Chapter 13

Robin was shocked to find Dr. Simone Hardy the one to interview her. She kept her composure as did Simone. The interview was over an hour long.

"Robin you are a marvel to modern medicine. You have cured polonium poisoning, and you revived Jason Morgan. I want to offer you this position as the Chief of Internal Medicine and Pathology. I know that you have a little girl at home. I also have a daughter, she is eleven. Trust me you will not be overworked but I want to redirect GH in a new direction. I want it to be the hub for modern breakthroughs with technology and pathology. I want you to lead the charge. I know you interviewed at Mercy and I also know that you have some bad memories here." Robin smiled genuinely. Maybe she could devote her remaining years to giving others hope, that could be fulfilling.

"Wow, you have done your homework." Simone laughed.

"Always. So I know that you need time to think about it and I will give you that." She smiled.

"I do and I appreciate but I don't understand. I thought Monica was COS?" Robin asked.

"Monica wanted to focus on Cardiology. She didn't really enjoy running this place. I will be working with Dr. Clay in order to improve pediatrics. Monica actually reached out to me and recommended me. I have made a lot of strides myself." Robin put her hand up.

"Believe me I know. My head is just spinning and I wanted to make sure Obrecht is out." Simone took her hands in hers.

Robin looked at her. She was not going to cry but she looked at Simone the woman looked good. Her smooth coffee skin and deep natural waves pulled back into a ponytail. Robin had prepared for the interview and had to say that she admired the woman.

"She is definitely out." Simone smiled. "Now that we have gotten formalities out of the way." She stood.

"Come over here and give me a hug." Robin stood and the two women embraced. "Look at you. I am so proud. Steve would be proud." She shook her head as she looked over Robin.

"You are an amazing young woman. How about we have lunch. I am incognito as I have not been announced officially but have been working behind the scenes assembling a team." Robin looked at her watch.

"I think I have a little time before I need to meet someone." Robin said as they linked arms and walked out of the office and toward the elevator.

Patrick approached Robin and the attractive older woman. He looked at Robin.

"Are you considering coming back now that Obrecht is gone? I believe Kavi has your old position." Robin turned to face Patrick.

"I am considering it as well as Mercy. I am happy for Kavi. He was the best and he is very good at what he does." Robin said annoyed that her ex seemed to have a problem with her return.

"I know that you were supposed to have Emma this weekend but with everything that has been happening." Robin straightened her shoulders.

"Emma is nine. She does not get to decide. I will pick her up as planned and we will work it out. I know that you are angry but we are not bringing her into it. You should be helping her adjust not trying to enable her to build this wall." Patrick licked at his lip. His hand going to his hip.

"She is your daughter." Robin nodded.

"Which means that behind the walls there is compassion. Now if you will excuse me, I was about to grab some gruel with Dr. Hardy." Robin said and Patrick looked confused.

"Dr. Patrick Drake meet Dr. Simone Hardy." Patrick shook her hand.

"Oh, Liz told me a lot about you and Tommy." He smiled. "Will you be joining our team?"

"I am thinking about it. My husband will joining the staff soon. So I thought I would have a look around. It was nice meeting you Dr. Drake. A word of advice, it is probably best to have private discussions out of ear shot." She smiled as she and Robin got on the elevator.

"Are you okay?" Robin nodded.

"A little tired of being asked that but yes. It is a long story. Maybe one day over dinner because a brief lunch is not enough time." Simone gave her a side hug.

"So you are remarried?" Simone nodded.

"It has always been Tom. I guess we both needed to mature a little more. We would love for Tommy to join us but he wants to make his own name for himself. He is stubborn but I would love it if he did his residency here." Simone had to admit but there was no convincing Jr., but she wasn't going to give up.

After her lunch with Simone Robin met Jason outside of GH. He smiled as she approached, he was leaning against his car.

"Wait you are driving?" She teased and he held up a pair of keys.

"I can drive, you do remember that right? Jason Q never even had a ticket." She laughed at that. He opened her door and she climbed in.

