Chapter 11

Hotel Dieu Hospital, Paris, France

It was almost one in the morning and the hospital hallway was quiet when Alexandra Marick entered it. She scanned the names on the doors, looking for that of Robin Scorpio.

When she found it on the third door, she quietly pushed it open.

Her first sight was that of Robin sleeping on a solitary bed, next to which her sister too, was asleep, in a chair.

Alex placed a hand on Anna's shoulder, causing her to jerk awake.

"It's okay, it's me," she whispered.

Anna opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. Even after all this time, looking at her sister could still amaze her. It was like looking into a mirror.

She stood up to hug her. "Thanks…thanks for coming so quickly."

"You don't have to thank me, little sis." It was a term of endearment that always made Anna smile. When Alex first used it in the cabin in Northern Ontario it had taken her by surprise. Although Anna knew she was older by a few minutes, it often seemed it should have been the other way around. Maybe Alex felt the same way.

Her gaze went from her sister to her daughter. "She's so pale, Alex…" she pointed out. It was an observation that nearly brought on a fresh batch of tears.

"I just spoke to her doctor," Alex told her.

"And?" Anna demanded. She was relieved to finally have someone here whom she trusted, someone who could explain Robin's condition frankly and honestly. Using language that she'd understand.

Alex lowered her eyes. "I don't know what to tell you…when he mentioned how long she was unconscious, that worried me. But her vitals are good."

"I don't understand. One day she's fine and the next she just collapses. What does that mean? Is she getting sicker?"

Alex pulled a chair next to her sister, sat down and squeezed Anna's hand. "Robin's been taking antiretroviral drugs for several years now. What these drugs do is they decrease the RNA that contains the HIV virus, also known as the viral load, to almost undetectable levels while at the same time increasing the CD4 count…"

"Alex, in English please…"

"The drugs decrease the virus in her blood while increasing the CD4 count, that is, the cells that boost the immune system, also known as T-cells or T-lymphocytes."

"Are you saying the drugs aren't working anymore?"

Alex frowned. "Yes and no. From what Doctor Perraud told me her viral load has increased which could indicate that."

The words hit Anna like a wall and she was imobile when she felt her sister's hand wiping away her tears.

"But," Alex said gently, bringing her back. "Her CD4 count is good. It's almost that of a healthy person. It means she's fighting the increased viral load."

"That's good, right?"

Alex nodded. "It's very good."

"Then why did she collapse?"

"Dr. Perraud isn't sure yet."

"But what do you think?" Anna pressed.

"This isn't my field, Anna."

"Just tell me what you think, that's all."

Alex observed her sister. "I think…I think it could be a lot of things. Once the viral load began to increase, her system could have been thrown for a loop, making her ill. It could also be outside factors. Her chart says she was dehydrated…"

"Dehydrated?" Anna's eyes were glued to her. "What are you saying?"

"She's in the middle of studying for exams. It's a stressful time for anyone, trust me, never mind for someone whose immune system is compromised."

Anna felt the tears well up again. "So you're saying it could be stress?"

"I'm saying it could be stress, compounded by all the other unhealthy habits med students have. Poor dietary habits, poor sleeping habits…all those things can affect the potency of the antiretroviral drugs."

"She made herself sick…and I didn't see it."

Alex groaned. "Don't do that...don't even think to blame yourself for this."

"You don't understand, Alex. We've been having some problems…"

Alex interrupted her. "I understand that you should go home and get some rest."

"No. I'm not leaving her."

"Have you had a look in the mirror? You're exhausted. When did you last eat something? Or sleep for that matter…" Alex glanced at her swollen belly, managing a smile. "You have more than one child you have to worry about now."

Anna looked at her sister and sighed. It was the truth and she knew it. Seeing Alex sitting next to her only made it glaringly obvious. Her sister looked great. She wore an off-white, two-piece suit that perfectly complemented her tanned skin. She loooked glowingly healthy. Meanwhile Anna's clothes were wrinkled and her eyes red and rimmed with dark circles.

Alex placed a tentative hand on her sister's stomach. "You know, I haven't seen you...since you became pregnant."

That realization suddenly struck her as well. "I know…it's been too long since we've seen one another." She felt a fresh twinge of guilt. It seemed like the only time she did see her sister was when she needed her and she hated that fact. More than she'd ever admit. But this was about Robin, not her. Anna wanted someone here she trusted. Alex was a doctor. The only other doctor Anna knew, she no longer trusted. So for Robin's sake she'd swallow her pride.

Alex held out her hand. "Come. Let's take a taxi to your apartment and we'll come back first thing tomorrow morning."

