Chapter 4

"Hey, how's it going?" Patrick called as he approached Robin at the desk. He hadn't seen her in a couple of days, they didn't have any patients to consult on and every time he went to see Emma, she had disappeared. He was pretty sure that she was avoiding him.

"Good, I'm swamped, it seems like all of my patients need extra attention all of a sudden, which I don't mind, but with Brad's treatment, I'm a little overwhelmed.

"Brad?" he thought her patient's name was Jeremy

"Yeah" she decided that she had put it off long enough, she had been avoiding him the past couple of days, and she wasn't even sure why she was hesitating to tell him about Brad. Patrick was the one who cheated on her and if he was upset about Brad being her patient then so be it.

Who was she kidding; of course he would be upset. Oh well, she'd just tell him and let the chips fall where they may. It's not like she was going to tell him that she had feelings for Brad. Besides, she and Patrick were separated, because HE CHEATED. Damn.

"I need to talk to you" she pulled him down the hall into her office. "Sit" she practically pushed him in the chair and sat at the edge of her desk. "I'm just going to say this because it's really not that big a deal" she took a deep breath "my patient, Mr. Larsen, is Brad from Rochester" she spat out.

"Brad from…" he started to repeat and then what she said clicked. "Brad from Rochester, the Brad from Rochester that kissed you" She nodded as he stood up and started to pace the length of her office.

"What is he doing here, did he come looking for you, are you seeing him…"

"Slow down Patrick. He's my patient and his being here is a coincident. He didn't even know I was a doctor, let alone from Port Charles. He just happened to be in the area when he was brought in. Look, I only told you in the interest of full disclosure. I didn't want anyone else to, because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"If it wasn't a big deal Robin, you would have already told me. I know you" He paused and turned to look at her. "Do you have feelings for him? Is that why you didn't tell me before"

"Patrick, he's my patient, I've been busy and it slipped my mind" Standing and walking to look out of her window "I didn't have to tell you Patrick, I just didn't want things to get awkward, besides, we are separated, I don't have to get your permission to see someone"

"Not" she cut him off before he could start "that I'm seeing Brad but we agreed that we would take this time to figure out what we really wanted and that includes seeing other people." She sat back down at the edge of her desk. "Patrick, you said it yourself, that you don't know why you cheated on me. I can't trust that you won't do it again, so we are stuck. You need to figure out why you did what you did and I need to figure out how to get past it or even if I can. I think in order to do that, we both need to be free to explore ourselves. Maybe we wanted this to work so badly that we both ignored our instincts and fears about marriage, maybe we just weren't ready, but I think that real time apart is what we need.

"I don't want a divorce Robin, and I don't want to see other people. I want you, and I want Emma and I want our family back, I made a huge mistake and I would do anything to take it back, but I can't"

"I know, and I know that you are sorry, but this can't just be about you Patrick. It's about me, I need to figure things out and I need time and space"

"How long are talking here Robin, a month, six months, a year"

"I don't know" she practically screamed, then lowered her voice "I don't know Patrick, If you can't accept that, then maybe we should just go through with the divorce" her voice broke on the word.

"No" he signed and sat back down, he wasn't going to lose her. "No, I'll accept your terms, Robin, but I'm warning you, I won't stop trying. We belong together, I know it and I know that you know it. You're scared, I get it, and I will give you time, but not a lot.

…..

A week later, Robin was still contemplating her growing attraction to Brad, when she headed to his hospital room. Plastering a bright smile on her face, she nearly lost it when she found him in the process of pulling his shirt over his head.

"Ah, I should have knocked" she stuttered as she started to turn around.

"Come on doc, it's not like you haven't seen a half naked patient before" he teased

He was right, she was being silly, she saw her patients in all states of dress all the time, but then again Brad wasn't just any patient. They had been meeting everyday for the past week for his treatment and it was getting harder to keep her hands to herself. She was extremely professional and pretty sure she didn't let on to him that she was mentally undressing him every time they were in the same room together. She had gotten to know him a little better over the past week and the more she found out about him the more she was drawn. Since she had no intentions to act on any of these feelings because, A. he was her patient, B. she was married, although separated, C. she was sure he had gotten over whatever he'd felt for Nancy Green… D. she could go on forever… She was glad that he was leaving the hospital today. She knew that he was going to be staying at the Metro Court for the next few months in order to complete his treatment, but at least she didn't have to see him every day.

