Chapter 7

October 17, 2007

How Elizabeth Webber came to work at the hospital was still a bit fuzzy to her. After her run-in with the law, or rather its little sister Lulu Spencer since the girl had mentioned that her brother was a cop, she had gone to her grandmother, Audrey Hardy's house. She had been the one to suggest the opening for nurses. As the youngest in a family of doctors, Elizabeth had always figured she would get a degree as well. Why not nursing? It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world but, thanks to her father, she had no other means of money. She would die before she worked in that cockroach-infected diner. You didn't work where you slept; everyone knew that.

She had called Dr. Alan Quartermaine, the hospital administrator, and he set up a meeting for her with Ms. Sneed. If the woman had had a first name, Elizabeth was never given such information. The woman had been positively primeval as she went down her list of questions she had set aside for Elizabeth. Some of the questions made total sense; others did not. If Ms. Sneed had expected her to slip up, she had truly underestimated her. Elizabeth had been read medical journals as a baby instead of fairytales; her father had brought home his patients' charts and asked Elizabeth to diagnose them based on their symptoms; and between her brother and sister, she had had several trips to the hospital herself. There wasn't a thing about medicine that she hadn't encountered.

As it was, she had only worked at the hospital for six weeks. In that time, she had collected all the information on the rest of the staff that she needed in case one of them decided to cross her. As a rule, she did this for both her friends and enemies, because the line between them always seemed to be thin and blurry. She had the schedules of all of the doctors memorized; she was a walking book of knowledge she thought proudly. After an encounter with Dr. Drake, Elizabeth had been determined to figure out why he was so angry and, if that was just his way, why his eyes were always bloodshot as if he spent the nights crying out against the injustice of the world. Then, as if to answer her question, she had met Dr. Scorpio and put two and two together. As angry as Patrick Drake was, that was how troubled and solemn Robin Scorpio was. It was only natural to give into the urge to combine their schedules today. She wanted them to work out whatever issues they might have. Besides, it would be interesting to watch it all unfold.

Much to her displeasure, Dr. Scorpio took a sick day thereby messing up Elizabeth's plans. It was infuriating! Once Brenda explained to her what was going on, Elizabeth had enlisted herself to help get them at least in the same room together. It made no sense for Robin to miss work today, unless she really was sick. Brenda wouldn't steal her away from work when Elizabeth was doing her best to help the older couple out. It was no secret that Robin was pregnant: on the contrary, everyone knew. Gossip traveled fast throughout this hospital, fast enough to make Elizabeth's head spin. She bet the staff had been giving Patrick trouble for walking out, even though that wasn't the case. In situations such as this one, the truth rarely mattered to the crowded masses.

*****

OCTOBER 25, 2007

An epidemic hit Port Charles at such a catastrophic rate that it took the staff at General by total surprise. Slipping in with Luke Spencer and his primate, it had already struck down several citizens of the town. Everyone who worked at the Hospital was forced into a state of panic. They were decked out in all sorts of protective outfits complete with leather gloves and masks. So far, the epidemic was only spread through intimate contact with an infected person; it was only a matter of time before it became airborne. The second Patrick Drake realized this, he searched every floor until he found Robin. Not only was she at risk due to her HIV status, but her pregnancy was less than stable as well, and he wasn't willing to risk their lives just because he and Robin weren't speaking.

He found her checking on Skye Chandler, the first person to come down with the epidemic. It was a shock to see her after all of this time with her right hand resting casually over her growing belly and her flowing cinnamon hair flying out in all directions. Patrick couldn't see her eyes from where he was standing and it bothered him. He wanted to twirl her around and see those sizzling brown eyes shooting sparks at him. He didn't dare step toward her even though every part of him craved her. It physically hurt to be this far away from her. At least before he hadn't had to be around her, hadn't had to watch the world wear her down. He could see the chip on her shoulder growing with each passing second he stood there.

"Robin." Her name on his lips made her blood go suddenly cold. Her eyes darted to the right and she noticed him standing awkwardly in the doorway. If she had thought his hair was tousled before, it was downright ridiculous now. She wanted to rake her fingers through it, wanted to-well it really didn't matter what she wanted, did it? She cautiously watched him, noting how impressively thin he was as if he hadn't eaten since the last time they spoke. His skin was still tanned from their vacation at the beginning of last summer which was amazing to her. There were dark lines circling both of his eyes, too black for her to write them off as an argument gone badly, and his skin was drawn tightly over his bones.

Robin left Skye, giving her hand a soft squeeze before exiting the room. Patrick followed, as she had known he would, but she didn't face him. The air was thick enough to make her want to gag, but she fought the urge and swallowed the bile down so that it bit into the thin layer of her throat. Blinking furiously, she stiffened her back to keep her body from going into a shaking fit.

