Patrick lifted Morgan on top of his shoulders while Robin watched them from the corner where she was absentmindedly checking her voicemails. She had once warned him not to leave her any because it, more often than not, made her not want to return the call. She just needed something to occupy herself with while the two most important men in her life played together.
Terrified that Morgan's constant presence in her life would send Patrick running in the other direction, Robin had been pleasantly shocked when the opposite had happened. Even in the beginning, he had been careful not to cross any lines where Morgan was involved. Neither Patrick nor Morgan had been close when Carly was alive because she had treated the entire Spencer family like something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She had married almost immediately, wanting rid of her maiden name, and almost broken her mother's heart when she had kept both boys just out of arms reach.
They had finished with the cookies a little while ago and Morgan had all but insisted they come to the hospital, "Right now, Robin. Right now." Finding a plastic cookie tray, they had covered the sugar cookies in foil and met Patrick at the front desk. He was such a nervous guy and she loved that about him, loved discovering his little eccentricities because they made him all the more human. Here, with her, with her son, he was just Patrick. He wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone; he wasn't reverting back to the guy she had all but hated for the better part of a decade. He was just having fun with her kid and she didn't think there was anything sweeter than that.
"How about now?" Morgan wanted to know, his hazel eyes catching Patrick's chocolate gaze.
Patrick chuckled softly, his eyes darting from Morgan to Cameron's room. How did he explain to the six-year-old why the three-year-old couldn't come out and play, come and eat cookies with them? Robin had told Morgan that Cameron was sleeping, not wanting to overwhelm him, but it was clear to Patrick that his cousin was confused. "Not yet. Aunt Laura is still in with him." He explained for the hundredth time. No doubt about it: Morgan was Robin's son. Where he lacked in excessive talking, he made up for in impatience and curiosity.
"But I want to go in now. She can watch him sleeping any old time. I have to make meetings." Morgan pointed out, placing his hands over Patrick's mouth to stop him from arguing.
"Careful to not cover up his eyes." Robin cautioned, already moving toward them.
"I have eyes in the back of my head." Patrick told them arrogantly.
Parting Patrick's hair on either side of his crown, the little boy frowned and said, "Don't see them. Are you sure they're back here?"
"They're invisible." Patrick responded.
"Do you still have your receipt? You should get your money back. No extra eyeballs back here." Morgan assured him with a nod of his head.
"Alright, come here." Robin tried to reach her son, but it was no secret Patrick was a lot taller than she was.
"Would you like me to bend down?" Patrick reasoned, giving Robin a crooked grin when she turned an even deeper shade of red.
Shaking her head at his flawless ability to make anything dirty even in the presence of unsuspecting children, Robin lifted her hands directly under Morgan's little body to catch him. "Please."
Reaching behind him without even having to look, Patrick placed the little boy in his mother's arm, smiling brighter when he heard her huff at him. "Good practice." He whispered intently. "I thought all women liked for a guy to be tall, dark, and handsome. I happen to fit the criteria." He said a little louder.
"When women talk about tall, we don't mean Jolly Green Giant tall and who said anything about you being handsome?" Robin wondered, showing him her teeth in a broad, fake smile before she set Morgan on the floor.
"Jeez, I'll let your car win next time." Patrick returned, his words patronizing but his tone playful.
"Do you think Cam will like Wolfie?" Morgan asked, his eyes darting from one adult to the other. He held out a battered brown stuffed dog with thin, floppy ears, marbles for eyes, and a friendly stitched-on smile made of black thread.
"What's Wolfie doing here?" Robin responded instead, her eyebrows drawn together as she recognized the only toy Morgan had wanted to take from the Corinthos house when she'd come to take him home with her.
"Lucky said Cameron has bad dreams. And you told me he's fallen into a deep sleep. What if he doesn't have his Monster Spray with him?" Morgan challenged his dark eyes glossy and direct.
Patrick stared at the child, dumbstruck. You never really knew what a child picked up on until they decided to bring it up. "Is Wolfie a good guard dog?" He inquired, bending down to Morgan's eye level.
"He's the best." Morgan replied in an unwavering tone.
"You brought him to give to Cameron?" Robin assumed, knowing that most children his age, hell all children up to her and Patrick's age, didn't like sharing their toys. She didn't want him to give the prized possession up if he planned on taking it back later.
"Yeah. I don't need him no more. I'm a big kid." Morgan explained somberly.
"That's the best thing you could do for Cam right now." Robin told him, running her right hand through his hair only to have him swat her hand away and part it with his fingertips. "I'm so proud of you."
"Me too." Patrick agreed getting to his feet. "They have a rule at the hospital that only grown-ups can go back and see Cam while he's here. Would you like me to take Wolfie to him?"
The tiny brunette's eyes filled with tears. "You mean I can't go give it to him by myself?" His bottom lip started to quiver and Robin looked at Patrick helplessly.
"I'm sorry." And, damn it, he actually was. Why were people always crying, and why did he always have to be right next to them when they were?
"Hey Morgan, how about I get the crayons out of the car and you make a Get Well Soon card for Cameron? Would you like that?" Robin offered, wrapping one arm around him and holding him tightly to her.
