Chapter Fifteen:
Everything happened in an instant. The police rushed in and cuffed the man and took him away. Dante rushed to Robin who lay on the ground, bleeding. Patrick snapped out of his stupor and raced to her.
"I'm okay," she said as she tried to breathe. "Don't touch me, Dante, not without gloves."
Patrick saw she was hit in the thigh and the blood was really flowing. He grabbed some gloves and moved to apply pressure.
"No, you don't have to help me," she said as her tears fell. "I'm okay."
He saw the beads of sweat on her forehead and her gray appearance and he looked up at Dante.
"She is going to bleed out. Where is the gurney? She needs to be in surgery now!"
"It's okay," she said weakly. "I'm okay."
"Stop saying that," he looked at her as he pressed on her leg. She cried out and he felt his heart break.
"I'm sorry, but I think they nicked the femoral artery. You need to be in the OR right now."
"Please make sure they are careful," she said. "Tell them my viral load is unstable."
He nodded and looked up as Dante came in with the doctors.
"You're going to be okay now," Patrick said and turned to see she had passed out.
"We got her," Dante said and they took her to the OR. Patrick stood there and then rushed after them.
"Dante, she said to make sure they know about her numbers," he said and Dante nodded.
"I've got it covered," he said. "You don't have to stay."
Patrick watched as Dante rushed into the back and he stood there.
Why does everyone keep telling him to leave?
He looked at his hands and saw the blood and went into the locker room area to dispose of the gloves and clean up. He dried his hands and sat down on the bench, replaying everything in his mind.
He had reverted back to running. It was the dumbest reaction to good news he could have had.
Patrick got up and paced in the small room.
He knew why he reacted that way. He knew that with his numbers stable, he wouldn't see her anymore. He actually acted like an asshole because her treatment worked.
How messed up was he?
Making his way to the waiting area, he thought of her words. Her viral load wasn't great. Why didn't she tell him that? Why hadn't he asked?
"What happened?" Maxie ran in with Lulu.
Patrick realized she was asking him.
"Robin was shot in the leg."
"Where is Dante? Is he okay?" Lulu asked in a panic.
"He's fine. He wasn't hurt. He went to help with Robin."
"Who shot her? How bad is it? Did they call my Uncle?"
"I don't know who your uncle is. Some angry man shot her and if they can repair the artery, she should be fine," he said coldly. Assuming her immune system doesn't crash, he added in his head.
"Why are you here?" Maxie asked him as Lulu went to see if she could find Dante.
"Why does everyone ask me that?" he asked angrily.
"Because you seem like it's a chore or an obligation. My cousin was shot and you're acting like it's inconvenient for you. Robin deserves the best and I don't know why she likes you, but right now, you're vibe is ugly. I don't want you here if you're bringing her down," Maxie said sternly.
"Is that right? My vibe is ugly? What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means that she has been around enough assholes in her life and I don't want to see her hurt again."
Patrick nodded and then sighed.
"I'm sorry. I would like to stay. I would like to see her when she's out."
Maxie glared at him and then nodded.
"Fine, but if you hurt her, you can answer to me."
Patrick knew that wasn't something he wanted.
"I understand."
XXXXX
A few hours later, Robin was in a room and Patrick was allowed to go back and see her. He tried to find out what happened in surgery, but nobody would tell him anything because he wasn't family.
He walked into the room and saw her lying there, the monitors beeping and her skin pale against the dark hue of her hair. Her eyes were closed and she looked so peaceful.
He sat down and she opened her eyes, looking surprised to see him.
"Hi," he smiled. "How are you doing?"
"I've had better days, but I think I'll be fine."
"Did they tell you what the damage was?"
She looked at him and nodded.
"I got shot. They fixed it. Now I'm stuck in a bed."
He laughed and she smiled.
"Point taken."
"I should be able to go home tomorrow. I just need to stay off my leg and take it easy, but I can do that at home. Besides, I miss Ben."
"Is that right?"
She smiled.
"He is the only male who tolerates me."
Ouch.
"That's not true."
Her expression changed and her eyes filled.
"I don't think you like being around me, Patrick. I don't know why, but you seem to get angry when we get close and I don't want you to feel that way. I'm a big girl and I can take it."
"I like being around you. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do."
"I don't understand what that means."
He stood up and paced.
"I was angry when I heard you say my viral load was undetectable. How messed up is that?"
She was confused.
"Why were you angry?"
"Because you would think I didn't need you anymore. You told me to go home and live my life like it was nothing."
