Neurosurgeon Dr. Patrick Drake arrived in Port Charles in 2005 when Jason Morgan needed life-saving brain surgery. Originally, Patrick's father, Dr. Noah Drake, was scheduled to do the surgery, but when he admitted he couldn't perform the surgery, Robin Scorpio found Patrick at Noah's urging. Patrick initially refused to do the surgery because of his father, but Robin, along with Carly Corinthos and Sam McCall, managed to persuade him to operate by casting doubts on his abilities as a surgeon. The surgery was a success, but Patrick earned a reputation as cold and heartless because of his lack of bedside manner. Whatever he lacked in bedside manner, Patrick more than made up for with his ability to flirt with almost any woman in his orbit.

Patrick enjoyed his flirtation with Robin and even went so far as to pretend to have an affair with Carly to make Robin jealous and test her feelings for him. Eventually, he realized his feelings for Robin had grown. Robin tried to deny her attraction to Patrick, but it was a losing battle. When Patrick cut himself while performing surgery on an AIDS patient and was exposed to the virus, Robin and Patrick's feelings were tested. Robin proved to be a tower of strength for Patrick during that time, and the two became lovers. Patrick eventually learned that he had not been infected. Patrick and Robin's relationship was not an easy one. He was egocentric, she was controlling, and they often clashed.

Despite their deep love for each other, Patrick balked at the idea of fatherhood and marriage. The depth of his opposition became painfully clear when Robin had a pregnancy scare. Realizing that Patrick would never give her the family that she desperately wanted, Robin decided to break things off with Patrick and find a sperm donor to give her the child she hoped for. Patrick was forced to stand on the sidelines and watch. He tried moving on with nurse Leyla Mir, but he couldn't. His heart belonged to Robin.

When Robin's cousin, Georgie, was brutally murdered in December of 2007 by the Text Message Killer, Patrick was there for Robin. The couple made love after the memorial service. Robin realized nothing had changed when Patrick suggested they table all talk of babies for one year to focus on their relationship as a couple. Robin was tempted until she realized that once the year was up, Patrick wasn't willing to consider starting a family with her. As much as it hurt both of them, Robin forced Patrick to accept that it was over between them. A couple of months later, Robin announced that she was pregnant. Patrick immediately assumed she had found a sperm donor, even though he had confided to another doctor that the condom had broken the last time he was with Robin.

In June 2008, Patrick welcomed another member of his family to Port Charles, his younger half-brother, Dr. Matt Hunter. Patrick and Matt's relationship was contentious at first, but over time, the two grew closer and learned to respect each other both as friends and colleagues.

When he learned he was the father of Robin's baby, Patrick was conflicted. He wanted to be there for his child, but he was afraid he would be a terrible father because of the example his own father, Noah, had set. Meanwhile, Robin didn't feel Patrick was ready for fatherhood. The two had a brief custody battle and argued their cases to the public via a video blog, but in the end, love prevailed. After a few rejected wedding proposals, a bout of cold feet, and a wedding interrupted by Emma's arrival, Patrick and Robin exchanged wedding vows on December 26, 2008, in front of friends and family.

After Emma's birth, the couple faced yet another challenge: Robin's battle with postpartum depression. After seeking treatment and taking medication, Robin began to feel like herself, and she decided to stop taking her medication without telling anyone. When Patrick realized what his wife had done, he staged an intervention and he, along with her doctor, friends, and members of her family, confronted Robin and urged her to continue her treatment for her sake and the family's. The intervention was a success, and Robin left for an inpatient treatment center. When Robin returned home, Patrick admitted that it had been a difficult time, but he also reassured her that he was committed to her and their life together as a family.

In April 2009, Patrick performed an experimental surgical procedure on sixteen-year-old Michael Corinthos that enabled him to awaken from a year-long coma. After a happy family reunion and great success at General Hospital, Patrick faced trouble at work when he, along with his brother, Dr. Matt Hunter, was sued for malpractice over the death of Brianna Hughes, the mayor's mistress, after she had emergency surgery. Sleuthing on Robin's part led to the discovery that the mayor's wife had, in fact, murdered his mistress, and that led to the malpractice charges being dropped against Patrick and Matt.

