Chapter Twenty-Five:
Patrick waited while Robin took a drink of water. She was telling him about her captivity and he needed to know more.
"Who came in at night?"
She looked at him and then back at her hands.
"One of the guards, or henchmen I guess, had a particular fondness for me. He would always say something about my eyes or touch my hair when he walked by. He would run his fingers over my arm or cheek. He liked to tell me how he would be able to please me if I ever needed a certain kind of comfort," she said softly. "I tried to tell him I was HIV positive and I hoped that would deter him, but it didn't. He didn't care."
Patrick felt sick to his stomach. He let her continue.
"At first it was just that, a touch or a comment, but the longer I was there, the more certain he got that I wasn't going to be rescued. He started to become more forward with me, physically restraining me even when I didn't resist and making sure he was the one who was on night duty."
"What did that mean?"
"He was responsible for tying me to the bed at night after I was undressed. The first few months I was there, I tried to escape numerous times and always during the night. I almost succeeded a few times, but because I couldn't be trusted, I had to be restrained to the bed. This guy took pictures of me and he would sit there all night in my room. The guards usually left after I was secured for the evening, but he stayed. I woke up more than once to him touching himself while he watched me sleep. Sometimes he would do that right next to me. That's when I stopped sleeping at night."
"Fuck," Patrick said and got up, pacing. He didn't think he could listen to any more of this.
"You know what? It's fine. I'm okay and I'll get past it. I shouldn't have said anything."
"No, please don't do that. I'm sorry. Please tell me more," he walked back to the bed and sat down, facing her.
She met his gaze and he felt like she was reading something inside of him he wasn't ready for her to see. He always loved her eyes, so beautiful and full of expression. They suddenly went cold, as if she remembered something else.
"Can you leave me alone now? I don't want to talk anymore and I just want to go home."
"I can't leave you alone. I'm sorry, but Jason was worried that Helena was around and with Sabrina also seeming to have a screw loose, I don't think you should be unguarded."
"What? Helena is here? Did she find me?" she asked and scrambled out of the bed, almost falling over.
Patrick jumped to help her.
"Shh, it's okay, you're safe," he said as he gently held her in his arms, being careful of her bandaged shoulder.
"No, Patrick, it isn't. You and Emma will never be safe. Please go pick Emma up and go home. I'll be fine. Please go. I can handle myself. I don't need anyone else. I'm okay alone."
"No way. I'm not leaving," he said.
She sat on the bed and began pulling scrub pants on, despite Patrick's protests.
"You don't understand. You think I'm being paranoid or overreacting, but you don't know what I know. She will get to me and she will go after the only things that are important to me and that's you and Emma. I'm begging you to leave me."
He saw how her whole body shook with fear and he didn't care that his tears came at how horrible he felt for all she had been through. He couldn't stand it.
"Robin, please look at me," he said softly and took her hand in his.
She did and he saw the sense of despair all over her face.
"We have handled all of this wrong. It's time to learn from our mistakes and not repeat the same things. We are stronger together and that has always been the case. We can't let Helena dictate how we live our lives or where we go. I want you to come with me to pick up Emma and then we can go back to your apartment if you want. I'm just not leaving your side."
"Excuse me, you left a note wanting to see me?" Sabrina asked as she stood at the door, watching them and clearly interrupting. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"
Patrick stood up and glared at her.
"Why did you move that little boy from his father's office to the nurses station? What were you doing?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said and looked at Robin. "You look terrible, are you okay?"
Robin stood up and walked to her.
"If you touch anyone I care about, you will be sorry. If you have an issue with me, then take it out on me, no one else."
"You are both crazy. I don't know what you're talking about, but I think maybe you need to see a psychiatrist. I can recommend one if you would like," Sabrina said to her.
Patrick was floored. He didn't understand how this woman was the same one he almost married. What the hell was wrong with him?
"Get out. I'll be speaking to my lawyer about getting a restraining order against you," Robin said.
"Really? Are you sure you want to draw so much attention to yourself? After all, you never know who might be lurking around the hospital," she winked and Patrick took her arm, walking her out.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Who are you? How dare you threaten and try to intimidate Robin who has been through hell and back. If you have issues, fucking deal with them, but stay the hell away from her."
Sabrina shrugged and turned and walked away.
Patrick shook his head and walked back into the room with Robin, ready for her to fight him on leaving.
"I want to leave."
"I think you should stay here for longer. I'm worried about your health."
"I can run fluids at home. I need to get out of here."
He sighed.
"Okay. Can I please take you?"
She looked at him and nodded.
Finally, a chance.
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About an hour later, Robin was home on the couch and Patrick was helping Emma put away her things. He wanted to give her some time to think and he was trying to be cognizant of her feelings.
