Chapter 1
On a boat for hire
Bundled against the January cold, Sean, Robert and Mac stood in the rear of the boat ferrying them across the river to Spoon Island.
"What if Alex is right?" asked Sean.
"Do not go there," said Robert sternly.
Sean continued, "If she is, then what -"
"Sean, stop right now," Robert enunciated each word.
"We have to consider the possibility."
"The possibilities?" Robert rounded on his old boss and friend. "That Robin is being held somewhere? Or ... or she's lying in some unmarked grave as if she didn't matter to anyone?"
"C'mon, Robby -" Mac began to say.
"No, Sean wants to talk about it? Fine with me." snarled Robert. "How 'bout ... Robin waiting and waiting for a rescue that never comes because ... because her parents, uncle and godfathers are all idiots! How 'bout THEM apples!"
"Robin is a survivor."
"I have a good one for you, Sean," Robert said. "What if she's a ... a Jane Doe in some asylum or a prison? Or hates us because ... because we never got her back. Or .. or ..." His voice trailed off. Robert stalked off to the front of the boat. Neither Mac or Sean followed him.
"What were you thinking pushing his buttons like that?"
"Why do you think Anna sent us out with him? She knew he needed to vent," Sean said. "We're the designated punching bags."
"Was that all that was?" asked Mac watching Sean closely.
"We're all upset, Mac."
"True. But you seem sure that Robin isn't Robin."
Sean schooled his features into neutrality. "Alex's reasoning is sound."
"It looks to me like you've already made your call," Mac said quietly. "It's my niece dying or it could be my niece that needs help. I only know one thing for certain."
"What's that?"
"This time I'm not believing a photograph or what someone else says. Only hard proof will convince me of anything."
Mac turned and followed Robert to the front leaving Sean alone with his thoughts.
'General Hospital
Anna sat in the antechamber adjoining Eve's room. Her gaze rarely strayed from the glass window through which she could see Eve sleeping. Bobbie came in from Eve's bedside. With a heavy sigh, she took off her face mask and sat down next to Anna. At the same time, Monica came in.
"Monica, Patrick can't stay in there much longer," Bobbie said to Monica.
Monica nodded. "I'll have a talk with him." Monica looked around the antechamber. "Will he take the other room? No never mind. Dumb question. I wouldn't if I were him. Bobbie, we can put the cot out here I think and drape a curtain for privacy."
"He has to move out? Why?" asked Anna.
"Robin's immune system is no longer able to fight off the simplest of infections, Anna." Monica studied Robin's medical chart. "And, I'm going to have to limit attending staff and start quarantine procedures."
Bobbie said. "I'll get on it. I want to personally put the nursing rotation together."
"Quarantine?" Anna said.
"At this stage, her condition can compromise anyone caring for her. Visitors, except for family, will be limited to this antechamber only. A nurse will have to be posted here around the clock." Monica said. "Anyone who will be in the patient's room will have to have the proper equipment and protective apparel including family. I don't recommend Emma be brought inside anymore. This isn't personal, Anna. I love Robin like one of my own children. I don't want to have to do this but it's necessary to protect the staff."
"I completely understand," Anna said softly. "It's just ... just sinking in. All of it. Losing a child in your lifetime. It's not the natural order of things. Robert and I are so angry and frustrated at being so helpless. I lost my baby daughter Leora and I had a miscarriage. Both were painful with so much sorrow and grief for what could have been. With Robin, my god, it will be all that and an ocean full of regrets. How did you two cope with the loss of your children?"
"You can't let the anger eat at you. Break anything and everything breakable in the house. When you run out, buy more things to break," Monica said thinking back to the dark days she had following the deaths of Alan, AJ, Emily and Dawn.
"That helps?" asked Anna.
"No but it tires you out and forces you to rest." Monica said. "I know it's cliched and useless to advise rest but sleep is the body's way of recharging. Once recharged, I found I could face the pain. Doing that and staying sane are a different story though."
"I lost it each time I would see one of BJ's toys, her favorite outfit even her hairbrush," Bobbie said. "I stopped doing laundry because I didn't want to clean her clothes. In my head, if I did, I would have been wiping her existence from our lives. I watched our home movies over and over again. Eventually though the tears fell less and less and I could laugh and enjoy the good memories."
