Sabrina never could resist Patrick when he was charming and it was even harder to do so now that she'd come so close to losing him. So, when he whispered that he needed her and kissed her so tenderly, Sabrina allowed herself to give in despite her reservations over hurting him. Like always, however, their kiss transitioned from sweet to passionate and Sabrina leaned into him, wanting to be close. However, when she reflexively laid her hand on his chest, Patrick moaned, but not in pleasure, and Sabrina pulled away. "I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, Sabrina. I'm fine."
"Clearly you aren't fine, Patrick, because you're wincing as you say that," Sabrina said, exasperated, as she got up off the couch.
"Please come back and sit with me," Patrick requested, giving her the puppy eyes he knew she was a sucker for.
"It's late," Sabrina said, willing herself not to give in. "I should get you to bed."
Patrick smirked. "Well, I'm definitely not going to argue with that."
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it." When Patrick shifted to get up from the couch, Sabrina rushed over to him and helped him up.
"You can't blame a guy for trying," Patrick said as Sabrina walked him into his bedroom. Patrick undressed while Sabrina untucked the covers for him. When he was done, she helped him lay down and get settled. Even though she was a nurse, the sight of the bandage on his chest got to her and she found herself needing to sit down. Since she had plopped next to him on the edge of the bed without warning, he asked, "Sabrina, are you alright?"
"Yeah," she said. "It's just… ah…"
Patrick reached for her hand and put it in his. "Please tell me what's wrong. Is it the bandage?"
Sabrina felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. "It's just that it's a reminder of how close I came to losing you and, when I let myself think about it, it just throws me."
"How so?"
"Life can change just like that." Sabrina snapped the fingers of her free hand to emphasize the statement. "One moment, everything can be perfect, and the next, you can lose it all. We were so happy and then Robin appeared and life as I knew it ended."
When Patrick tried to interrupt, Sabrina said, "No, let me finish, please." Then, she continued. "Don't you see? I knew you were going to pick her. There was no question in my mind even though I foolishly let Felix try to convince me otherwise. I was devastated, Patrick, but then I found out about the baby. While I was shocked, I knew that God had given me this wonderful miracle - a reminder of the love we'd shared. Only, that didn't last either because I lost Gabriel, too. Puerto Rico helped, but there is a huge hole in my heart that will never heal. Then, I got you back and I thought… I don't know… that maybe we could have a future together after all. That if you fell in love with me again and Robin came home, you would choose me…" Sabrina, tears now falling, sniffled. "But you didn't, Patrick, and I ended up hopelessly in love and alone."
"Sabrina, I…"
"You know, I loved Will. I really did. Do. But, he wasn't you and he never could take your place in my life or my heart; so, that's why I fought so hard against you when you left Robin and began pursuing me. To risk my heart only to have it broken yet again? I'd be crazy." Sabrina wiped her tears away with her free hand and then traced the outline of the bandage on Patrick's chest. "But, when you got shot, I realized that it would be crazier to keep you at arm's length because losing you forever would be unbearable."
Patrick listened to Sabrina pour her heart out to him and he was in awe of her inner strength. Sure, he knew that he'd broken her heart, but he never really grasped how deeply his actions had affected her until now. Patrick brought his free hand up to trap Sabrina's between it and his bandage. "I'm so sorry, Sabrina."
"You don't have to apologize, Patrick."
"Yeah, I think I do," he said. "I took you and our future together for granted. Despite what you may have thought, you were never a replacement for Robin. But you weren't her either. I had finally come to terms with her death and then she showed up at the church. As much as I loved you, I just couldn't imagine living another moment of my life without her and it killed me to break your heart. However, when we got back together, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I had everything I thought I always wanted, yet I still couldn't help but wonder how you were. You were avoiding me and it hurt more than I wanted to admit. Then, Felix told me you were pregnant and I was completely thrown. Although the part of me was relieved when you told me that Carlos was the father, it really stuck in my craw that you could sleep with him on our wedding night and lie to my face about it."
"I shouldn't have lied about sleeping with Carlos."
"I wish you wouldn't have, but I get why you did. When you told me the truth, Robin was in the midst of leaving me and Emma for Jason, so I was distracted by that and missed out on so much of your pregnancy. By the time I'd gotten used to the idea of being a father again, we lost our son, which killed me as much as it did you, Sabrina. The only thing that kept me going was Emma. Then, I don't know what happened; but, suddenly, you were back in my life and everything was good again. Even though I knew you weren't really mine any more than I was yours, I couldn't stop myself because you made me so happy." Patrick exchanged a smile with Sabrina, remembering how good things were between them.
Sabrina smiled back. "I was happy, too."
Sobering and sighing, he continued with the words he knew he needed to say. "When Robin came back the second time, it was different. You were all I could think about, but I wouldn't let myself give up on my marriage. It wasn't until I saw us on that video screen that I finally woke up and realized you were the person I wanted for my future, not Robin; but, by then you were with Foster and determined not to let me back into your life. I guess it's a good thing, though, that I was just as determined to show you that he could never be what you need."
Sabrina smiled. "You were right, though, Patrick. If I'd moved to Seattle, I would have been running away. I just refused to see it."
Patrick winced, but not from pain. "Yeah, about that…"
"What?" Sabrina asked, now suspicious.
"The convention at Grey-Sloan wasn't Monica's idea. It was mine."
"What?!"
"I thought that if I could get you alone, with him out of the picture, that I could break down your walls; so, I convinced Monica to send him."
"You're kidding, right?" Sabrina laughed and then said, "Wait a minute! Did you know they would offer him a job?"
Patrick shook his head. "No. That was just pure luck."
"Oh my gosh! No wonder you were so frantic when Felix told you I was moving!"
Patrick shrugged. "Yeah... That almost backfired on me pretty badly."
"I'd say so." Sabrina chuckled, but turned serious. "What would you have done if I'd left?"
"Followed you," Patrick declared without hesitation. "I told you I wasn't giving up, Sabrina, and I meant it…." Then, feeling the need to lighten the moment, he joked, "However, if I knew all it would take to get you back was a bullet in the chest, I would have gotten myself shot months ago."
Sabrina pulled her hand from his and smacked him in the arm. "That's not funny."
"Sorry," he said sheepishly as he gently squeezed her other hand, still on top of his chest.
Sabrina said, "I'll forgive you this time," and then leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. When she went to pull away, Patrick used his free hand to stop her. He locked eyes with her and whispered, "Stay with me."
"But I don't want to hurt you."
"What if I promise not to move?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Sabrina sat upright. "Then I think you'd be making a promise we both know you can't keep."
Patrick was about to issue another plea to get Sabrina to stay when she suddenly reached up and pulled the clip out of her hair. As the auburn strands cascaded down her back, Patrick realized he'd won. She would stay and he would finally be able to show her how much he loved her.