General Hospital Synaptic Research Lab
Robin entered her office humming a happy tune. A smile tugged at her lips as he remembered the sight she had beheld this morning. Andrew propped up in bed playing with Emma and Prospero while Anna hovered making sure he ate breakfast. Hearing Andrew's speech pattern and watching his motor coordination had reassured her that he would make a full physical recovery.
Her happiness changed to worry knowing that Andrew would be told the full story sometime today. His memories of the incident were patchy. His first questions this morning had been what happened at the cafe and later at the hospital. Jacques had provided a distracting comment at the right moment.
She plopped down on her chair listening to a playback of her messages over the speakerphone. As she listened, she looked around her office. She could not shake the feeling that there was something different.
"Let's not get paranoid." Robin reminded herself. Ever since the discovery about Maria's duplicity, Robin had been vigilant about her surroundings and environment outside of the villa. She had even made a point of bringing in her own lunch and bottles of water.
Robin stood up and began to walk around the room. There was a faint scent in the air. She found a cane lying flat on the floor in front of her desk. She was about to pick it up but stopped herself.
"It could be evidence." Robin pulled out her IPhone and was about to dial when she remembered where she had smelled the scent before. She shook her head. "That's ... that's impossible."
She was about to try dialing again when she paused and stepped towards the bookshelf. From a high shelf, Robin removed a thick medical dictionary. She flipped through some pages until she came to an open compartment inside where a miniature video camera had been installed.
She had not liked having surveillance in her private office. She and Genji had compromised. He had installed the camera with an option for her to stop and start it as she wished. By habit, she had turned it on before she had left for the night.
Robin flipped the view screen open and swiveled it around to face her. She pressed the rewind button. It showed an empty office.
"There's nothing. Empty office. You ARE getting paranoid." Robin pressed the skip rewind button a few times watching the time display go back in time. She pressed play.
Voices came from the tinny camcorder speakers while clear unmistakeable images appeared on the view screen. It was Robert and Vincent in her office.
Robin blinked a few times in disbelief. As she touched Vincent's image on the screen, a long-ago memory came to her as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
Vincent's lips danced across her mouth demanding that she respond. He traced the shape of her mouth with his tongue, a sensual request to open for him. "Do you want this?"
In response, Robin parted her lips and tasted the promise of all he wanted to do to her. In a distant part of her mind, she was aware he was reaching between their heated bodies to unbutton his jeans, but all she could think about was the overwhelming sensations he was creating with his mouth. A little magic. A little death. It had been too long. Too damned long.
Soon enough, barely, it was rolling, thrashing, flesh against flesh, and primitive sounds of pleasure. It was convulsive cries as spasm after spasm rocked them. And it was lying bathed in sweat, waiting for the tremors to die away, for sanity and breath to return, and hearts to slow their jackhammer pounding.
"... Anna was a double agent on the DVX payroll." came Robert's voice from the camera.
"WHAT?!" Robin cried as all other thoughts were swept away by this revelation. She went back a few minutes and replayed the snippet she'd heard.
Robert said. "Faison was head of the European section of the DVX. He was their rising star being groomed to run the whole show in the mid seventies. What he wanted, he got. He recruited a young, talented and ambitious WSB agent. For a time, Anna was a double agent on the DVX payroll."
Like a sleepwalker, Robin curled up in her chair. "There has to be a mistake." But telltale words streamed through her mind - blackbox order, termination, two traitors. Her mind raced backwards to a nighttime conversation with her mother.
"It's more than that. You can't tell anyone and you also can't ask me any questions. You understand that?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. It's not like when I was little. Boy, you sound so serious."
"You see contrary to what you believe, Mr. Sinclair isn't a very nice man. He's not a very nice man at all. But we can't allow anyone else to know that."
"But why?"
"Oh, don't ask me any questions."
"Sorry."
"Now, your father and I, we knew Mr. Sinclair a long time ago. And we want him out of our lives forever. And to do that we had to come up with a plan. Now, I can't go into any details about the plan but you are involved."
"What do I have to do?"
"I'm going to be pretending that I am engaged to Mr. Sinclair."
"To marry him you mean?"
"Yeah. But that not going to happen. I won't be marrying him. What you have to do is pretend that you are ecstatic about this. That this is like the best thing to ever happen to you. You have to pretend that to him and to everyone else."
