“Mrs. Nole, your son is this way,” the nurse at University Hospital said. 

Mrs. Nole wore sweatpants, a comfortable blouse and a sweatshirt. She was far from her professional attire. “What’s his condition?” The hospital hadn’t kept her well informed. They couldn’t. If one nurse cared about him, they were at risk. They knew. They were trained by Mrs. Nole herself. They were desperate when they called her.

They talked and walked. “He’s been catatonic. He wakes up. He eats. He goes to the bathroom. He won’t respond to anything from us. In his sleep, he asks for you. I know it’s not protocol, but ma’am, it’s been two weeks,” The nurse’s tone held a hint of reproach. “We needed to do something, Ma’am. Two people have already had problems dealing with him.”

So they knew the risk and failed the simplest rule? If he’s not in physical danger, leave him be with minimal contact. It wasn’t difficult. They approached Lionel’s room. 

“As I said would happen. Please listen to specialist recommendations next time. I hope the effects were not too apparent. Will he be sleeping?” Mrs. Nole asked.

“Yes. He’s had trouble. He’ll wake up screaming, or shaking so much he can’t sleep. We’ve given him a light dosage of sedative at night.”

“Thank you. Can you give me five minutes?” 

“Ma’am?”

“Even I need some time to compose myself when I’m working with my clients. Please understand.”

“Five minutes.” The nurse said curtly, and stomped away. Mrs. Nole sighed and opened the door. Clearly, she did not approve of her methods. Then again, she knew Mrs. Nole was the only one who could do this. She had for all of Lionel’s life. 

And yet, her preparation failed her. He’d never been this bad. At most, he was unresponsive. Mrs. Nole didn’t know the circumstances fully, but she knew enough. The impossible had happened. Lionel had fallen in love. 

She played back her past meetings with Lionel and recounted her own policies and methods. She knew how she must approach her son and the consequences of failing. But at the center of her being, Mrs. Nole was still his mother. 

-

Lionel’s eyes opened to an unfamiliar ceiling. His memory was hazy, but he knew he had been at a hospital and... Was that the smell of bacon? Hospital fluid calories do not make for a filling snack. Before following his nose, he checked the closet. It was stocked with clothes, all his size, but none of them familiar. 

Leo made his way down a short hallway in comfortable pajamas and a sweater. The smell of bacon was joined by sausage and pancakes. He sat on a stool at the kitchen granite counter. A woman was cooking with her back turned. Her hair was in a ponytail. 

“Excuse me, but...” she turned. It was Mrs. Nole. “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you with the ponytail and...umm.” He was glad blushing could not show on his skin. “I...I don’t know what I’m doing here.” A plate clanged on the counter. Lionel licked his lips.

Mrs. Nole smiled. “You can call me Mom if you want.”

Lionel’s lips twitched. His eyes brightened, but he turned away. “But, mom, it’s-” Tears streamed down his face. 

Mrs. Nole walked around the counter and held her son from behind. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Now eat. The doctors said you would be hungry.”

He took a bite. Most of Lionel’s life, he’d had to make his own food or go out and pay for it. He’d never known what it was like for another’s love to be cooked into his food. This wasn’t the same as what he felt for Richter. It was fluffy. He chewed fast. His chest felt strange. He questioned if he should devour the breakfast or savor it. The feeling spread from his chest to his shoulders, then arms, then all over. He took a second bite and, what’s this? He felt a strain in an unused muscle in his face. For a second he was perplexed. Then it hit him. How long has it been since he last smiled? Months? Years? He couldn’t remember. 

After eating, Mrs. Nole gestured for him to sit with her on the living room couch. Lionel shirked back. He couldn’t maintain eye contact. He stepped away. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Mrs. Nole gave him a resigned sigh. “Honey, I know there’s a lot going on right now, and I want to help you. I will be honest with you. The situation cannot be much worse than it already is.”

“Mom, but...”

“Your father is too resourceful. He’s not right in his head except his obsession with you, but he was considered a genius before he...” she hesitated. “Before he tried to...”

“He tried to murder me.” Lionel sat down next to his mother. “I remember it now. I...” Richter’s face flashed in his memory. He glimpsed at his mother and saw Amber. 

