Take A Chance On Me
By Candie

Chapters 3-4

Chapter 3

- The Next Day
Setting: General Hospital
(Robin gets off at the 8th floor of GH and immediately notices all of the nurses whispering. She looks around curiously then stops when she notices Elizabeth. She walks over to her.)

Robin: Did I miss something? What’s going on?
Liz: You wouldn’t even believe it.
Robin: What?
Liz: Patrick and Emily went out last night for dinner.
Robin: And it’s causing this much of a stir?
Liz: Well, they ended up in jail.
Robin: Jail? But, I… Jail? What happened?
Liz: I don’t know. Sonny bailed out Emily, supposedly. All I know is something about a brawl in Jake’s and the cops had to break it up.
Robin: And Patrick was involved?
Liz: You sound surprised.
Robin: Well, his delicate surgeon hands… I would think he would want to keep them protected at all costs.
Liz: I don’t know all the details. Emily and Patrick are both off today.
(Robin nods. Liz looks up surprised when she sees Patrick walk through the elevators.)
Liz: Or at least, I thought they were.
(Patrick walks toward the nurses’ station. He ignores Robin and looks directly at Liz.)
Patrick: Is there anyone looking for me?
Liz: Looking for you? Or at you? Because everyone is looking at you.
(Patrick looks around the 8th floor then back at Liz.)
Patrick: Nice to see that I was finally able to give this town some entertainment.
(Robin finally glances toward Patrick.)
Robin: Is Emily okay?
(Patrick looks down then toward Robin.)
Patrick: Don’t worry… I didn’t do anything to your good friend.
Robin: That’s not what I meant.
Liz: Robin and I heard about the arrest.
Patrick: It was a misunderstanding. We were at Jake’s, a fight broke out, we got caught in the middle, got arrested, the local mobster bailed out Emily and left me to rot.
Liz: Well, you’re here… so you couldn’t have rotted for all that long.
Patrick: The Police Commissioner took mercy on me.
Robin (looks up): Uncle Mac?
(Patrick shakes his head then looks at Robin.)
Patrick: Yes, your Uncle Mac. Nice big picture of you in his office, too.
(Robin looks away.)
Patrick: That just made the night complete. It was just like having you there mocking me.
Robin: You know what? I don’t have time for this.
(Robin walks away. Liz looks at Patrick.)
Liz: Why do you talk to her like that?
Patrick: Don’t worry, Dr. Scorpio gives as good as she gets.
Liz: I’m sure she does, but… whatever. (Sighs) Since you’re here, here are your files for your patients.
Patrick: Well, the first one was with Dr. Scorpio. Do you know where she went?
Liz: Your guess is as good as mine.

