Chapter 1

"I was thinking about dinner out at the Metro Court tonight." Sabrina Santiago batted her eyelashes at Patrick as he reviewed a chart. "What do you think?"

"Have fun." Patrick made some more notes, barely acknowledging the young nurse.

"I meant for us silly." Sabrina and Patrick had been dating casually for a few months now and she was hoping to finally get him to commit tonight. "A nice, romantic dinner…"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Patrick had recently come to the conclusion that he needed to stop dating around and focus on creating just one relationship. The pretty young nurse had seemed like a good idea at first but the woman was simply too complacent for him. She had an almost hero-like worship of him that was ego boosting in the beginning but quickly got old. He needed someone who challenged him and wasn't afraid to disagree with him. He had let this Sabrina thing go on way too long as it was and he needed to end it.

Patrick gave Sabrina his trademark Drake smile. "I appreciate the offer but Alan really wants me to meet the new doctor in a little bit and who knows how long that is going to take."

Sabrina frowned. "But Patrick…"

He decided it was time to finally come clean. "Sabrina, you are a very nice girl but I really think it is best if we stick to a professional relationship at this time."

This was not happening. She shook her head in disbelief. "But I thought…"

"I have never promised you anything Sabrina." Patrick had been very careful to not give her any hope that he would commit to her. "We have had a great time but I think you need more than I can give you."

Her lower lip trembled as the reality of his words hit her. "So it's over – just like that?"

"You deserve someone who can give you a future with children and a family, someone who wants to get married and settle down." The words flowed easily from his mouth. "I am not that man – my career will always come first."

"But…"

"Please Sabrina, let me do this for you." He took her hand in his. "Let me give you the freedom to find the future you deserve."

She wiped away a tear but nodded her head. "Okay Patrick." She looked at the clock. "I need to head home now but I will see you here tomorrow."

"Of course and Sabrina," Patrick waited for her to look at him one last time, "I hope you find what you are looking for."

She just nodded her head sadly. "Me too Patrick."

He watched her walk away and then turned his attention back to his chart. He had barely started making notes when he heard a voice behind him. "That was smooth Patrick."

Patrick turned around to see his old friend, Liz Spencer, standing behind him. "What?"

"Please, I could have told you months ago that it would never work between you and Sabrina." Liz began organizing her charts as she spoke. "You can only stand that hero-worship thing for so long before you get bored."

Patrick smirked at the pretty nurse. Liz and her husband Lucky had been two of his first friends when he had come to Port Charles. He had initially come here to help his father, Dr. Noah Drake, sober up but had stayed on to help with an extremely difficult patient named Jason Morgan. Jason had been a friend of Liz's and Patrick's father had pushed him to perform the surgery after a drug protocol created by another doctor had failed. Before he knew it, Patrick was on staff at General Hospital working with his newly sober father.

It had taken time but the two men had eventually been able to co-exist peacefully until a doctor by the name of Matt Hunter appeared on the scene and revealed that he was Noah's son from an affair Noah had while married to Patrick's mother. Patrick had rejected Noah for what he had done to Matt, abandoning the boy at birth, and the brothers had begun building a relationship. Noah had left town for a little while to do some work with Doctors Without Borders but had recently returned, intent on being the father both men needed.

It was Matt who had Patrick rethinking his plan to remain single. Matt had begun dating a hospital volunteer by the name of Maxie Jones last year and the two of them were great together. Seeing Matt happy with a woman who was his equal and gave just as good as she got had given Patrick hope that he might find the same thing someday. Sabrina was his first attempt at doing something other than a one night stand. "She's a sweet kid but I am definitely not the right man for her and it was only right to give her a chance to find the right one." Patrick finished making his notes. "I want his vitals checked every four hours."

"Certainly doctor." Liz took the chart from him. "Have you ever thought of searching for her on the internet?"

"Searching for who?"

"You know who." Years ago, after a night out at Jake's, Liz had managed to get Patrick to admit to loving one woman in his life while they were in college together. Unfortunately, she had been engaged to a good friend of his and Patrick had never had the courage to tell her. He watched her marry the man and, after she was accepted into medical school abroad, they had lost touch. "Maybe her situation has changed in the past 15 years."

Patrick shook his head and sighed. "Let it go Liz, I have."

Liz just laughed at him. "You just keep telling yourself that Patrick." She filed away the chart. "You need to get going – Alan is expecting you to welcome Dr. Soltini to the hospital in ten minutes."

"Whatever – I don't get why Alan is so hyped on this doctor." Patrick had been ordered by Alan to greet the newest addition to the GH staff and show them around the hospital. Apparently this researcher was a genius with drug protocols but Patrick was a surgeon and had no use for drug protocols – all he needed was a scalpel and an OR.

"I don't either but you don't want to get on Alan's bad side." Liz winked at her old friend. "So go and play nice with the new doctor."

Patrick shook his head. "Fine but I expect you to get a sitter so I can have drinks with you and Lucky after. Text me when it's all set up."

"Be nice and we'll even buy the first round." Liz went back to her work. "See you in a little bit."

Patrick stalked off down the hallway, ready to get this meeting over with as soon as possible so he could go and have a few drinks with his friends.