"Right" she laughed a little nervously "cause I go around sneaking peeks at my patients

"I'm not complaining" So she wasn't as immune to him as she had acted, Brad smiled to himself. He had been working with Robin for the past week and couldn't help the pull that he felt to her. As Nancy Green, she had been smart and pretty, but as Doctor Robin Scorpio, she was brilliant and beautiful. He knew it sounded stupid because she was the same person, but in a way she was different. She was more confident in herself and her mind was unique. Between their sessions, he had learned a lot about her. She adored her little girl, loved her job and was hurting over her marriage falling apart. She had not mentioned it to him, but being in the hospital 24 hours a day, he heard all about it. People forget to close doors or censor themselves when they thought the patients were sleeping. He knew that her now separated husband had cheated on her with his now apparent crazy ex. He had a hard time understanding why someone would cheat on her. He also knew that she was having issues with the ex whom she had to work with but with all of that going on in her life, she still held her head high and it never spilled over into her job. He admired that.

"So, you ready to get out of here?" she asked as she read over the results of his last set of tests? "I hear you got a room at the Metro Court" she bit her lip, realizing that she had just let it slip that she had been asking about him outside of the hospital

"You did" this time he didn't bother trying to hide his smile "been asking about me doc?

She loved the way he called her doc "a friend of mine co-owns the place, so he mentioned it" she covered

"You know doctor Scorpio" he said softly as he walked up behind her "I don't mind you asking about me, I asked around about you"

"You did?" she squealed as she whipped her head around to look at him. "Why" she cleared her throat "why are you asking about me?"

"Well, one, you are my doctor and two I find you an interesting mix of mysterious and approachable." He took another step closer "you've peaked my interest doc"

"I've peak your…what the hell do that mean" "Nope, don't answer that" she put her hand up to keep him from coming closer "it doesn't matter, I can't peak your anything, you're my patient and you already know I'm married" at his raised eyebrows she amended "ok, separated, but that doesn't matter, if you've been asking about me then you know the mess that my life is in right now and I don't need any more complications" she looked up at him "I don't" she repeated

"So you see me as a complication then" he smiled "that's better that just your patient

"Stop smiling" she pointed at him when his smile became wider "stop it" he watched her as she paced the room. She stopped "what is this anyway, I thought you said you got over me"

"I lied" he watched her start pacing again and stopped to stare at him

"This can't happen, I can't do this, we can't do this, you're my patient" she went to sit in the chair in the corner of the room

"You keep saying that, and it becomes less of a convincing argument each time" he went to kneel in front of the chair. "Look at it this way, once I leave today, I become more like a periodic visitor" he ran his hands down the side of her face and brought it closer to his, giving her a chance to pull away. When she didn't, he brought his lips gently to hers and felt the world melt away.

Robin was trying to think of a way to back up from him until his lips touched hers, and then she couldn't think at all. She lost herself in him until he pulled back slightly to catch his breath. She started to lean forward again when his chart fell from her hand and startled her back into reality. She nearly pushed him to ground trying to get up from the chair.

Brad picked up the fallen chart and handed it to her

"Thank you"

"Robin" he started

"Don't" she whispered "please don't say anything right now"

He'd thought that she was angry at first, but looking closely at her face he realized that it was guilt that he saw there. "Robin" he took her hand and led her back to the chair. "You don't have anything to feel guilty about"

"How can you say that" she finally looked at him "I kissed you and I felt.. I felt something I haven't felt in a long time" she shook her head "how can I not feel guilty about that" she felt the tears burning in the eyes. "I still love Patrick, how can I have feelings for you? What kind of person am I?

"A human being, look at me Robin" he waited until she looked up "tell me something, why are you and Patrick separated?"

"To find out what we both really want"

"What do you want?"

"I don't know" she scrubbed her hands over her face "I don't know. If you had asked me this question four months ago, I would have told you hands down Patrick, but now I just don't know anymore"

"Don't you think you should find out?" he stood up "don't you own it to yourself and Emma?"

"That's not playing fair"

"One thing you are going to learn about me doc is that I don't play fair, not when it comes to the important things." He took the signed discharge paper from her hands and signed his name. "Think about what I've said Robin. I'm not going away" he held the papers out to her and when she reached for it, pulled her to him. This time the kiss was demanding but no less intoxicating. He pulled back and placed the chart in her hand. "That's just something else for you to think about doc." He picked up his bag and walked out of the door before she had a chance to catch her breath.