Setting: The Hospital Chapel
(It’s eerily quiet in the chapel. Robin walks up to the front and quietly lights a candle. When she’s done, she sits down on the first pew. She hadn’t been in this chapel for years. She couldn’t even remember the last time she was. Robin closes her eyes. There were so many reasons she flew to this chapel today. But there was one particular reason that was glaring at her – a little bit over ten years ago, she lost her first true love and when she finally opened her heart again, Jason took it and broke it. She closes her eyes. Robin’s emotions were a mess right now and she knew that. Maybe it was trying to save Jason’s life that brought back all these confused emotions. Maybe it was being back in this town, fighting with Carly as if no time had passed at all. Robin had wanted to save Jason; the way she couldn’t save Stone. She watched Stone die and stood by helplessly as he ached with pain; she couldn’t do that again… she couldn’t do that with Jason. But in the end, she couldn’t save Jason – Patrick had to. All of her work, all of her effort turned out to be for nothing. Maybe not nothing. She was grateful for Patrick. He was able to do what she couldn’t. He was a brilliant doctor. Robin looks down at her hands. For some reason, she felt tears coming to her eyes. She knew that she couldn’t be crying over Patrick. She hadn’t even known him for all that long. She was just tired; tired of pretending to be so strong; tired of acting like she didn’t want Patrick to notice her. Robin had worked so hard these last few years to build a wall around her that would protect her from heartbreak. She already had two broken hearts; she didn’t think she was strong enough to handle another one… so it became easy to blame it on the HIV. The HIV is what turned men away. She never even considered that maybe it was herself or the fear they saw in her eyes. And she was scared. As much as brave, strong Robin didn’t want to admit it… she was terrified. She pretended as if she wasn’t, but she knew she was. And she knew the exact moment, she realized that fear. It was here in Port Charles. It was the ten-year anniversary of Stone’s death. She had missed Stone so much that day that it hurt. She woke up that morning missing him and knew immediately what day it was. She didn’t need a calendar, a mental reminder… all she needed was that familiar feeling in her throat; the feeling in her heart. On the anniversary of Stone’s death, all Robin wanted to do was curl up into a ball and mourn him, but she couldn’t do that. She was Dr. Robin Scorpio. A professional. So, she came to work at GH, treated her patients, got ordered by Sonny to find Jason a miracle and she found a drunk Noah Drake. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t a miracle… but on the 10th anniversary of Stone’s death, Noah helped her to see that life was worth living and when she saw the pain in his eyes that first time she met him, she understood it… because she felt that same pain. She often wondered why Noah agreed to come back with her to Port Charles that night. It took her some time, but she eventually realized that he saw the same pain he had in her eyes… maybe not exactly the same, but a similar one. They had an understanding; a silent one, but one none the less. He knew what it felt like to be powerless and there were so many times in Robin’s life that she felt powerless. She needed something to control. And since she couldn’t control anything else, she decided to control her love life. However, something happened when she met Patrick. She couldn’t control how she felt about him, so instead she tried to control how he felt about her. And it worked. It worked so well that now he just thinks she’s a lifeless shrew. Robin closes her eyes and now feels the tears running down her face. She didn’t feel like a professional today. Today she felt like Robin Scorpio, a seventeen year old girl mourning the boy she loved and being told she was HIV+ all over again. She felt completely powerless and she hated it. She hated it so much that she wanted to destroy everything in her sight. But she wouldn’t do that. She couldn’t do that. So she came to the hospital chapel, lit a candle for Stone and decided to say a prayer for him. And as selfish as it may be… for herself. Robin pushes back her hair and stares at the flickering candles in front of her. Suddenly, the door to the chapel opens and she quickly wipes her tears.)

Alan: Hope I’m not interrupting.
(Robin looks up and wipes her eyes.)
Robin: Hey Alan.
(Alan moves to the front of the chapel and sits down next to Robin.)
Alan: You know, Dr. Drake and Elizabeth were looking for you.
Robin (sighs): My consult… I’m sorry… I…
(Alan looks directly at Robin and wipes the tears from under her eyes.)
Alan: I told them I called you away on another case. (Smiles) I saw you coming into the chapel and thought you might need some time alone.
Robin: I’m sorry, Alan.
Alan: You don’t need to apologize to me, Robin… but you can tell me what brought you here.
Robin: What brought me here? Wow… did you ever have one of those days where you just feel lost?
Alan (laughs): Oh, I had quite a few.
(Robin looks down at her hands.)
Robin: I’ve been thinking about Stone a lot lately. (Sighs) I don’t know… maybe being back here. (pauses) Before he died, he made me promise that I’d live for the both of us. He wanted me to become a doctor, find someone else to love, have a family… do all the things I should’ve done with him. (Looks at Alan) More and more, I’ve been feeling like I’ve let him down.
Alan: You are an amazing doctor, Robin.
Robin (looks at him): So amazing that I couldn’t save Jason?
Alan: But, you found someone who could. You found him Patrick Drake. And even if you hadn’t, Robin, you gave Jason back his memories… even if the worse had happened, he would’ve died knowing who he was. And in the end, that’s all anyone could ever wish for.
(Robin nods looking down.)
Robin: Maybe. (Looks back at him) I still let Stone down. Yeah, he wanted me to become a doctor, but at what cost? I don’t think he imagined me shutting out every other human emotion to do so. I don’t think he imagined me never finding love or having a life outside of a research lab.
Alan: This is about more than just losing Stone.
Robin: I guess. It’s about losing love, in general. When I lost Stone then Jason all those years ago, it hurt. It hurt so bad and not just because I lost Jason, but because I lost my chance at love again. I never thought after Stone, I never dreamed, that I’d find someone that I’d actually want to spend my life with. Someone who would want to be with me… disease and all. (Sighs) It’s hard to put yourself out there and it’s getting harder with each passing year… and easier to just not to.
Alan (looks down): I know how badly my son hurt you. (Looks at her) But Robin, you have way too much to offer to not let someone special see it. You are way too smart, beautiful, and funny to just hide away. (Simply) I mean, look at Tracy… even she found someone to marry.
(Robin is forced to laugh tearfully. Alan looks at her.)
Alan: I’ll always wish that things worked out differently between you and Jason, but that’s my own selfish thing that I need to get over. But you… you shouldn’t let Jason’s loss be everyone else’s. (Simply) Take a chance again, Robin.
Robin: Even if I get my heart broken?
Alan: Yeah.
Robin: I don’t know. That’s a lot to risk.
Alan: What’s life without a risk or two? (Smiles) You should know that better than anyone, being Robert and Anna Scorpio’s daughter.
(Robin smiles.)
Alan: Speaking of risks… I heard that you moved into a building owned by Luke Spenser. (she laughs) You’re staying in an apartment above Kelly’s?
Robin: Yeah, I got the apartment yesterday.
Alan: Good… so, why don’t you go home, finish unpacking your things and start over the day tomorrow?
Robin: I can’t…
Alan: Yes, you can. You’ve been working at GH now for over two months without a day off. You earned it.
Robin: Thank you, Alan. (Hugs him) I mean it, thank you.