"Of course. Man, this is going to be exciting. Besides, I'm your daughter aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are."
"Mom, I'm sorry about Mr. Sinclair. Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"What did I say?"
Robin shut her eyes tight. She pressed her palms against her ears. That didn't stop the same phrase from echoing inside her - can't ask me any questions. Can't ask me any questions. Can't ask me any questions.
Knock, knock.
"Robin? Are you in?" asked Raine opening the door. "We've got nearly all of Dr. Jones' data organized. Robin? Something wrong?"
Robin swiped an arm across her eyes. "Fine. Just fine." Robin sniffed loudly. She slipped the camcorder into a desk drawer. "Alex wants to try replicating the original antidote as soon as possible. Do we have everything we need to do that?"
"There are a few large pieces of equipment that would be nice to have." Raine consulted her notes. "Bobbie volunteered to scavenge the hospital for them."
Robin smiled. "I'd hate to see anyone say no to Bobbie. Is she here?"
"Not yet. She said about ten." Raine said.
"Okay, I have a consult in a few minutes," Robin said looking at her watch."Maybe she'll be here by the time I'm done. Is Tony's data fairly complete?"
"I believe so. We'll have to make some guesses though."
"We should ask the WSB about giving us a sample. And then we -" Robin began to say.
"No contact with the WSB. Remember?"
"Right, right, I forgot. I'm so used to having them around and being helpful." Robin said.
"You would be," Raine smiled. "I've been reading some of the old files."
"Guards at the doors. Rides in the squad car. Plainclothes shadowing me everywhere. The WSB monitoring the house. It was Dad's form of LoJack I guess." Robin said. "It was adapt or go crazy."
"Well, you're not crazy. You're quite happy."
"Yeah, I am, aren't I." Robin said slowly. "The consult! I will be right back, Raine."
~*~
After her consultation, standing by the second floor elevator, idle after a flurry of activity, Robin's mind went to topics that she had been too busy to really think about - Vincent was here and that her mother, her personal hero, was a traitor.
"I cannot deal with this right now. If I do, I'll explode." Robin sighed. "Work. I need to focus on work."
The elevator doors opened. It was nearly full. She saw who was in the elevator and stumbled into Epiphany's arms.
"Are you all right?" asked the head nurse.
"Yeah, sure. Must have been something on the floor. Wet spot." Robin said sidling to the side of the elevator in front of a tall, handsome man in whose green eyes she had once seen her future in - Vincent Cassini.
"I'll call Maintenance. That's just sloppy."
The elevator doors closed and it resumed its upward lift.
"Don't overreact, Epiphany. I was ... was just clumsy." Robin said with a smile in her voice.
"The last thing the hospital needs is a lawsuit due to an accident." Epiphany said.
"Accidents happen. Sometimes they turn out ... really good." Robin said.
"It's better to avoid them in the first place."
Robin began to sing softly under her breath. "C'est un beau roman. C'est une belle histoire. C'est une romance d'aujourd'hui."
"That's pretty." Epiphany said.
"It's an old French song about two people who meet by accident."
"What do the words mean?"
"The rough translation is like this," Robin said. "It's a beautiful novel. It's a beautiful story. It's a love song of today."
"How romantic."
Robin shook her head. "It's more bittersweet. No fairy tale ending."
"No?"
"They have other places to be, going in opposite directions in their life. But for the time that they're together, it's unforgettably intense and fulfilling." Robin said.
The elevator doors opened and several people came in. Robin found her back pressed against Vincent in the crowded elevator. She felt the soft brush of masculine fingers against her left hand. She kept her eyes on the glowing numbers above the door even as her own fingers returned his shy greeting.
The elevator opened to the fourth floor. Epiphany announced loudly that this was her floor. "Come on, Vincent, your cousin was moved to this floor yesterday evening."
With a final covert squeeze of Robin's hand, Vincent followed the nurse off the elevator. He was a simple man and overnight his life had become very complicated. He had to see his cousin. After that, he had to leave town to find Franjo Curic. Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do.
~*~
Robin dashed into her office and grabbed the cane. She made her way back to the elevator.
"Robin!" Bobbie called out.
"I'll be right back, Bobbie! There's something I have to do." Robin bounded back into the elevator.
Her feet tapped impatiently. The elevator seemed to crawl between floors. "I'm just going to leave it somewhere he can find it. I won't even see him. I don't have to see him."
