There were exactly fifty-seven steps between the entrance to the ICU and the information desk. The clock on the wall screamed three a.m., but Patrick had lost his ability to care. Robin might have come through surgery; he didn't know. He had been in the bathroom when Anna and Mac had shown up, and they were both in with her now. No one had told him a thing, and it was really starting to piss him off!
Courtney had stopped by to pick up Morgan from Bobbie and, after a twenty-minute conversation; both women and his second cousin had gone home.
Patrick ran a hand through his hair, willing himself to stand in place while the doctors and nurses whisked away countless patients, barking orders, reading charts. He made his way to the information desk once more, only this time he was greeted by a very large black woman with long dark braids wearing a pair of yellow scrubs. "Excuse me, but why haven't I been allowed to visit my friend yet? I've been here since before you shift even started."
"Are you on the list?" Her deep voice was one that was not used to being questioned.
"I should be." Patrick answered.
"Name?"
"Patrick Drake."
Opening the file, she ran her finger down a sheet of paper. Satisfied at what she was looking at, she closed the file with a satisfied smack of the paper. "You're not on the list."
"What do you mean I'm not on the list?" Patrick snapped.
She spoke even slower, pausing between each word. "You. Are. Not. On. The. List."
"Please do not address me that way. I wasn't talking down to you. I'd appreciate it if you would stick to your job and not mock me."
"I am doing my job, sugar. If you are not on the list, you don't get in." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, daring him to continue to challenge her.
"Who has to approve the list?"
Opening the file, she glanced quickly at the paper before responding. "Anna Scorpio."
"Son of a bitch." Patrick ground his teeth together. Well, that explained it all, didn't it? What better way to punish him for arguing with her flawless logic than to keep him from being added to the list of visitors? "Can you at least tell me if she has woken up?" He asked the nurse, doubting she knew anything. Even still, he wasn't family...but he used to be. One call to Logan would fix all of this. Was it worth the cost? Patrick told himself it was.
"Go home honey. There is nothing you can do here."
"I'll be damned if I stayed here all night for no reason!" Patrick retorted, storming off to the lobby. He had his head ducked so he had no way of avoiding the sudden collision with one Anna Devane-Scorpio. "You have a lot of nerve lady."
"'Lady?' And to think my daughter used to be a part of your family." Anna patronized, tucking a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear. "What are you still doing here?"
"I bet you thought I'd have given up by now?" Patrick couldn't keep himself from snarling.
"I assumed you would be onto your next conquest actually." Anna clarified lifting an eyebrow at his assumption.
"You know damn well I wouldn't still be here if I didn't care about your daughter." Patrick countered.
"I must say, your attention span is growing by the minute. Tell me, where was this loyalty six months ago?"
"Robin and I have both made mistakes and we're trying to work through them." Patrick defended.
"Save it!" Anna shouted at him. "I'm not going to let you anywhere near Robin when this is all said and done."
"I'd like to know how you plan on accomplishing that." Patrick sneered.
"I've hired a personal bodyguard for Robin. She started work tonight. You might have passed her on the elevator." Anna explained.
"A bodyguard? Seriously? What makes you think Robin will ever go for that?"
"She won't have a choice. This is for her own good."
"How would you know what's good for Robin?"
"Am I to understand that you can keep her safe and happy? Please! You let her get hurt."
"I pulled her and Morgan out of the car!" Patrick shot back. "That should count for something."
"You want a prize, Mr. Drake?"
"I just want to know that she's alright!"
"She'll never be alright, do you hear me? Whether or not she pulls through this, she will never be completely healed."
"I know about her HIV." Patrick informed her.
"She told you before she passed out then?"
"She didn't want me exposing myself."
"The nurse told me that, when she was brought in, she was drenched in blood. I'm guessing that means you ignored her warning." Anna sighed, massaging her temple.
"I had my first test run last night. It'll be six months before I know for sure." Patrick admitted.
"Why would you do that?"
"For the same reason I've been here all night: I fucking care!"
"Would you two kindly remember you are in a hospital and keep your voices down?" Alexis Davis rounded the corner, her brunette hair pulled back into a sloppy bun. She pushed her glasses up her nose. "I am told people sleep here at night." She remarked dryly.
"He started it." Anna protested.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he did. But the nurses need to ask you and Mac some questions, Anna."
