Title: The Lucky One
Author: Steph
Rating: PG
Pairing: Noah/Patrick, Robin/Patrick
Category: Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: 7/27 episode.
Summary: Noah learns of Patrick's condition and tries to reach out to him, as Robin continues to support Patrick and deal with the reality of the situation.

Note: So I loved yesterday and I'm really looking forward to what's to come. I think Noah learns the truth next week sometime. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it plays out. This is how I would like to see it go. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! -Steph

--- The Lucky One: Part 1/1 ---

Noah stepped out of the elevator, his eyes landing on his son who stood at the nurses' station making notes on a patient's chart.

"Good morning, Patrick," he said with a smile, as he leaned forward on the counter.

Patrick raised his eyes for a moment, then quickly lowered them. "Morning. Did you enjoy your day off yesterday? Do any golfing?"

Noah smiled at the comment. "You know I don't subscribe to that cliche. Didn't do anything actually. I forgot how good it feels to do absolutely nothing."

"Sounds like a productive day," Patrick replied, as he flipped the page.

"So, did I miss anything exciting?"

Patrick's tongue darted out to moisten his lips, but he shook his head, his eyes still rooted to his paperwork. "Nope. Just your normal, run-of-the-mill, everyday hospital craziness."

Noah nodded and tapped his hands on the counter.

He was in a good mood. He and his son were finally able to have a civil conversation, even if Patrick still tried to act preoccupied and disinterested when they spoke. Things were starting to look up between them. And he knew he had Robin to thank for that.

Patrick picked up the patient chart and looked at his father. "I have a consult. I'll see you later."

Noah nodded and watched him go, before picking up a patient chart of his own. A moment later, Robin walked out of the elevator. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Noah and swallowed against the grapefruit size lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat.

Robin took a deep breath as she walked into the nurses' station. She stopped in front of Noah. He looked up at her, his mouth opening to greet her, but she beat him to it.

She tilted her head, her voice soft. "Hi, Noah. How are you holding up?"

Noah's brow furrowed. "Holding up?"

The space between Robin's eyes became knitted. "Patrick didn't tell you?"

Noah shook his head. "Tell me what? I just saw him and he was what passes for pleasant between us. Frankly, I was just happy that we've been able to have three straight civil conversations in the past week. Please, tell me what's going on."

Robin let out a breath and shook her head, unable to comprehend how something like this could happen to Patrick and he would choose not to tell his own father.

"Nevermind. It's not my place."

Noah cocked his head, his jaw clenching. "If something's going on with my son then I have a right to know, Robin."

Robin chewed on her lower lip. "You do, but it's not mine to tell. You need to go talk to Patrick. Now."

Noah stared at her for a long moment, noticing the fear in her eyes and the slight shake of her voice. Something was terribly wrong. Robin was strong and brave and usually kept her emotions in check. But he'd learned this much in the time he'd known her. Her eyes gave her away. And right now they looked like her world was slowly crumbling.

Noah turned on his heel, his heart hammering in his chest.

---

Noah found Patrick just as he was leaving a patient's room. He was busying himself with making more notes and refused to acknowledge his father as he came to stand in front of him.

"What's going on, Patrick?" he asked quietly.

His pen moved furiously across the page. "Well, Mr. Frederick is not responding to the medication so-..."

"You know what I'm talking about!" Noah yelled.

Patrick's head snapped up at his abrupt change in tone. He eyed his father for a long moment, then lowered his eyes. "Actually, I don't."

Noah's hand darted out and he pulled the chart from Patrick's grip. "Stop avoiding me and tell me what the hell is wrong!"

Patrick flexed his jaw and raised his eyes to his father. "What makes you think there's anything wrong?"

Noah sighed in frustration and held up a finger, pointing it down the hall. "Because I just talked to Robin."

"Figures," Patrick mumbled. "Well, I don't know what she told you, but I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

Noah crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes flitting across his son's face. "Really? Then why is she asking me how I'm holding up? And why does she look as if she's barely holding it together because she's so damn scared for you?" He paused and then added, his tone softening. "And if you're so fine then why is it that I look in your eyes and see the same pain and fear I saw in them when your mother was dying?"

Patrick looked upward, then shook his head, as Noah sighed heavily. "Patrick, you're my son and I love you. I have a right to know if something's wrong. We have a second chance. I thought we had made progress. You need to stop shutting me out and let me be your father. You need to let me help you."

Tears suddenly appeared in Patrick's eyes, but he immediately blinked them back. He rubbed a hand across his mouth, then looked off to the side. "Well, I guess you're going to find out soon enough anyway, what with the gossip situation being what it is at this hospital." He then slowly met his father's eyes. "Yesterday, I cut myself while operating on a patient with end stage AIDS. Happy now?"