She paced. "Besides, he might need it ... wherever he's going." Her gaze went up to the numbers. "C'mon!"
The elevator stopped. Kelly and Lainey stepped in.
"Hey, Robin," Kelly said.
"New accessory?" asked Lainey looking at the cane.
"T-t-this? No." Robin stuttered. "Just going t-t-to return it to a patient."
"How's the research going?" asked Kelly.
"Fine." Robin's feet tapped like a metronome set on fast.
"I saw Bobbie and some orderlies moving a lot of lab equipment. What are you all doing up there?"
"Oh, this and that." Robin said absently.
"How's your brother today?"
"Just great."
"You've been cooped up too much. You need some relaxation. How about joining us at Jakes later?" asked Lainey.
"Don't think so. Busy."
"Is something wrong, Robin?" asked Kelly.
Robin looked sharply at her friend. "Why would you ask that?"
"You're just so antsy."
"Had too much coffee I guess." came Robin's ready answer.
"Did you get a trim? You look ... different somehow." Lainey observed.
Robin gazed at her muted reflection in the glossy elevator doors. "Do I?" She didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She was saved from further conversation when the doors opened. "Later, girls."
"So tense. That girl is working too hard." Kelly said.
~*~
Ivan sat upright on his bed buttoning his shirt.A blue tie hung loose over one shoulder. Vincent stood by the bed cutting the left leg off a pair of pants.
"Are you sure you should be released so soon?" asked Vincent.
"I must. My team is in need. Hans is gone. There is no one to deal with THEM."
"Not scared?"
"Terrified but I have a job to do." Ivan said. "I do not understand Hans' actions but he has always been fair to us."
"You don't know where he is?"
"No," said Ivan. "I have been questioned a second time and thoroughly. All I remember is that Hans was taking more time off than usual. He is entitled to that."
"Perhaps, he's found a lady friend." Vincent said fishing for clues.
"I doubt it. Let us say that he saw to his needs in the most efficient of methods with no strings required save for the exchange of currency."
"A cold life."
"Maybe but Hans is not a cold man." Ivan shook his head while tying his tie in a knot. "I cannot afford to guess about his actions. Not now."
"Hmm, advancing in any organization requires some changes."
Ivan scoffed. "Not at all. I have no desire to reach a higher position."
"Why not?"
"The higher one reaches, the more freedom is lost." Ivan said. "I like my life and my job. Like you, it is the only job I am good at, such as it is."
"You could be a businessman or an instructor at one Sochi's resorts." Vincent said helpfully.
"Perhaps after my retirement." Ivan said. "That is very far away. Why ARE you here? I was not expecting you."
"I came to say goodbye." Vincent said.
"Another assignment so quickly? You are not recovered." Ivan looked concerned. "How can they send you out like that?"
"A private matter to see to that's all." Vincent said.
~*~
Robin looked surreptitiously around the floor for obvious signs of Vincent. Not seeing an alternative means of finding out where he was, she approached the nurses' station.
"Epiphany, what are you doing here? I thought you were on floor two today." Robin said.
"I was but this floor is shorthanded." Epiphany said. "Patients were moved in last night but the staff schedule wasn't adjusted."
"Oh, bad." Robin said inwardly wincing knowing that Andrew was the reason for the late night chaos.
"That includes the doctors. Do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"Go and discharge this patient. Please. The attending doc is swamped." The head nurse handed Robin a clipboard. "He's been waiting most of the morning."
By habit, Robin flipped through the chart. "This patient has multiple compound fractures on the left leg and a strained neck." She read the patient's name. "Mr. Korolev should not be leaving."
"Tell that to him. I tried." Epiphany said. "He's got diplomatic immunity. His home government filed a request for his immediate release. If he wants to kill himself, what can we do?"
"I see." Robin's mind began to see the connections. Her eyes drifted to the clipboard again. On the patient origination field it said: Injured at General Hospital. Robin thought that he could be one of those injured during Andrew's rampage. If so, he could be connected to Vincent. "Let me do a quick check up then I'll sign him out."
With clipboard and cane in hand, Robin walked off towards Ivan's room.
~*~
"I emailed Mama that you were convalescing, Ivan."
"How is Aunt Pavla?" asked Ivan straightening his tie.
"Her newest hobby is flower arranging."
Ivan laughed. "Isn't your father allergic to flowers?"