-

“Leo?” His mother’s voice was distant. Where was he again? He’d never found out. He felt something cold on his neck. His senses refocused. Leo found himself on the floor holding himself. A glass of water was on the in-table, sweating. Thirty minutes had passed. 

“You were sweating.” Leo was not sure if that was his mother’s voice or not. When he checked, it was Mrs. Nole with a concerned furrow in her brow. Despite that, her tone changed. “Leo, I need you to keep your eyes on me and focus.”

“Mrs. Nole, where am I?” 

Without flinching, she answered. “You’re at a ‘safehouse.’ I set this up once I’d heard he was released. All but two of the apartments are empty.” 

“If you’re here, where’s your husband?”

This question received a notable side glance. “For his safety, we are currently estranged.”

“Where’s Richter? I was living with him, but I can’t remember much else.”

“We have him held at another safe house.” Mrs. Nole said without missing a beat.  “We were afraid your father would use him to get to you. You will not be able to see him for awhile.” His physical safety is more important right now, Mrs. Nole thought. “We thought it would be best for you to live with me until he is caught.” 

“How long have you been here?”

“Since he was released.”

“Oh, then he probably already  knows we’re here.” Leo said, resigned. 

Mrs. Nole sighed. “That is probable.” As soon as Leo left the hospital, he would have been undetectable by himself,, but Mrs. Nole has been here for two months. That was enough time for her ex-husband to find her. He would deduce that Leo was with her if he could not find him by other means. Due to her constant care for Leo in the past forty-eight hours, it would not be long before her fortune ran out completely. 

“Lionel, there are a few things you need to have.” He sat on the couch as if it were one of his sessions. Through sheer will, Mrs. Nole prevented her tears. She went to her bedroom and came back out with a silver safe box and its key. Leo’s eyes widened.

“Richter had a box like that.”

“He did? Did he ever tell you what’s normally inside these?”

“No. The box and his medicine cabinet were the only things he kept locked.”

“Well, inside this one is a letter from me and a few personal items just in case.” The case was made for handguns. This one was no exception. Lionel did not need to know this. “You can only open it in case of an emergency or if I end up dead or otherwise incapacitated.”

“Okay.” He bit his lip. When did he start doing that? 

“Please take the-” The lights went out with a loud clicking sound. “Damnit, it’s too soon. Lionel, go to your room. Now. No lights. I’ll.” 

“Yes, Mrs. Nole.” She could tell he was trembling by his voice.

“Call me… Nevermind, Go.” She turned back to her bedroom. 

-

A sense of deja-vu flooded Leo’s body. He failed to understand if it was from that silver box or from Mrs. Nole acting strange. In a daze, he started following her instructions. 

Before he made it halfway down the hallway, the window to the living room shattered. In that moment, Lionel’s mind shifted into a state of lucidity. Despite the lack of light, he could see outlines easily. His adrenaline began to pump as the door was kicked open. They shouted for us. Lionel realized what was happening, but it was too late. The trap succeeded. Who appeared to be a police officer dropped to the ground unconscious. 

He stepped over the body. Lionel remembered little about his biological father. Before now, the most accurate recall he’d ever had was the similarity between Amber and his face.

The lights flickered back on. What Leo imagined was an adumbration of reality. The father he saw now had a soft, shaven face but sunken eyes. His frame was wide, but am I taller than him? To Leo’s astonishment, he could see more of himself in his father than in his mother. 

Finished assessing the room, the man’s eyes found Leo. Dread filled him. It was impossible for Leo to be taller than this man,he was five years old again. Leo could only see the man who nearly choked the life out of him despite how skinny his father was for his broad shoulders. 

“Lionel!” His voice was raspy. “You’ve grown so much my dear Lionel.” He smiled. A tooth was missing. “I’ve thought about you so much, you know. I couldn’t stop.” He paused. His eyes rolled up as if he had forgotten something important and, ah, there it is. “Lionel, where is Lucy?” 

He began to turn towards his mother’s room, but she jumped at him before he completely finished. She tackled him, shouting profanities. Sirens sounded in the distance. 