Patrick's hands fell to her shoulders and he convinced her to at least acknowledge his presence. He was holding her close enough to him that he felt that first involuntary shake. She wasn't as numb to him as she had hoped to be. Her skin was pale under his hands and he furrowed his brows in worry. What kind of strain had she put herself through in their time apart? He hated that he hadn't been there, but the rational part of his brain said that she would have slammed the door in his face. He had even missed the sonogram appointment, his first excuse since the break-up to see her, because Epiphany had scheduled him for two additional surgeries that day and he hadn't been able to get out of it. He had called Kelly only to have her tell him that the baby was healthy. He hadn't asked the sex, having wanted to experience that moment with the woman he still loved.

"What do you want, Patrick?" Robin wondered, leading him into her office since the hallway was filled with patients. It wasn't fair for them to be on breaks when the entire town was at risk, but she couldn't just leave. She needed this time away from the death and the madness; she needed to be this close to Patrick and pretend that he was still her rock, her constant. He stood in front of her now, daring her to look up at him. A part of her wanted to. She wished she were brave enough to just grab him and kiss him without having to worry about the consequences. She had done it once before, but all that had been on the line then was her pride; now she had to consider her baby.

"What are you still doing here, Robin?" Patrick wanted to know, unable to stop himself from tilting her chin with the tip of his thumb. She stared first at his hand and then, finally, her eyes burned into his. He kept his hand where it was, his fingers caressing the side of her cheek so that she would lean into his touch. She quickly took in a breath, gulping because his intense stare intimidated her. He picked a leaf from her hair, studying it with amusement before dropping it onto the floor.

"It's my job to be here. I'm supposed to be out there." Robin answered evasively, smacking his hand from her face, amazed how cold she felt when she put some distance between them.

"You need to be at home." Patrick argued, slamming his hand into the wooden door so that Robin couldn't free herself of him. He could see her in his mind, unconscious in a corner having been exposed to the epidemic, even as he told himself that such a thing hadn't happened…at least not yet. Robin took in his closeness and folded her arms across her chest. Patrick unwound her arms wrapped them around his waist, drawing her into his arms and holding her in-between his body and the door. Her legs dangled helplessly as she clutched onto his waist and he used this to his advantage, kneeing her legs apart so that he could settle himself flush up against her. He wasn't rough with her, not even a little bit, but his kiss bruised her lips. His hands slid up her blouse stinging her skin like acid rain and she worried she might fall. Noticing her discomfort, Patrick let her slide down the door, let her run all over his body, the slow motion enough to make him forget why he had stayed away so long.

"What makes you think that you have any right to tell me what to do?" Robin defied him, even now when she was unable to get away. His body shivered against hers so she knew that, if she stopped talking, stopped fighting, she would be a lost cause.

"I have more than a right, Robin." Patrick informed her, stabbing his tongue in-between her lips, running it over the roof of her mouth, drawing a quiet moan from her. His fingers moved to unclasp her bra, but she shook her head desperately.

"I can't." Robin argued, tears stinging her eyes.

"Let me touch you." Patrick urged, using his free hand to stroke her face, his forehead resting against hers as he waited for her compliance.

"I don't trust you." Robin pushed on his shoulders, but his lips found hers again, and she stood on tiptoe to drape her arms around his neck.

"You don't trust yourself with me. That's not the same thing. I won't hurt you." Patrick promised, gnawing on her ear, his breath washing over her hot flesh.

"It always hurts to be with you, but it hurts to be away from you too. I can't win." Robin sobbed into Patrick's mouth when she initiated their next kiss.

"It's not about winning!" Patrick snapped harshly, yanking the plastic tarp of an outfit over Robin's head along with her blouse, carrying her over to her desk and knocking all of her work onto the ground, smirking at her appalled reaction. He tucked his hand under her head, slamming his mouth into hers. His tongue danced sensuously over hers and she ripped at his clothing.

"Damn it." She snarled when she couldn't quite get it over his head.

"Here." Patrick took over the task himself.

"No. Let me." Robin got to her feet, but Patrick was already halfway undressed. She shook her head and cocked her head to one side.

"I'll let you have your way with me later, Dr. Scorpio." Patrick promised, tracing the rim of her bra with his teasing fingers. He backed away from her for a second, taking in the sight of her half naked in front of him. She sat there like an offering, daring him to take the final step. Her hair hung in front of her dusty brown eyes and she didn't even attempt to cover herself. She crossed her legs, challenging him, and her lips turned upward forming a tiny, barely noticeable, smile. He put both hands on her waist and dragged her skirt down so that she was only in her underwear. Her stomach caught his attention, reminding him how long he had been away from her, how long it had been since he had touched her, kissed her, and he found himself knocking her backwards once more. Her spider-like legs, both thin and skilled, wound around his waist and he shivered.

"Miss me much Dr. Drake?" Robin teased, unbuttoning his blue jeans and slipping her hand inside. She increased her hold on him until he was falling into her, his breath ragged against her ear and his hands pushing her legs apart.

"No more than you missed me." Patrick pointed out, stroking her through her panties.

"Tell me you love me. Please." Robin hadn't meant to beg, to show this kind of vulnerability in front of him, but she needed to know that he wasn't going to have her and then leave her again.

"I love you." Patrick obliged her.