Ivan nodded. "He manages with love and medication."
"And the paragliding?
Vincent deadpanned. "Papa ended that after she landed on a nudist beach and he had to go find her."
Ivan laughed even harder imagining his straitlaced uncle-in-law marching through a sea of nude sunbathers. "I must visit them soon."
Vincent looked at his watch. "I have to leave, Ivan, and you need to finish dressing."
Vincent helped his cousin maneuver his legs over the side of the bed. He bent down and slid the trouser over Ivan's dangling leg and cast. Ivan stood on one steady leg as he fastened his pants.
A knock on the door made the two men look towards the door. Robin stood there clipboard in hand. She held the cane out to Vincent who took it. She lied smoothly. "Epiphany asked me to return this to you. And, Mr. Korolev, I need to ... to do a quick checkup before releasing you."
"Of course, Dr. Scorpio-Drake." Ivan said with a smile.
"Have we met?" asked Robin.
Ivan held up a folded newspaper from his bed. "I read about your research grant in the paper. Congratulations."
"As did I. I'm sure that the honor is well-deserved." Vincent added softly.
"Oh, that, yes, thank you. I just hope something good will come of it someday." Robin flushed at the compliment. She cleared her throat. "Let me finish this exam. You've been waiting all morning I'm told."
Robin began to check the solidity of the cast and basic diagnostics. She was all too aware of Vincent's too-close presence. The subtle scent of his aftershave tickled her senses and her memories.
~*~
Robin pulled the brush through her hair in quick strokes until she hit a snag. "Ouch!" She tried undoing the knot with little success.
"Allow me," came Vincent's voice. She hadn't heard him come back. With gentle fingers, he methodically undid the knot.
"How did it go? Are Magda and Anatole safe?"
"Yes. They will be in Canada by tomorrow morning. Legal immigrants by the end of the week in their own names and histories." Vincent took up the brush and combed her hair slowly savoring each stroke. "Magda says thank you for the ... diversion."
"It was nothing."
"Successfully deceiving two trained operatives is not nothing. And, I am very glad you're safe."
Vincent brushed the hair from her neck and began kissing his way down her neck. He lingered for a maddening minute on the pulse that beat rapidly beneath her silky skin.
"Is this a good idea?"
"We have the houseboat to ourselves at last. What is not a good idea?"
His teeth nipped her lower lip, and then soothed with the sensual lick of his tongue. His lips teased and toyed with her mouth, nipping, brushing and thrusting deep, until Robin helplessly succumbed to the controlled hunger of his passion.
~*~
"That's enough," Robin said between her teeth and jerking forward a little.
"What was that, doctor?" asked Vincent. He placed a solicitous hand on her elbow. "Are you all right?"
Her elbow brushed against him. She was forced to look up and gaze at him directly. "I'm ... I'm fine. Lost my balance." She looked at Ivan. "Uh, Mr. Korolev, please sit down on the bed so I can examine you better."
"May I stand? I have been sitting for so long that -"
Vincent let out a stream of Russian. Robin couldn't understand it but the gist was clear. Ivan sat back on the bed with alacrity.
Robin finished her examination quickly. "As a physician and a representative of the hospital, I must reiterate that your release at this time is not our recommendation. You are being released at the expressed request of your government. Do you understand this?"
Ivan nodded. "The nurses have been delightful. I would have happily stayed for one more week."
"I'm sure they'll miss you and your charm." She signed her name. "There. You are officially discharged." She looked at Vincent. "Will you be providing transportation home ... for Mr. Korolev?"
"One of my coworkers is waiting for my call." Ivan informed her.
"Perhaps, you should have that leg looked at before you leave us. Leave the hospital I mean." Robin had noticed Vincent leaning on the cane and favoring his left leg.
"It's healing. Slowly. I'm quite all right." said Vincent. "Thank you, doctor, for your concern."
Robin smiled. "It was my pleasure, entirely. I'll confirm this release with the charge nurse. Mr. Korolev, please call me or your attending physician if you have problems." She pulled out a business card out of her lab coat pocket and handed it to Ivan.
She left the room and headed for the hub to confirm Ivan's discharge. The cousins returned to the business of getting Ivan ready. Vincent held the jacket open while Ivan slipped his arms inside the sleeves.
Ivan commented. "That is a doctor."
"Yes, yes, she is." Vincent looked away and hid his proud smile.