Chapter Twenty-Five:
What just happened? Patrick was momentarily stunned and then snapped out of it when the flames were evident.
RobinHe was out of it and trying to figure out how to move. He looked at the bag of food smashed to the ground under him and realized there must have been some sort of explosion because he had been knocked out. He stumbled to his feet and looked towards the door.
"Robin? Oh God, Robin?" He made his way to the door and the apartment was on fire. He didn't see her at first and he made his way to the door.
"Robin? Baby where are you?" He went to go inside when hands pulled him back. He whipped around and saw a man standing there.
"We called the fire department. You can't go in there."
"My girlfriend is in there, get off of me," Patrick shoved the man and ran to the burning apartment.
"Robin?" He coughed as the smoke filled his lungs. His heart was in his throat as he looked for her. Scanning the mess before him, he saw her and raced into the hallway where she sat. "Robin?" He covered his face as the smoke choked him and he saw her sitting against the wall.
She had her eyes open but she was in shock, her hands in front of her and blood down the side of her face. "Don't touch me, I'm bleeding."
He had to get her out of the house. He looked and saw the blanket on the floor by what used to be the couch and he ran and grabbed it, wrapping her in it and gathering her in his arms. He ran outside and to the grass before laying her down in front of the crowd that gathered. "Call 911," he yelled as he looked down and saw she was unconscious. Her face was covered in soot and he had no idea of the extent of any injuries.
"Robin, can you open your eyes? Robin? He held her face in his hands and wiped his eyes with his arm, the smoke stinging. He heard the sirens coming and prayed she would hold on.
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"What happened?" Lainie asked Patrick as Leo and Stan met them there. Kelly was in the room with Robin trying to get some answers
"I don't know. We were getting back to her house after the cooking class and she went to the door, but saw it was open. I told her to stop and then there was an explosion," he wiped his face. "I need to go in there."
Leo stopped him. "No, they are working on her and Kelly will come talk to us soon."
He paced down the hall and finally sat down on a bench. "I can't lose her," he put his head in his hands.
"You really like her, don't you?" Lanie said and sat down next to him.
He looked at her through wet eyes. "I just need her to be okay."
They looked up as Kelly walked out. Patrick jumped up and walked over. "Kelly how is she?"
"She is awake, but shaken up. She had 2nd degree burns on her hands, a nasty cut on her head and a concussion, but she seems to be okay other than that. You can go in and see her." Kelly smiled when Patrick ran past her to the room.
He walked in and saw her lying on the bed, her hands and her head bandaged. Her face was still darkened by the soot and he felt tears sting his eyes.
"Robin?" He sat down next to the bed and touched her cheek.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Are you okay? They didn't tell me if you were okay," she said, her face full of concern.
"I'm fine. You scared me to death," he smiled. "Don't ever do that again."
She smiled a tiny smile and then her tears spilled over. "I lost everything, Patrick. All of my things are gone."
He held her face in his hands and leaned in close to her. "Look at me, Robin."
She opened her eyes and stared into his chocolate eyes.
"It's going to be okay. We will go back when it's safe and get what we can. But you are going to be okay. I'm not going anywhere and you are not alone," he smiled. "I think it's time you came home with me and let me take care of you."
She shook her head slightly. "No Patrick, I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because you are still recovering yourself. I can't believe you were almost hurt again because of me and I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't think I'm safe," she sat up more and winced at her headache.
"This isn't up for discussion. You are in no position to be alone and I won't take no for an answer. When you are feeling better, you can argue with me about staying somewhere else, but for tonight, you are letting me take care of you," he said simply, leaving no room for discussion.
She sighed, not knowing what else to say.
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"It's not much, but it's cozy," Patrick said as he walked Robin into his house later that evening. It was actually almost the next morning and they were both exhausted.
She hadn't said much since they left the hospital and he knew she was still in a state of disbelief over everything that happened. "I don't have any clothes," she said, not hearing him and just thinking aloud.
He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You can wear one of my t-shirts and tomorrow we will make a plan for what needs to happen. Can you just give yourself one night and let me help you?"