Patrick was also one of the first people in Port Charles to know the secret of Dominic Pirelli's true identity as Olivia Falconeri's son, Dante, and the fact the Dante was Sonny's oldest son. Robin was stunned to learn that Patrick had known the truth of Dante's identity and paternity and kept it from her, especially in light of her close relationship with Sonny. Robin's relationship with Sonny caused friction from time to time in Patrick and Robin's relationship. However, when Robin was called to testify when Sonny was on trial for Claudia's murder, Patrick was present in the courtroom to support Robin, despite his feelings towards Sonny and his lifestyle.

Patrick and Robin's relationship was tested again by Patrick's ex-girlfriend from his college days, Lisa Niles. Lisa was an orthopedic surgeon who arrived at General Hospital to consult with Robin on a case. Robin was immediately suspicious of Lisa's intentions, especially when Lisa decided to make Port Charles her home and join the General Hospital staff. When Robin and Emma went to London to visit Robin's mother, Anna, Lisa asked Patrick to help her move into her new apartment. It was clear to Patrick that Lisa had been making a play for him, and he told her in no uncertain terms that he loved his wife.

Lisa was undaunted in her quest to win Patrick back and ingratiated herself into Patrick's life by agreeing with him about Sonny being a bad influence on Robin. It seemed as if Robin and Patrick were putting their differences aside when Robin decided to do volunteer work in Africa and didn't inform Patrick of her plans. Patrick had no choice but to let her go and hoped that they would work out their problems when she returned.

In the summer of 2010, while Robin was still in Africa, Patrick and Lisa performed a risky surgery on a terminal cancer patient. They decided to celebrate at Jake's, where they both had a little too much to drink. To make sure she got home safely, Patrick took Lisa back to her apartment, where they ended up in bed. When he arrived home, Patrick was stunned to find Robin waiting for him. She had decided to return home early from Africa to surprise him. Patrick was wracked with guilt over his impulsive infidelity.

Even though Patrick made it clear to Lisa that the night they spent together had been a mistake, Lisa pulled out all the stops to get him back in bed. She even threatened to divulge his infidelity to Robin. When Robin discovered her hospital locker had been vandalized and her face had been cut out of all the family photographs, Patrick immediately suspected Lisa, who, of course, denied it. While Robin was on a short trip to New York, Patrick arrived home to find Lisa had made herself comfortable on his couch. Lisa professed her love for Patrick. Patrick tried to let her down gently and asked her to leave. After Lisa left, Patrick discovered that Robin's face had been cut out of their wedding picture, just like the ones in Robin's locker. When Robin returned from New York, Lisa broke into their house again and stole Robin's HIV medications.

One night when Patrick and Robin arrived home, they discovered that Lisa had taken Emma out without their permission. Frantic, they searched everywhere, and returned to find Lisa and Emma back home. Lisa calmly explained that she had taken Emma out for ice cream and couldn't understand why Robin and Patrick were so upset. After Lisa made a veiled threat on Robin's life, Patrick realized she was out of control, and he confessed his infidelity to Robin. Robin was heartbroken and asked him to get out. Lisa took her plan up a notch when she threw herself in front of Robin's car and made it look like Robin had hit her on purpose.

Patrick thought that he and Robin should act like they were getting a divorce to throw Lisa off the track and get her out of their lives for good. So Robin and Emma moved in with her uncle, Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio. Lisa's next act was to put one of Emma's stuffed toys in a test tube of boiling water in Robin's office.

Lisa invited Patrick to a NASCAR race because racing was a passion they had once shared. When Lisa overheard a conversation between Patrick and Robin's cousin Maxie about the invitation, she realized she had been played. Lisa cancelled the plans, sneaked into Mac's house, and put tranquilizers in Robin's HIV meds. The tranquilizers caused Robin to lose consciousness behind the wheel, and she crashed with Emma in the car. With Robin and Emma gone from Mac's house and Lisa gone from General Hospital, Patrick feared that Lisa had kidnapped his wife. Patrick's fears escalated when a nurse that Lisa worked with was found dead in a hospital stairwell. Patrick was sure that Lisa had Robin, and he was frantic to find her.

Mac was furious about Patrick's infidelity, and his suspicions led to Patrick's arrest. Because there was no evidence, Mac had to let Patrick go. Patrick found Robin trapped at the bottom of a well. Lisa confronted them, and this time she had a gun and threatened to kill herself. Patrick stopped her, and Mac had her sent to Shadybrook. The ever-crafty Lisa managed to fool the doctors. She was released in record time and free to wreak havoc on her former lover, Patrick, and her nemesis, Robin.

