Chapter Eighteen:
Robin was writing as Patrick napped on the couch. They hadn't said much since their kiss, but not because Patrick didn't want to. He kept pushing her about not shutting down on him, but she did just that. He had changed his bandages and decided to lie down for a bit and she didn't stop him. She was angry with herself for giving him mixed messages. She wanted him to kiss her, but she was afraid to go farther. She loved when he held her, but she couldn't admit that she might need it. Everything was a mess and she didn't know how it happened. She never was like that and it angered her. She didn't want to be an old maid. She wiped her eyes as she felt her tears fall and she sighed, looking over at him and realizing he was watching her.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he looked at her.
She nodded.
"You seem upset. Want to talk about it?" he sat up more and suddenly grabbed his head. She ran to his side, holding his face in her hands.
He looked into her eyes and saw her concern. "Just feel pressure, spacey."
She grabbed the board. "We should go to the hospital. I'll get my keys."
He didn't object, which made her worry even more. She helped him up and he leaned on her as they made their way to her car.
Robin waited out in the hall, hugging his board to her as he was examined. She prayed this meant his hearing was coming back and nothing more serious was happening. She looked up as the doctor walked out. "You can go in, he wants to see you."
Robin nodded and smiled her thanks as she walked in.
"Hey, come sit down." Patrick smiled at her.
She looked at him and did as he asked. "What did he say?" she wrote.
"Going to have an MRI. Might be something else going on," he said softly.
She felt her heart twist and her stomach churn. She wrote and looked at him. "Don't sugarcoat it. What are they thinking? What are you thinking?"
He felt his eyes fill with tears, as she knew what he wasn't saying. "Maybe nothing, probably nothing."
She didn't push him, not needing him to verbalize what he didn't want to. She picked up the board and wrote. "I think it's nothing."
He smiled. "Thank you," he looked up as Leo and Stan came in and Robin stood up. "I'll be back later," she wrote and squeezed his hand, leaving the board there for them.
Patrick didn't want her to leave, but he figured she needed some space. He smiled at his friends and they sat down with him.
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Robin walked to the doctor's lounge and sat down in the chair, letting her tears fall as she realized she was scared something was going to happen. Something obviously already did happen, and it occurred to her that it was possible he was really sick. She knew it wasn't unheard of; to suffer an injury and then a more serious issue was uncovered. Her reaction, sitting there, reiterated to her just how attached she had become to him. She needed him to be okay.
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"I'm fine and I don't want to talk about Robin." Patrick said to Leo. They had been ribbing him about his new 'girlfriend' as they put it and he felt so intensely private and protective about her that he didn't want to even share the details.
"What about Gwen?" Stan wrote.
"What about her? She is nothing to me."
"That's not what she thinks." Stan said.
"And what were you thinking giving her Robin's address?" Patrick was angry as he remembered.
Leo looked at Stan and then at Patrick before writing. "We didn't give her address out. I don't know where she lives and I wouldn't do that."
The thought hadn't occurred to him. "She showed up at Robin's."
"Was there a cat fight?" Leo smiled.
Patrick sighed. "No, but I want to know how she found out where I was."
The nurse came to take him to the MRI and the men wished him luck. He wished Robin was there, but he knew he had no reason to expect she had nothing to do but sit with him. He hoped he would see her after.
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Robin was waiting outside Patrick's room while he had the test done. She exhaled and took out her phone, smiling at their little word game from New Years Eve.
"Waiting for him? I thought he would have dumped you by now."
Robin looked up and saw Gwen standing there. "Were you raised in a barn? Who talks to people like that?"
A bit taken back by her response, Gwen shook her head and regrouped. "Whatever, I just figured you should move on. Patrick isn't into frail waifs."
"But he's into nasty bitches?" Robin said and went back to looking at her phone.
"He understands me. We equal each other in ways you never could," she crossed her arms and stared at Robin who ignored her.
"Gwen, what are you doing?" A voice cut through the silence.
Robin looked over at Steve, the Chief of Staff. She shook her head and stood up. "Excuse me."
Steve walked to her. "Patrick wanted me to see if you were here. He is in a different room and wants to see you."
Robin looked at her boss and nodded. "Of course, let's go."
"What happened? I want to come with you." Gwen said.
Robin walked away and Steve looked at Gwen. "He specifically requested Robin alone."
Robin tried to hide her tiny smile as she followed Steve and they left Gwen staring after them.
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Patrick sat up and looked at the IV in his hand. He hated this, every part of it. He knew what had to happen, but he needed advice. He needed Robin. Lying back, he closed his eyes and tried to relax.