"That's it, Bobbie. Time. We've spent so little time together. Even when I knew about her HIV, I ... I still went off and did my thing. So did Robert. Why? This is our daughter. Why is anything else more important than her?" asked Anna. "What was it all for?"
"I don't know any parent or adult who has the answer to that, Anna. We were ourselves first before we became mothers or spouses. We can't turn our own dreams and needs and wants on and off like a television," Monica said. "No one can. No one should."
"And nobody has a crystal ball," Bobbie said. "You and Robert have been wonderful, devoted parents, Anna. Robin has never lacked for love or feeling that love." She looked at the window. "All you can do now is ... is to be with her and love her."
"As much as it hurts now and will be hurting, don't forget your other blessing - Emma. You'll have to be around for her. And Andrew, of course." Monica said. "To tell you the truth, I'm worried about Patrick. As a surgeon, his whole outlook is based on saving people. But nothing he can do can help her."
"I called Noah. He's in Brazil on a surgery tour. He said he'll be here by tomorrow." Bobbie said. "Patrick is going to need our love and support."
"This is a ... a morbid question but I have to know. How much longer does she have?" asked Anna in quavering voice.
Monica hesitated to answer.
"Please, Monica. I need to prepare Robert and make arrangements." Anna said. "It's the last gift I can give my little girl."
"The rate of progress of the disease is so rapid. I've never seen one or read about one being this fast," Monica said. "We can't do much medically for her but try to keep her comfortable and in as little pain as possible."
"How long?" Anna repeated the question.
"A few days," Monica said bleakly. "I'm so sorry, Anna."
Majestic Theater Radio Station
Alex paced the floor waiting for SIMON to finish analyzing the sample results from Anna, Eve, Andrew and herself. The scanner here was a smaller cousin to the laundry-sized device in the monitoring room at Villa Scorpio but no less capable. On a flat panel display beside it, the current analysis activity scrolled and slid by at dizzying speed.
Her husband, Dimitri, came in holding two mugs of steaming coffee. "Yours, my love."
"Anything to settle the knots in my stomach," said Alex.
"How afraid are you of the results?"
"You know me so well," said Alex as she blew on her coffee.
"I'm very familiar with that pulse that throbs in your right temple," said Dimitri. "I also know when you're terrified."
"For once, my head and my heart are in full agreement," Alex said. "I don't want to see the results."
"The matter must be settled."
"Either way it WILL devastate so many, Dimitri. It would be like losing two children at once," Alex said. "Anna will weather this but Robert ... I don't know."
"Robert will become a shell of himself," said Tiffany coming into the room. "You don't know how much he adores Robin. A part of him will go with her. I know that if it were Belle I lost, well, you might as well lock me up in Shadybrook asylum 'cause I could never be normal again."
"Robert is weighing heavily on Anna's mind. With his health and other concerns, this would be too much. His behavior could become extreme, Alex said. "To what lengths would he go to find the ones responsible?"
"What's wrong with Robert?" asked Tiffany.
"He's not entirely recovered from his cancer treatments. The strain of all this may be hardest on him. What can we do to help?"
"Be there when they need us. Carry their burdens when they can't," answered Dimitri. "The same things they would do for us."
"Analysis is completed," intoned SIMON. "Results are being finalized."
Alex moved to the display and began to read it. Her shoulders slumped. Her head bowed. In a shaky voice, she instructed, "SIMON, print the results. Two copies."
"Alex, what does it say?" asked Tiffany.
"Let's get to the hospital." Alex dabbed at her eyes. "Anna and Robert will have many decisions to make."
Spoon Island
It was a strange sort of stand off in the Cassadine parlor. Robert, Mac and Sean fairly glowered at Luke and Alfred. The former sat casually unconcerned on the sofa and the latter stood stiff and nervous by the fireplace.
Robert took a deep breath and repeated his request to the Cassadines' majordomo. "Alfred, all we want is to look around. I promise you that nothing will get damaged. You can follow us around all you want."
"Got a warrant, ex-commish?" asked Luke Spencer.
"This doesn't have to be complicated, Alfred," said Mac. "You know who we all are. We wouldn't be here if we didn't have a good reason."
"An hour and we're out of here," added Sean.
"Don't let them intimidate you, Alfred," drawled Luke.
"Can it, Spencer," growled Robert.
