask and signals for the others to do so as well.

"Eh, why waste it on him? The Jefe will want him wide awake. And a little headache will make him all the more cooperative. Sedatives just make them stupid and dull the pain." The bruiser power lifts Conner from the chair to inside the maid's cart where he is covered with linens and towels. The computer and Conner's luggage is dumped in on top of him.

"Let's go." Simon holds the door to let the others thru and everyone starts heading toward the service elevator and the waiting truck. The Jefe would be able to speak to this WSB at his leisure. The WSB would be waiting in a jail cell on an island that The Alcazar control and he would keep on waiting until the Jefe said otherwise. Simon hands the maid back her master key along with a bill that equals a weeks pay. "You can pick up your cart in the basement in ten minutes. We were never here."

"You were never here." The maid repeats making sure that she is looking at the floor and not at their faces. Faces were what would get a person in trouble.

Unlike the normal business dinner, this is much more casual as even Michael is at the table and they are dining at an early hour rather then the customary nine o'clock at night. Carly sits across from Lorenzo and Michael across from Jason. The dinner is a local specialty called pabellon, a dish of shredded meat in a tomato sauce served tonight over rice.

"So how long have you known Carly?" Alcazar asks after the normal pleasantries.

Jason looks at Carly who shrugs. "I don't remember a time when I didn't know Carly."

"Mama and Uncle Jason have been friends forever, Jefe." Michael interjects. "When I was a baby, Mama left me with Uncle Jason when she had to go away. And he'd read to me and put me to sleep every night, right Uncle Jason?"

"Yeah, buddy. When you were just a baby." Jason agrees with Michael but really doesn't want to give Alcazar more information. Even if the guy could find it out on his own it just didn't stick right with him to be giving the information up.

"As little as Miss Morgan Leigh is now." Carly confirms. Since she is looking at Michael she doesn't see the way that Alcazar's eyes narrow. "Jason made sure that you were named after your daddy and are in Father Coates good books down at Queen of Angels."

"We have to take Morlee to Father Coates." Michael announces. "So she can be in his good books at Queen of Angels too."

"Jason, how soon do we have to do that?" Carly turns to Jason then back to Michael abruptly as all he'd said hits her. "Morlee?"

"Miss Morgan Leigh Corinthos is a name bigger than she is, Mama." Michael explains.

"She'll grow into it, buddy." Jason tells Michael.

"Yeah, but right now she's kinda Morlee, you know?"

"Morlee." Carly lets it roll off her tongue and says it again. "Miss Morlee. Morlee Corinthos. What do you think, Jase?"

"I think it's a great nickname, Carly." Jason agrees. "But Michael, Father Coates is going to want to use her full name for the records. Carly, she can be baptized anytime. I'm sure Father Coates would say the sooner the better. But I didn't have Michael baptized for a month. If I would have been thinking about it I would have had him baptized in the hospital."

"You were waiting for me." Carly reminds him.

"There is a church in the village." Lorenzo informs the others.

"Really should wait until I'm back in Port Charles." Carly says defensively. "So that all of Morlee's family can be there."

The nanny comes out to the courtyard and tries to get Carly's attention but Jason sees her first. "I think someone wants to say good night."

"I fed the baby before dinner." Carly starts to get up.

"Probably just needs to be read to. I've got this one." Jason puts a hand on Carly's shoulder. "Finish your dinner. You really are eating for two."

Carly laughs and rolls her eyes. She looks over at Michael. "Mister Man, if you're done you can go with Uncle Jason." She crooks her finger to bring her son in closer. "Learn all of his tricks with the baby. Because nobody was better with you than Uncle Jason and he'd never share his secrets."

"Okay mama." Michael races after Jason. Leaving Carly and Alcazar sitting there.

Carly waits until the table is cleared and the manservant brings out the box of cigars. She selects one for Lorenzo handing it to him and then locks back up the box. Lorenzo takes the cigar and lights it. "So exactly how long were you away from Michael when he was a baby? A month?"

"Which time?" Carly says bitterly. "I was gone for a month when he was born. Then I was gone for six months before he was a year old."

"Six months?!"

"Yeah, I shot the man who kidnapped him." Carly pushes herself away from the table and heads to her quarters.

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