"Medically, that's what I was supposed to do."
He sat back down and looked at her.
"I know that, but what about personally? Do you want me to walk away?"
She shook her head and reached to his hand.
"No," she said softly. "But I don't know what you want."
He leaned in to softly kiss her and she held his face to hers for a moment.
"I want to be with you. I want to help you get better and take care of you and maybe," he stopped.
"Maybe what?" she relished the feel of his lips on hers.
"Maybe I'll become someone we both want to spend time with."
Robin held his hand and looked at him.
"Thank you."
He felt such relief that he was going to be with her. Hat she was allowing him to help her. He kissed her hand and sat with her while she slept.
XXXXXXX
Chapter Sixteen:
"I can do it myself," Robin complained as she used her crutches to get into her house.
"I never said you couldn't do it, but you could let me help you," he said as he followed her closely.
She made it slowly to her couch and sat down slowly and he took the crutches from her. She lay back and tried to catch her breath, beads of sweat on her forehead.
"You are the most stubborn person I have ever met," he said as he put her bag down.
"You're free to leave," she said.
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" he sat down next to her. "Too bad. I've got nowhere else to be."
She looked at him and he grinned.
"Whatever," she said and smiled.
"What can I get for you?" he helped pull her shoes off.
"I need to take my meds and change my pants."
"Okay," he stood up and grabbed the bag of meds from the hospital. He went and got her some water from the fridge and she took what she needed.
"I'll go into my bedroom and change," she said softly.
"I'll help you," he said and she glared at him.
"Relax. I'll just make sure you have everything you need. I won't do anything else."
"Can you hand me the crutches?"
He did and wished she would just let him carry her. He kept quiet and just followed her.
Robin sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands, her fear washing over her.
"Hey, what is it?" he asked her softly.
"I'm just so exhausted. I don't feel well and I hate that," she said quietly.
"Thank goodness," he said and she looked at him with surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Well it's nice to know you have doubts. You're quite intimidating, you know? You act like there is nothing about this disease or your getting shot that is at all upsetting. It's got to be exhausting, being so positive all the time."
She sniffed and then looked at him.
"I don't like to be weak."
"I figured, but showing vulnerability isn't weak. Sometimes, it's okay to need someone."
"You?" she asked.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't think you like me very much."
That stunned him.
"Are you kidding? Why would you think that?"
She felt her chin quiver and she shrugged.
"You seem angry and withdrawn a lot of the time. I am beginning to think maybe the reason is me."
He sat down on the side of the bed and faced her.
"I'm sorry. I have a really shitty way of showing emotions and I think I've been so defensive because you scare me."
"Because of my HIV?" she asked sadly.
"What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?"
She shrugged and wiped her eyes.
"It's a game changer. Most men can't handle it."
"Well, I'm not most men. I'm also positive, too. Did you forget that?"
"Of course not, but that could add to your fear."
"I don't follow."
"There are so many unknowns, Patrick. Our strains of the virus could be different and that could cause so many issues. I know what it's like to watch someone succumb to this disease and then find out I had it, too. I don't know that you want to watch that."
He got worried.
"Are you planning on succumbing to this disease? I thought you were a fighter."
She lay back and closed her eyes for a minute.
"Haven't you ever been tired of fighting? Haven't you ever just wanted to give up?"
"Sure, but then I remember that I'm Patrick Drake and that's not who I am."
He grinned and she smiled at him.
"Good point."
"I thought so. Now how about you let me help you change and then we can watch a movie."
"That would be nice," she said softly.
He went and grabbed her shorts from the drawer she said and then he handed her a blanket to hold over her waist while he helped her take her pants off.
"It's bleeding through the bandage a bit," he said as he saw her thigh. "Probably from the exertion of doing too much."
"I can change the bandage," she said through her tears.
"I'll do it," he smiled and took her hand. "Please let me help you."
She nodded and watched as he put his gloves on and expertly changed the bandage covering. He was completely professional in how he did everything and then he helped her put her shorts on.
"You okay?" he asked her as her eyes were closed.
"I'm okay," she said. "Just uncomfortable."
"The pain meds should kick in and you'll feel better."
She smiled as he sat on the bed next to her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"My pleasure," he smiled and took the remote, searching for a movie. "Let's see what we have here," he said and found a comedy. "What do you think?"
He turned to her and saw she had fallen asleep; her head close to his shoulder.
He put his arm around her and pulled the cover over her as he held her, content to just be here and hoping she would let her walls down some more.