Robin saw him in the bed and her heart twisted as she saw the IV. They must have found something, or he would be leaving. She prayed it wasn't bad. Making her way to the bed, she sat down and lightly touched his leg. He jumped, startled.
"Sorry," she rubbed his leg and he smiled at her.
"I'm so glad you're here," he said.
She picked up the board, which was moved with him. "Tell me what they found."
"It looks like there is a blood clot from the beating I took. They want to go in and remove it," he didn't look at her. "The problem is that I can't perform the surgery."
She rubbed his hand and picked up the board. "Who do you trust to do the surgery?" he smiled and she added. "Besides you."
"I want you in there," he said softly.
She looked at him and wrote. "I'm not a surgeon and definitely not a neurosurgeon."
"I know, but I need you in there. I need you to make sure I make it," he was afraid and she smiled.
"You'll make it and I'll be there. You won't be alone," she put the board down and moved closer to him. She leaned in and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him softly at first and then deeper. She backed away and looked into his eyes before writing. "Just think, maybe when you wake up your hearing will be back."
He stroked her cheek. "I don't care. Losing my hearing was the best thing that has happened to me. Without that, you wouldn't have given me another chance," he smiled at her.
She chuckled. "Don't be so sure." They came together again in a kiss. "When are they operating?"
"As soon as Marucci is ready. He is on his way in." Patrick lay back and sighed.
She moved closer to his face and stroked his cheek. "You're going to be just fine," she spoke to him although his eyes were closed. "I promise."
Chapter Nineteen:
Robin scrubbed in as Dr. Marucci was beginning the procedure on Patrick. She had made sure Gwen was nowhere near the operating room and Steve knew to make sure she was kept away.
"Thanks for letting me observe," Robin said to the surgeon.
"Are you kidding? If Dr. Drake says you're the best, then I want you here." Marucci said and his eyes crinkled as he smiled under his mask.
Robin chuckled. "Research maybe, surgery, not so much," she made her way next to Patrick and they began.
It was a long and taxing procedure, not because anything was wrong, but because the clot was in a very precarious spot. Robin was impressed by Marucci's skills and Patrick was stable throughout. "I still can't believe someone beat him badly enough to do this. I really hope they catch whoever did it." Marucci said.
Robin nodded. "Me too," she looked at the images on the screen and then at Marucci. "Look at that," she motioned in the scope to where she was pointing.
He squinted through the machine and then looked at her. "Wow, how did I miss that?"
Robin looked at him. "What is it?"
He magnified the scope and sighed. "It appears to be a bone chip infringing on the cochlear nerve. When he suffered the beating, it appears an orbital bone fragment chipped off."
"That's probably why he can't hear." Robin said, more to herself than anyone else.
"Exactly. I'm almost there," he continued to work and extricated the fragment with the scope. "Alright, all done. I expect his hearing will be restored when the swelling goes down. Let's get him to recovery and hope Dr. Drake is challenging me in the OR really soon."
Robin felt light headed and knew she needed to sit down. It was a combination of being on her feet for so long, but also realizing how severely he had been hurt. Time was short and she was wasting it.
"Dr. Scorpio, are you okay?" Dr. Marucci asked. Robin realized she was staring into space.
"Yes, sorry, just thinking," she smiled as they wheeled Patrick to recovery.
"You really care about him, don't you?"
Robin blushed under the mask. "Thank you for saving him."
Marucci chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to overstep, but in all the years I have worked with and competed with Patrick, he has never spoken of anyone like he speaks of you. He would also never trust anyone to be near him in the OR if he didn't care deeply. Just food for thought." The older doctor squeezed her shoulder and walked out.
Robin pulled off her surgical attire and grabbed a juice before sitting in a chair and slowly drinking. So much was going through her mind and all of the preconceived notions about what her life was meant to look like were changing more and more. Was it possible? She ran a hand through her hair and stood up, making her way to his room.
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"What are you doing here?" Robin asked as she saw Gwen in the hallway near Patrick's room.
"I don't owe you any explanation." Gwen turned away from her.
"You are not to be anywhere near him." Robin said vehemently.
"You know as soon as he gets his hearing back, he will dump you. He won't need you anymore and he will remember what being with a real woman does for him," she smirked at Robin.
"Well as soon as you find that real woman, be sure to introduce me." Robin turned and walked past her.
"He will never love you." Gwen yelled after her.