"Is mommy okay?" Emma asked.
"She is getting better every day. I think being here with you will help her so much."
"Are you staying, too?"
"For a little while."
She smiled.
"Good. You two need to be together."
Patrick laughed and watched as she went to work at her desk.
He walked back into the family room and saw Robin sitting there, staring at nothing. He sighed and walked to her, sitting down.
"Emma is working on her math homework. I love the desk you got her. She fits perfectly."
"It was like my desk growing up. I spent so much time there, pretending to work on research projects and fix things," she sighed and her tears came. "I was so stupid."
He wanted to touch her, but he hesitated.
"No you weren't. You are the best doctor and we are all lucky to have you."
She rolled her eyes.
"Hardly. What good has my medicine done? Bring back crazy psycho murderer from the dead? Who does that? How about what it did to you and Emma? Your lives were torn apart by my work. Nothing good has come from me being a doctor."
"We came from it."
She looked at him and he brushed her tears off her cheek, not thinking he shouldn't.
"What do you mean?"
"If you hadn't been a doctor, you wouldn't have known about the potential procedure to help Jason and you would never have looked for my dad. If you hadn't done that, you never would have looked for me. Your medicine brought us together and because of that, my dad is now healthy and we have a beautiful daughter."
She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
"I hear you, but just hate all of this. I'm really sorry for everything that's messed up your life."
"And I'm sorry for everything that's messed up your life, too."
There was a knock on the door and she jumped.
"Robin? It's Jason," the voice said.
Patrick sighed but went to answer it. He walked back in with Jason.
"I'm glad you're both here," he said and sat down. "Helena is definitely in town and as far as we know, she doesn't know where you are."
"Are you sure you weren't followed?" Patrick asked.
Jason glared at him.
"I wasn't followed."
"Maybe I should just go to her. Maybe it's futile to try and live my life," Robin said, her heart racing.
"What? That's absurd," Patrick said. "You aren't going anywhere."
"I agree. I am going to leave you this," he said and took out a gun.
"No. I don't want it. I don't want it in the house or near Emma!" Robin said.
Patrick took the gun.
"Jason is right. We need to be prepared. We have to protect ourselves."
Robin stared at him, her anger growing.
"Really? This coming from the man who couldn't stand violence and the threat of how it might infiltrate our home? How can you say you want this?"
Patrick looked at her.
"I can say this because you were kidnapped and tortured for years and the woman who is the mastermind for all the evils in Port Charles is coming after you. There is no way in hell I will stay here like a sitting duck. I will protect my family. I can do that, Robin. It's about time I finally did."
"Get out. Both of you get out of here. Take Emma and go home. I don't want you here and if you don't leave, then I will. I will go away and you will never find me again."
"What? Mommy where are you going to go?" Emma cried as she walked into the room and cried.
Robin turned to Emma and shook her head.
"No baby, I'm not going anywhere. You and daddy are going to go home so I can rest."
"But I don't want to go home. I am home here with you. Please don't make me leave. I want to help you, mommy. Please," she hugged Robin and cried into her good shoulder.
Robin held her daughter, despite the pain in her arm.
"Okay, shh, it's okay. You can stay. I won't make you leave. Shhh," she said and rocked her before she walked her back to her room, leaving Patrick and Jason alone.
Patrick turned and looked at Jason.
"Leave me and my family to take care of ourselves, please. You need to go and let us try to heal."
"You have no idea what you're up against. Don't let your pride blind you," Jason said to him. "You need help."
"No. I need everyone to stay the hell out of my marriage and my life. I need to trust what I know is true."
"You aren't her husband. You haven't stepped up once for her. This is way out of your league, Patrick."
"You need to get out before I make you get out," Patrick got in his face.
"Stop it!" Robin said as she came back in. "Emma needs to not worry about this. I should never have said anything. Jason, thank you, but you should go."
Jason glared at Patrick.
"DO you know how to use the gun?"
"Give it back to him," Robin said. "I don't want it here. I mean it!"
Patrick sighed and handed Jason the gun.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Jason said and left.
Patrick looked at Robin who had tears in her eyes.
"Patrick, this isn't a game. You aren't my husband anymore and I won't let you try and establish some sort of territory over me because of Jason. If you want to be with Sam and prove you're worthy, then do it somewhere else. I am in no shape to fight for you and to be honest, I don't think I want to."
"What? I don't want Sam. I wasn't even thinking about her," he said and walked to her. "This isn't about establishing territory. This is about your safety and my need to finally do what's in my heart. I know you don't believe me yet, but I'm not leaving you alone. You just need to get used to it."
"Actually I don't. I am done taking orders. I need for everyone to just leave me alone."
Patrick went to say something when they heard a crash and Emma screamed.
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