CH 8

Paging Nurse Santiago. Please return to the 10th floor nurses station.

Nurse Santiago to the 10th floor nurses station.

"Patrick…. " Sabrina giggled. "I have to get back to work." Sabrina was trying to push him off of her but not really putting much effort into it. Patrick had her pinned up on the counter of an empty exam room with his hands in places that made her spine shiver. It had been two months since her brush with death, and this was becoming the norm for them. Sneaking off in the middle of the day to steal kisses, late night/early morning love making sessions. They couldn't keep their hands off each other if they tried. And they never seemed to try very hard.

"Work can wait" Patrick whispered, feverishly attacking her neck with his mouth.

"That's easy for you to say. You don't have to answer to Epiphany"

Patrick stopped mid grope and gave her a stern look "Sweetheart, we ALL have to answer to Epiphany." Sabrina couldn't hold in her laugh.

"Ok. Good point but still…" Sabrina said pushing him away again "We have to stop."

"I disagree. And the Doctor outranks the Nurse." He joked returning his lips to her collarbone

"Oh is that right?"

"Mmhmm" he mumbled. Patrick was well aware of how inappropriate it was, but there was no blood flowing to his brain. He had no concept of decorum when he was in proximity of her. Little makeup, hair in a ponytail, in scrubs and she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. He lifted her arm above her head and with his hand began tracing a path from her palm down to her rib cage. Sabrina arched her back when the coolness of his finger tips made their way back underneath her scrubs.

"Someone could walk in here" She said trying to stop him from pulling at the draw string of her pants

"That's the thrill of it" he said with an evil grin "Besides, I locked it." Patrick lifted her shirt over her head and threw it to the ground.

"You're going to get me in so much trouble." She moaned. Realizing there was no point in protesting, she returned the favor by removing Patrick's shirt as well. Before they could get fully out of their scrubs there was a knock at the door.

"You've got to be kidding me" Patrick said with frustration in his voice.

"Sabrina?" Felix whispered from outside the door "Girl, Epiphany is on the prowl. Pull em up!"

Sabrina and Patrick both began putting their clothes back on before unlocking the door and letting Felix in.

"See now" He said as he looked around the disheveled exam room "You two need an intervention."

Sabrina began to blush as she tried to straighten up. "Am I needed with a patient?" She asked Felix. "Was that why I was paged?"

"No. Piph said there was some guy at the nurses' station looking for you though. But I didn't see who. Ya know, having to run interference for you and the Doc's sexcapades and all" Felix loved making Sabrina uncomfortable

"It's not her fault" Patrick laughed. "I got… carried away."

"I'm so sure" Felix replied raising an eyebrow. "As soon as you two cool down, I would suggest getting back to work."

"Thanks Felix" Sabrina said as he left the room

"Some guy, huh?" Patrick asked wrapping his arms around Sabrina's waist "Should I be worried?"

"We'll never find out in here" She winked. Sabrina and Patrick left exam room and walked through halls hand in hand. As the turned the corner to return to the nurses' stations, Sabrina saw the back of the head of the man in question and slowed down. It couldn't be.

"Prima…" The mystery man said with a smile as he turned around to see her standing there.

"Oh my God!" Sabrina squealed as she ran into his arms. He lifted her up and spun her around in the air with joy. "What on earth are you doing here?! It's so good to see you!" She asked after he finally set her down.

"Me?" He replied. "What about you? You look incredible!" he exclaimed as he made her do a twirl to show off her new look.

"Well ya know. It was time for a change" she giggled.

"And a gorgeous change it is" He complimented

"Ahem" Patrick tried to interrupt without alluding to the jealousy that was beginning to form in his throat.

"Oh my, I'm sorry" Sabrina said "Juan, this is Dr Patrick Drake. Patrick, this is my cousin Juan Santiago"

Relived, Patrick reached out his hand "Oh. It's very nice to meet you, Juan"

"Likewise" Juan responded meeting Patrick's hand with his. "So" he said studying Patrick "This is THE Patrick Drake? Bree talks very highly of you."

"Bree?" Patrick asked.

Sabrina laughed "Juan is one of only a few people who have ever called me that."

"And always will." Juan winked. "So Dr Drake, I think this is the part where I tell you if your hurt my cousin, I'll kill you."

"Juan!" Sabrina snapped.

Patrick chuckled "It's ok. I would expect nothing less. I promise, her heart is safe with me."