Setting: The Nurses’ Station
(It’s a few hours later. Elizabeth is placing someone’s chart back where it belongs. She looks up when Patrick approaches her.)

Liz: Dr. Drake.
Patrick: Did Dr. Scorpio disappear or is she just blowing off all of her appointments?
Liz: Well according to the latest revised schedule, all of her appointments have been rescheduled… so it doesn’t look like there is any blowing off going on.
Patrick: So, she disappeared?
Liz: I wouldn’t be that dramatic about it. (Sighs) Alan just told me that Robin went home.
Patrick (concerned): Was she sick?
Liz: I didn’t ask.
Patrick: Well, the responsible Dr. Scorpio never just ups and leaves her shift.
Liz: No, she doesn’t… but there’s a first for everything.
Patrick: He gave no reasoning?
Liz: If you want to know why that badly, you can always ask her yourself tomorrow… if she comes in.
Patrick: So, she’s taking off two days?
Liz (frustrated): Oh my goodness! I don’t know! I am not Robin’s keeper! She came in, she left… that’s all I know. Anything else… you’ll have to find out yourself. (Looks at him) Now, I have to get back to work.
Patrick: Emily told me you were her best friend. She said that you’re amazing.
Liz: I still don’t know why Robin left, Patrick. (Looks at him) Oh, but one word of warning… if you hurt Emily or use her to make a point with someone else, I’ll make you regret it.

Chapter 4

Setting: Robin’s Room at Kelly’s
(Robin came home from GH and immediately starting to decorate her room. Alan told her to go home and setup her room, so she went home and setup her room. Walking along the docks, Robin picked up a bottle of red wine, some chicken for tonight then settled in. She put on her favorite Carole King CD, changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top then unpacked each and every memory she brought with her from Paris and officially settled into her life in Port Charles. Robin looks around her completed room and smiles. It looked good. Brenda had sent her some design books from Europe. She had to love Brenda. She couldn’t be there to help Robin setup a home… so she did the next best thing, over-nighted every single design book she could find… even after Robin told her repeatedly that she was only living above Kelly’s. But, that’s Brenda. And Brenda lived in this very room once and swore that it could be made into a chateau if she only dreamed hard enough. Robin sighs, "Brenda and her fairytales." But, she was right… sort of. The room was looking pretty good. It almost looked like a home. Robin was proud of herself. So proud that she turned her stereo up a little louder and poured herself another glass of wine. Robin plops down on the floor of her room and takes out one of her photo albums. She smiles widely at the photos of her, her mother and Brenda back-packing through Italy. That was a great trip… well, for the most part. Brenda was still mending a broken heart because of what happened with Jax and her mom was still… well, she was her mom, but it was a great trip, nevertheless. She had the two people she loved the most and lost with her and she was touring a country she loved. Robin sighs. Great memories. She leaps to her feet with her glass of wine. She was going to hang up one of those photos. Robin finds the perfect spot for one of them in her favorite wine vineyard. She admires it smiling then jumps back slightly when she hears a knocking on her door. Robin lowers her glass of wine then walks over to the door. She opens it and looks slightly taken back to see Patrick Drake staring back at her.)

