Chapter 13

7 billion smiles and only yours pours life into me.

...

She wasn't a very patient woman, not when it came to killing time, and things seemed to be dragging. Ava sighed, things were moving too slow. The haggard look on Connor's face these days told her that things were not going so well at home. They wouldn't, not with what was going on. The affair, the baby and now the press. But she had hoped by now Robin would have left. That was taking her so long? She wanted Robin gone so she can claim what was rightfully hers! She had to go a bit more dramatic this time. Had to do something to rile the determined to be stoic Robin. So far, Robin had stayed away from Ava, never even talked to her or confronted her. Downright avoided her. She thought she was being clever huh? It was a matter of pressing the right buttons. And make sure someone was there with a camera to get the whole thing.

…

Robin was in a lighter mood today, there had not been any follow-up on the scandal in the papers for a few days. For once her name was left out of the papers this week. Work had been good, a good case to keep her busy and on her toes, less time to think about her marital problems. She had even learned to walk tall in the East Mercy ED and just do her job without bothering about sideways looks. In time, she really believed it would pass. She had just had lunch with her friends from Med, Natalie, Maggie, April Clare and Reese. They were in her Conner, making her feel she was not going through something unique, just unpleasant. One more fight in life to get through. They sympathized but showed a lot of faith in her and Connor. That gave her strength too. She will stand by her husband and trust him. He was pleading with her to trust him anyway and she was trying. It wasn't about the evidence, it was about the person she knew. And she knew her husband.

"Even if it turns out that he did stray Robin, everybody does once in a while. I did." April said. "It was only a kiss but…"

"There's nothing like 'only a kiss'." Natalie said vehemently. "If you so much as look at another…I don't know."

"There is forgiveness too. All I'm saying is, leave room for forgiveness and be ready to move on. Trust him again. Ethan forgave me and here we are now. Going on with our lives." April had the sympathy for the devil here.

"Honestly, I don't know if I can be like you, Robin. If my boyfriend cheated on me, I'll kill him." She gave April a sideways glance at that. "Tell your brother to be careful."

They all laughed at that. Reese was sweet but she could be fierce sometimes. Noah better tread carefully.

"I second that." Clare said, taking a sip from her glass. "I'm not saying go kill my brother though. He's still my brother." She said to Robin. "But yeah, I'm with Sarah."

"I'll probably just kill Ava." Natalie said and they all laughed.

"Guys, we've said all we could do if we were in the same situation, but none of us are. Robin is." Maggie said. "What are you going to do Robin? And what can we do to help?" Maggie said and everyone nodded at that, giving Robin the floor.

"I…uh…I just thank you guys for being with me like this. This is exactly what I needed. And I've just realized something. I know my husband and I'm not going to let anyone ruin my trust for him. I know I love him because I know I can trust him. If I lost that, won't I lose some of that love? I don't want to, so I'm going to hold on."

"You're a saint and I'll try to learn from you." Reese said, raising her glass to her.

"We're all with you girl." They all said, raising their glasses at her.

Lunch had been great with her friends, she felt refreshed, renewed. She was about to open her car door, ready to go home when she heard that voice behind her. Her voice. She froze but composed herself, ready for this.

"Hi Robin."

Robin turned to face her. "What are you doing here?"

"He doesn't love you, you know." Ava said, as if trying to give her some sound advice.

"Is that right?"

"He told me while we were making love. He doesn't…"

"Look, I know what you're trying to do, and you've lost. So leave me and my husband the hell alone. You'd think killing his father was enough for you." Robin could feel that temper rising.

"This is his baby, you know." Ava said slyly.

"So you've said." Robin said

"He told me he missed me. The way we used to make love. He wished it was me in his bed with him every night."

"Get the hell out of my way slut." Robin said, opening her car door to get in, ready to ignore her.

"Maybe I am a slut but that's what Connor likes about me. He made me do all the things he said you could never…"

And the slap came, quick and hard. Ava made a show of falling down on the ground from the force of it. The cameras were already twitching, taking the whole thing. That should do it.

Robin was heaving with fury, she took a moment to notice the cameras in her face. Great, a new scandal for tomorrow's paper. And her little light spirits went dim again.

….

"You stay away from my wife!" Connor slammed his hand on the reception cunter where Ava was standing, the next day.

"What in the world…?"

"Stay away from her, do you hear me?" He bit out in wrath.

"She's the one who slapped me."

"What did you say to her?"

"Oh really, it had to be me saying something to her…?"

"Yes. It was you! You followed her all the way to East Mercy for what? To start a fight? She was being too quiet for you? Huh Ava?"

"I just went over to say hi. In our situation, I figured it was time we got formely aquinted." Ava said slyly.

The hospital CT staff had gathered now, the drama too juicy to ingnore.

"Ava, I don't love you. I never have, get that through your thick skull. Even if you break Robin and I up, you'll never take her place in my life. Get that. So, all this is for nothing." Connor was livid.

"I'm playing nice Connor. I'm not even pressing charges. The introduction was well worth it." There was that look again that Connor had come to recognize.

"Of course, she can play the victim pregnant woman who got bitch slapped and didn't even press charges. How benevolent." Badovie whispered to one of her gossip friends watching the drama unfold.

"Ok, Dr Becker and Dr Rhodes." Dr Latham came through, indignat, "I will not have you…"

"No, I'll take over this, Dr Latham, thank you." That was Sharon, looking really pissed with what was happening in her hospital. "You two, my office, now!"

She turned on her heel heading for her office, Rhodes and Becker followed. She sat down in her chair and told them to take seats. The situation needed deescalating and sitting down might calm it a bit.

"Look, I don't want to hear anything from either of you. Just listen to me first." Sharon said, in her most stern tone. "If this continues, we'll have to lose one or both of you. And it would be regretful but necessary."

Connor fumed in his chair, Becker in hers playing with her nails.

"Your personal family matters, you leave them out the door before you come through those doors. I never want to have this conversation again.' Sharon said.

"Sorry Mrs. Goodwin." They both said, dismissed and stood up to leave.

"Uh…Dr Rhodes, a moment please." Sharon said. "Dr Becker, you may go, you're dismissed."

As soon as Ava left, Sharon turned to Connor and sighed. "I know this is getting out of hand but I've always admired your professionalism."

"I'm very sorry Mrs. Goodwin but…she's been trying to ruin my life for the longest time. This whole thing…"He threw his hands in the air with resignation.

"Resolve this quietly and quickly. You have resources, you have friends that are cops, use them."

"You think I need to involve the cops?" Connor had thought so too but had dismissed it, now it seemed he wasn't the only one.

"I think you're dealing with a very manipulative and conniving person here. Your father in law may be able to help too. Lean on him." Sharon said. "I would hate to have to lose you again over some other scandal she manages to draw you into. Your hunch has always been right, with Robin's kidnapping and your father's death. You only need to start over but smartly this time."

Connor's head had stopped reeling, he was thinking straight now. No way was he going to let this woman take everything from him again and run him out of town again. She was not going to win this time. He looked at Sharon and nodded in understanding. Feeling even better now, not like he was running crazy in circles.

"Thank you Mrs Goodwin." He said and excused himself from her office.