"I'll hold you to that." Juan replied with a serious tone. One that Patrick took note of. Juan seemed to be very protective over Sabrina. She had told him they were close, but he wasn't aware they were life threatening close. Patrick couldn't help but wonder if Sabrina had filled him in on everything that went down with Britt.

"Anyway" Sabrina said trying to break the tension "You still haven't told me what brings you to Port Charles."

"I need a reason to visit my favorite little cousin?"

"Yeah. We just talked a few weeks ago. You didn't say anything about coming into town."

"Well after everything you've been through, I thought now would be a good time" again Juan looked squarely at Patrick. Yep, he was fully aware of everything Britt Westbourne.

"I'm fine now, Juan. You already knew that. Something else is going on here. I can tell." Sabrina said trying to redirect his attention. When she had told Juan about everything, he suggested kicking Patrick to the curb. He didn't like what he was hearing for a second and didn't think Patrick deserved Sabrina with the amount of drama that seemed to surround him. She was more than a cousin to him. She was the little sister he always wanted. He had helped raise her from the age of 7 and was closer with her than anyone else in their family. There was nothing remotely joking in what Juan had threatened Patrick with earlier.

Juan sighed "You know me too well, Prima. Yes, I wish I could say I was here for just a friendly visit. But there's more to it. We need to talk."

"What about?" Sabrina questioned

"Maybe we should speak in private." He said with eyes on Patrick

"Anything you have to tell me, Juan, you can say in front of Patrick. What's going on?"

Juan took her hand in his "Is there an empty room we can go to?"

"Juan, your scaring me. Just say it" She said pulling her hands away. Nothing about this felt right. Not his impromptu visit and definitely not that way he was attempting to treat her with kid gloves. Whatever was going on, he was making it worse with his somber demeanor. "Juan! Tell me" She demanded.

Juan looked at the floor for a moment and took a deep breath. He raised his eyes to meet Sabrina's again "Es su padre" He said.

In English or Spanish, those 3 little words made Sabrina's body go cold. She felt the floor beneath her feet fall away. Her muscles beginning to tense. Patrick didn't know much Spanish, but he knew what padre meant. He placed his hand on Sabrina's shoulder thinking she was about to hear the worst.

"My father?" Sabrina said regaining her thoughts. "What about him? Is he dead?" she asked with what sounded like hope in her voice. Asking exactly what Patrick was thinking.

"No" Juan replied. "Unfortunately, no he's not."

Patrick was completely confused at this point. The only thing he knew about Sabrina's father was that he wasn't strong enough to take care of her when her mother died. She knew they weren't close after he sent her to live with relatives in Puerto Rico, but wishing him dead caught Patrick completely off guard.

"Prima, I really think we should go somewhere a little more private." Juan suggested looking around the busy nurses' station.

"Um yeah. Sure" She replied turning around to lead him into an unoccupied exam room. Patrick followed closely behind whether Juan liked it or not. Once alone in the room Sabrina retuned her attention to her cousin. "So, what has he done that would prompt you to fly here all the way from Puerto Rico out of the blue like this? Surely he hasn't been in contact with you…. Has he?"

"No not directly" Juan replied

"Dammit Juan. Stop talking in riddles. What is this about?" Sabrina felt frustration beginning to mix with her fear.

"I came to warn you." He sighed.

"Warn her about what?" Patrick interjected. Clearly this was a family issue and he probably should have stayed silent, but the insinuation that Sabrina was somehow in danger did not sit well with him at all.

"He knows where you are, Prima" Juan said attention solely on Sabrina. "I don't know how he found out, but he knows. He's on his way to Port Charles as we speak. If he's not here already, that is."

Sabrina felt like she had just had the wind knocked out of her. She had to hold on to the gurney in the room to keep herself upright. This was not happening. She had spent the last 20 years of her life trying the exercise the demon that was her father from her mind. Trying to block out the terrible memories of the past. Remembering how she wanted so desperately to have a loving father after her mother died only to be met with a cold shoulder. And even sometimes a cold fist. She could still smell the whiskey on his breath on the nights he would come home late from whatever watering hole he decided on at the time. That's if he would come home at all. She remained terrified of what was to come every time she heard his car door slam. She was that little girl again, paralyzed in her memories. In her nightmares. But this was no memory. This was no nightmare she could wake up from. This was real time. Her past demon had bullied its way into her present. As she stood there reliving a hell she never wanted to visit again, it was about to come knocking on her door. Daddy was home.