Robin (surprised): Patrick.
Patrick: I swore that I’d stay away, but I’m a glutton for punishment.
Robin: Patrick, I…
Patrick: I just wanted to make sure you were okay.
Robin (simply): Thank you.
Patrick (surprised): What was that you said?
(Patrick touches his ear.)
Patrick: I don’t think I heard you. What did you say?
(Robin closes her eyes and sighs.)
Robin: I said "thank you."
(Patrick looks back at Robin somewhat pleased.)
Patrick: Wow. So, what brought on this change?
Robin: Can we not do this?
Patrick: Do what? This is the first time you’ve actually been polite to me since we had dinner together.
Robin: Can I… (Sighs) Can I apologize for that?
Patrick: Would you like to do that in the hallway or…
Robin (takes a deep breath): Would you like to come in?
Patrick: Thought you would never ask.
(Robin watches Patrick walk into her room then sighs as she closes the door behind her.)
Robin: Would you like a drink?
(Patrick sits down at the small table and loosens the collar of his shirt.)
Patrick: I’d go for the apology first.
(Robin stares back at Patrick then slowly walks toward him. He watches her; she was so beautiful. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail revealing her entire face; she was wearing a simple white tank top and sweat pants. She was extremely beautiful without even trying. Slowly, Robin sits down across from Patrick and looks directly at him.)
Robin: You’re not going to make this easy, are you?
Patrick: Should I?
Robin: To be fair, probably not.
Patrick: At least, we are in agreement about that.
Robin: Okay. Where do you want me to start?
Patrick: Why didn’t you tell me you were HIV+?
Robin (sighs): Why? (Looks down) I liked that you didn’t know. (Looks up at him) It was probably wrong. And I don’t know if I can even explain it… but in the beginning when I first met you (emotionally) it was the closest I ever felt… to not having HIV. (Looks down) I don’t know what that says about me. (Looks at him) I’m not ashamed of it. (Emotionally) Maybe that’s not the complete truth. I am ashamed of how this disease makes me act at times, think most of the time. (Pauses) My viral load is undetectable and it has been for almost eight years now. The virus has done practically nothing to my body, but it’s wrecked my mind, Patrick. (Takes a deep breath) And I wish I could say that it’s all in my mind, but HIV has… its pushed people away.
Patrick: Robin, the disease didn’t push me away… you did.
Robin (simply): And I’m sorry.
Patrick: For the record, the kiss, the kindness… it wasn’t out of pity.
Robin: And for the record, I wouldn’t have shut you out… if I didn’t care.
(Robin stands up quietly and walks toward the kitchen. Patrick watches her as she opens her refrigerator and takes out the chicken she bought for her dinner.)
Patrick: Is there enough there for two?
(Robin smiles and turns around to look at Patrick.)
Robin: I thought you’d have other plans.
Patrick (smirks): Oh, like another date?
Robin: Well, your last one ended so well.
Patrick: I’m thinking about staying away from women in the medical profession.
Robin: Really?
Patrick: They’re moody and can get you in a lot of trouble.
Robin: Hmmm… I can see that.
(Patrick stands up and walks over to Robin. He looks down at her.)
Patrick: Robin, I admit… when I found out you were HIV+… it made me want to treat you differently. (She looks away) But, not for the reasons you think. (She looks back at him) It just explained a lot. You try to shut the world out before it has the chance to do it to you. (Sighs) But, you can’t live your life like that.
Robin: I know… but for the last few years I was getting really good at it.
Patrick: Well, that’s because you never met someone like me before.
Robin: You are so arrogant.
Patrick: And truthful. I push your buttons, Robin. I watched you very carefully these last few weeks. I’ve watched you with your ex-boyfriend, his current fiancée, psychopath patients… even Carly – and none of them rouse you the way I do.
Robin: Uh, you did see me slap Carly, right?
Patrick: That’s anger – not rousing. I challenge you. Have you ever met anyone that’s your intellectual equal?
Robin: Now, you’re just being cocky.
(Robin turns and faces him.)
Patrick: And honest.
Robin: Honesty? (chuckles) That’s a new one.
Patrick: For me? I’ve always been honest with you, Robin. (looks at her) You had to see the honesty under the banter.
Robin: I just… I just don’t know what you want from me.
(Patrick sighs loudly and crosses his arms over his chest.)
Patrick: Would it be so bad if I didn’t know either?
Robin (quietly): No…
Patrick: Robin, you were just different than anyone I ever met.
(Robin smirks and looks back up at him.)
Robin: Because I wasn’t enamored by you immediately?
Patrick: No… because you were my equal.
Robin (impressed): Wow! Equal? I think that could very well be the highest compliment you ever paid me.
