So, since you want to be with me
You’ll have to follow through
With every word you say
And I, all I really want is you
You to stick around
I’ll see you everyday
But you have to follow through
You have to follow through

July 7, 2006

General Hospital: Nurse’s Station

Brenda handed Patrick a folder with two pens clipped to the front–one red and one blue. “Okay, this is the guest list. I need you to draw a line through anyone you don’t want there with the red pen and then add any names you want to invite with the blue pen and then make sure to initial the bottom of every page so I know you didn’t skip any and then sign and date the last page so I know you approve.”

Patrick stared at her for a long moment before speaking. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Absolutely,” Brenda said without hesitation. “The guest list is the second most crucial thing about planning a wedding. You said you’d do whatever you were told.”

“Well, yeah but I’m not signing a contract here, Brenda, it’s a guest list.”

“Don’t argue, just do it,” Brenda rolled her eyes. “Believe you me, it’ll make every thing easier if you just smile and nod.” She checked her to do list and marked off the item about giving Patrick instructions about approving the guest list. “Oh, okay, it’s a good thing you brought up contracts because I need to know if you want to do a prenup.”

“A prenup?” Patrick repeated. “No! I don’t need a prenuptial agreement–Brenda, this is insane.”

“Well, they’re pretty standard,” Brenda shrugged. “And if we wanted to get it drawn up and signed before August 1, then we’d need to start it now. But you don’t want one and Robin looked at me like I was crazy so that takes care of that.” She drew a line through that item. “Liz wanted to know if you could take Cameron to the fitting with you and Noah next week because she and Lucky both have to work.”

“Yeah sure.” Patrick checked his watch. “Is that all? Robin and I have an appointment with her new doctor.”

“Hey, I am doing you two a favor here, buddy. Just be glad it’s not Lucy Coe planning this. You think I’m a pain?” Brenda snorted and put her planner back in her bag. “I need that guest list back by the end of the week.”

General Hospital: Conference Room

“I see Brenda gave you the guest list,” Robin remarked as Patrick entered the room. She bit her lip. “She’s very…thorough.”

“Thorough is one way to put it,” Patrick replied. He tossed the folder and his other files on the table before studying Robin. He hadn’t seen her in a few days–she and Brenda had been rushing around with wedding plans and when she hadn’t been doing that, she’d been with her parents. “How are you feeling?”

“A little better. My appetite is coming back,” Robin shifted, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. “I heard Dr. MacMillan is retiring. Are you going to put your name in for his job?”

“I haven’t decided. It would be a long shot with the problems I had with the medical board this year but to be the head of the neurosurgery department before I’m even thirty…” Patrick shrugged.

“Well, yeah but look at everything else you’ve accomplished since you started here,” Robin protested. It was unlike Patrick to be anything less than confident regarding his surgical skills. “You performed Jason’s surgery with not only a penlight but a raving psycho in the background holding someone hostage and everyone knows about all the great work you did during the epidemic–”

“That’s all true,” Patrick admitted. He decided now would not be the time to tell her just how close he’d come to losing his license in April. She would not take kindly to knowing that that he’d lied through his teeth to shield her from repercussions. “But it’s unlikely they’re going to choose someone my age.”

Robin huffed. “Well, if they base it on age rather than skills and leadership, then they deserve what they get.”

“I guess you’ve finally raised your opinion of me,” Patrick smirked.

“I never doubted your surgical abilities,” Robin mumbled. She looked as though she might go on but a strange expression filled her eyes and she pressed her hand to her abdomen. “Oh…”

Panicked, Patrick stepped towards. “What’s wrong?” he demanded. “Are you in pain?”

“No,” Robin shook her head. She looked at him and for the first time in weeks, there was something else in her eyes. Something soft and gentle–something that tugged at him in the pit of his stomach. “There was…this fluttering and I felt the baby.”

Patrick reached out hesitantly but eventually let his hand drop to his side. “That’s…” There were no words and for someone who never ran out of words, this was an uncomfortable and surprising turn of events. He cleared his throat. “Robin–”

But she stunned him into complete silence when she grabbed his hand and placed it over her stomach, looking at him in excitement. “Can you feel her?”

He wanted to–the desire was both sudden and strong but no matter how much Patrick concentrated, there was nothing but the feeling of Robin’s soft skin–which didn’t really help. “I wish I did,” he said regretfully.

“Oh…” Robin pursed her lips in disappointment. “Well, it’s probably too early for anyone else to feel her.”

“Her?” Patrick felt the corners of his lips turn up. “How do you know it’s a girl?”

“I just have a feeling,” Robin said stubbornly. She bit her lip and looked up at him, realizing just how close they were. His hand moved from her stomach to curve around her waist. “Patrick…” she breathed.

“For once,” Patrick murmured, his warm breath tickling her lips, “just go with it.” Before Robin could protest, he closed his lips over hers swallowing her words.

This was a bad idea, Robin managed to think before all thought was rendered impossible. It had been so long since he’d kissed her, so long since she’d felt this weightless and dizzy feeling. She sighed and curled into his embrace, content to let him take the lead.