When Robin was admitted to General Hospital with injuries sustained in a fire, Lisa made her next move. She was attempting to poison Robin's I.V. bag, but Maxie caught her in the act. A clever Lisa quickly handed the syringe to Johnny Zacchara, who just happened to be in the hall. Patrick knew that Lisa had no business being in Robin's room, and he convinced the chief of staff, Steven Webber, to put Lisa on probation. Robin was grateful to Patrick for supporting her, and they agreed to spend Thanksgiving together. However, the syringe saga was far from over.

Johnny Zacchara decided to stage a scavenger hunt between Robin and Lisa for the syringe and left clues all over town. Patrick found the final clue, but a fatal car accident that killed four-year-old Jake Webber put the hunt on hold before Lisa's guilt had been proven. Patrick and Robin worked together to save Jake, but despite their best efforts, Jake died on the operating table. Patrick was distraught that he had not been able to save Jake. After Jake's death, Robin realized that life was too short to hold on to her anger. She forgave Patrick for his affair with Lisa and asked him to return home. They agreed to go to marriage counseling to work out their residual problems.

With Patrick and Robin happily reconciled, Lisa plotted her next move. Patrick's animosity towards Lisa only escalated her plans for revenge. After she overheard Robin ask Kristina if Kristina could babysit, Lisa befriended Kristina so she could gain access to the Drake house. Lisa gave the stressed-out teen a narcotic and told her it was an herbal supplement. While Kristina was babysitting, Lisa dropped by on the pretense of giving Kristina more "supplements." When the drugs took effect and Kristina fell asleep, Lisa bugged the house. While she was there, Lisa stole Patrick's credit card statement and started making purchases that would prove she and Patrick were having an affair.

Lisa's plan turned potentially lethal when she sabotaged Robin and Patrick's gas heater. When Robin arrived home early and heard a noise in the basement, she went to investigate. Lisa locked Robin in the basement with the leaking heater -- or so she thought. Starting with the credit card identity theft, Patrick's antenna had gone up. Then Kristina had told him about Lisa's visits to the house while Kristina was babysitting for Emma.

Patrick and Robin investigated further and found a website about faulty gas heaters on Lisa's computer. Patrick was convinced that Lisa was going to try to kill Robin. They devised a plan to set Lisa up, and they succeeded. When Mac hauled Lisa off to jail, Patrick and Robin were finally freed from her evil schemes. Robin put her wedding rings back on, and they sealed their reconciliation with a kiss.

Robin and Patrick believed that Lisa was a part of their past after she taken into police custody and transferred to a psychiatric care facility. However, Lisa managed to escape and she sneaked into General Hospital disguised as a security guard. She had a gun and she used it to take Patrick, Robin, Steve, and Maxie hostage. Lisa ran her own trial with her hostages where she placed judge and jury. Lisa pointed out how each person had treated her unfairly and she fired a shot at Maxie. The hospital was on lockdown but Spinelli managed to enter the conference room where they were held via a duct and took the bullet meant for Maxie.

When the police and Jason Morgan stormed into the conference room, Lisa took advantage of the chaos and held a syringe to Robin's neck. In the scuffle, Lisa injected the syringe of drain cleaner into herself and lapsed into a coma.

Patrick and Robin once again believed that Lisa was out of their lives and they continued to work on their marriage although they faced a new challenge. Robin was appointed as the interim Chief of Staff and she and Patrick often had professional differences of opinion on how the hospital should be run. Robin initiated many changes to hospital policies and procedures and was extremely busy in her new position although Patrick tried to distract her with romance as often as possible.

Since Robin was so busy running the hospital, Patrick decided to plan a special evening for her birthday which coincided with Matt's accomplish of becoming a published researcher. Patrick chartered a private boat for a celebration and they assembled a small group to attend the party. Unbeknownst to the patry guests, Lisa had emerged from her coma and sneaked onto the boat. Patrick and Robin found some romantic time alone in a cabin and Robin left briefly to bring in some food. While she was gone, Lisa chloroformed Patrick and tied him to the bed.