Noah felt the air leave his lungs and, for a moment, he felt like he was going to faint. It was just like the moment he learned of Mattie's tumor. The fear had paralyzed him and it was as if time had suddenly stood still.

He slowly shook his head, as he searched for his words. "Uh...have you...did you..."

Noah's voice trailed off, as Patrick nodded. "I started on antiviral medication

and took my first blood test. Nothing to do but wait now."

Patrick turned to leave, but Noah grabbed his arm. He turned back around to face his father.

"You are not alone in this."

Patrick dropped his eyes. "I know. I have Robin. She's been great."

Noah felt like he had been kicked in the gut. He forced himself to shake his head. "And you have me."

Patrick raised his eyes to look into his father's and his heart nearly broke. It scared him to think of what this could do to him. He had just begun to put his life back together and Patrick was so proud of him, but having to face something like this could cause him to unravel all over again. What if he tested positive? Could his father deal with the possibility of someday losing another person he loved or would he turn to alcohol again?

"I'm going to be fine," Patrick said, before turning and walking away.

Noah watched him go, as a tear slipped down his cheek.

---

Robin walked into the locker room, her eyes landing on Patrick who was sitting on the bench, his head bowed and his fingers threaded through his hair.

"Patrick?" she said, coming to stand in front of him.

He slowly raised his head and met her gaze. Every time he looked at her with tears in his eyes, her heart broke a little more. He was usually so strong and so adept at hiding his feelings. But his eyes said what his words couldn't and had become like a badge advertising his pain.

He smiled bitterly. "Well, you did your job. My father knows."

She narrowed her eyes. "Patrick, I just assumed you had told him. I didn't tell him anything. The question is why didn't you tell him?"

"I had my reasons," Patrick said softly, dropping his head again.

Robin sat down next to him. "Care to share them?"

"If I did, then I would have given you the reasons, rather than just inform you that I have them."

Robin took a deep breath and then placed her hand on his knee. He slowly turned his head and looked at her. "Please let me help you."

Patrick sighed and spit out, "I was afraid of his reaction, okay?"

Robin nodded. "Well, he's your father. He loves you. He's going to be concerned."

Patrick rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

Robin's forehead crinkled in confusion. "What did you mean then?"

Patrick met her eyes. "My father has a way of dealing with painful events by drinking or have you forgotten?"

Robin sucked in a breath. She hadn't even considered that this could be weighing on Patrick's mind. As if he didn't have enough burdening him, now he was worried that his father could spiral downward again because of his fears for his son.

Robin gnawed on her lower lip as she searched for her words. "Patrick, we don't know anything yet. Your father just wants to be there for you. Don't assume the worst will happen to you or him."

"And what if it does?" he snapped. "What if the worst happens and I am infected? Don't you see? I'm all he has left. That's why he didn't want me to risk my life to save his. He wanted to protect me. If it turns out I have this, he's going to deal with it the only way he knows how."

"You don't know that. He's stronger than he's been in a very long time."

Patrick shook his head. "My father can't deal with painful events, Robin. I realized after my mother died that he's never been able to. He turned to alcohol then, but it wasn't always that way. Anytime something bad happened when I was a kid, he would ignore it or hide in his work or talk about other things to deflect how he was feeling. It was a defense mechanism."

Robin smiled sadly. "I guess you learned that from him. Yesterday on the docks, you talked about how this was going to affect your sex life, rather than how you were really feeling. But I could in see your eyes how much you were hurting. I could see it on every inch of your face and hear it in your voice."

Patrick squeezed his eyes closed and licked his lips. "I'm just afraid that even the possibility of this will make him revert to old habits, except now his way of dealing puts his health at risk."

Robin put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you're giving your father enough credit. He was by your mother's side during her entire illness. He didn't hide or run. He may not have been able to deal with the feelings, but he was there and that's what she needed. She knew he loved her and that he wasn't going to leave her. He did it for her because that's what she needed. And when she died, he couldn't hold on anymore and he couldn't deal with the pain, so he found a way to make it all easier. He made a terrible choice to turn to alcohol. But he's not the same man he was ten years ago or even ten months ago. He tries to deal with things now. I've seen how he reaches out to you. He's not hiding, Patrick. He just wants a chance to be the father to you that he should have been ten years ago and everyday since. Please don't deny him that chance."

With that, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, then stood up and walked out. Patrick watched her go, wondering what he had done right in his life to deserve having her in it.

