Chapter 37

Patrick knocked on his dad's office door 4 hours later. He had woken up before Robin and knew she would be upset if he didn't get his test done.

"Come in." Noah was reading a file and it took him a second to realize who had come in the door. "Sport! Great to see you. How's Robin doing?"

"Great, she's sleeping right now so I thought I'd come and get my test done." Noah nodded in understanding. He knew this visit was coming.

"How are you doing? I know kids are something you never really planned on." Noah was concerned. It had been a stressful year for Patrick and Robin individually and as a couple and he was hoping that this wasn't the last straw for Patrick.

"Honestly Dad, I'm doing great." Noah gave Patrick a look full of doubt. "Really I am. Kids were not in my plans in the past but Robin has changed that."

He sat down in a chair across the desk from his father. "I have had a lot of time to think over the past week while Robin was missing. You know what I discovered?" Noah shook his head. "I discovered that I can separate my life into 3 distinct phases. The first phase was from the time I was born until the moment Mom died - our life together as a family."

"The second phase started the next moment – I guess it was my selfish phase. I decided to not care about anyone, not to get too close so I couldn't get hurt. All I cared about was my career and I decided that was all I would ever care about. And I was happy or at least I had convinced myself I was until phase three came barging into the OR and demanded I give her a miracle." Patrick smiled remembering the day he first met Robin.

"She changed everything Dad. She pushed me to do the surgery on her ex-boyfriend and Manny Ruiz. She pushed me to reconcile with you. She pushed me every day and I let her." He laughed. "I tried to fight it but Robin was unrelenting. Even when she was running from me, she was still there showing me a future I never thought I wanted. But I don't think I realized how much I wanted it until Pete took her, and it, from me."

"Night after night I had the same nightmare during my brief bouts of sleep. He wasn't just taking away Robin, he was taking my life, my future and my child." Noah looked at Patrick strangely. "I didn't know she was pregnant but there was always a baby with Robin in my nightmare. Strange how the subconscious works."

"You can say that again." Noah was amazed and awed by what Patrick was telling him.

"Anyway, in the nightmare I couldn't get to them, no matter how fast I ran or how hard I tried couldn't save them." Patrick felt the tears coming but he didn't even try to stop them. "It was horrible and then I would wake up and she was still gone. I just felt so empty and useless."

"But then we found her and brought her home. She's safe and healthy and pregnant with my child and I can't imagine anything I want more than to spend the rest of my life with her and our child." Patrick wiped his eyes. "Of course, I would have preferred to tell you myself."

Noah laughed. "Hey, you insisted on me being her doctor."

"That I did – and it was the best decision I could have made for both Robin and our child." Patrick smiled at his father. "So, let's get this test done because I need your help with something else."

"What's that?"

"Convincing Robin to marry me."