"I want to be here when she wakes up…"

"They've sedated her, to help her sleep. She won't wake for several hours."

"But when she does…"

"When she does, she'll need you to be there for her," Alex finished for her. "She may have to change her drug regimen and that could take its toll on her. Robin is going to need you to be strong for her and you can't do that if you don't eat or sleep."

Anna stared at her sleeping daughter. "I don't want her to be alone when she wakes up."

"Alright," Alex conceded, taking Anna's hand in hers. "I'll come back and stay here with her, if that'll help you sleep."

Her sister had a way of doing that. Of calming her. Even when she spoke about Robin's condition, there was no hint of panic or fear in her voice, only calm, assured certainty that she'd be alright. As much as she hated making the call and asking for help, Anna couldn't imagine anyone she'd rather have here with her than Alex.

"You don't have to do that," Anna told her softly.

"I know. I want to."

"I'll stay…I'm fine, really."

Alex gave her a gentle push. "You're going home to rest for a few hours. Doctor's orders. The less time you spend arguing with me, the sooner you'll be home and the sooner you can come back here."

Anna sighed, knowing she didn't have the energy to fight someone as persistent as she was. "Fine…but if you're going to insist on staying with her, at least let me make my own way home."

"Fine then." Alex gave her a mock salute. "Promise me you'll eat something and get some sleep, okay?"

"Will do," Anna grimaced at the thought of food in the middle of the night. "I'm sure I'll find some crackers."

"Morning sickness, still?"

Anna nodded, moving a hand over her stomach. "I think she's like her Dad…she likes to make things interesting."

Alex laughed. "She?"

Anna put a hand on her stomach. "I haven't had an amnio yet…but I have a gut feeling it's going to be a girl. Only a girl could be this difficult before she's even born."

"I guess there's something to be said for adoption then." Alex grinned. "It might not be foolproof but at least there's no morning sickness."

Anna's eyes widened when she realised what her sister was saying. A fresh wave of guilt flooded her. How in the world could she have forgotten? "Oh Alex! The baby you were going to adopt, I haven't even asked you how it went!"

"It went…it went alright. But the little boy we were going to adopt, well...he isn't quite so little."

"What do you mean?"

"He's fifteen."

"Fifteen months?"

"No. Years."

Anna looked at her incredulously. "You adopted a teenager?"

"Well, I didn't, but that's another story." She gave Anna another push. "It's almost two in the morning. I'll tell you the whole story later." She took her Burberry trench coat and handed it to her sister. "It's chilly outside now, take my coat."

Anna tried to hand it back to her. "I'm taking a taxi home."

"Take it," Alex insisted.

Anna took the coat, put it on and bent over Robin's sleeping form to kiss her forehead.

"Thank you," she said softly as she turned back to her sister. "Thank you for coming."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but it means the world to me, and I want you to know." Anna was already halfway out the door when she took a final glance at her daughter. "Will you make sure nothing happens to her?"

Alex nodded. "I will. Promise."

Paris, France

Jan yawned as he perused through the financial file for Faison's laboratory in Marseilles. 'Curing AIDS,' he thought cynically, recalling his conversation with Faison the night before. 'Of all the crazy things to do for love, this one certainly takes the cake.'

As if he could read Jan's thoughts, Cesar Faison entered the room that very moment.

He was smiling broadly.

"Good news, sir?" Jan asked him.

Cesar's smile broadened. "Extremely good news. Ivan wants to buy thirty of them."

Jan raised his eyebrows. "At what price?"

"The one we discussed, fifteen thousand Euros."

Jan was impressed. It would cost them only three thousand a piece to duplicate the tracking device. Or at least that's what Jan thought the gadget was that Faison had sold to the Russian. He still didn't care. However, he did care about the profits it would yield them. "That's a good price," Jan admitted. No matter how grandiose his schemes, Jan had to give Faison credit where credit was due. Aside from being a formidable spy, he had a brilliant mind for business.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here," Jan told him. "I wanted to ask you something."

Faison poured himself a cognac from his crystal decanter. "Go ahead."

"You took two researchers off the lab's payroll and put them on your private payroll. Why?"

Faison smiled. "You are so very thorough, my friend. I admire that about you."

Jan blushed. Compliments from his employer were rare and they always took him by surprise.

"I needed two scientists to concentrate on something else," Faison explained.

"May I ask what it is?"

Faison sank into the leather sofa across from the desk Jan was working at. "I have a plan…"

"A plan?" Why did Jan sense that the name Anna was about to enter this conversation?

