Chapter Nineteen:
Patrick opened his eyes and blinked a few times, his knee on fire and his ears ringing. His heart raced as he sat up.
"Robin?" he looked at her and saw her huddled against the other wall, her arm held around her middle.
"Hey, talk to me," he moved to her, ignoring the pain in his leg.
"Stay back," she said weakly. "Bleeding."
He sighed and looked at her, trying to gauge what happened.
"Can you tell me where you're hurt?"
"Um, my side. I think my shoulder is out of place and when the elevator stopped, I fell onto the railing and cut my arm."
His fear was growing as he watched her breathing become labored from pain.
"Let me see," he said and she cried.
"No, please don't touch me. I don't want you to get my blood on you."
He looked at her purse and knew she always had a pair of gloves.
"Your purse. You have gloves, right?"
She nodded and he looked through, finding some and putting them on.
"Okay, now let me see your arm," he moved to her and she had a look of terror on her face as he went to touch her.
"No, please don't hurt me," she said, clearly in shock and reliving something he couldn't see.
"Robin? Look at me. It's Patrick and I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" his own tears fell as he watched her torment.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm okay. I know where I am."
He smiled and watched as she closed her eyes.
"No, hey, Robin? Look at me," he said panicked as she fell to the side.
He went into doctor mode and gently moved her. He saw immediately that a piece of the railing from the elevator had fallen off and sliced through her arm. She needed stitches and he had no way of fixing it. Her shoulder was also a mess.
"Help! We need help!"
He pounded on the doors and felt his panic taking over. He tried to pry the doors apart and they wouldn't budge.
"Patrick?" her voice broke his thoughts.
He moved to her and held her face in his hands.
"You hold on, okay? I'm going to get us out of here."
"It's just a scratch," she smiled a little.
He smiled despite his panic and wiped his forehead.
"You always do that," he pulled his shirt off and ripped it enough to wrap it around her arm, trying to stop the bleeding. She cried with the movement of her injured shoulder.
"Do what?" she asked haltingly, the pain intense.
"Try to lesson your pain for everyone else. You always hide what you feel and it infuriates those of us who love you."
"Well then it's good you don't love me anymore."
He stopped and looked at her.
"Love was never the issue with us."
She used her good hand to wipe her tears in anger.
"Right. You loved me so much you screwed two other women. Good to know."
"I thought you were dead," he said.
"With one maybe, but not the other. Besides, if you loved me, you would know just how much that would hurt me; not the what, but the who. Someone who loves you doesn't do that."
He sat back and she sighed.
"I'm sorry. I told you we shouldn't talk about this and we shouldn't. We just need to get out of here and on with our lives."
"Right. Perfect strangers," he said bitingly.
"It's what needs to happen, Patrick."
"Says you," he sat next to her.
They were quiet when the elevator moved a little and they both froze. They couldn't handle another drop.
"Hello? Is there anyone in there?" A voice yelled from above.
"Yes! We need help. I have an injured woman here!" Patrick yelled.
"Sit tight. We're working on it!" the voice called out.
"See? We're going to be fine," he said and turned to her. He saw she was lying on her side and something was wrong.
"Robin? What happened? What Is it?" he said and turned her onto her back. She was staring ahead and he saw a look of fear and pain on her face.
"I'm scared," she said softly. "I feel trapped and I don't think we're going to get out of here."
"Of course we are," he said and smoothed her hair back. She began to breathe faster and he got nervous.
"Hey, why don't you tell me about your new apartment? I haven't been there, but Emma seems to love it."
"If they come to take me, just kill me. I can't go through this again," she said in a pathetically small voice. "It's okay," she said softly. "I'm ready."
"What? Ready for what? What are you talking about? You are not allowed to give up. You are going to be fine."
She closed her eyes and he took her hand in his.
"You are not a quitter. You wake the fuck up and talk to me right now," he demanded.
She blinked and her eyes bore into his.
"I don't like it when you tell me what to do," she smiled.
He smiled through his tears and shrugged.
"I don't care. Nobody is going to take you anywhere," he kissed her fingers.
"This is probably my fault. I'm sorry you got caught up in this."
"What do you mean? The elevator broke, that's all."
"No. It's probably Helena's doing. I haven't been very smart, just showing myself all around the city. I was probably being watched," she said and her eyes were full of fear. "Do you think she went after Emma? I'm so stupid, Patrick. I came home because I missed you both so much, but what if I put you in more danger? What if this was a screen to get Emma?"
"Shh, Emma is fine and you need to try and calm down," he said and held her hand, her pulse all over the place.
"I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry I messed her life up so much. I wanted to be a mother so badly and I have been a colossal failure. I'm just so mad at everything. I'm so tired and I'm so mad."
Patrick listened to her and things suddenly became so clear to him. Nobody had ever told her this wasn't her fault. She harbored such guilt and he never took any of it. He never did anything to help her.
"Robin? I need you understand something," he said and saw she was unconscious. "No, please wake up," he stroked her cheek. "You are the best mother and Emma adores you. You were a victim in all of this and I let it all happen. You did nothing wrong and I'm so sorry. Please hold on and give me a chance to make this right. Please!"