---

Robin walked down the hall and then stopped abruptly, as tears began to fill her eyes. She brought her hand up to the wall to steady her, then leaned back against it. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her mind. When she heard footsteps coming, her eyes flew open and she quickly straightened her form, stepping away from the wall.

Noah spotted Robin on his way down the hall and stopped walking. He came to stand in front of her.

"Thank you for telling me to speak to my son."

Robin managed a smile. "Well, I know you want to be there for him. He needs you to be."

Noah's expression grew softer. "I appreciate everything you're doing for him. He's lucky to have you, Robin. I think he's about to realize just how lucky."

Robin felt the tears begin to overwhelm her and dropped her head. Noah placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

She lifted her head and pursed her lips, waving a hand in dismissal. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Noah tilted his head and asked softly, "How are you dealing with this?"

Robin's eyes widened. "Me? I'm fine. This isn't about me."

Noah cocked his head. "You're so busy worrying about my son and I'm sure everyone's concerned about how this is affecting him. But this must bring up some very painful memories for you."

Robin could feel the familiar tightening of her chest. It made it difficult to manage any words. "It has, but I'm trying to use my experience to help Patrick."

Noah eyed her for a moment. "It's not just about revisiting the past though, is it? You're scared to death for him, aren't you?"

Robin wiped at a tear that slipped down her cheek and looked off to the side. "Um, I-..." she began, her voice trailing off, as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Noah pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest, as she finally let the tears come in full force...as she finally let reality hit her. She had been so concerned with Patrick facing the truth, that she had pushed aside how frightened she was for him. He had found his way into her heart and the thought of him having to face this tore her apart.

She pulled back and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. You have enough to deal with right now. You don't need me falling apart on you."

Noah shook his head and said quietly, "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I'm hoping we can help each other through this. After all, we share something no one else does."

Robin narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"We both love my son," he said softly.

Robin's mouth dropped open in shock and then she lowered her eyes. "I don't...I never-..."

Noah smiled in amusement. "It's okay. You don't have to admit it. But I know love when I see it." The smile ran away from his face and his eyes clouded over. "And I know that look in your eyes. It was the same look I had after Mattie was diagnosed. You're in the same position I was. Helping the person you love make it through something terrible, even though you feel completely helpless and powerless."

Robin raised her eyes to his, unable to deny the truth she had been carrying in her heart for so long now. She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she spoke, "I had to watch my first love die. I had to sit there knowing there was nothing I could do, except hold his hand and talk to him. Nothing I could do except let him know I loved him. The thought of losing another man I-..." She stopped and lowered her eyes again. "I'm hopeful Patrick will be fine. I'm holding onto that and I hope you do, too. But I can't help but consider the other possibility. It kills me to think of him having to go through what I did. And I know there have been advances, but I also know everyone progresses differently. He may not be as fortunate as I have been and I may have to watch another man I...watch it happen all over again."

Noah placed his hands on her shoulders. He was determined to be as strong as possible for his son and the woman he hadn't let himself realize he loved yet. He could feel the ache in his heart, the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. His mind was plagued with what ifs and he could feel his fears slowly eating him up inside. He wanted to take this all away from Patrick. He wanted to make it all disappear, just as he did when he was a child and he rid his closet of monsters and boogie men. He would give anything to make it all right, but he couldn't. And it was that powerless feeling that was perhaps the worst one of all. He wished he could make that go away, too.

It would be easy for him to walk out of this hospital and have a drink. It would numb the pain, ease his fears, calm his worries, at least for a little while. But his son needed him and he wasn't about to fail him this time.

"Look, there's no need to think like that. We don't know anything yet. Let's try to remain as positive as possible and if the worst," he paused, raising his eyes to the ceiling, "happens, then we'll deal with it. We'll deal with it together."

Robin nodded, as Noah wrapped his arms around her again.

---

Noah stepped into the locker room, but stopped abruptly when he saw his son sitting on the bench, in the same position Robin had left him fifteen minutes earlier.

Noah slowly took a few steps, then sat down next to him. He licked at his lips and took a deep breath.

"Don't shut me out, Patrick. Please," he said pleadingly.

Patrick ran his hands down his face and then raised his head, turning to face his father. "I told you. I'm going to be fine, Dad."

Noah nodded. "I pray to God that's true. But it's going to be six months until you can be certain of that. I'd like to be there for you if you'll let me. This is going to be hard enough to deal with."

Patrick's eyes scanned his father's face, the sincere look in his eyes unnerving him. "Don't worry, I don't plan on dealing with this by drowning myself in alcohol."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Patrick regretted them.