"For Anna's unborn child."

Jan remained silent.

"I know you don't approve of my, what do you call it? My, 'obsession' with her?" Faison told him in response to his silence.

"You've never sought my approval before, sir. As for Anna, I am indifferent to her," Jan conceded. "But I fear for you. I fear you are going to break the deal and that it will cause us a great deal of problems. Scorpio will kill you if you go after Anna."

Faison chuckled taking a sip of his cognac. "Why is everyone so fearful these days, Jan? What happened to real men? The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Have some faith, Jan. Should it ever come to a showdown between me and Scorpio, who's to say I won't be the one who emerges victorious?"

"I have more faith in you than anyone else in this world," was quick to point out. "But Scorpio is a man who has nothing to lose except his wife and daughter. A man with nothing to lose is always a dangerous man."

This time Cesar Faison laughed. "Who knows if he has nothing left to lose? He might have a whole brood of little African babies by now."

"Why?" Jan asked softly, unable to see the humour in Faison's words. "Why after all the years, can't you just let her go? She set an explosion that nearly killed you. You hated her for a long time. The only thing that offered you any sort of pleasure was that you succeeded in keeping Scorpio away from her as well."

Faison ran a finger along the scar on his face. It was an eternal reminder of that day in Venezuela, of the explosion that in mere seconds had changed three lives forever. "I've had a long time to think about that day…" he mused. "And yes, you're right. I did loathe her for along time. It was the only thing that allowed me to stay away from her."

"So what changed?"

"I changed." Faison said, his voice barely audible. "I'm getting older and I realize no matter how much I have, it all means nothing if, in the end, I don't have her."

Jan looked at him sadly. "Even if you risk losing everything in the process?"

"Yes." He took a deep sip of his cognac. "Because she's worth it."

Andrassy Estate, Vadsel, Hungary

Dimitri Marick tied his son's bowtie and Andrei squirmed.

"Too much!" he protested pushing Dimitri's hand away.

"Too 'tight,'" Dimitri corrected him.

"Yes, too tight!" Andrei agreed, remembering the word.

"It's supposed to be tight."

"I hate it," Andrei sulked.

Dimitri frowned. "One evening, that's all. It's not going to kill you to wear this for one evening."

"Maybe. Maybe it kills me." He made a chocking noise, pretending he couldn't breathe.

"Stop it," Dimitri growled.

Andrei held his hands to his neck, as if he were strangling himself. "You adopt me and then you kill me with bowtie."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "Don't give me any ideas."

Andrei grinned now. "Alex will be angry if you kill me."

"Don't bet on it," Dimitri quipped. He nervously checked the time on his Longines watch. In less than half an hour the first guests would start to arrive. Maybe Alex had been right, maybe they should have waited before 'parading Andrei in front of dozens of old world aristocrats', as she so kindly put it.

But dozens of distant cousins and aunts and uncles, had been calling him since the adoption. The arrival of a new Marick was no small event. Sometimes Dimitri forgot that he wasn't just Dimitri Marick, thoroughbred breeder, he was also Count Andrassy, head of the Marick estate at Vadsel, and with that title came a centuries-old duty to uphold the traditions of the Marick name.

He wore a black, full-dress and tails tuxedo complete with white tie, cummerbund, and white silk scarf. It was an excessive outfit that he rarely pulled from the closet these days. Furthermore, he'd also be wearing the royal Andrassy sash draped across his jacket, coupled with a pair of diamond cufflinks that sported the Andrassy insignia.

There were times when he truly enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of his heritage. He knew he played the part well. But tonight he wasn't in the mood.

'I'm missing my most important accessory,' he thought with a smirk. He wished Alex were here, not only because all eyes would then fall on her when they entered a room, but also because she had a way of making him feel infinitely more at ease. Nowadays he felt naked without her at his side at these functions. 'That, and of course she'd tell me how handsome I look.'

"You look funny," Andrei told him.

"Funny? Funny how?" God, he really wished Alex were here.

"Your jacket. You look like Julian."

Julian was one of the estate's butlers.

Dimitri glared at Andrei. Maybe I was wrong…maybe that bowtie isn't quite tight enough yet.

Andrei raised his eyebrows innocently. "Alex is coming tonight?"

"No. Alex is going to stay in Paris for another night or two."

Andrei sighed. "It is better if she is here," he pointed out. "For you."

Dimitri said nothing. Andrei's odd English was becoming strangely comforting to his ears.

"And for me," he added with a grin that showed off his new braces. "Why is she not here?" he asked.

Dimitri frowned. "Because her niece is ill."

