Brenda and the rest of Robin's friends and family waited in the room that Epiphany had shown them to after she had talked to Patrick about Robin's condition. It was a comfortable room with couches and a T.V. It even had a coffee machine so that relatives could try to keep themselves awake during the countless surgeries that were waited through in that very room. Brenda knew without asking that this was the room where friends and families of the most critically ill patients were brought – it had been designed to have a more homelike atmosphere than the other rooms and if the news that everyone dreaded came, the staff wanted the room you were in to be at least comfortable and welcoming. And Brenda, like so many people before her, didn't feel at all comforted or welcomed.
Brenda thought back to all the times she and Robin had shared together. There were simply too many to count. Robin had been there for her relationships with Jax and Sonny and she in turn had been there for Robin's relationships with Stone, Jason, and now Patrick. Brenda remembered the night Robin had called her about her relationship with Patrick when it had really started taking off. She had been almost giddy with excitement and couldn't contain her joy. They had talked for hours, first starting with Patrick and then the conversation had wandered to other things as always happened during a long conversation.
Then, of course, there was one of the more recent conversations they had had, but this time in person. Robin had promised that one of the first weeks that she and Patrick could get off work, that they would go and visit Brenda in Rome. She said she knew Patrick would love it and Brenda and Robin had talked about all the various sites they could visit together. Robin had promised to check her schedule as soon as she got back from her honeymoon and get in contact with Brenda immediately so they could go about setting schedules up. Robin had been so excited about that, Brenda thought.
And, of course, now all that had changed. Robin was fighting for her life and no one knew if she was even going to make it or even to what extent her life may be permanently changed because of this attempt on her life. Brenda knew that any severe shock to her system like this could severely affect her immune system and cause the HIV to flare and perhaps turn into AIDS. That was simply a thought that she didn't want to consider because it was just too tragic. Just when Robin finally had found happiness, this happens, she thought. She decided she needed yet another cup of coffee, she thought, as she passed Mac on the way to the machine, bumping his knee slightly. She smiled apologetically as she passed, but Mac seemed lost in his thoughts.
Mac was indeed lost in his own thoughts of his beloved Robin, a fragile flower that had finally bloomed, yet had been thrown so carelessly into the wind by an assassin's bullet. He had come a bit later than the others waiting in the room because he had begun the police investigation into the shooting. He had no idea who could possibly have done something like this. The whole idea of someone having such a grudge against Robin that they would shoot her was mindboggling indeed. Robin was always one of the sweetest people he had ever known and the idea that she could generate such hatred in someone was just inconceivable. But, yet, here they were waiting and waiting and waiting.
Mac went back in time to the years he had spent raising Robin and as he slowly pictured the years going by in his head, he smiled at all of the pleasant memories. He had wanted nothing more for her than to be happy and safe, a problem in the small town of Port Charles, he realized. She had fallen in love with Stone, a henchman in Sonny's organization, and in a twist of irony had not gotten hurt from Sonny's world, but instead had gotten hurt from Stone's past when had inadvertently given her HIV. He remembered when he had found out about her HIV status. It had absolutely floored him, but he had wanted to put on a good face for Robin and to encourage her. He had done that, but later he had gone to the privacy of his own room and let the tears fall for the innocence that Robin had lost, and for the life she would eventually lose.
Mac continued thinking about the years Robin had spent in love with Jason. While she had been deliriously happy during most of that time and Jason had helped her get through the horrible years after her diagnosis, those years had scared the living daylights out of Mac. He was always afraid that she would find herself in the middle of a mob war and would get hurt, like she did today, which, ironically, as far as he knew, had nothing to do with the mob. When she had finally broke it off with Jason and gone to Paris, he had breathed a sigh of relief. She was finally away from the Port Charles mob and hopefully somewhere she could be safe. It was the best thing for her and she had come back to him like she had promised him. She had made herself into the brilliant doctor that she was and Mac was so proud of her for that.
Mac stood up and went to get some coffee from the dispenser. As he did, he brushed Anna's leg and raised his hand in an apology as she smiled at him that it was fine. Anna's thoughts were wandering as Mac passed and she was thinking about all the times with Robin she had missed. She deeply regretted the passage of time when she had amnesia because she knew she missed so many important milestones in Robin's life. She had been hoping to try to make up some of that time to Robin now that she was in Port Charles. It had, of course, not gone exactly as she had imagined it because Robin and Patrick's romance had just started to pick up when she had gotten back into town. While she and Robin were still able to spend time together, it had not been as much time as she was hoping. She hoped after the wedding, when things for Robin had settled down and she had adjusted to her new life, that she and Robin could spend more time just sitting down and really reconnecting on a more intimate level. Now, she wasn't sure she was going to have that time anymore. She fought the tears as they threatened to fall.
Anna thought back to when she and Robin had rediscovered each other again at Wild Wind, Edmund Grey's mansion in Pine Valley. Somehow Robin had ended up there just after Anna had rediscovered her lost memories. She remembered how Robin had knocked on the door and not finding anyone there had started to leave. Anna had opened the door to Robin's retreating back and had called her name. Robin stopped, slowly turned around, and stared at Anna as her knees had buckled out from under her. Anna had rushed over and cradled her daughter to her as they rediscovered each other.