"Such a gentleman." Jason hopped in on the driver's side and peeled off.

"Sooooo. How did it go?" Jason asked. Robin turned to him and smiled.

"What I am about to give you is classified information." She pretended to look around then for bugs.

"Come on, out with it." He gestured.

"Simone Hardy is the new COS based on a recommendation from Monica. She wants to hire me to run the Internal Medicine and Pathology Departments that she is merging. My hours would be good. Nothing like when I was COS. The interview at Mercy went well but no decision yet. I am thinking things through." Jason pulled over.

"That is great." He hugged her then looked at her. She wasn't as excited as she should be. "But."

"Dr. Legassi contacted me. He heard about the work I had done under pressure…" Jason snorted.

"Is that what you are calling it now? Really?" She shot him an irritated look. "Sorry, continue."

"Well, there is a job in Paris. I was thinking about convincing Patrick to allow Emma to study abroad a bit. Next school year we will figure something out but we need this bonding time and if I take the job then I want to take her with me." He suddenly grew quiet then pulled off. The silence remained for a bit.

"That is great. You loved it there once, right?" He gave her a side glance.

"I did. I had a routine. I have friends there. I had great colleagues." Robin started and her words irritated Jason.

"Bullshit. You missed your family. They just got you back and you are ready to bolt again? Why because Patrick broke your heart yet again?" She stared at him. His words slapped her.

"Fuck you Jason." She crossed her arms then turned to focus on the road.

"When have we ever fucked Robin?" She felt her cheeks flush. She chewed on her lip to control the venom that was sure to spill from her lips.

"You don't know shit about my life in Paris. You chose not to be a part of it in even the friendliest capacity. So please, spare me your fucking judgment." He nodded.

"I know why you left." He said softly, he remembered the awful way that they ended and how he treated her. Regret bubbled up.

"It turned out to be the best thing for me." For some reason that bit of information stung him.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "I never meant what I said on the bridge. I mean, I meant it. It wasn't easier, not for a very long time but I thought it would be."

"Jason we don't need." He frowned then cleared his throat.

"We do need. You saved my ass so many times. You came back to do just that and when you called to help me. I was an ass to you. You did not deserve that. The hell that I put you through moving Carly into…"

"Jason it is water under the bridge! We are good and we have been for a long time." Robin said firmly cutting him off.

"Okay." He dropped it because she didn't need that extra layer of emotions, she had been through enough but he would apologize properly soon enough and she would listen.

"I think Paris is a bad idea right now. You just got back. You need to show Emma that you are here and sticking around. Get her used to that before trying to move her out of the country. Patrick will fight you on it. You need to show that you are stable. Right now they will want psyche evaluations because of all that you have endured. Think Robin, you have a big brain in that head of yours." She knew what he said was logical but she just wanted to escape the pain. She looked out the window.

There was a silence as they viewed the shops. The last one was off the busiest highway in Port Charles.

"I am sorry. I was out of line. It is your life." She looked at him. "I never told you how to live it and I knew better than to try. So I am not going to start." He just didn't want her to go and did not know how to express that to her.

"No, you were right. I once asked you to poke holes in my logic and while the initial delivery left some to be desired, you made good points." She looked around.

"Then I am glad I helped." She smiled.

"I would like to return the favor." She smiled as she looked out the window at the location.

"You think this is the spot?" He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. "Good because so do I. Enough traffic and accidents to drive business."

"I was thinking traffic but not so much accidents." He shrugged.

"I wasn't saying fatal." She walked around the shop. "Besides that, it is more up to date and the space is large enough to repair and sell."

"I agree and there is a garage back here." She shouted. Jason walked around the back to scout the location.

"I think you have to make an offer on this." He threw his arm around her shoulder.

"I think you are right. Are you hungry? I am starving for a pizza or Kelly's." She shook her head.

"No Metro? Still avoiding Carly?" He sighed.

"Are you ordering room service? Cause I could eat there in that case." He grinned.

"Kelly's it is then." She shook her head.