CH 6

"No… please!" Sabrina screamed, back in that place. Back in the dark confines of that wood shack. There was no light. No air. "Please help me!" she cried.

"Sabrina…."

The walls were closing in on her. Panic was setting into her bones. Her heart pounding out of her chest. She couldn't see anything. Not even her own hand in front of her face.

"Sabrina…."

She couldn't breathe. She gasped to no avail, her lungs on fire. "Let me out! I don't want to die!" She pleaded but there was no answer. No escape. "Please!"

"Sabrina!"

She felt hands on her shoulders trying to wake her up. She sprang upright from her bed and was met with Patrick's worried eyes. She struggled to catch her breath and gain her bearings. She searched around the room frantically to remember where she was.

"Hey… it's ok. I'm right here" Patrick said lovingly holding her face in his hands. "It was just a dream. You're safe now" He proclaimed, pulling her into his arms. "I've got you. And I promise I'll never let go."

Sabrina desperately wanted to believe him, but it felt so real.

"What the hell is going on in here, Drake Jr." Epiphany said as she entered the hospital room. "Her blood pressure is through the roof. Got alarms going off in the nurses' station and such. I thought I told you to keep her calm." Epiphany went over to the monitors to adjust the controls.

"Look at me" Patrick said attention still focused squarely on Sabrina. "I need you to calm down, ok? Can you take a few deep breaths for me?" Sabrina saw the concern in his eyes and did as he asked. After about a minute she felt her heart beginning to slow. Her panic subsiding. She was safe. She was with him.

"That's my girl" Patrick smiled

"Maybe I should give her something to help her sleep." Epiphany added.

"NO!" Sabrina almost scared herself with her response. "I mean… no. It's ok. I'm fine now."

Epiphany didn't believe her, but decided to leave well enough alone "Ok. I'll be keeping an eye on your vitals, Nurse Santiago" She said as she left the room.

"Are you sure you don't want something to help you sleep." Patrick asked as he helped her lie back down in the bed.

"I don't want to be drugged, Patrick." She responded. "And I don't want to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I…." She couldn't even finish her statement. She didn't want to. She didn't want to keep reliving it. She had spent the last 2 days in the hospital in and out of consciousness. Fighting imaginary demons in her sleep and sometimes even while she was awake. She tried her best to push the thoughts out of her head, but there they were. It was like every time she blinked, she could see that generator on the inside of her eyelids. Every time she took a breath it felt like she was fighting for ventilation. No. The last thing she needed was sleep.

Patrick stared at her. Knowing exactly what she was thinking. "I'm sorry." He whispered as he looked down at the floor.

"Sorry for what?" She asked.

"For everything. For not believing you about Britt and her lies. For not getting to you in time. For everything." He tried to wipe away his tears before they could fall.

"Listen to me" Sabrina said taking his hands into hers "None of this is your fault, ok? We were both lied to about the paternity of Britt's baby. And apparently the maternity as well. And there was no way either of us could have imagined that her and her mother would do anything so crazy. You saved my life, Patrick."

"I just wish it hadn't come to this. God, Sabrina…" Patrick stood up and began to pace the room "The thoughts that were going through my head. When I found you there… I couldn't see straight. It was like the earth had stopped spinning. I couldn't feel the ground under my feet. My heart… it was shattered into a million pieces. I thought…" He didn't finish. They both knew what he thought. "I can't even imagine what it was like for you."

Sabrina shifted uneasily in her bed "You mean knowing I was about to die?" She said barely above a whisper.

Patrick flinched. He didn't want to say it out loud. Saying it out loud would bring it back into reality. "Yeah" he responded.

Sabrina went quiet for a minute. Thinking back to the movie of their love story that was playing on the ceiling of what she was sure was going to be her final resting place. "It wasn't as bad as you might think" She said.

Patrick looked at her perplexed "How so?"

"Because you were with me" She smiled. "My biggest fear wasn't you finding me in that building. It was you finding Emma in there. I knew you wouldn't be able to survive that. Once I knew she was safe, Patrick…. I was ok. I was ok because I felt you with me. I saw you. I saw us. Does that sound crazy?"

