Midnight Confessions

Chapter: 21
Pairing: Robert & Holly
Rating: PG-13

Robert wrapped his arms tightly around Anna. "You have to believe in hope, Anna." he whispered. "You have to believe that everything is going to be okay and well get through this, together."

"I've never been this scared in my entire life." she confessed. "She's not getting any better at all and they've tried so many different things and nothing is working and I'm so scared that they're not going to be able to do anything and I cant lose her, Robert, I can't."

"Shh." he quieted her as he gently stroked her hair. "Everything's going to be just fine." he tried to assure her. "Things always get worse before they get better, Anna. Robin's a fighter and she's going to pull through this."

"Then why do I have this sinking feeling in the very bottom of my stomach?" she asked. "Why do I feel like something is about to go terribly wrong?"

"Because you're dwelling on it." he told her. "You need to get out of this hospital room for a few hours."

"I don't want to leave her." she cried.

"I know." he breathed out. "But you need a break, Anna, you'll go crazy if you don't get out of here."

"I don't want to leave her, Robert."

"I know you don't but I'm going to be here with her." he told her. "I won't leave her alone, I promise. I just want you to go and take a shower and get something to eat and maybe take a nap. You need to get out of here for a while because the longer you sit here and think about things the more depressed you're going to get. You need to talk to people, Anna, you need to socialize a little bit and with more than just the doctors and the nurses."

"I'm afraid to leave her." she confessed. "I want to be here with her."

"I'm going to be here with her, Anna, and I'm not going to let anything happen." he tried to assure her. "And if anything does happen then I'll call you right away, but I need you to get out of here for a little while. Please do it for Robin if nothing else she wouldn't want you sitting here going crazy."

"Okay." she agreed. "I'll leave for a little while, but then I'm coming back."

"Just as long as you get some air." he said. "Holly and Amelia and I are staying over at the Metro Court, why don't I give her a call and the two of you can have some dinner together?"
"Okay." she said, softly. "I'd like that."

~Metro Court Hotel~

Holly sat across from a very quiet, very lost Anna. She could see the pain in her eyes and she could hear it in her voice. Having a sick child was the single most worst feeling in the world and no matter how many times people told you it was going to be okay it was just never simply good enough, you needed proof, you needed something you could see. And in this case it just wasn't possible.

"Anna." Holly said as she reached across the table for Anna's hand. "Are you all right?"

She lifted her eyes to meet Holly's. "Fine." she breathed out. "I'm fine."

"I see." she said. "Is there anything you want to talk about? Anything at all?"

"No."

Holly gently squeezed Annas hand. "Well, I'm here whenever you're ready." she said. "Take your time."

Tears flooded forward in Annas eyes and she didn't know how much longer she could continue to hold them back. The past few days she had been going nonstop and she wasn't sure how much longer she could do it. "I'm scared, Holly." she cried softly. "I'm scared that my daughter is going to die and I can do to stop it."

"I know you're scared Anna and I know you want someone to tell you that everything's going to be alright and that Robin is going to be just fine, but I can't Anna. I can't give you false hope." she told her. "Everyone else is telling you that everything will be okay and that Robin's going to pull through and that this is just a set back something she can beat, but I can't. As mothers we both know that when it comes to your child that there is nothing anyone can say or do that will ever be enough to assure you that your child is going to be okay. Statics and medicine and high priced doctors don't mean a damn thing when you're sitting beside your daughters hospital bed watching the seconds tick by on the clock waiting and hoping and praying that everything is going to be okay. You don't need assurance from others, Anna and you don't need long looks of sadness and you don't need to be treated like porcelain. What you need is for someone to listen when you talk, someone to hold you when you feel like crying, and someone to lean on so you don't feel so alone, because you're not alone, Anna. Robert and I are prepared to stay here for as long as we need to."

"Thank you." she whispered. "You really didn't have to come all this way though, Holly, especially with the baby's due date approaching and Amelia."

"We're family, Anna." she said. "Through the good and the bad. And nothing is ever going to change that."

Anna grasped Holly's hand tightly in hers. "This is the way it should have been from the very beginning." she told her. "I should have just brought Robin to town and told Robert about her. Maybe if I did things would have turned out much differently than they have."

"You can't live your life on whatifs and maybes." she told her. "All we can do now is try not to make the same mistakes again. Life is too short and far too precious to spend it being bitter or having regrets. I wish things would have been different too, Anna, we all make mistakes and we all screw up from time to time. It just proves that were human."

