Seventeen

"He's not just a patient to you." Patrick brushed the hair off Robin's face. They were lying naked in his bed. It was the morning after Robin administered Jeremy Gilmarten's last treatment. When she had gotten to the Metrocourt she had tried to stay awake long enough to initiate lovemaking, but she could barely have a coherent conversation. Patrick had pressed a kiss to her forehead and urged her to go to sleep. This morning she had awakened him in a most pleasurable way as a reward. Lying there in the afterglow Robin's mind began to wander and he knew it was back at the hospital.

"I care about all of my patients." Robin traced her fingers over Patrick's well-defined chest.

"There's something about this one that's tearing you up inside, which I don't understand since you said the treatment worked."

"It worked as well as it could. Some of the trauma is healed, most of his memory is intact, but he still has significant rehab in his future due to damage I can't fix. He was just lucky enough to avoid surgery."

"Thanks," Patrick said dryly.

"You're a wonderful surgeon, Patrick, but sometimes surgery isn't the best option…."

"You're changing the subject." Patrick interrupted her defensive explanation. "What is it about this patient that's getting to you? You're tied up in knots."

Robin rolled over on to her back and faced the ceiling. "He reminds me of Stone," she admitted quietly.

"Because of his age? Stone was nineteen when he died, right?" Patrick's eyes flickered away for a moment and then back.

Robin unconsciously crossed her arms over her body. "His age is part of it, but it's really his spirit and personality. He has Stone's generosity and optimism. He's not letting this difficulty defeat him. Stone was like that. He knew he was dying and once he accepted it he just made every day he had left the most it could be for himself and for everyone else around him. Jeremy is the same way. He knows he has a stint in rehab ahead of him and he's going to miss a lot of his sophomore year in college and he may have motor limitations for the rest of his life. All he cares about is getting better and making the most of his life." She turned her head and looked at Patrick.

"And you're determined to help him like you couldn't help Stone," Patrick said quietly, brushing hair off her cheek with a feather light touch.

Robin's heart skipped at beat as Patrick voiced what she didn't know if she could say out loud. She nodded and slid her hand into his and turned her body so she was facing him again.

"You didn't just love Stone, you admired him as well." Patrick's voice was gravelly. Robin nodded, watching him carefully as he seemed to be struggling. "He was incredibly lucky."

Robin's heart skipped a beat.

"I want to talk to you, Drake."

Noah didn't bother to bite back the smirk Robert's authoritative demand elicited. He looked around the hospital hallway and then back at the aging spy approaching him with a determined stride. "Still have a way with people don't you, Scorpio? I thought maybe you were talking to my son." Noah slid his pen into the pocket of his lab coat and crossed his arms.

"Not here." Robert scowled. "Somewhere alone."

"Robert, I didn't think you cared in that way." Noah blinked innocently.

"I can still arrange a nasty accident for you, Drake." Neither man took the threat seriously, but it sucked the momentary feeling of humor out of Noah.

"Then maybe we should go to my office," he suggested with feigned lightness.

Once in Noah's office, Noah walked behind his desk and stood facing Robert. "You're just lucky I don't have any patients to see right now, Robert. What's so important that you storm in here demanding my presence?"

"It's about my ex-wife. My daughter's mother. It's about you putting her in danger."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Noah visibly winced. He knew was a terrible liar.

"I saw you today and you couldn't take your eyes off her and if I noticed Lorenzo Alcazar noticed too." Robert began to pace. "I know that Anna thinks she's too smooth for Alcazar to be on to her – or she knows and it doesn't matter." Robert shook his head, clearly frustrated that he hadn't been able to find out exactly what Anna's assignment was. "But her involvement with you is putting her too close to the edge."

"What involvement?" Noah cleared his throat and looked just past Robert's head.

"Don't play me for a fool, Drake. I know you and my wife are involved and I don't like it one bit."

"Are you worried about me being involved with your ex-wife because you're concerned about her safety or because you're jealous?"

Robert leaned over Noah's desk and snarled into his face. "Jealous? This has nothing to do with jealousy! This might be fun for you, but it is not a game. Anna's life is on the line and maybe our daughter's if that mobster gets pissed."

Anger brightened Noah's light brown eyes and he leaned right back into Robert's face.

"A game? You think that I take Anna or Robin's safety lightly? Let me tell you something, Scorpio." Noah jabbed his finger into Robert's chest. "I might not be able to carry a gun and swoop my way into Alcazar's lair to save Anna, but my concern is for Anna's safety and only Anna's safety. Not whether she has feelings for someone else or whether I feel left out because I have nothing else to do but play rent-a-cop for my best friend's sugar mamma."

"There is some life in the old boy yet." Robert leaned back and crossed his arms, a self-satisfied smirk on his face, as if this was the reaction he was hoping to extract.

"If you have nothing constructive to say get the hell out of my office." Noah barely resisted risking his surgeon's hands and punching the aging spy.

"I have plenty of constructive things to say." Robert sat down in one of the chairs in front of Noah's desk.

Seeing that Robert had no intention of leaving, Noah sighed and sat down himself.

"Anna is momentarily dazzled by your aging good looks and charm…"

"If I'm aging, what does that make you?" Noah chuckled.

"She's getting sloppy. Alcazar is no fool and I think he's been on to her since day one."

"And you don't think she knows that?"

"She does." Robert stroked his chin. "I don't know if she's being arrogant or if it's part of her plan, but the attention she's putting on you is proving to be a distraction."

"You've already admitted you don't know what she's up to and she and I haven't seen each other in weeks." The struggle with that was apparent in his voice.

"I know Anna and I know when she's distracted by a pretty face." Robert rolled his eyes thinking of the lowlifes in Anna's past.

"What do you want me to do, pretend to break up with her when we're not even together? This is not some sitcom on television. The only thing I'm interested in hearing is how you're going to protect her." Noah looked up at the ceiling for a moment before looking at Robert again. "And if there's something I can do to help."

"You look too on edge, Drake. I wouldn't want to send you back to the bottle. I don't think my wife or my daughter would appreciate that."

Noah's jaw tightened. He and Robert looked at each other silently.

TBC