Hi y'all. Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and I wish you all a very happy New Year. Enjoy!

EM

Chapter 16

Emily watched the orderly move the little boy out of the emergency room and onto the elevator to go to surgery. The holidays were supposed to bring joy and happiness and it seemed determined to bring only pain and sorrow. She watched helplessly at the worry crossing the faces of his parents as they left the questioning officers and rushed to go with their child. She didn't even hear Robin come up next to her until she spoke.

"Hey are you ok?"

She continued to watch the elevator but this time focusing on the numbers as they lit up to reveal the floors being passed until at last stopping on the surgical floor. Somewhat satisfied she turned her attention to her friend. "I am," she looked back to the huge metal doors and then back to Robin, "but I'm not so sure about him."

Robin nodded and pointed to the other cubicle across the hall. "I know. They're stitching the other driver up now. Can you believe he only has the laceration above his eye? When will people ever learn that drinking and driving will never mix?"

"Yeah that little boy should be visiting his grandparents right now not fighting for his life. By the way who was the new guy working with us. I've seen him around but haven't had any contact with him till today. I've been working in the maternity ward for the last couple weeks or so since coming back."

Robin smiled. "I always loved to work there when I was a student. Umm…his name is Patrick Drake. You may have heard Monica and Allen speak of his father Dr. Noah Drake."

Emily nodded. "Yeah he sounds familiar. Does he take after his father in just a professional way or did his dad have the attitude to match as well?"

The other woman shook her head. "Just professionally. One of these days someone's going to come along and knock him down a peg or two but until then I'm afraid he's going to remain as obnoxious as ever. Speaking of which I better go and observe so I can be around when he speaks to the parents. His bedside manner really sucks. Hey can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve are you coming to the party?"

"I'm scheduled to work so I probably will swing by afterwards. I think they are going to let Carly come home and spend Christmas with the boys, which will be good."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Well I hope you have a good one anyway. I'll see you later."

Emily was heading past the reception desk when Elizabeth called out to stop her.

"Not so fast," she was pointing to the bouquet of red roses on the counter and grinning, "your secret admirer strikes again."

She was getting really frustrated by this and walked over. "Not again."

"Yep seems like somebody really is into you. Wonder why he doesn't leave a card or anything?"

"I don't know. It's got to be the same person who sent me the hair combs. Whoever it is I wish they would just give it up."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "Hey you don't reckon it could be Nikolas do you? Maybe he's trying to…"

Emily stopped her even before she could finish. "No I do not think it is Nikolas," she leaned in to give a meaningful look to her friend not paying attention to Liz's crazy grin and not seeing her ex-husband and his brother Lucky walking up behind them, "and don't you dare ask him."

"Ask me what?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin and Liz broke into uncontrollable laughter.

Emily took a deep breath and glared at Liz. "Nothing."

Lucky whistled. "That's an expensive floral arrangement. Who's it for?"

Liz answered her husband but looked at her brother-in-law and grinned. "Em's got a secret admirer. Nik you wouldn't by any chance know anything about it would you?"

"Elizabeth I told you not to say anything." Aggravated and embarrassed Emily turned to walk away she went only a little ways down the hall before Nikolas stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Hey Em wait."

She turned back to him biting her bottom lip and turning her head back and forth before looking him in the face. "I'm sorry about that back there. You and I are over and I know you love Courtney and I don't believe for one second that those flowers or anything else I've received have been from you. I just wish Elizabeth wouldn't get so gung ho about us and accept that we've gone our separate ways."

"It's ok. There's no need to explain anything to me we both know how she can be. You seem a little on edge though. Is everything ok?"

The last thing she wanted was to have him feel obligated to involve himself in her life on any level especially about anything that worried her.

"Everything is fine it's been a long day and I'm ready to get home." She laughed trying to change the subject. "I still have some shopping to do."

He nodded deciding it was best to let it go. "Yeah me too. I wanted to talk to Lucky and Liz about what to get Cameron. I've got to meet Courtney at Carly's…" he stopped himself.

"It's ok to talk about her to me Nikolas. So I guess Carly is coming home then."

He lowered his head and looked up. "Yeah. Court's been getting her new place fixed up for her and apparently Sonny's going to let her keep the boys tomorrow night and Carly invited us to come over and stay. I guess you'll be staying with your parents then since Michael and Morgan won't be home."

"No. I'm not doing the Quartermaine holiday dysfunctional family thing until the last minute on Christmas day. I need the extra time to prepare myself."

"I guess Sonny will have other plans to then."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know. I've been working a lot and he's been in and out we really haven't discussed anything."

"Ah so you and Sonny compare your schedules now. You know Em if you and him are forming some kind of relationship I'd be really careful if I were you."

She was suddenly on the defensive especially about his implications concerning Sonny.

"What I do in my life and who I do it with are none of your concern anymore. As a matter of fact I have the final copy of our divorce papers that confirm it."

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to move on with your life Sonny Corinthos is not the person you should be doing it with. He's going to hurt you Em."

Neither of them saw the man in question walking up. "So now the Prince of the House of Cassadine predicts the future as well. This I got to hear."