Later they had talked in the sitting room and that was when Anna had found out about Stone and the lasting legacy he had left in her. It had been a devastating revelation, but all Anna had to do was look at Robin and she knew she could deal with it. If Robin could handle it with as much grace as she was doing, surely her own mother could handle it too. When Patrick had his HIV scare, Anna had never seen her daughter more scared – whether it was for Patrick or herself, Anna could never be certain, but it had hurt her to see Robin in so much pain. She had promised her then and there that she would be there with her and never leave her again. She could count on her mother this time. And then something like this goes and happens, she thought as she got up to get a cup of coffee. She brushed past Robert's leg as she walked to the dispenser. She smiled absently at him in apology.
Robert's mind was wandering back in time as was everyone else's. He remembered Robin as a little girl and all the fun he had had with her, playing games with her as well as all the adventures they had gone on. He really regretted being away from her for the last 15 years of her life and even though logically he knew why he had done it, he knew emotionally that the damage could never really be healed. Oh, he knew that Robin had forgiven him, but he didn't think her heart would ever really heal – the time he had lost with her was just too precious.
Robert had been on so many adventures in his lifetime that he didn't think he really knew how to live life any other way. After all, wasn't it just one big adventure after another? Or at least that was how he used to think until he learned that his only child had HIV. He remembered the day he had found out. His contacts had brought her medical records to him and he had stared at them, not believing what he saw. It had rendered him totally speechless, the knowledge that some day this disease would kill her as it had taken her boyfriend. He knew then what the years away from him had really cost her. He knew that his choices would eventually cost him the one truly unconditional love he had ever had, his own daughter. For some reason, he knew with certainty that if he had not stayed away from her all those many years, she would never have gotten that dreaded prognosis. Shoot, he thought, she would probably never have even met Stone as they probably would have moved away from Port Charles long ago. He blamed himself, something he had never told another soul and never would.
Robert remembered when he came back to Port Charles during the epidemic last year and how angry Robin had been with him for a long time. She had every right, he thought, with a grimace. Even after he found out about her diagnosis, he had stayed away almost 10 years and he only came back when he had to take care of the epidemic that had been ravaging his beloved city and put his daughter in danger. He had tried to take care of her that time, but she had been stubborn and resisted any and all attempts. At least Patrick had been there for her, he thought, but in the end she had resisted his attempts to help her too, he reflected bitterly. She had ended up ill, but thankfully the antidote had arrived in time and she had been saved. He had been overjoyed and had stayed in town trying to mend his relationship with his long abandoned daughter.
Robin and Robert had made a lot of progress over the year since he had returned and Robert knew a lot of that progress had been due to Patrick. As Robin had been trying to help mend his relationship with his own father, it had caused her to step back and try to mend her own relationship with her father. Robert would be forever grateful to Patrick for the help he had inadvertently given to his daughter. She had found a strong and worthy man for herself, he thought, and he was very proud of her accomplishments, both in her personal and professional life. She was his daughter and had made him proud. He just hoped that she would have a chance to continue to do that. He secretly wanted grandchildren one day, even though he would never admit it, and he knew Robin would make a great mother. He smiled as he got up to get a cup of coffee and brushed Patrick's leg. He raised an eyebrow as he passed him in mute apology.
Patrick looked up when he felt the nudge and gave a halfhearted nod when he saw that it was Robin's father. He had always felt a bit timid in his presence and it was a feeling he was uncomfortable with. He knew how much Robin respected and loved this man and that alone made him uncomfortable. He hoped he had made a good enough impression on Robert to at least make him semi-comfortable with the fact that Robin had married him, but he was never sure when it came to Robert. His expressions were usually unreadable and he was never one to divulge his feelings.
Patrick's mind drifted back to Robin and how beautiful she had looked just hours earlier. She had been smiling and the light in her eyes had shone from within and he had been ecstatic knowing that it was him that had made her that happy. He had been able to show her what true love was and it had truly warmed his heart to know that she felt the same about him. It was this knowledge that bolstered his failing courage with each hour that passed, as the operation dragged on. He had known that it would be a complicated operation, but so many hours had passed that he was beginning to worry. He knew that that they should have been done at least a couple of hours ago and the only thing that would hold them up were complications. Complications were never good, he thought, with tears pricking the back of his eyes.
He glanced around the room at all the people who were sitting there waiting with him. There was Brenda, Mac, Georgie, Maxie, Anna, Robert, and Nikolas. There were plenty of other people who loved Robin, but they had decided to go home and await word there. He knew Brenda had a list of people to call when they got news of Robin's condition. His father was assisting in Robin's surgery; otherwise, he knew he would be right here sitting with him.
His mind drifted back to when he was waiting for word about his mother's surgery. He remembered how long the wait had seemed and that the only thing he had wanted to hear was that she had survived. It was much the same now, he thought, rubbing his hand through his hair and then down his face. He remembered the assistant surgeon coming to him and telling him his mother had died and the heartbreak he had felt at not being able to talk to his dad. He knew that if the unthinkable happened and Robin died that his dad would not abandon him now. He; however, did not know if he would be able to handle it himself though. All he wanted to do right now was run as far away from this situation as he could, but he knew he had to be here to help Robin through this ordeal.
Brenda got up from the seat she had occupied and came and sat by him. She gently touched his shoulder and pointed down the hall with her other hand, "Look," she said. Noah and Bryan were walking down the hall and Patrick watched quietly as he observed their body language. He didn't like what he saw.