When Patrick awoke, he saw Robin bound to a chair with Lisa standing over her with a syringe. Lisa explained that since Patrick loved his wife so much they should share everything, including her HIV. She planned to inject Patrick with Robin's blood but Robin freed herself in time to turn the tables on Lisa. The women had an altercation on the deck of the boat but by the time Patrick arrived, Lisa was gone and Robin was disoriented after crashing into the stairs.

A few weeks later Lisa's body washed up on shore and an autopsy revealed that she had died from a blunt force trauma to the head and the guests on the boat, including Patrick and Robin, were considered suspects in her murder. Since Robin was named as a suspect, she was forced to step down from her position as Chief of Staff although Patrick encouraged her to fight for the position. He was surprised when Robin admitted that she was glad to be relieved of the position because she wanted to spend more time with her family especially as the holidays neared.

Patrick noticed that Robin was extremely focused on creating the perfect Christmas for Emma while at the same time she was very concerned about a patient of hers with HIV. Robin shared with Patrick that the HIV maintenance drugs her patient currently used were no longer effective and Robin made arrangements to attend an AIDS conference in Africa. While Robin was gone, Elizabeth told Patrick that Robin was keeping a secret from him - Robin was actually the patient whose drug protocol no longer worked and she was not in Africa but instead in Seattle seeing a specialist about her condition.

Elizabeth explained that Robin had confided her and asked Elizabeth to step in to help Patrick raise Emma after Robin was gone. Patrick was shocked to learn that Robin was making arrangements to disappear so it would appear as if she had abandoned Patrick and Emma instead of allowing them to watch her deteriorate. When Robin returned, Patrick confronted her about the secrets she was keeping and she explained that she knew what it was like to watch someone die of AIDS and she did not want Patrick or Emma to experience it.

After Robin finished her explanation, Patrick assured Robin that he always wanted to be by her side regardless of what she was going through and he vowed to be with her every step of the way as she moved forward. He encouraged her to explore all the possibilities for treatment and demanded that she fight for their life together with their daughter. Robin agreed and she started a new drug protocol. They were both relieved when it appeared to be working and they provided Emma with a wonderful Christmas.

As a new year began, Robin was concerned about the ongoing health of Jason and she and Patrick consulted on how to best treat the recent swelling in Jason's brain. They decided the best course of treatment would be for Robin to develop a drug protocol that Patrick could surgically implant into Jason's brain. Jason did not have much time as his condition steadily declined and Robin worked diligently to develop the treatment. Patrick visited Robin's lab although she was not present at the time. He inhaled toxic fumes emitted

Concerned for Jason, consulted together on how to handle his most recent swelling in Jason's brain, best course of treatment was for Robin to develop medication that Patrick could surgically implant. Focused on creating the medication, Patrick visited her in the lab, passed out from toxic fumes that had resulted from an accident. Robin arrived and pulled Patrick to safety.

Robin revived Patrick using CPR and after he came to, she ran back into the lab to check on the medication she had created for Jason. On her way out of the lab, she knocked over a beaker and the doors to the lab automatically closed with Robin trapped inside. Patrick tried to open the doors and shouted for help. Robin sent the medication for Jason through a pass-through and begged him to make sure that Jason received the treatment. Robin instructed Patrick to leave before he was also trapped by the next set of emergency doors and told him that she loved him and Emma. Patrick ran to get help but before the help arrived, the lab exploded and Robin was presumed dead after her body was burned beyond recognition.

After Robin's death, Jason's wife Sam approached Patrick and inquired about when he planned to complete Jason's surgery. Patrick told Sam that he would not be saving Jason's life because his life had cost Robin hers. Sam reminded Patrick that she was pregnant and that without Patrick, her child would grow up without a father and that Robin had wanted Jason to be saved. Eventually Patrick conceded that Robin would want Jason's life to be saved and he performed the surgery.

Patrick was consumed with grief but with Elizabeth's help he told Emma that Robin was dead and they attended the funeral. Many residents of Port Charles attended the funeral and shared stories of what Robin had meant to them. However, Robin's cousin Maxie crashed the funeral and announced to everyone that she was responsible for Robin's death. Maxie admitted that she had visited Robin in the lab prior to the accident and her purse strap had become caught on one of the gas handles and it had turned on. Even though Maxie wanted to take the blame for Robin's death, Patrick did not blame her and explained that Robin's death had truly been an accident.