His father's eyes flashed with hurt, but he simply nodded. "I guess I deserved that. And I'm sure you're afraid that I'll deal with this by doing what I did ten years ago. But I'm not going to do that, Patrick. I wasn't there for you after your mother died and not a day goes by that I don't regret that. But I can't go back and change the past. I can only control what I do now. And I want a chance to be the father that I should have been to you all of those years ago."

Patrick bit at his bottom lip and looked upward, as he blinked back tears.

"Do you remember when I was six and had the chicken pox?" he asked suddenly.

Noah looked startled by the unexpected comment, but allowed a small smile. "Of course. You wanted to go to school and there wasn't anything we could say to change your mind. You insisted you were fine. You said they didn't itch and never even attempted to scratch them."

Patrick managed a weak smile. "I got all dressed and waited at the door for the bus. You found me, but you didn't say a word. You just picked me up, carried me into my room, and helped me get back into my pajamas."

Noah nodded. "It was the first time I can remember you giving in and letting someone help you. You always wanted to deal with everything on your own. School, problems with friends. Remember when your goldfish died when you were four? You didn't tell anyone. You just scooped it out and flushed it down the toilet." Noah paused and then added, "I know you learned that from me. It was easier to be in denial than have to deal with anything. But your mother helped you see that dealing with issues head on made them easier to overcome and made you a stronger person. You changed as you grew older. After your mother died though and I wasn't there for you, you became that little boy all over again, standing at the front door in his hat and mittens, with red spots all over his body, trying not to scratch."

Patrick shook his head and smiled sadly. "Nice trip down memory lane."

Noah placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm asking you to let go, Patrick. I'm asking you to let me help you like you let me back then."

Patrick managed a weak grin. "I'm capable of putting my own pajamas on, Dad, but thanks for the offer."

"You know what I mean," Noah said softly, but firmly. "Stop being so stubborn and stop fighting the truth. Let me help you through this."

Patrick nodded and looked down at his hand, whispering, "Okay."

Noah smiled gently, then stood up. He walked to the door, then turned back around. "Six months from now, whatever happens, you'll look back on this time and I hope you see what a gift Robin is to you."

Patrick's head snapped up and he met his father's eyes. Noah took a few steps toward him and looked down at him. "Anyone can be there for you during the good times, Patrick. That's easy. It's sticking around when times are tough that's the hard part. And Robin will do that for you. She's going to be by your side every step of the way, no matter what happens." He paused and then said softly, "That's what being in a relationship is about, Patrick. You can deny it all you want, but this woman who was supposedly in it for just sex, is standing by your side, holding your hand. And I can promise you it is so much better than standing alone."

Patrick ran a hand through his hair. "What's your point?"

Noah smiled slightly. "My point is if one good thing comes from this, it will be this: You're going to realize that what you've found in Robin only comes along once in a lifetime. And if you're lucky enough to find it, you don't let go. You hold on tight with both hands."

Patrick stared at his father for a long moment, then watched as he turned around and left.

---

Patrick sat on a bench on the docks, looking up at the stars and trying to think of anything else but what had occupied his mind for more than twenty-four hours now. Is this what he could look forward to? Six months of constantly being plagued by fears and unknowns?

He turned his head, as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Robin smiled at him, but didn't say a word, as she took her place next to him on the bench. They stayed like that for a long time, simply staring up at the stars in silence.

Patrick turned his head and looked at Robin, his eyes flickering over her face. Robin could feel his eyes on her and began to grow self-conscious. Her face reddened, as she turned to face him.

"What?" she asked softly.

He licked at his lips and said quietly, "Thank you."

Robin's eyebrows arched in surprise. Then her expression softened. "You don't have to thank me, Patrick."

"Yes, I do," he said, nodding his head. He ran a hand across his mouth, as he met her eyes. "With everything we've been through together, all of the stupid relationship talk, how I've treated you...It would have been easy for you to just walk away and say this is what I asked for. No strings. But you didn't."

Robin's eyes scanned his face and she swallowed hard, her voice emerging softly, as a gentle smile curled her lips. "You still don't get it, do you?" He shook his head, his brow furrowing as she went on in a whisper, "I can't walk away from you, Patrick."

The look in her eyes held an intensity he had never before encountered and said things her words couldn't.

He simply nodded and put his arm around her shoulder, as he said in such a low voice she couldn't even hear him. "I guess that makes me the lucky one after all."

Noah stood on the dock above, watching them. He smiled. He was going to be okay. No matter what happened, his son was going to all right. And there was only one reason he could say that with certainty: Because he has Robin. No matter what happened, he has Robin and he knew she would be enough to see him through anything.

---------------------------------------------THE END----------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. -Steph