Robin walked into Patrick's room and closed the door, letting her tears fall. She could care less what Gwen said, but some things struck a chord. Could she give him what he needed? Did he even want her to? Did she? She walked to the bed and took his hand in hers. He was healing nicely and his face was almost back to normal except for his bruised eye. A broken orbital bone? She stroked his cheek lightly. "I didn't need a new dress," she said softly. "You almost died getting me a damn dress," she smiled. "But if I hadn't ripped the first one, I never would have had the best New Years Eve ever," she wiped her eyes and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Thank you," she kept his hand in hers as she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
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She was cozy and comfy and the damn alarm was going off. Just another minute, she thought and then realized it wasn't her alarm clock. She jumped up and saw Patrick's pressure monitors beeping. She moved quickly as the nurses came in and Marucci ran over to him. Robin was groggy as she woke up and her panic was growing. How long had she been asleep?
"Robin," Marucci said as he saw her again in a daze. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Is he?"
"He is awake and he is doing great. I would like to say the same about you. Do you need me to get anything for you?" The elder doctor looked at her with concern.
"No, I'm okay, just tired," she smiled and thanked him and them looked at Patrick who was looking at her. She walked over to the bed and smiled. "Hi."
"Are you okay?" he asked her, concern over his tired face.
She nodded and smiled.
"Why did Marucci ask you if you were okay?" he said softly.
"I'm fine," she began and then stared at him as he grinned. "You heard him?"
He smiled as his tears fell out of the corners of his eyes. "I heard him."
She held his face in her hands and her own tears spilled down her cheeks. "Oh Patrick, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you," she was so relieved for him. "I hoped maybe after the swelling went down you would begin to get your hearing back, but so soon, it's just a miracle."
He touched her cheek. "I've always been an over achiever," he grinned. "Can I have a congratulatory kiss?"
She looked around. "Shall I get Marucci? He really deserves your gratitude, not me."
He rolled his eyes. "If he puts his lips on me we are going to have so many other problems. Come here," he pulled her gently to him and she giggled as their lips met in a soft kiss. She pulled away and he held her, wanting another. Finally she sat back.
"You need to rest," she said and touched his chest.
"Robin, I need to thank you," he said sincerely.
"No you don't."
"Yes I do. I don't think I would have gotten through this without you," he held her hand and played with her fingers.
She smiled. "Yes you would have. But honestly, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten beaten up in the first place."
"That's a bit presumptuous. Bad things happen all the time. The point is that I am okay and now we move forward," he said.
She nodded and tried to push Gwen's words to the back of her mind. What if he didn't need her anymore?
"Hey, what's going on?" he kissed her hand.
She smiled. "Nothing."
He went to say more when Leo and Stan peeked their heads in. "Is it safe?"
"Yes, come on in." Patrick said.
"Dude, you heard me?" Stan said and they grinned.
"Yes, hearing is back." Patrick smiled and saw Robin get up and back away as the two men came up to him. She cleared her throat.
"You guys can keep him company for a bit. I'll be back," she smiled and walked out, Patrick watching her and worrying.
A few hours later, Robin made her way back to see Patrick, having made a few decisions about things. She walked in and saw a crowd of beautiful women surrounding him and she sighed. "I see you are feeling back to normal," she grinned as she approached the bed.
He lit up when he saw her and nodded. "I was just telling the new candy stripers that patients in neurology need a lot of TLC," he winked at them and the girls blushed.
"Okay, well this patient has had enough of your TLC. Thanks ladies," Robin said and ushered them out. She turned back to him. "Really?"
He shrugged. "I can't help it, they wanted to help and I didn't know if you were ever coming back, so I let them fluff my pillows."
"I'll fluff your pillows in a minute," she said with a smile. "I told you I would be back."
"I know, but the hours tick by so long here," he sighed and she laughed.
"You poor baby," she sat down and he took her hand.
"Are you avoiding me?"
"No, I just needed to go home and shower. I'm back and it really has only been a few hours," she didn't want to admit he was a little right.
"Marucci told me you found the chip that caused the hearing loss."
"I just saw it first. I have no doubt he would have seen it," she said.
"Why do you do that?"
"What?" her defenses were up and they both knew it.
"Always make less of who you are and what you do."
She stood up. "I am glad you're feeling better and since your hearing is back, you won't feel so isolated. I'll see you later," she began to leave.
"Robin, wait, what did I say?" he yelled and she froze, knowing what she was doing.
"You didn't say anything. You're right. I'm a coward. I have to go," she ran out.
He threw his tray across the room. "I didn't say you were a coward," he cried and lay back, wondering what the hell had just happened.
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