"Yeah. Let's do that." Morgan nodded his head, his eyes already moving toward the exit.
Elizabeth adjusted the pile of handmade cards and pictures as she attempted to adjust the strap of her backpack without spilling them all over the floor. Before returning to the hospital, she had stopped by her house to say hello to her grandmother and pick up a change of clothes for tomorrow. If she knew her grandmother, around dinner time the older woman would arrive with enough food to feed an army. This was most likely to cause Robin to go all out when it came to breakfast the next morning.
She stopped suddenly when she entered the room, barely hanging onto her pile of well wishes. She had fully expected to see Lucky sitting in the exact same position she had left him in this morning, in the same chair it appeared he stayed in all night. Instead she was greeted with the sight of Laura Spencer and Lisa Grimes, their heads bent over their shared grandson and Lucky was nowhere in sight.
"Hi!" Elizabeth managed, causing both women to lift their heads.
"Elizabeth." Laura stood up to greet her, carefully taking the pile from her hands. "What do you have here?"
"The kids at school know Cam's in the hospital and they all made him cards and pictures." It had been one of the hardest days in her teaching career, trying to explain to three and four year olds where their playmate was and why he wouldn't be back in school for awhile. She hadn't even let herself think about if the worst happened. It wouldn't. It just wouldn't.
Laura managed a brave smile but Elizabeth could see her eyes bright with tears. "Well that was certainly sweet of them." She said. "We'll have to put them up for Cameron to see won't we Lisa?"
"Just the thing to brighten this place up." Lisa declared as she took part of the stack from Laura and gently placed it on the small table next to the bed. Turning back, she gave Elizabeth a quizzical look. "I don't think we've met." She offered her hand. "Lisa Grimes."
Elizabeth took the other woman's hand and shook it carefully. "Elizabeth Webber. I taught Cameron last year."
"Elizabeth. You are more than Cameron's teacher." Laura admonished before turning towards Lisa. "She and Lucky are dating."
"Really?" The change in tone was slight, but Elizabeth still caught it. The friendly smiled had dimmed by just the slimmest of margins. Lisa Grimes had just transformed herself from friendly to protective grandmother in less time than it took to blink an eye. "I remember Cameron talking about Miss Elizabeth last year but he didn't mention you and Lucky were dating."
"It's fairly recent." Three months was recent enough in her book. And that was only if you didn't count all the misunderstandings dating from the first time they met. "I was actually expecting to find Lucky here to be honest."
"Luke finally convinced him to go outside for a few minutes." Laura explained. "I believe he's down in the courtyard, sweetheart."
Elizabeth sighed in relief, spying an escape. She began to edge her way back towards the door. "Well I'll just go find them then and leave the two of you."
"No stay." Lisa insisted. "I'd love to get to know you better. Cameron talked so much about you, I feel like I know you."
"Oh I couldn't. I mean I would love to but isn't it the hospital's rule that you can only have two people back here at a time?" Elizabeth wasn't sure where the feeling was coming from but the urge to flee was strong. Lisa had terrified her when she was just Cameron's grandmother and Jess's mother. For reasons she couldn't fully explain the fact that Jess was dead made Lisa even more formidable in her mind. Jess had been this woman's only child, Cameron was her only grandson. If she thought Laura's intention prying talks were bad, Elizabeth didn't even want to begin to imagine what Lisa would come up with.
"Nonsense. You two should get to know each other. I actually promised my mother I would call her anyways. She was on vacation and is flying standby to get back here." Laura rose and ushered Elizabeth into the seat she just vacated. "Sit. I'll just be a minute."
Every nice thought she had about Laura Spencer vanished as she watched her retreating back move farther and farther away from the door. This wasn't right. Elizabeth had been sure Laura liked her. What had she done wrong? Turning towards the woman who terrified her, Elizabeth forced a smile. "Well here we are." she managed, wincing inside when she heard how lame she sounded.
"Yes. Here we are." Lisa smiled. "So tell me about yourself my dear."
Lucky chuckled as he watched his father try not to look bored out in the courtyard area. His mother had suggested the walk but only Tony's presence down the hall convinced Lucky it was the best course to take. He had finally remembered what day it was and being around Tony was tense at the best of times. Today it would be unbearable. Everyone grieved in their own way. Tony preferred to blame every Spencer that crossed his path, which would surely lead to a fight with Luke. Lucky preferred solitude and avoiding violence whenever possible.
He and Jess may have broken up well before Cameron was born but it didn't mean he didn't feel her loss any less. Whatever it was they were on their way to being at one time he had cared about her and they shared a child together. For that reason alone she was always going to be important to him. He wanted Cameron to know who his mother was and that she loved him. They may have had their disagreements on how they wanted to raise him, but Lucky never doubted Jess loved her son. At times, loving Cameron was the only thing they agreed on.
