The Drake Unwound Complete Collection (The Drake Series Book 9)(26)
Kate sat in a small waiting room while Maureen and I spoke to the nurses at the nursing station.
“He’s been stable, sleeping most of the time.”
The nurses at the station didn’t know the whole story and assumed I was just a consulting physician.
“Dr. Morgan is a friend and is going to check in on Liam.”
The nurse nodded and we went back to Liam’s isolation room. We entered the anteroom and suited up in gowns and masks. When we entered Liam’s room, I got my first look at him. He lay on the bed, his tiny head bald from chemo, his face pale, his lips pallid. On oxygen, the nasal cannula circled his face, and an I.V. threaded into his arm.
I stood beside the bed and watched Liam as he slept, my emotions almost overwhelming me. I didn’t know how to feel – incredibly shocked that I had a son, incredibly saddened that he was so sick and frail. A deep protective sense filled me, and I knew at that moment that I would do anything and everything in my power to save his life.
I reached out and took his tiny hand in mine, stroking my thumb over his skin, which was thin and pale. I had to bite back tears, and inhaled deeply in an attempt to gain control over my emotions. I glanced up at Maureen, whose own eyes were wet. Liam stirred briefly, and so I gently placed his hand back down on the covers.
“Let’s go,” I said, too close to tears to stay any longer.
We left the room and removed our gowns and masks before returning to the waiting room. I was surprised to see Chris there with Kate. She wasn’t looking at him and her face was pale so I wondered if he’d said something to her.
Maureen turned to them. "I see you two have met," she said, her voice clipped.
"We did." Chris leaned over and kissed Maureen on the cheek.
I took Kate’s hand and pulled her into my arms, needing at that moment to feel her warmth and her sympathy and love. I pressed my face into her neck and squeezed her. She ran her hands up my back, rubbing my shoulders to comfort me. I fought to regain control over myself.
"I'm so sorry," Kate whispered, and that made me even more emotional. I breathed in deeply, swallowing back my emotions. I pulled back and kissed her briefly.
"Thank you for being here." I ended the embrace and slid my hand down her arm, clasping her hand in mine, our fingers entwining. I wiped my eyes briefly and turned to Maureen.
"Call me when the arrangements are made," I said to her. "I'll come whenever his doctors need me."
Maureen nodded and I was so glad to leave the two of them, not wanting to break down in front of anyone. We went to the elevator and I pushed the button, waiting in silence because I was afraid my voice would falter if I spoke.
Once the elevator doors closed, I leaned against the wall and pulled Kate into my arms for the short ride down to the lobby.
"Christ, what a day…" I said and ran my hand over her hair as she leaned against me. "I'm so glad you were here with me. I don't know what I'd do if I were alone through this."
"What a shock for you," Kate said, squeezing me back. "To find out you have a son and that he's sick."
"At least he has a good father."
She glanced up at me. "I hope so. He was rather rude to me."
I frowned, anger welling up in me. "What do you mean?"
"He made comments that were suggestive. About you and about me."
I shook my head in disgust, wanting to go back up to the ward and give Chris a piece of my mind, but I knew that would be a waste of time. "I can't imagine what Maureen told him about me. Probably thinks I'm Hannibal Lecter."
"He only knows Maureen's side of the story, Drake."
I sighed and released Kate when the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened. "I was a dick, Kate," I said, taking her hand as we left the elevator and walked through the lobby to the street. "I freely admit that. She had every right to divorce me. I was an absent husband."
"You did as well as you knew how at the time," she said softly, always sensitive and forgiving.
"I promise I won't be absent with you," I said and squeezed her hand. "I've learned about myself and about relationships since then. I don't want to be that man anymore."
"You aren't."
I smiled at her, touched by her generosity. "Sweet sweet Ms. Bennet," I said and brushed my fingers over her lips. "How lucky I am to have found you."
We embraced once more and went out into a cold Manhattan winter's night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
We drove down the snowy streets in silence. Kate took my hand and said nothing, as if she was waiting until I felt like talking. At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to go back to my apartment in Chelsea. Instead, I wanted to go to 8th Avenue. My apartment in Chelsea was pre-Kate. It was sterile. It was nothing like the man I wanted to be.
"You want to go to 8th Avenue?" Kate said beside me when she noticed our route.
I nodded but didn't say anything for a moment, trying to sort through my emotions.
"I think of 8th Avenue as our place," I said finally. "My apartment is me as I was before you. I'm different now. Frankly, I'd like to sell it and for us to move into 8th Avenue or get our own place when we come back from Africa."