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If You're Not the One - 15
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"So what are you saying?" Patrick's chest ached as he looked at her. He had never spent so much energy on a woman, never cared so much about what a woman or anyone thought of him before and it seemed like no matter what he did she didn't cut him a break. He thought, maybe, just maybe, he had inched up in her estimation since the bet, but apparently he had been wrong.
"If you operate and Jesse doesn't survive, it won't look like an accident."
Fury swept through his body. "I asked for your support with my father, I didn't give you permission to butt into my professional decisions. I get it, we have opposing views on treatment and I get that you don't think that much of me as a man and clearly there's nothing I can do to change that, so butt the hell out Dr. Scorpio!" Patrick slammed his locker closed and bent down to tie his sneakers, effectively dismissing her.
Robin stood stunned for a moment, blinked her eyes and shook her head and then turned to leave, she hesitated for a moment at the door, but when he didn't stop her she left. Pushing her stung feelings down she went to the records room to find another way to help him.
Still, for all of Robin's repression and attempt to pass off what he said as heat of the moment for both of them the exchange only scratched at the issues that still remained unresolved between them.
For him, his mistaken belief that she didn't think highly of him as a person, man and now doctor, which was completely understandable given all that she has said to him in the past. Given her still guarded manner around him.
For her, it was the inability to trust that he will be able to step down his temper and communicate his issues to her in an adult manner. That she won't always find herself having other women, maybe even Carly, thrown at her when she displeases him – as was bound to happen a lot given their differing points of view both personally and professionally.
A few kisses and some close moments wasn't enough to chase away all the reasons that Robin had initially given him the brush off that night in the cafeteria.
These issues, though, would have to wait until a more appropriate time to be dealt with. It could only be hoped that by the time things settled down the damage these two would do to their burgeoning relationship would not be too deep to mend – or more accurately, would they put aside their pride and their walls and be vulnerable with each other in order to mend it.
Then again, these might just be the circumstances that force that on them.
Eventually.
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"I solved the problem." Robin walked into the locker room, past a suspiciously hung over looking Dr. Lee.
"Good for you. What problem?" He almost smiled at her sheer audacity.
"Jesse Beaudry's surgery."
"You mean, you removed the bullet from his brain?" Patrick mocked.
"No, the next best thing -- I found someone that could. Dr. Miller from Mercy. Well,..."
"Are you kidding me right now? Old, 'about to retire if we're lucky' Phil?" Patrick rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling.
"No, actually, his daughter."
"Hey, big guy." Into the locker room walked what everyone would assume would be Patrick Drake's dream woman. Bold, gorgeous and clearly easy – not starting the conversation about the surgery and the issues that Robin had spoken to her of to get her there – but about Patrick's notable absence from the party scene and her determination to get him into bed. It was more important for her to check the lay of the land between Patty and this woman than to talk about the injured cop. It was a clear insight to the kind of doctor and woman she was.
"Well, well, well. Lovely Gwen," Patrick gushed, all the time his eyes constantly flitting towards Robin. It was her turn to be jealous and he wanted to stick it to her for not believing in him and Robin didn't disappoint - the hurt on her face as he continued was clear.
"I haven't seen you in a while." Gwen pitched her voice low and seductive, uncaring who heard.
"Well, between the epidemic and some personal stuff with my father, I've kind of gotten out of the sports bar routine." As he spoke Patrick realized that he hadn't even really missed the former mainstay of his off hours life. His eyes strayed back to Robin hovering nearby.
"Hmm." She tilted her head and looked into his gorgeous chocolate eyes. Could Patrick Drake be otherwise involved? Perhaps with the fiery Dr. Scorpio who insisted she rush over to perform the surgery in this hottie's place because he was too busy taking care of his ailing father?
"But my schedule has cleared up nicely, at least for the moment. Would you like to take advantage of the lull?" he said, slipping into his habitual banter.
"You know it." Gwen grinned.