She nodded and he led her to his bedroom and she sat down on the bed. "I need to wash up."
He nodded. "I know, but your hands are bandaged and shouldn't get wet. I'll clean you up with a washcloth," he went to get some water and towels.
She looked at her hands after he left and felt her tears fall again. Did she forget to turn the oven off or something? Was anyone hurt?
"Robin? Where are you?" He asked her as he knelt in front of her.
She focused on him. "Sorry, I just keep thinking that maybe I did something to cause this."
"You didn't; I'm sure of that," he said and she looked at him.
"What do you mean? How can you be so sure?"
He sighed. "It just doesn't make sense. First I get attacked and then your fish are killed and now this. It can't be a coincidence."
"You think they are all related?" She looked up at him.
"I don't have any proof, but it isn't normal," he stood up and looked at her. "Let's worry about it tomorrow. Right now I want to take care of you."
She nodded and he moved to unbutton her shirt. She looked at him as he moved the fabric off her shoulders and then moved to her pants. He helped her take them off and covered her with a towel while he took the washcloth and put it in the warm water before squeezed it out and gently wiped her face. She looked into his eyes as he expertly cleaned her with the professionalism of a doctor but the softness of someone who cared so much more. He moved over her skin and gently cleaned her before he moved to get her a shirt. He helped her put it on and then moved everything away before he changed into his sweat pants and walked to the bed. "I'll go sleep on the couch, but if you need anything, just let me know."
She felt her eyes fill again and looked at him. "Can you stay here with me? I don't want to be alone."
He smiled. "Of course. I just didn't want to be presumptuous."
She smiled as he got into the bed with her and she moved closer to him. He put his arm around her and she leaned her head on his chest. "I'm scared, Patrick."
He rubbed her back. "I know, but you're safe here."
"You don't know that. I'm scared someone is trying to hurt me. I don't want you to get caught in the middle."
"I'm afraid someone is trying to hurt me and you have been hurt because of it."
She looked at him. "Why would someone want to hurt you?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, but why would anyone want to hurt you?"
She sighed. "Good point. I don't know what to think. I just want to go to sleep and wake up to see this was just a nightmare."
He kissed her forehead. "I know," he held her tightly and she closed her eyes.
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Robin woke up when a wave of nausea took over her. She got up to go to the bathroom but realized she was in an unfamiliar place and she walked into something and fell down, crying out in pain.
Patrick shot up when he heard her and reached to turn on the light. He saw her on the floor and he jumped to her. "Robin, what happened?"
"Going to be sick, I need a garbage," she said and he grabbed the wastebasket quickly, holding her hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach. She collapsed against him as she tried to stop the pounding in her head and all of the memories of what happened came flooding back. "Oh God, what happened?"
He held her and let her cry for a minute before she calmed down and he picked her up, placing her back on the bed. He looked into her eyes and checked her pulse.
"I'm okay, I'm mortified, but I'm okay," she said softly, closing her eyes.
He smoothed her hair down and smiled. "Don't be mortified. I'm pretty sure we surpassed the embarrassment on New Years Eve."
She smiled weakly. "Good point."
"We should probably stay up for awhile and talk. You have a concussion and you're vomiting. Unless you want to go back to the ER, humor me for a little while."
She looked at him. "I'm not vomiting from a concussion."
"I don't follow," he said.
"There is a little more going on with me than I told you," she said and exhaled sadly.
Chapter Twenty-Six:
Patrick sat up on the bed and faced Robin who was wiping her eyes with her bandaged hands. He was nervous about what she was going to say and if there was something serious going on he didn't know about. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. You don't owe me anything," he said softly.
She looked at him and her eyes were full of sadness. "I do owe you an explanation, Patrick. It never occurred to me that this could be related, but I feel so stupid to have not considered it."
"I don't know what you mean. What's going on?"
She took a deep breath and let it out. "I had been volunteering at an HIV clinic for a few weekends a month, counseling people newly diagnosed and helping with medical care. It was something I didn't tell anyone here because it wasn't anything I wanted to draw attention to."
