Dr.
Moreau came in at nine in the morning with good news for once.
Leon was sitting up in bed eating toast and Gerald was propped against the pillow when the doctor walked in, reviewed the chart, checked Leon’s vitals, and said the words Evelyn had been waiting three days to hear.
“He’s strong enough to move around, at least.
Short walks.” He looked at Leon over his glasses.
“Nothing too exciting, little one.”
”Got it,” Leon said through a mouthful of toast.
“Chew your food, honey,” Evelyn said.
Dr.
Moreau smiled.
“He stays for two more days.
Just for monitoring, but the worst is behind us.” He looked at Evelyn properly.
“He’s doing well.
Better than expected.”
”I told you,” Leon said.
“You did,” Evelyn agreed quietly.
After the doctor left she sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her son.
“Can I go to the common room with the toys?” he asked.
“After you finish that toast.”
The common room was at the end of the paediatric corridor.
It was cheerful in the deliberate way of hospital spaces designed for children.
Evelyn settled him at one of the tables with paper and his pencils and went to speak to Dr Moreau in his office.
****
Aidan was in the hospital the next day.
No matter how he tried to resist coming, he just had to.
He wanted answers.
He had been standing in the main lobby trying to decide what he was actually doing there when a small voice said;
”Hey.
It’s you.”
He turned around.
Leon was standing there in a hospital gown and slippers, holding a fistful of pencils, looking up at him with the wide delight of a child who has spotted someone they like in an unexpected place.
“It’s me,” Aidan agreed.
“What are you doing here?”
”What are you doing here, young man?
And where’s your mom?” Aidan asked back.
” Uhm, I was in the common room, I think I got lost,” Leon replied.
“And you?”
”I came to — ” He stopped, looking at the boy.
“I wanted to see how you were.”
Leon considered this.
“I’m better,” he said.
“The doctor said I can walk around now.”
”That’s good news.
But what if your mom is looking for you?”
”I know.
But I’ve been stuck in bed for three days.
It was very boring.” He tilted his head.
“Are you going to take me back to the common room?
If you do, can you stay a bit with me?”
”I will take you, but staying?
I wasn’t planning to.”
”You should.
I’m going to draw.” He turned and started walking, completely assuming Aidan would follow.
Aidan followed.
They got there and sat at the low table in the corner — Aidan considerably less comfortable in the small chair than Leon, who settled in like he owned the place.
Leon spread his paper out.
Selected a pencil with great seriousness, and began to draw.
“I do.
She lives in London.”
”Is she nice?”
”The nicest”
”Do you love her as much as I love mine?”
”Yes of course.”Aidan replied to him.
“Good.” He nodded approvingly.
“You should always love your Mom.” He stopped drawing again and looked at Aidan with sudden directness.
“Do you have children?”
The question landed quietly.
“No,” Aidan said.
“Do you want some?”
”Maybe…someday.”
Then he picked up his drawing and held it out.
“Here,” he said.
“What’s this?”
”The city.
From above.” He pushed it across.
“You can have it.”
”I can’t take your drawing —”
”I’ll make another one.
I always make another one.” He put it firmly in Aidan’s hand.
“You can put it in your office, it can remind you of me.”
Aidan looked at the drawing.
It was Milan from a bird’s eye.
The talent of Leon was overwhelming.
Aidan reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a small brass compass, old, given to him by his father.
He put it on the table in front of Leon.
Leon stared at it.
“What is it?”
”A compass.
It tells you which direction you’re going.”
Leon picked it up carefully.
Turned it over in his small hands and watched the needle move.
“It works,” he whispered.
“It always works.
Even when everything else is confusing — the needle always finds north.”
Leon looked up at him.
“Can I keep it?”
”It’s yours.”
That was when the door opened.
Evelyn stood in the doorway.
She looked at her son.
Then at Aidan.
Then at the compass in Leon’s hands.
Then back at Aidan — and whatever had been in her expression when she walked in was gone, replaced by something cold and upsetting.
“Leon,” she said.
“Go back to the ward please.”
”But Mommy —”
”Now.”
Leon looked at Aidan.
Then at his mother.
He climbed off the chair slowly, the compass closed in his fist.
“Why are you being rude to him?” he asked.
Evelyn went very still.
“Baby—”
”He’s my friend, Mommy,” Leon said.
“You’re always nice to everyone.
Why are you rude to him specifically?”
Evelyn looked at her son for a moment.
“Go to the ward,” she said quietly.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Leon looked at Aidan one more time.
“Bye, Mr,” he said.
Leon walked out.
The door swung behind him.
The silence in the room lasted about four seconds.
“You need to stop coming here,” Evelyn said.
“I’m sorry Evelyn, I just can’t help it.
I didn’t even plan to run into him —”
”I don’t care what you planned.” Her voice was low.
“He is a little boy and he doesn’t need to be getting attached to someone as evil as you are.
You don’t get to be his friend.
You don’t get to give him things and sit with him and —” She stopped.
Pressed her lips together.
“Stay—away— from my son.
I’m telling you once more.”
”And if I don’t?”
Evelyn scoffed.
“Then I pull the deal and I’ll put a restraining order on you so fast your lawyers will still be reading it on the plane home.” She held his gaze.
“I mean it.”
He looked at her for a long moment.
“I know you do,” he said quietly.
“But until I get proof that he’s not my son, Evelyn.
I’m not going to stop trying.
You can push me away a hundred times, but I won’t budge.
Because Evelyn, I can’t lose you both a second time, I won’t.”
He picked up Leon’s drawing from the table, folded it carefully.
Put it in his jacket pocket.
Then he walked out.
Evelyn stood in the common room for a moment after he left.
She breathed.
Then she walked back down the corridor to Leon’s ward.
Leon was in bed.
The compass was on the pillow beside Gerald.
He was staring at the ceiling.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
He didn’t look at her.
“Leon —”
”It’s fine,” he said.
Small voice.
“I’m fine.”
She looked at him.
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
She reached out and smoothed his hair once.
He let her.
She looked around the room, trying not to think about anything Aidan said.
Her eyes were still wandering, when she saw it— a small white card.
She picked it up.
No note, nothing written on it at all except a name and a number printed in clean black type.
Jane Smith.
Evelyn’s hand went very still.
She turned the card over, it was blank.
Jane Smith was here, in this room, in her son’s ward.
A little sense of fear rose in Evelyn.
Did Jane find out Leon was Aidan’s son?