That damn drunk driver hadn't just killed Jess, whoever they were had destroyed Cameron's life as well. Tony had never liked him before Jess was pregnant and even less after. Truth be told, Lucky was never fully sure Tony wouldn't use any slight opportunity to go to court to take custody of Cameron away from him and it made him suspicious Tony hadn't made any threats so far. Maybe he was waiting for Cameron to wake up. Maybe he was too distracted by the extent of Cameron's injuries. Maybe he had softened in the last year. Lucky resisted the urge to snort at the last one and crossed it off his mental list. That one was not possible.
"Penny for your thought?"
Startled Lucky whirled around and found himself looking right into Elizabeth's blue eyes. He smiled softly at her and drew her close to him for a hug. Wrapping his arms around her waist he dropped his lips towards her ear. "Man am I glad to see you."
Elizabeth hugged him back, trying to push away the after-affects of her conversation with Lisa. She should have run out of that room when she had the chance. Shaking her head, she focused her concentration on who needed it the most, the man in her arms right this second. "I'm just happy to see you out of that chair."
Lucky felt the first real smile he had all day cross his face as he looked down on her face. He absent-mindedly played with a piece of her hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long. Your mom told me where to find you." Elizabeth looked around the courtyard, confused. "She said your dad was out here with you."
"Knowing him, he probably took one look at you coming out and beat it." Lucky rolled his eyes. "That way he can say he didn't leave me alone and mom won't yell at him for interrupting us."
Elizabeth laughed and pulled on his hand, leading towards a small bench nearby. "I'd ask how you are doing but I think you're probably sick of that by now."
"I'd be better if he would just wake up." Lucky smiled. "You know I don't think I realized how much of my day is spent listening to him until he wasn't able to talk."
Elizabeth laughed. "The few times I did have to get on him in class it was for talking too much." She squeezed Lucky's fingers. Cameron didn't deserve this. He should have been in school with her today, giving her the cold shoulder and Lucky should be telling her Cameron didn't obviously hate her because he wouldn't talk to her. She longed for the uncomfortable silence between herself and Cameron of the school carnival. "He's going to be ok. I have no idea how I know that but I just do."
"Why is it when other people say that I feel like yelling at them but not you?" Lucky wondered.
"Cause I'm cute?" Elizabeth guessed.
"Yeah that must be it." Lucky managed to chuckle. He had no idea how she made him laugh when the rest of his day had been spent between anger and despair but he was too thankful to question it right now. The day had started off hellish, gotten worse and appeared to be determined to continue an impossible downward spiral, but at this second, by something he didn't really want to think about too deeply, Elizabeth was making this day just the smallest measurement better.
Biting her lip, Elizabeth took a deep breath. Blowing it out, she reminded herself of their deal to talk to each other when they had issues and not make assumptions. "So I talked to Lisa today."
"You did." He should have realized this was coming. Between Cameron and his mother, he was certain Lisa had heard Elizabeth's name more than a few times in the past few months. And no matter how much his father wanted to believe otherwise, Lucky knew a good share of Cameron's curiosity came straight from Jess and Lisa. The phrase "beating around the bush" may as well been in Flemish for all the sense it made to those two.
"Yeah." Lifting her head off his shoulder, Elizabeth turned just enough to look him in the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about Jess?"
"It wasn't that I wasn't going to tell you. I was, eventually." Lucky ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "My relationship with Jess wasn't filled with the best decisions I ever made. We were young and stupid. By the time we realized that, Cam was on his way and we had to deal with him. As for not telling you about her accident? It's not the easiest thing to bring up over dinner. And when the accident happened? Our relationship was complicated at best. It's not the easiest thing to explain. Hell I was in it and I didn't fully understand it."
She wanted to accept his explanation at face value, that he was going to tell her, that it wasn't a question of him not trusting her with his past the way she had with him. She was willing to give him that finding your ex-boyfriend in bed with you best friend was not on the same level as mother of your child dying but it still stung that she had found out through Robin and not him. Even though she had initially dismissed Lisa's comments, his explanation didn't silence the other woman's words.
"What makes it even more tragic for Cameron is that Jess and Lucky were getting closer and closer to reconciling when the accident happened. Tony doesn't like to admit it but I know they were considering getting back together and it most likely would have ended in marriage once that happened. A mother knows these things." She couldn't help but wonder. Had he not told her because he was still somewhat in love with the ghost of his son's mother? Elizabeth realized she should hold up her end of their agreement and just ask him, but not now. Not while Cameron was still in the hospital. Once he got home, there was going to be no stopping the questions, but for now she was going to hold her tongue. No matter how crazy she realized it was going to drive her.
"Cowboy!" Luke's voice called over to them from across the courtyard. "The doctors need to talk to you!"
Sighing, Lucky reluctantly stood up, still holding her hand. "Just what this day needs. More bad news."
"You don't know that." Elizabeth stood up, squeezing his fingers. "Are we going to have to work on positive thinking here?"
"Probably." Lucky managed a small smile at her joke. Sometimes, he was probably a little bit too much like his father for his own good. "Will you be around tonight?"
"Yeah. Robin and I are planning spending the night thinking up new ways to annoy Patrick all night. Any suggestions you have will be welcome."
"I can come up with a few." Lucky started walking back to hospital, pulling Elizabeth along with him, oblivious to the sound of the cameras clicking behind them.