"No" He shook his head "Not at all."

"I mean, facing your own death is a scary thing, don't get me wrong. But it was… peaceful almost. I closed my eyes and thought about every moment we had together. I heard every word you had ever said to me. I felt every kiss we ever shared. If I was going to die Patrick, I was alright with it knowing how lucky I was to have been with you for the time I had."

Patrick stood at the foot of Sabrina's bed paralyzed. "God, I love you." He said. He walked over and sat of the edge of the bed and took her hand into his. "Thank you for coming back to me."

Sabrina reached up and wiped away his tears "Always." She whispered pulling his face to hers. The feeling of his lips on hers was one she thought she would never feel again. She wanted it to last forever.

"Ok ok!" Felix exclaimed as he came into the room with his hand over his eyes. "Enough with all the PDA. We have to get you up out of this bed, Miss Thang. Have you forgotten your being discharged later today?"

"No I haven't forgotten" Sabrina replied happy to see her friend but annoyed at his timing.

"Good. We have to get you all packed. I have your room all decked out. Ya know, now that the Wicked Witch of the Westbourne is out on her ass. And her clothes on the curb, might I add. I still have to move the couch a little to make room for your wheelchair, but we'll do that later."

"Wait, wheelchair?" Sabrina asked confused.

"Hello! Your leg is in a cast. I can't have you hobbling around like some old granny. I'm getting you the finest wheels GH has to offer."

"Felix, slow down. First of all, it's an air cast. I can walk on it. And my foot isn't even broken. It's just a sprain. I only have to 'hobble around' as you put it for a couple weeks. I don't need a wheelchair."

Felix rolled his eyes, "Can you talk some sense into her Doc?" he asked Patrick.

Patrick laughed "Can you?"

"Touché ." He smirked. "Fine, no wheelchair. I just can't wait to get you home so I can keep my eyes on you."

"Actually" Patrick interrupted. "I know your really excited Felix, but I was actually hoping Sabrina would come home with me and Emma." He said looking at her with love in his eyes.

Sabrina and Felix had matching shock on their faces "Really?" She asked

"Yeah. I mean I know we haven't really talked about it before, but I have been thinking about it for while now. And Felix is right. You need to be watched so that you don't do too much too soon. And honestly, I don't want to let you out of my sight for a moment. You belong with me. And with Emma. I mean, if that's ok with you, Felix."

"What?! Oh please, take her!" He said excitedly.

"Felix!" Sabrina replied.

"What? Girl, you know I love you, but after everything I've done to put and keep you two together, I'm spent. She's all yours Dr. Dreamboat." He smiled. "I'll have her things packed at to your house by tomorrow. Now I have to get back to work before Epiphany sends in the hounds. I'll talk to you later?" He asked placing a kiss on Sabrina's head.

"Definitely. Love you" She replied.

"I know you do." He winked. "I love you more, hookah." He joked as he left the room.

"I didn't catch you off guard, did I?" Patrick asked still sitting at the edge of Sabrina's bed.

"No. Well, yeah kind of. Are you sure about this? Do you think Emma is ready for that?"

"Are you kidding me, it was practically her idea" He laughed. "She wants you with us. I want you with us. And not just until your 100% again, but forever."

Sabrina couldn't believe it. Every dream she ever had was coming true. This beautiful man wanted to share his home with her. His life. "I would love that" she said beaming from ear to ear. It was all she could do to keep from jumping out of her hospital bed and doing a cartwheel. As they celebrated with a kiss, she realized in that moment that all the obstacles in their path were gone. It was going to be just the 2 of them. Or the 3 of them, as it was. She was ready. She was ready to finally write the next chapter of their lives together. Most importantly, she was grateful that their story hadn't ended in that tiny barren shack. He was hers and she was his. That was the only medicine she needed.

When Patrick pulled away from her lips, Sabrina's face turned to stone as she caught sight of the entrance. The obstacle they had just ridden themselves of was in their orbit once again. Patrick turned around to find Britt Westbourne standing at the door.