"Alex is a doctor." It made sense to Andrei. "She is going to help her."

"Something like that…" Dimitri mumbled. Truthfully, the fact that Alex was in Paris with Anna bothered him.

Anna Devane always thundered into Alex's life like a bolt of lighting at the most inopportune of times. It was her typical modus operandi.

Out of nowhere, an old man by the name of Bart had attended a party one night long ago, and told Alex of Anna's existence. About a twin sister she had no idea she had.

That same night Alex had disappeared from Dimitri's life. Bart had insisted that Alex not only help her twin sister but also keep her whereabouts a secret, to protect Anna.

And Alex, afraid of jeopardizing Anna's life, did as he asked. Dimitri's world had crashed down on him that night, and he'd spent endless days trying to find his wife. When he finally did find her in Canada, Alex asked to bring back her ill sister to hide out at their Pine Valley estate; an action that proved fatal for his cousin.

Gillian, whom he'd loved like a daughter, lost her life because an assassin looking for Anna had made a wrong call.

While the botched murder attempt might not have been Anna's fault, there was one thing Dimitri was certain about: Anna Devane was trouble.

Alex might be willing to overlook her sister's dark past, but Dimitri wouldn't.

In fact, unbeknownst to Alex, he'd gone so far as to investigate her past and what he found shocked him.

He discovered that Anna had made her share of enemies in a colourful past that included allegations of treason, betrayal and fencing stolen objets d'art. At one point she'd even been on trial for murder.

Dimitri was no stranger to making mistakes and he wouldn't fault someone else for theirs, but when it came to Anna Devane, it was more than just a case of too many mistakes. There was a side to Anna that genuinely frightened Dimitri.

He often wondered just what she was capable of.

Alex, on the other hand, was blindly loyal to her sister. It was something that Dimitri knew he had to accept. A part of him could even understand it. Alex had no other family. Aside from Aiden Devane, Anna was her only flesh and blood link to a past she barely remembered. Dimitri couldn't blame her for wanting to cling to that.

What he didn't understand was that it was a loyalty that didn't seem to go both ways. Anna rarely called Alex and she never visited Vadsel in spite of her sister's numerous invitations. Above all, Dimitri couldn't for the life of him understand why Alex always felt oddly inadequate next to her sister, as though somehow her achievements were irrelevant next to Anna.

'Perhaps having a mother that repeatedly told her she wasn't the daughter she wanted didn't help matters,' he thought cynically.

He wondered if Andrei were to fall off a horse and lose consciousness for a while, if that would bring Anna to Vadsel in the same hurry that had taken Alex to Paris without a moment's hesitation.

'Doubt it,' he thought cynically. In spite of Alex's belief that her sister had a heart of gold, Dimitri wasn't convinced of that either. In fact, when it came down to it, there was only one thing he could honestly admit when it came to his wife's sister:

He didn't like her. At all.

'Stop it,' he chided himself. This wasn't the time for pettiness or for raising issues he was powerless to do anything about. 'Robin is HIV positive,' he reminded himself. 'It's not quite the same as Andrei falling off a horse. And you're only sulking because your wife isn't here to charm nearly a hundred hard-to-entertain guests for you.'

The phone rang and it interrupted his thoughts. He picked it up and smiled at the sound of Alex's voice. He asked her about Robin and was relieved to hear her response. Unlike the questionable feelings he had towards his sister-in-law, he did like Robin Scorpio. The young woman had been to Vadsel twice and Dimitri genuinely enjoyed her company. In many ways she reminded him more of Alex than she did of Anna.

"I'll survive," he chuckled. "Now Andrei…that's another matter." He turned towards his son, grinning as he ended the conversation. "Love you too." He then handed the receiver to Andrei. "Alex wants to talk to you."

Andrei raised his eyebrows. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

He heard Andrei giggle on the phone. "Funny. Yes, he looks funny."

Dimitri sighed. 'Great. They're already conspiring against me.'

"Good bye." Andrei handed the phone back to him. "She say you always look funny when you go to big dinners."

"She did not." Dimitri took a final look in the mirror and straightened his silk scarf, before putting his hands on Andrei's small, wiry shoulders. "Let's go and show the world the newest Marick."

Hotel Dieu Hospital, Paris, France

Alex watched as Robin stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

Robin's pupils focused on her surroundings and then on the person who sat next to her.

"Mom?"

Alex smiled. "Guess again."

Robin managed a weak smile in return. "Alex."

Alex moved to squeeze her shoulder, her cream coloured suit now wrinkled, as she got up from the chair she'd dozed in. "You got it."