"Of course." Anna nodded, her face losing its color.
Patrick waited for her to leave and then clenched his left fist and punched the wall. Goddamn this waiting! He wasn't cut out for it!
"Down tiger." Alexis put her hand on his shoulder.
"She's purposely keeping me from seeing Robin. I don't even know if she's awake."
"It's past three in the morning, Patrick."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"It means even if you could see her, she'd be sleeping."
"You must know."
Alexis sighed and decided to take pity on the younger man. She wasn't clear on all the details just yet but, whatever problem Mac and Anna had with him, it was obvious he cared about Robin. "Come on let's go sit down."
"Why?"
"Because it's late, I'm tired, and I'm older than you."
"I guess those are good reasons. What do you know?" Patrick implored.
Alexis sat down across from him. "She apparently suffered several internal injuries. They aren't even a hundred percent sure what all she damaged yet."
Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose as he took it all in. "But she'll be okay."
Alexis looked him dead in the eye, just like she did when she had to deliver bad news to a client. "She's not woken up yet, Patrick. Robin is in a coma."
"A coma?" Patrick sucked in a breath of air. "How is that possible? She was fully conscious when she was brought in."
"The doctors aren't sure. She never regained consciousness after she passed out."
"This doesn't happen, Alexis. Things like this aren't supposed to happen."
Alexis shook her head sagely. "No they aren't. But this happened and now we have to deal with it."
"I'm not going anywhere." Patrick replied, reaching for her left hand. "Thank you for telling me the truth."
"Just don't tell Mac I'm the one who told you. I do not want to sleep on the couch tonight."
Courtney watched Morgan sleep soundlessly beside her. She should have been at the hospital waiting for news on Robin, but her first priority was to this little boy. She had to keep it together for him and then she would deal with everything else. Robin would have agreed. Courtney had already received a call from her A.J. earlier--there was no telling how he had come to know of Robin's accident. He had told her he would gladly take Morgan off of her hands, that Michael missed his baby brother. She had vehemently argued her point until she was blue in the face and hung up, bursting into tears. How could some people be so cold?
The accident had left Morgan with twelve stitches extending from one side of his head to the other. The doctor assured her that she could remove them herself in a week. She was about as pleasant as a cactus when it came to bump, bruises, and stitches. No, when the time came, she would take Morgan back to the hospital and let that man do his job.
When she let her mind wander, she couldn't help but taking what A.J. had said to heart. What if Robin didn't wake up? Her health was excellent, but the HIV had still managed to hang over head since she was seventeen years old. She had suffered from and gotten over certain illnesses over the years ranging from strep to a slight case of pneumonia. What if she didn't pull through this time? Courtney didn't think she could care for Morgan alone. What was worse, she couldn't imagine her life without her friend in it.
The light of her cell phone indicated an incoming call. Courtney ran her hair through Morgan's hair as she reached for it. "Hello?" she whispered.
"I was betting you couldn't sleep either. How's Morgan?" Elizabeth's tired voice sounded in her ears.
"He's asleep. It took two Disney movies and a small dose of Nyquil, but he's out for the night." Courtney replied, suppressing a yawn.
"No nightmares?"
"None yet. I'm sure they're not too far away though."
"Probably." Elizabeth paused. "Has there been any change?"
"Nothing. Anna has called me every hour."
"When you are going over tomorrow?"
"Visiting hours begin at eight a.m. I'll be there by seven."
"I'll meet you there."
"Don't you have to work tomorrow?"
"I'm not scheduled until three and I'm seriously considering calling in."
"I hate to ask--"
"But?"
"I'm going to need some help with Morgan. I'm pushing my photo shoot as far back as they'll let me, but do you think I could call you if I have a question?"
"Absolutely. Any time Courtney. You can call anytime."
"Tell me she's going to get through this." Courtney whispered.
"Robin will get through this if only because she wants to prove someone wrong."
Courtney laughed. "If you're not sleeping at home, you're more than welcome to come over here."
"I'll be there in five and bring movies. Any requests?"
"Johnny Depp...doing anything."
"Pirates and Cry Baby it is then."
"I'll leave the door unlocked. Just come on in."
"I'll call before I walk in so I don't wake up Morgan."
"I think we still have some cheesecake." Courtney said, hanging up.