Your Son

" What do you mean brother is in a coma? What happened to him?" With a start, Blake stood up frantically. Her eyes widened as she stared back at Louis. Not getting any response, she looked down at her calm parents.

The look on her parent's faces said quite a lot. Simply, they already knew about all these but didn't bother to say a word.

Were they blinded by their beliefs that they had let hatred overpower them? This was the question that the brother and sister asked themselves.

" So, you already knew?" Blake persisted with her questioning though she still hadn't got the answer to her previous question.

Acting as if she did not hear her daughter's questions, Mrs Ford proceeded to enjoy the snacks placed before her. Her expression said it all, she did not owe anyone any explanation even if it was her own children.

After taking her sweet time chewing on the cake slice on her plate, Mrs Ford raised up her eyes. She glared at Blake then shifted her focus to Louis while a subtle smile graced her lips. One could see the faint similarities of this face to Atlas's.

"Who are you calling your brother? What, and which brother are you referring to, hmm?" Still with a smile on her face, she asked while eyeing Louis.

This son of her's was known within the family to be supportive of his 'brother' which displeased the Ford elders. Afterall, it was a talked about fact that the Ford family once had a son who disappeared overnight when he was a toddler. Many speculated that he died, while some in secret talked of him still being alive.

He was a taboo to the family.

Seeing the smile on his mother's face, Louis felt his heart contracting. He already expected to hear something similar, but he never thought that he could see that scowling expression on his mother's face.

Louis stared alternatively between his parent's faces and all he saw was disgusted faces, especially his father's. His crunched up face was as if he rubbed Aloe Vera on himself.

Blake standing next to her mother had her mouth wide open all along. Her eyes moistened. She wasn't expecting to hear such words from her mother.

Though the Ford siblings knew that they had a brother and who he was, they had never confronted their parents to enquire about him. They knew it was a taboo to talk about Atlas in their parent's presence. They could see and sense the hatred their parents had for Atlas. It was bone deep. To them, he simply was and still is a monster which is not supposed to live among people.

" Your son, my brother Atlas. He is your birth so..."

Pak!

A hand-print appeared on Louis's face while his face tilted slightly to the right. Before him, Mrs Ford stood with her hand still raised in the air, her expression grim.

An unbelievable expression could be seen on Blake's face. This was the first time that Mrs Ford had raised her hand against one of her children.

" I have no such son. He is not my son, nor is he your brother. I did not give birth to such a devil, and listen to me very carefully, this is the last time I hear any of you mention him in my house." With that, she walked away in hurried steps.

Looking briefly at his son and daughter, Mr Ford too walked away after saying, " I would have done the same too. He is not a part of this family and he will never be."

Left standing in a daze, Louis cupped his aching cheek. He revealed a bitter and mocking smile.

What was he expecting? That his parents would be concerned and hurry off to GreyView?

Obviously no.

" Are you alright?" With a worried expression, Blake walked over and scrutinized his face. Her moistened eyes made her look vulnerable and pitiful. She stood before Louis, raised her hand and caressed his blushed cheek.

" Does he deserve all that hatred? How could they believe in all those lies when they know better that it is not the truth."

*** GreyView Primary Hospital ***

The afternoon sun shone brightly and the air within the ward was a bit warm. Feeling the heat, Molly walked out of the ward room and headed towards the hospital entrance. She halted her steps when she saw a couple walking towards her in quick steps while carrying a small basket and flowers.

" Where is brother's ward?" Without even greeting Molly, Louis took her hand into his empty one. His eyes scanned his surroundings as if trying to spot something.

Being not customized to such gestures, Molly pulled back her hand while taking a step backwards. Her eyes skimmed behind the two as she became vigilant all of a sudden. Understanding her vigilance, Blake stepped forward.

" Mom and dad aren't here. It's just us, so could you guide us to brother's ward room." Her pleading expression eased the uneasiness within Molly's chest. It may be because these two have been caring towards their brother that she softened her heart.

Molly took one last look at the entrance before leading the way back to where she came from, " This way."

In a short span of time, the trio arrived before the ward door. Molly pushed it gently and walked in while Louis and Blake trailed behind her.

Hearing footsteps at the doorway, Mrs Chase lifted her head to look up. Her eyes widened seeing the two familiar faces. Looking at the shocked Mrs Chase, Louis revealed a tiny smile. He stretched his hand forth and passed the fruit basket and the flowers to Molly.

" Um... apologies for visiting without any prior notice. How is brother?" Blake by Louis's side quickly interfered seeing as no one wanted to speak. Her eyes once again filled with tears seeing the man laying on top of the hospital bed. His face was pale, lips tightly pursed and his eyes shut.

Being pulled back from her initial shock, Mrs Chase looked at the Ford siblings with gratitude in her eyes. She stood up and embraced the two siblings in a warm hug. She understood their feelings towards their brother. She had seen the care and love they carried for Atlas. It was unconditional.

" It's okay. It's gonna be alright. He will be alright." She more or less said these as a reassurance to herself.

Nodding in Mrs Chase's embrace, Blake blinked away her tears.

Dada watched on as all this unfolded before her eyes.

Looking at the man in Mrs Chase's embrace, she went on to look at the unconscious Atlas. She could see a resemblance in their facial features.