"Hmm. How about Rusty's on Wednesday, same time?" His eyes were on Robin the entire time he said it. He was so going to kill her for bringing Gwen into his hospital.
"I'll be there." The two surgeons grinned at each other, one mistakenly believing they were in perfect synchronicity once again.
Dr.-cum-Party Girl Gwen Miller had no way to know that Patrick was using his charm to avoid giving her any personal information – just as he did with everyone. Like it did with everyone but Robin and his father it worked. He had effectively eliminated most of her wondering about Dr. Scorpio's place in his life and given her hope for the future. She was certain she would see Patrick back in the game now that she'd flashed her blatant sexuality at him and then maybe she could finally get a turn. For some reason, despite his reputation in NYC and for all his flirting he hadn't taken her or anyone she knew home with him.
"Great. Now, if you could just give me a minute with the impetuous Dr. Scorpio?" His eyes immediately tracked back to Robin standing in the shadows and he looked almost gleefully at her.
"Sure." She shrugged and left to go find her drinking buddy Dr. Lee and see how she was feeling this morning.
"All right! How did you know Gwen was exactly what I needed to start the day?" Patrick smirked at Robin, enjoying Robin's obvious upset. If she was going to think the worst of him, he figured what the hell else did he have to lose than to show off his social life, however neglected it had been lately.
"You know, I should have known that your technique spread throughout the halls and linen closets and cafeteria…" Robin hissed.
"Gwen is a great time. She has an amazing ability to party all night long, and in the morning, wake up and be a great surgeon, but not nearly as good as me. And she's never performed this procedure. I'm not about to let her practice on my patient." And it was exactly those reasons that he never had more than a hormonal reaction to the woman. Drinking surgeons were not exactly high on his list for obvious reasons.
Robin rolled her eyes and tried again. This time much slower. "Why won't you listen to me? You cannot operate on Jesse. It is a major conflict of interest. If your father doesn't get the liver transplant, he will die. Jesse could be a match. If Jesse dies on the operating table, you're going to be under the kind of scrutiny that I guarantee you won't like." She was, in fact, certain that it would be more than Patrick could take. His first O.R. failure would be hard enough to deal with given his god-complex, but coupled with his father's condition she truly worried for him.
"I am the best chance that that cop has to live. I'm not going to turn away just because it might end up badly for me. Anyway, it's a moot point, because I've never lost a patient, and I don't plan on starting today. So why don't you go out there and tell Gwen thanks for coming over here, but you're not going to need her." Patrick turned away.
Robin didn't stop to think why he didn't want to go tell the woman himself, though Patrick said the words very deliberately, hoping once again that she would realize how much he cared for her. Patrick was still a moron when it came to communicating with women, or communicating full stop. He was just as much a master of mixed signals as Robin was.
"Fine. I'm observing. You can't stop me from that." Robin stormed out before he could try.
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This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. Patrick stared at his hands as he mindlessly followed Robin out of the O.R. to tell Jesse's loved ones….He couldn't even think it.
This moment was always the same. Utter elation followed by delivering happy news to grateful friends and family. The tears, they were always of joy. And he went on with utter certainty that he was the best and would always be the best. He couldn't look Robin in the eyes, didn't want to see her accusation and disgust. It would be hard enough to face her cousin.
He walked off the elevator, his steps slowed enough to finally match Robin's shorter ones. He looked up, unable to form words and looking into Maxie's young eyes.
"It's bad, isn't it? He's gone?"
He started to speak and his voice broke. Finally, he pushed the words out. "I'm sorrier than you know." For himself, for her, for Jesse.
"There was too much damage to Jesse's brain for Patrick or any other surgeon to fix. He's on a ventilator right now because he is an organ donor. But technically, he's –"
Patrick knew she was speaking, but her words were an indistinct murmur through the haze surrounding him, pressing down on him. He watched Robin walk off with her arm around her cousin and wondered what the hell he was supposed to now.