Patrick privately spread Robin's ashes on the site where they had planned to build their dream home and he withdrew from his family and friends as he grieved. He often asked Elizabeth to watch Emma and claimed that he was working shifts at Mercy Hospital in order to keep busy. Instead, he watched home videos of Robin and their family and missed his wife. Nurse Epiphany Johnson occasionally interrupted Patrick's solitude and encouraged him to return to work and make his life mean something as a way to honor Robin.

Despite Epiphany's tough love and urging from his brother Matt, Patrick did not return to work until Elizabeth realized he had been lying to her all the times he had asked her to watch Emma. He acknowledged that he had taken advantage of Elizabeth and she told him that he could make amends by returning to work to operate on her friend Dr. Ewen Keenan. Patrick agreed and he took a more active role in caring for his daughter.

Soon after, Patrick was dealt another blow when Matt remembered that he had killed Lisa and confessed to the crime. Matt was sentenced to prison and the brothers shared a heartfelt goodbye. In Matt's absence, Patrick invited Matt's wife Maxie to move in with him and Emma after Patrick had rented out Matt's apartment, unaware that Maxie had planned to live there. Patrick appreciated Maxie's help with Emma but he became defensive when Maxie found an unlabeled bottle of prescription medication in Patrick's coat. She questioned him about the pills but he claimed they were only aspirin.

Maxie doubted Patrick's claim about the pills based on the mood swings she had seen him exhibit during their time as roommates and she showed the pills to her friend Lulu Spencer. The women discovered that the pills were actually a controlled substance called Dynexin which was typically used to treat ADHD or obesity. Lulu and Maxie confronted Patrick about the pills and he was offended that they had invaded his privacy. Under duress, he said that he had a prescription for the medication because he suffered from ADHD.

Maxie and Lulu did not believe him and asked to see proof of his diagnosis. When he was unable to do so, he admitted that he had turned to the pills for help in dealing with his grief. Lulu threatened to report his drug use to his superiors at the hospital if he did not agree to immediately stop taking the pills and to seek professional help. Patrick agreed to the terms but secretly continued to take the pills which he stole from the hospital. While under the influence of the medication, he mistook Lulu for Robin and kissed her.

After the kiss Patrick was shocked to realize that Robin was gone and Lulu was there instead. Lulu accused Patrick of being high and found pills in his jacket. The next day Lulu confronted him again regarding his drug problem. Patrick admitted to Lulu that he used the pills because the pain of losing Robin was too great without them. Lulu rebutted with a reminder that he was Emma's sole parent now and he needed to face his problems in order to care for her properly. Patrick agreed and sought treatment through Dr. Ewen Keenan.

Near the end of Patrick's substance abuse treatment he made amends with Epiphany. He confessed to her that he had stolen drugs from the hospital and was prepared to face the consequences. Epiphany forgave him and decided not to alert the other hospital staff about what Patrick had done.

Soon after Patrick returned to work Jerry Jacks returned to town and announced that he had poisoned the town's water supply with a deadly toxin. Jerry admitted that he had an accomplice and Jason suspected that Ewen was involved somehow. Jason approached Patrick and asked him to check on Elizabeth since she was dating Ewen. Patrick insisted that Ewen was a good man but he agreed to stop by Elizabeth's home. When he arrived there Ewen hit him over the head with a baseball bat and kidnapped Elizabeth.

Jason arrived shortly after and Patrick relayed what had happened. Both men worried for Elizabeth's safety. Jason took off to rescue Elizabeth while Patrick returned to the hospital in hopes of creating an antidote to the toxin that Jerry had unleashed. Patrick had not entered the lab since Robin's death but he faced his grief with Maxie by his side. He was able to create one dose of the antidote which ended up in the hands of Edward Quartermaine. Edward insisted that Emma should have the antidote and Patrick was grateful for his selfless decision.

Eventually enough of the antidote was procured and Patrick continued to raise Emma while grieving Robin. His family and friends encouraged him to move on and he started dating a colleague named Britt Westbourne.

While Patrick spent time with Britt, he hired nursing student Sabrina Santiago to baby-sit Emma. Sabrina and Emma developed a close bond and Sabrina decided to resurrect the Nurses Ball at the hospital in honor of Robin. Sabrina thought it would be meaningful and healing for both Patrick and Emma to see Robin's life recognized in a positive way.