There was no response from her and he was terrified she was in serious trouble. Why was she unconscious?
He breathed a sigh of relief when the top of the elevator was opened and a medic looked down.
"She has a separated shoulder," Patrick said.
"No, please," she cried. "They are going to hurt me."
He looked at her as the medic was lowered down.
"No, it's okay. He's going to help you," Patrick said as the medic went to stabilize Robin on a board.
"No! No please don't!" she screamed and almost punched the medic.
Patrick felt terrible at her cries and her fears were palpable.
"I promise you are going to be okay," he said. "Please believe me."
She looked at him and he watched the medic inject her with a sedative.
"No, oh God, please not again," she said as she fell asleep, her eyes having bored a hole into Patrick's heart.
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"I'm fine and this is absurd," Patrick complained as he sat in the hospital bed.
"You have a sprained ACL and you need to stay off of your leg," the doctor said. I will prescribe some pain meds and you can go."
"I need to see Robin," he said, his mind still reeling from all that happened.
"I'll be back," the doctor said and walked out.
Patrick went to get up when Emma ran in, her face covered in tears.
"Daddy?" she ran to him and he scooped her up in his arms, her tiny arms wrapped around his neck.
"I'm okay," he said and rubbed her back. "Shhh, I'm fine baby."
"I was playing at Cameron's and his mommy got a call and she wouldn't tell me but I knew it was bad. Is mommy dead again?" she sobbed and sat back.
"No, mommy is going to be just fine. In fact, I was waiting for the doctor to let me go see her. I think you should come with me, okay?"
She nodded and he wiped her cheeks before they saw the nurse come in and leave a pair of crutches for him.
"Why are you using those? I thought you said you were okay," she said worriedly.
"I twisted my knee and I need to try not to walk on it, but I'm going to be just fine. I promise, okay?"
She nodded and held tightly to his hand.
They waited and Patrick realized he didn't know where Robin was taken. He actually didn't know what they had found when they examined her.
"We should go see mommy. She doesn't like to be alone and she won't want to stay in a bed. What if they make her stay in a bed and she doesn't want to? I don't want her to be sad anymore."
Patrick looked at his daughter.
"Doesn't mommy sleep in her bed at home?"
"No. She doesn't know I know that, but she stays on the couch or the floor in her room. Sometimes I sit with her when she cries in her sleep but she doesn't know it."
Patrick felt his tears come as he hugged his amazing daughter.
"Mommy and I are so happy to have you as our daughter. We love you so much."
"Daddy? I'm scared," she said and he held her to him.
"It's okay. We're going to help mommy," he said and looked up as Mac and Maxie came into the room.
"Where is Robin? We need to go see her," Patrick said, knowing they called Mac as her contact.
"Hey Emma? Why don't we head down to get mommy some ice cream for when you see her. Uncle Mac needs to talk to your daddy," Maxie said and smiled, but Patrick could see her fear.
Emma snuggled against Patrick.
"No. I don't wanna leave. Something is wrong and I don't wanna go," she cried.
Patrick kissed Emma's head and sat back.
"Hey, look at me," he said softly and wiped her tears. "Mommy needs the best care right now and you and I know how much she loves ice cream. I think that your Uncle Mac and daddy need to talk so we can do the best for mommy and when you come back up we can both go to see her together. I promise she is okay."
Emma looked at him and he swore Robin was staring back at him.
"Okay. I love you," she said and rubbed her nose against his.
"I love you forever."
Maxie took Emma and walked out while Patrick moved to get up.
"What are you doing?" Mac asked him.
"I'm going to see Robin. I'm done waiting and I need to see for myself that she's okay."
Mac sat down and sighed.
"That's just it. She isn't okay."
Patrick froze and looked at Mac.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that seeing you isn't what she needs. It means that I need to make some decisions that will hopefully help her heal. It means that a person can only handle so much before they break."
"Mac, please tell me what happened. What did they say?"
"I'm asking you to let us be what she needs. Besides, she made it clear that she needs her space from you. Jason has been with her since she came in and she is calm right now. Just let her be."
Patrick stared at Mac and shook his head.
"Jason. Fabulous. Everyone thinks they know what's best for her. Everyone thinks they can step in and be what she needs. Everyone thinks they know what happened between us and what I want or need. Everyone is wrong. Mac, you've been there with us through our relationship. You know how much we love each other. That hasn't gone anywhere. I need to be with her. I can help her and I respectfully need you to back off."
Mac crossed his arms and looked at the handsome surgeon.
"She doesn't want you there. Her words are all I need to respect. Emma is welcome, but Robin is in surgery to repair her shoulder. When she is out, I'll bring Emma to her. You should go home."
"Mac, you can't do this. I love her," he said and his eyes filled.
"And you broke her heart. I am not trying to pass judgment, truly, but I will do anything for Robin and she needs this right now. I'm sorry."
Patrick watched as Mac left.
Fuck that. He wasn't sitting on the sidelines anymore. Something happened while they were in that elevator and he needed to help her. She wasn't okay and he knew she would continue to hide her feelings.
He could help her. More importantly, he wanted to help her.
He wanted his wife back and he needed to start showing her the man he knew he was. The man who could be her hero.
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