"Riding roughshod over private citizens is NOT going to get you votes, Mac."
Robert placed both hands on the back of the sofa. He leaned and said in a low grave voice to Luke, "Maybe it's time you chose a side, Spencer. Stop watching on the sidelines just so you can choose the side that's likely to win."
"That side would be yours I take it?"
"Don't bet against me. Not this time."
"That maze is here, Alfred," Mac insisted. "Somewhere. It's on tape and broadcast over cable channels. Don't bother denying it."
"Suddenly, there's a ... a TV studio on the island?" joked Luke.
"I am prepared to gut this island to find it. Do you understand me?" Robert scowled at Alfred. "Nod if you do."
Alfred nodded. "I shall impart your message to the prince immediately."
"You do that."
Robert's iPhone rang. He answered it. "Anna? All right. We're heading back now." He pocketed the phone and looked at Mac and Sean. "Alex has the results."
"That was fast," remarked Sean.
"We have SIMON. We might as well use him."
"Alfred, I'll be back with a search warrant and a forensics team. Do NOT tamper or change anything," warned Mac.
"Luke, you and-" began Robert.
Sean took Robert by the shoulder and steered him to the door. "Enough, Robert. Let's go."
They followed Alfred to the door. Luke remained on the sofa. A few minutes later, Helena entered from another room.
"Thank you, Luke," Helena said.
"You owe me. Big." Luke's expression turned worried. "I haven't seen Robert this upset in a while. What the hell did you do?"
Helena dropped unto the sofa next to Luke. "If it happened, it was an accident. On Nikolas' life, I'll swear to it."
"He wasn't playing around, Helena," Luke said. "Take my advice. Go to him and confess."
"I cannot do that."
"He had that look. We kid around but, believe me, I know when Robert is pushed to the limit and I don't go there. He was strung out over the edge just now," said Luke. "What happened here? What maze was he talking about?"
Helena closed her eyes and covered her face with a hand.
Alfred entered. He was pale and obviously shaken. "Madame, Commissioner Scorpio will be returning with a search warrant. He told me that Dr. Scorpio-Drake is very ill with ... with AIDS."
"Oh, my god," groaned Helena.
"Robin?" Luke looked at Helena then Alfred then back to Helena. "I helped you ... god, what have I done? I have to get out of here. Robert's going to kill me. Why the hell didn't he say something?" Luke stood up and put his coat on. "I ... I gotta go help. Apologize. Something."
"Our agreement, Luke. Not a word," said Helena. "I beg of you."
Luke shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm not covering for you. Not for this."
"It was an ACCIDENT. I NEVER gave any orders to hurt her. You have to believe me," Helena pleaded. She gestured at Alfred. "None of the staff had any such orders. They all respect her and value her friendship with Nikolas as do I."
"Does Nikolas know? Is that why he's gone? Did YOU send him away on purpose?" Luke asked.
Helena did not answer right away. A calculating look came into her eyes. "For Nikolas' sake, you can't say anything. If Robert is as angry as you say, he will come after my grandson. Will YOU answer to Laura for that?"
"Robert wouldn't hurt Nikolas. Prosecute him, yes, but Robert's not a killer."
"You don't know him as well as you think, Luke. Robert has been away for a long time. People change. I suggest you make inquiries about your dear old friend," Helena said. "He's over the edge you said. He's capable of anything. He's been pushed and there's no going back."
"YOU did the pushing, Helena. This is all on you."
"Nikolas gave the party for Robin. It was his idea." Helena lowered her voice to a near whisper. "And, Nikolas was there when Robin was hurt and did nothing."
Luke was taken aback. Alfred's jaw dropped at this revelation.
"Keep your silence and Scorpio will have nothing."
"What about this maze?" asked Luke.
"Being destroyed as we speak." Helena looked at Luke. "You have nothing to fear as long as we say nothing. Nikolas will be safe."
"I'll think about it. Thanks to you and Faison, I know what it feels like to lose a child. Robert and Anna have to be going through hell right now." Luke scampered out of the parlor as if trying to outrun the devil's own retribution.
Author's Note: This story was begun and posted on September 2010 on my home page. It's similarity to any current GH storyline(s) is coincidental. This is a sequel to The Telltale Lie. Though it's not necessary to read that previously, it would be helpful. Please see my profile home page on the status of this story.