There was a strange sound–a coughing. Patrick blinked and raised his head from Robin’s and when he met the amused eyes of the man standing across the table, he remembered where he was. In a conference room at the hospital waiting for Robin’s doctor.

Robin flushed with embarrassment and quickly tried to untangle her self from Patrick’s arms. He didn’t let her get that far and kept his arm around her waist. “I guess you must be Dr. Webber,” Robin mumbled.

“Steven,” Steven Webber corrected. He extended a hand across the table and Patrick shook it. “We’re going to be working together for the next seven months or so, no need for formalities.”

He gestured for them to take seat and after everyone was comfortable, Steven opened Robin’s file. “I’ve read over your medical history, Robin–can I call you Robin?” When she nodded, he continued. “I’m going to need to run a few tests for my own benefit but your last blood work was excellent–your viral load is lower than ever which is excellent news for your baby. The risk is below two percent and a viral load like yours just reduces the risk even further. We’re going to have to start you on a different drug regimen as soon as possible.”

“Is it if safe for the baby?” Robin asked. “I mean, I know a lot of women take them during pregnancy but does anyone know…?”

“It’s a good question and unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers. I can tell you that there doesn’t seem to be any effects on the children who have been born using this regimen and I believe the oldest child that I’m aware of is about fifteen but I would have to double check.”

Steven flipped through his folder and removed a batch of prescriptions. “I went ahead and wrote these out for you. We’ll have to change the dosage as the pregnancy advances because the doses are based on weight and you’ll be gaining some.”

“Just what every woman wants to hear,” Robin said with a small smile as she put the prescriptions in her purse.

Steven grinned. “We’ll also want you on the standard prenatal vitamins as well as upping your folic acid intake. I want to schedule an ultrasound for sometime next week if that’s agreeable.”

“I have to check our surgery schedule but we work on the same surgical team so it shouldn’t a problem,” Robin looked to Patrick who had been somewhat quiet so far. “Patrick…do you have anything you want to ask?”

“The drugs that Robin’s going to take…” Patrick hesitated. “Are they going to interfere with her progress? I mean, she’s doing so well, I don’t want her to get sick.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her looking at him with some surprise.

“It’s in our best interest to keep Robin healthy of course but it’s a fair question. We have had some women’s viral load get higher because one of the drugs doesn’t work the way it should but they usually return to their normal levels after delivery. We’ll be monitoring Robin very closely and I’d like to get blood taken often.”

“Morning sickness, weight gain and needles,” Robin sighed. “Every woman’s dream.”

General Hospital: Locker Room

“How am I supposed to know if I don’t want these people at the wedding?” Patrick grumbled. “I don’t even know half of them.” He sat on a bench and tossed the folder aside.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and reached for it. “Here, let me help. Okay, inviting Jax is tricky because he’s a guy and he won’t be able to comprehend why Carly is a bad idea. So you’re going to want to make sure he gets an invitation that doesn’t let him bring a guest.”

“There are different types of invitations?” Patrick repeated.

She took the blue pen from him and wrote Invite Type B in neat letters next to Jax’s name. “Okay, the Quartermaines are all good–they’ve known Robin forever.” She flipped the page. “Did you want to invite the board member that was nasty to Robin?”

“No,” Patrick said darkly. “Which one is he?”

“Yeah, like I’m going to fall for that. I’ll let Brenda know which one he is.” Elizabeth flipped to the last page. “Well, it looks like anyone Robin ever met is on this list but I didn’t see any red flags unless there are some nurses that should probably stay home.”

“Believe it or not, the only person I’ve been with since I moved to Port Charles is Robin. I dated other women but I didn’t…that was the only thing I did.”

“You’re so cute when you’re being modest.” Elizabeth pinched his cheek and handed him the list. “All you have to do is add anyone you want to invite, sign and initial it.”

“Thanks. Does everyone one do this for their weddings?” Patrick asked. “Or is Brenda special?”

“Brenda’s special,” Elizabeth replied. “Thanks for asking Cam to be the ring bearer,” she continued. “I’ve been teaching him to walk really straight and he’s going to look absolutely adorable in his tux.”

“He’s the only kid under age five that I even know,” Patrick shrugged. “It’s about the only thing I got to suggest for this. I think Brenda even decided my dad would be the best man.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “Does that bother you? That Brenda and Robin are doing everything?”

“Oh, God, no.” Patrick stood and closed his locker. “I didn’t even want a big wedding. I was all set to suggest something small but Robin looked so excited and I think she wants one.”

“So you agreed to this entire thing because you want to make Robin happy.” Elizabeth sniffled. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.” She paused. “From you.”

“Yeah, yeah, well it’s not like most men are usually thrilled about big weddings, right? But Robin has a lot of family and friends and they all want to make sure she’s okay and that she’s happy and if helps with the death threats, I’m all for it.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think it’s very nice that you agreed to it, even if its only for Robin.” Elizabeth stood. “I was going to have a small wedding myself because Lucky and I couldn’t afford much more but Emily knew that I really had my heart set on something more so she and Nikolas threw a lavish wedding with all our family and friends. It was a wonderful experience and there’s really no better way to start a good marriage.”

← Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fifteen →