Patrick worked with Sabrina to pull together the Nurses Ball and Britt joined the cause as well. As Britt and Patrick continued to date, she made it clear she was ready to make their relationship sexual. Patrick slowed her advances for a while but changed his mind after she joined him in the locker room shower. Afterwards, Patrick decided it was time for Britt and Emma to spend more time together. However, Emma protested Britt and announced that she preferred Sabrina. Patrick encouraged his daughter to give Britt a chance until Emma ran away from Britt. Later the truth came out that Britt had said harsh things to his daughter and Britt stated that Emma was a spoiled brat. Patrick ended the relationship.

Emma continued to adore Sabrina while Patrick learned that Sabrina had a crush on him. The news of Sabrina's feelings prompted Patrick to view her in a new way and he escorted Sabrina to the Nurses Ball. Their date went smoothly until Britt publically announced that she was pregnant with Patrick's child. Patrick was stunned by the news but assured Sabrina that he wanted to be with her, not Britt. As Patrick continued to date Sabrina, she believed that Britt was using the pregnancy to get close to Patrick again and even doubted if Patrick was the father of Britt's unborn child.

Despite Britt's interference, Patrick and Sabrina remained together and Sabrina supported Patrick's decision to be a part of his child's life. Eventually Britt confessed that Patrick was not the father of her child. As Patrick and Sabrina moved forward, Sabrina's former lover Carlos arrived in Port Charles and announced that he wanted Sabrina back. Carlos questioned Sabrina's place in Patrick's life and implied that she would also be second to Patrick's former wife since Patrick had made no commitment to Sabrina and continued to wear his wedding ring. The comments from Carlos prompted Patrick to examine his feelings for Sabrina and he proposed marriage. Sabrina accepted and with Emma's blessing, they made plans to marry as soon as possible.

Patrick's family and friends supported his decision to remarry and Emma was honored to be a part of the ceremony. The wedding day approached quickly and Patrick made peace with his decision to put Robin permanently in the past while he created his future with Sabrina. However, near the end of the ceremony, Robin appeared and the wedding was halted. Patrick was shocked to see Robin and they exchanged a kiss. Afterwards, Patrick was conflicted regarding which woman his heart truly belonged to but he chose Robin and ended his relationship with Sabrina.

As Patrick looked forward to his life with Robin and his daughter he sensed that Robin was hiding something from him. She admitted that Victor Cassadine had revealed to her that Jason was still alive but his life was in Robin's hands. Robin could secretly leave Port Charles to save Jason or she could remain with her family and let Jason die. Patrick begged Robin to stay and made it clear that he did not support her choice to leave. Around the same time, Patrick learned that Sabrina was pregnant with his child. In his grief over Robin's absence, he distanced himself from Sabrina and struggled with his emotions.

Sabrina continued to offer Patrick the chance to be part of her pregnancy and he was excited to learn that she was pregnant with his son. As he started to look forward to the arrival of his new child, Patrick, Emma, and Sabrina were involved in a car accident. Emma and Patrick were fine but the accident caused Sabrina to give birth prematurely on the side of the road. The baby arrived at the hospital in critical condition and Patrick and Sabrina prayed that their son would survive. After their son grew stronger, they named his Gabriel Drake to honor Sabrina's mother and the new child's connection to Emma.

Although Gabriel's condition appeared to be improving, he developed a fatal infection. Patrick and Sabrina were present during their son's final heartbeat and Patrick put his own grief aside while he remained strong for Sabrina. His friends and colleagues made their presence known and he appreciated their support but he was angered by Robin's absence during his time of grief.

With Sam's help, Patrick learned that Rafe Kovich had caused the accident which resulted in his son's death. Shortly after, Patrick was forced to operate on Rafe after he was involved in another car accident but Rafe did not survive the surgery. Silas Clay believed that Patrick had sought revenge on the operating table and Patrick was fired. Sam stood by him and he used his time to help Sam investigate who had instructed Rafe to run his car off the road. The search inadvertently led Patrick to Robin at the nearby Crichton-Clark medical facility. He was furious when he realized that Robin had been so close yet had chosen not to visit while he and Emma mourned Gabriel. He informed Robin that their marriage was over and announced his plans to divorce her.