~General Hospital~

Robert sat beside his daughters bedside watching over her as she slept restlessly. As an absentee parent for most of Robins life he felt somewhat disconnected from her. He loved her, she was his child, and he would always love her, but he didn't know her as much as he would like to and he realized in that very moment that he may never get the chance.

Robin's eyes flickered open as she tried her very best to adjust them to the harsh hospital light. "Daddy." she whispered, faintly. "You came."

"Always." he said, smiling. "I'll always be here for you."

"I know." she said. "Where's mom?"

"She's with Holly." he replied. "They're having dinner."

"Good." she sighed. "She needed to get out of here for a little while."

"Is she hovering?"

Robin smiled briefly. "She's driving me absolutely insane." she replied. "She's also driving herself insane in the process. How long have you been here?"

"For about an hour." he told her. "Holly and I took the first flight out of Heathrow we wanted to get here as quickly as we could."

"Is Holly coming by later?" she asked. "I'd really like to see her."

"Yes." he answered. "And Amelia wants to see you too."

"Amelia." she smiled. "She's always been the little sister that I never had."

"How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Not so good, daddy." she admitted. "I've never felt this bad in my entire life."

Robert brushed a few strands of hair away from her damp forehead. "You're going to be just fine." he tried to assure her. "The doctors are working very hard to come up with something to help you."

"I know." she breathed out. "But I don't think they're going to find anything."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm dying, daddy." Robin said, softly. "Nothing they find will help me now."

~Metro Court Hotel~

Holly sat beside Anna on the sofa watching as she slept restlessly. There relationship had been rocky at the very best, but since their recent re-acquaintance last year they both discovered how well they really got along. She got up and reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa and gently covered Anna with it.

As she walked down the hall and into the bedroom she heard the faint ringing of her cell phone from inside her purse. After struggling for a few seconds she answered it on the fourth ring. It was Amelia. "Hello, darling."

"Hi, mummy." she replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm still at the penthouse." she told her. "Are you having a good time with Luke and Skye?"

"Yes." she answered cheerfully. "And I'm getting lots of practice for when Henry's born. But did you know that Skye doesn't leave Uncle Luke alone with the baby for more than an hour? Why does she do that?"

Holly laughed softly. "Someday when you're old enough I'll tell you all about Luke."

"Does this have anything to do with his adventures?" she asked. "Because he's been telling me lots of stories but Skye keeps interrupting him."

"Thank God!" she sighed. "Where is Luke?"

"He's in the livingroom." she told her. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"Please."

Amelia walked from the foyer to the livingroom, holding out the phone. "Uncle Luke." she said. "Its my mum, she wants to talk to you."

"Hello, English." he said. "How are things on your end of town?"

"Not so good." she replied. "Apparently Robin is a lot sicker than Robert and I thought. Things look a little grim at the moment and no one has any answers."

"Robin's a Scorpio." he said. "She's tough and shell pull through."

"I hope so." Holly said. "But I need to ask you a huge favor, Luke."

"Anything." he said. "Just name it."

"I need you and Skye to keep Amelia overnight." she said. "I have this sinking feeling that something isn't quite right and I think it would be best if Amelia was removed from the situation altogether."

"Of course." he replied. "There's a guest room at the lakehouse with her name on it. She can stay with us as long as she needs to."

"Thank you, Luke." Holly replied. "I owe you."

"That you do." he laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "And just remember I always collect."

Holly laughed softly. "Very funny Luke." she said. "And one more thing before I go."

"What's that, English?"

"Please, please don't tell my daughter anymore of your adventure stories." she said with a smile. "Some things need to remain private."

Luke laughed as he thought about the very first time he saw Holly. "You got it, English."

~General Hospital~

"Mr. Scorpio." the doctor said as she entered the room. "I'm Dr. Parker."

Robert stood up and shook the doctors hand. "How's my daughter?" he asked as he glanced back at Robin who was sleeping again. "Did you find anything that could help her out?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." she said. "I'm told that you're wife is pregnant."

"Yes." he answered.

"How far along is she?"

"Thirty five weeks tomorrow." he replied. "What does that have to do with anything though?"

"A lot actually." the doctor replied. "I believe that your wife and your unborn baby just may be able to save your daughters life."