Despite the surprise, Mr. Nole shook her off easily. Something clattered to the ground. It was a gun, Lionel realized as it hit a wall. He couldn’t tell which of them brought it, but at that moment it did not matter. Mr. Nole pinned Mrs. Nole to the ground and he began strangling her. Lionel cowered in the corner, watching as if mesmerized. Mr. Nole ignored Lionel as if he forgot he existed. Of course, that was not the case. Mr. Nole understood that Lionel would not, could not act. 

Mr. Nole focused on the one person he despised just as much as Lionel. They loved each other once. They loved their toddler son together. When it began, she was the one who called the police and knocked him out with a frying pan from behind. She kept Lionel alive and supported him for all this time. His ex-wife deserved the same treatment he would have dealt Lionel many years ago. 

It was because of Mr. Nole’s determination that he failed to notice Lionel picking up the gun. It perplexed Lionel. The gun was similar yet completely foreign. It was the same color as that silver case. Why would Richter have a gun? Where is he? He held that thought; his mother was being choked to death. My mother was being choked to death. 

Lionel stood up. Mr. Nole glanced upwards with a face that was more pitiable than the menace in Leo’s mind. Leo used the pistol as a bludgeon directly to Mr. Nole’s temple. A noticeable shudder ran throughout Mr. Nole’s body, but he didn’t let go. Leo struck again. Mr. Nole rolled off Mrs. Nole. He struck the wall with his head. Leo hit his head twice more until Mr. Nole went limp. 

Car doors slammed outside. Lionel’s lucidity ended as quickly as it began. He dropped the gun and kneeled over his mother, unsure if she was breathing. She wheezed. Lionel practiced his second smile within twenty four hours. He could hear shouting from the lower floor. 

The gun was still in Leo’s hand. His father was unconscious on the floor. He determined he had thirty seconds.

-

Mrs. Nole took a slow, deep breath. It felt raspy. Her body wasn’t listening, and she could swear there were things sticking out of her. Her hearing came back. Something was beeping. In any case, she was stuck here. Her eyes wouldn’t open. There was no way to tell how much time was passing. Conversations around her were muffled. Her breathing stayed raspy. She began feeling around her. Lionel. Where was he? No, this was definitely not a good time to think about him. If she was here, he was safe. She banished him from her thoughts. 

It took four days for Mrs. Nole to completely awaken. She had been at the hospital for ten days.

The nurse, unfortunately the same one from when she came for Lionel, relayed what happened as she began exercises. “Manual strangulation causing a coma is rare, Mrs. Nole. I’m sure someone’s going to want to talk to you about this experience.” She nodded her head, part of her exercise. 

“Can you try speaking for me, Mrs. Nole?” 

Her voice was soft and sounded as if she’d been a lifetime smoker. “Where is my son?”

“Your husband stopped by with an update on him. Your current recent husband. We had to give him a call.”

Later, the police came to update her about her ex-husband. “He’s been apprehended, but he’s suffered severe head trauma and likely brain damage. He’ll likely be moved into a psychiatric hospital.”

“Is there a chance for him to escape again?” The officer had to lean in close to hear her. 

“Ma’am, he won’t be doing much of anything anymore. Your son did work on him. I’ll be honest, for both of you it was like the worst possible outcomes without killing either of you.” She almost laughed.

It wasn’t until the next day that her husband came to visit that her whirling thoughts were finally abated. He had kept close watch of her throughout this entire affair despite all her warnings. But it was because of his proximity that Lionel had met him and given him a handwritten letter. He brought it to Mrs. Nole.

She opened the letter tenderly and slowly, as if the slightest crease would ruin its contents. She smiled immediately. Her eyes softened as if about to cry. Then, indeed, she did cry deep heaving sobs. The nurse stopped by and told her that she may hurt herself if she keeps crying like that. Then she smiled again: a big, toothy, child’s grin.

“You may shred this,” She said, resolute.

Her husband was agasp. “But wait, that’s from Lionel?”

She smiled again, that childish grin, but with tears flowing down her eyes and her voice permanently crippled, she said “I don’t know a Lionel.”