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We took the elevator up to the medical ward where Louise was staying and went to the room. My stomach was full of butterflies as I wondered what she would be like when she saw Drake and the rest of us.
Could she understand who we all were or would it be too much for her?
Inside was Louise's husband, who was sitting by her side, her hand in his. She was no longer restrained, her hands free but her arms were wrapped in bandages. Drake had told me that she tried to rip out her IVs...
"Hello," Herb said when he saw us. He came right over and extended his hand to me and we shook. "You must be Kate. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," I said and smiled at him. He had a pleasant face, with a balding hairline and warm brown eyes. "Sorry it had to be under these circumstances."
He nodded. "Yes, but we're all so glad to have found Drake." Then he turned to Sophie in the car seat and Liam who was standing beside Drake, their hands clasped. "And this must be Liam. Hello, Liam. My name is Herb. Nice to meet you."
Liam smiled up at Herb and they shook hands, and it was so cute to see Liam being so formal.
"You have the same name as Herb Overkill."
"I do but I'm not nearly as skinny."
Liam laughed and glanced at Herb's belly, which was substantial. "No. But you're as tall as him."
Herb smiled down at Liam. "You look like your dad. And your grandmother. She had that black hair when she was younger and those blue eyes."
Liam nodded and glanced at the bed where Drake was standing, Louise's hand in his.
I watched Drake, who bent down and kissed Louise's cheek. She looked somewhat more aware than Drake's description after he saw her the first day we found out she was in the hospital. Her hair had been brushed and her eyes were bright. She had a nasal cannula supplying her oxygen, but otherwise, she looked like a normal patient recovering from a disease.
"How are you, Mother? It's Drake, your son from your marriage with Liam."
When he spoke, she looked at him like he was speaking in gibberish, her brow furrowed. She muttered something, her eyes confused. Then Drake ushered Liam over and Liam stood on the stool beside the bed, moving close enough so that Louise could see him clearly.
"This is Liam," Drake said, his voice emotional. "This is my son from a previous marriage. Liam, this is your grandmother."
Liam extended his hand, expecting to shake Louise's hand. She changed demeanor as soon as she saw Liam, her face lighting up.
"Drake, Drake, Drake..." She reached out and touched Liam's head, running her fingers over his hair. Then she took his hand, and squeezed it, all the while she kept chanting Drake over and over, and then it hit me that she was remembering Drake as a boy.
She thought she was holding Drake's hand.
"No, I'm Liam," Liam said, enunciating the word. "Li-am. Drake is my other father. He's your son."
"Drake, Drake, Drake..."
"It's okay," Drake said and bent down, taking Liam's hand out of hers. He clasped her hand instead, letting Liam move out of the way. "Grandma is a bit confused. She hasn’t seen me since I ten. She thinks you're me."
"I know," Liam said. "That's okay. She's old. She forgot."
"She did."
Drake leaned down and kissed Louise once more on the forehead and she looked up in his face and continued whispering. This time, she kept repeating Liam, and I figured that she must have thought that he was Drake's father.
He did look very much like Drake's father Liam had when he was Drake's age.
I felt so bad for all of them – for Louise, for not being able to understand that she was seeing her son, Drake. For Drake, for being unable to get through to her and her to understand who he was. And for Liam, having to deal with the whole situation. He didn’t seem too upset and was quite willing to just accept things. I supposed that after all he'd been through in his short life, this mix-up was nothing.
Drake stood beside the bed and spoke to Louise, telling her all about his first marriage and how Liam was his son with his first wife. He had already told her all this, but he probably felt a need to tell her again, hoping that she'd comprehend.
I didn’t see even a hint of understanding on her face – only confusion.
"So, tell me about Liam," Herb said and sat in a chair beside the bed. Liam stood in front of him and talked about himself. He pulled out Batman from his backpack and showed it to Herb, who took it and examined it closely.