He smiled, knowing that she was the kind of person to do something like that. "Did something happen?"
She shrugged. "I kind of developed a stalker."
"A stalker? Did he hurt you?" Patrick felt his blood boil.
"Not directly," she looked at him. "It was more like he developed an unhealthy fascination with me. He starting coming around the clinic at all hours and I didn't know it at the time, but he had found out where I lived. He left me notes and gifts and then it got creepy."
"Then it got creepy? It already sounds creepy. Did you go to the police?" He asked her, waiting for what it was she wasn't telling him.
She met his gaze. "I decided to take a break from volunteering there, maybe help the problem, but one night I got home from the lab and he was in my apartment."
Patrick got scared for her. He tilted her bruised face to look at him and saw her tears. "Robin, tell me what happened."
She sighed. "He tried to convince me that we belonged together. I tried to leave, but he blocked my way. He grabbed me and tried to do more, but I fought back, hard. I knocked him out and ran, calling the police after I got away."
He was furious and scared and grateful she was okay. "What happened next? Is he in jail?"
She shook her head. "No. He got away and they haven't found him," she looked at Patrick. "I don't know why it never occurred to me that he might come back. It's been 3 months and I figured he had just moved on, you know? Figured out he got away with it. But now, I'm afraid he is back."
Patrick exhaled. "Then we need to protect you. He won't come near you again."
She looked at him. "There's more. There is a reason why I haven't been feeling well."
He braced himself. "What is it?"
"We couldn't prove it, but he was poisoning me. I started to feel dizzy and nauseas and I went to get checked out. There was a high level of lead in my blood system, something that wasn't there before," she said.
"Lead? He gave you lead poisoning?" Patrick stood up and paced. "How the hell did he do that?"
"Patrick, please sit down."
He did and she met his gaze again. "He was putting it in the soil I had in the plants in my office and he replaced my food containers with lead based dishes. He also put vitamins in my case that were from out of the country and had high levels of lead mixed in. By the time we figured out what was wrong, I had high levels of lead in my system. I have been getting better, but it is still there."
"Robin, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry," he looked into her eyes. "Do you think he burned your house down?"
She cried softly. "I don't know, but if he's back, he could try and hurt you. I don't think he went after you earlier because we hadn't even been with each other for him to see, but I just don't know. I don't know what to do."
He pulled her gently into his arms and held her. "All you need to do is let me hold you tonight. We will figure out the rest tomorrow."
She was sweating and her head was throbbing. "I would like that, but I don't feel well. Maybe I should go to a hotel or someplace else."
He smiled. "And that would be why?" He walked to get her a cool washcloth.
"Because I don't want anything to happen to you. If he is back, I don't know what will happen. He burned my house down and killed my fish. He is crazy," she lay back and closed her eyes, exhausted.
"You're not going anywhere. I'm not letting anything happen to you," He put the washcloth on her neck and lay down next to her, content to hold her while she slept.
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"You're sure you're okay?" Lanie asked Robin on the phone the next morning. She had called her to see how she was feeling and if she needed anything.
"I'm okay, thanks. Patrick has been amazing, Lanie. He isn't letting me out of his sight," she smiled as she heard him in the shower.
"I'm so glad you are both getting so close. He is a great guy and you are so well matched. Not to change the subject, but how was the cooking class?"
Robin blushed. "I completely forgot about that, but it was really fun. We learned some interesting things."
"Now you have to try them out." Lanie said with a smile in her voice.
"We'll see," Robin said and talked a little longer until she hung up. Patrick walked out in his jeans and t-shirt, his hair wet from the shower.
"Was that news on your house?"
"No, it was Lanie. She was checking up on me and she wanted to know how the cooking class was."
Patrick grinned. "We never got to do our homework."
She grabbed her purse and smiled. "You're right. Maybe we can try that tonight?"
"Are you going somewhere?" He noticed her keys.
"I need to go to my apartment and see if I can salvage anything."
"Robin, that isn't a good idea. You need to take care of yourself."
"I appreciate your concern, but I need to do this. I need to go, Patrick.
He sighed. "Then I'll go with you."
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