"Things must be pretty glum if Mom called you."

"You scared us, but I don't think glum is the word I'd use. How do you feel?"

Robin groaned. "Awful. What happened?"

"I don't know...maybe you can tell me?"

Robin turned over, noticing the IV line that ran into her forearm. "Is it the protocol? Is it not working anymore? How's the T-cell count? And what about..."

Alex raised a hand, interrupting her. "Hey…slow down. You're going to be okay. We'll talk details a later."

"Oh God, Alex…" Robin bolted upright in the bed.

Alex put both hands on her niece's shoulder now. "Robin…what is it?"

"What day is it?"

"Day? It's…it's Wednesday. Robin... lie back down."

Robin closed her eyes in despair. "My final exam. It's this morning…if I miss this…"

"Robin...you have bigger things to worry about right now."

"You don't understand. If I miss this…" she started. "I lose everything I've worked for this semester." She tried to push down the railing of the bed in order to get out of it. But Alex pushed her back onto the pillow.

"They'll let you re-write it. What happened wasn't your fault. The university will understand."

"No…they don't make exceptions." She was crying now.

"Robin, sweetie," Alex held a hand next to her cheek. "Please calm down, or else I'm going to call a doctor in here."

"You have no idea how much I want this…"

"You have to be well before anything else...do you understand that?"

Robin nodded, her pale face anxious.

"It's going to be okay…"

"I have to call my professor," she insisted.

"We'll do that later."

"Alex…I have to pass this semester! You of all people have to know how important that is!"

"I know how important you are," Alex insisted. "I can speak to your professor. We'll do something but not right now."

Robin nodded, on the verge of more tears. Trying to take a dep breath. "I'm scared, Alex. I feel like I've lost control...of the HIV..."

"It's going to be okay, Robin. Promise."

"Where's Mom?" Robin asked softly. "Is she okay?"

"I told her to go home and get some rest. She'll be back soon."

"She's angry with me," Robin whispered. "I hurt her."

Alex ran a hand along her niece's forehead. "Sweetie, she's not angry with you."

"She is."

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you two. Anna won't tell me, because, well.... because that would mean letting her guard down, but I do know she loves you. Whatever it is, don't let this eat you up, Robin. Worst of all...don't let it make you sick."

"I was so angry with her," Robin mumbled. "That she wasn't around when I needed her. I wanted to prove to her that I didn't need her anymore..." Tears fell down her face now. "God, I'm sorry...I don't know why I'm telling you this...".

Alex gave her a lop-sided smile. "It's good to let things out. " Robin looked so miserable, Alex wanted to pull her into a hug. But she figured it wasn't her comfort she needed. "Your Mom's here for you now, sweetheart. Why don't you let her love you?"

Robin sobbed, "I've been such an idiot, Alex..."

Alex saw her wanting to say something else, when she saw her sister standing in the doorway.

"Mom…"

Anna's gaze was hesitant, staring first at her daughter then at her sister. "I thought you promised me she'd still be asleep by the time I got here."

"Yeah…well, I thought she would be."

Anna moved to squeeze Robin's hand. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry…if I scared you."

"It's okay..."

Alex got up, putting a hand on Anna's shoulder. "I'm going to see if I can catch Dr. Perraud and have him take a look at Robin."

Anna acknowledged her gratitude with one glance.

Although the two of them never had a chance to grow truly close, Alex marvelled that in spite of it, there were times when didn't need to say a single thing to know exactly what her sister was thinking.

Anna waited until Alex left the room before turning back to Robin.

"How are you feeling?"

"Mom…"

"Sweetheart, you're crying…what is it?" Anna sat down on the side of the hospital bed.

"Mom, there's something I want to ask you."

"Anything."

"Will you stay with me?"

"I'm not leaving you, Robin. I meant that."

Robin shook her head. She looked exhausted. "No…I mean, the apartment. Will you stay with me until the baby's born?"

Anna didn't understand. All this time Robin had encouraged her to find her own place. Insisting she needed more space than she could offer.

"Sure...if that's what you want, that's what I'll do."

Robin was still crying. "I made a mistake, Mom…"

Anna watched her daughter try and sit up and used the opportunity to wrap her arms around her. "Robin…please don't worry about anything you did or said. Not now."

"I thought I didn't need you anymore, but I was wrong. I do."

Anna wanted to hold her daughter and never let go. "It's okay, sweetheart." She held her tight wanting to envelop her with her love. Wanting her to know she had nothing to be sorry for.

Anna held her until she tears stopped. Until she knew for certain that no matter what the future held, Anna would face it with her.