Patrick: Really? And how do you figure that?
Robin: I know how highly you think of yourself; the fact that I can even remotely be near that bar…
(Patrick laughs.)
Patrick: Point duly noted. (He looks at her) Does it scare you?
(Robin bites her lip as she looks back up at Patrick, suddenly nervously.)
Robin: What? That you thought highly of me?
Patrick: That I even thought of you at all… and continued to think about you, even after I found out that you had HIV.
(Robin takes a deep breath and nods.)
Robin: A little.
Patrick: Why?
Robin: It would’ve been easier if you just wrote me off.
Patrick: Well, I almost did… but for your attitude.
(Robin rolls her eyes slightly.)
Patrick: But, then I realized that I wasn’t exactly known for my wonderful attitude… so…
Robin (quietly): So…
Patrick: So, I ended up here.
(Robin looks down as Patrick moves closer to her, making the space between them even less. He gently touches her waist with one hand while the other pushes back a strand of her hair. She slowly looks back up at him.)
Robin: I… uh…
Patrick: I’m letting you make the next move.
Robin (clears her throat): And my options are…
Patrick: I can leave or I can stay.
(Robin looks back at him, not knowing what to say.)
Patrick: You have a bottle of wine and it seemed like enough chicken for two people.
Robin: I have a big appetite.
Patrick: And the Drakes like to drink, so we’re compatible.
(Robin is forced to laugh a bit.)
Robin: Good.
(Robin finagles her way around Patrick and walks back toward her small kitchen. She quietly pours two glasses of wine as he walks around her room. Robin looks up when she hears his voice again.)
Patrick: Is this your sister?
(Robin turns around and sees him holding a picture of her and Brenda.)
Robin: That’s Brenda. She’s my best friend. I’ve known her since high school.
(Patrick looks back down at the picture.)
Patrick: She looks familiar.
Robin: She was the face of Deception.
Patrick: Hmm… makes sense. I don’t know if I would trust a face like that.
(Robin walks over to Patrick and takes the frame from his hands.)
Robin: You’re such a guy.
(Patrick laughs as he watches Robin place the frame back on her shelf. His eyes immediately catch another picture – one of her when she was younger with a man and a woman. He moves next to her.)
Patrick: Now, that must be Mr. and Mrs. Scorpio.
Robin: You can tell?
Patrick: You have her eyes and his smile.
Robin (softly): My mom… she’s gorgeous in a way that I never could be. (looking at the picture) She has an air of mystery around her. (laughs) And my dad… he was just the most handsome man I ever met.
Patrick: You love him.
(Robin turns around and looks at Patrick fully.)
Robin: They say most girl’s first loves are their fathers. He was mine. (pauses) In some ways you remind me of him.
Patrick (surprised): Really? (crosses his arms over his chest) I’d love to hear this.
Robin: Your personalities… they’re a little similar.
Patrick: Well, it should be interesting when we meet.
(Robin looks down and Patrick looks at her.)
Patrick: What is it?
Robin (looks at him): You can’t. You won’t. He died.
Patrick: Robin, I’m…
Robin (sighs): You must think my life is just big ball of misery. (simply) It’s not.
(Robin walks over to the small couch and sits on it. Patrick sits down in front of her on the floor and looks up at her.)
Patrick: Want to tell me about him?
Robin: He was the smartest man I ever knew and the bravest. He loved my mom with his entire heart and he would do anything in the world for her or me. And he loved me. That is the one thing in my life I would forever be certain of – my father loved me, with his entire heart.
Patrick: That must be… that must be really nice to know.
Robin (softly): Yeah.
Patrick: You know, your Uncle Mac… he didn’t seem all that bad either.
Robin: Really?
Patrick: He let me out of jail.
Robin: What did you do to convince him?
Patrick: I told him I was your good friend. (she laughs) The second I heard that he was Police Commissioner Scorpio, I figured he had to be some sort of relation to you and I put on the charm.
Robin (smiles): Oh, the Drake charm! It works on not only females, huh?
Patrick: He was proud of you… I didn’t have to add much charm once I told him I knew you. He even asked me what type of doctor you were.
Robin: And what did you say? That I was too soft? Too sweet? Too optimistic?
Patrick (simply): I told him that you drove me insane with your compassion; that you would even treat a man like Manny Ruiz like he was capable of redemption. I told him your heart was too big.
Robin: And he said?
Patrick: He agreed.
(Robin laughs as she rolls her eyes.)
Robin: Figures.
Patrick: Why do you say that?
Robin: I know my uncle, that’s all.
(There’s an awkward silence until Robin breaks it.)
Robin: So, are you hungry?

to be continued...

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