by Abra Ebner
She nodded. “I am.”
I nodded back to her as she approached my bed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him in time. Though I tried, he didn’t listen. He never listens.”
I laughed.
Molly smiled. “I’ll admit that I knew what he was going to do, so I met him out there in the hall…” she pointed over her shoulder.
“It’s dangerous for you here.” I watched her, her lashes long as they fluttered.
She tilted her head with a smirk. “No, not really. I know how to stay out of the way, if you know what I mean.”
I smiled, noticing that she still had not changed based on the stories. “You still seem young. Why? I thought you couldn’t Shift and remain the same age?”
She trailed her hand across the blankets on the bed, looking around as though taking in the feeling of this moment. “I’m the same age because I can be, because I Shift differently than Jordan.”
I nodded. “Jordan described you to have much fairer skin. Did you go on vacation?”
Her eyes darted to mine, the noticeable rose to her cheeks hard to deny. “Not really, I just became more alive.” She blinked and looked away.
“Ah.” There was little I could make of her replies, so I changed the subject. “Have you seen him?”
She smiled. “Yes. I’m actually here to take you to see him.”
I pressed my brows together. “Why help us? Why be there all along and yet let this happen?”
She watched me as I sat up, her lips parted as she breathed steadily. “Because it was meant to happen. It needed to happen.” She stopped and lowered her eyes. “Well…” I could tell she was struggling now. “Not all of it. My goal was to keep him from Shifting, but he’s so stubborn.” She shook her head and eyed the book in my grasp with strange recognition and belonging.
I placed it beside me and rolled off the bed, making sure to keep my gown shut at the back. Molly walked over to a nearby cabinet and found a change of clothes hanging inside.
“Here, wear this.” She shoved them toward me.
“What about you?” I looked her up and down. “They know what you look like.”
She shrugged. “No, they won’t see me, remember? I know where they are.”
I nodded. “Oh right, you’ve been there.”
She laughed. “You could say that.”
I found her laughter as enchanting as Jordan had explained, the air around her relaxed and solemn. I got dressed and followed her to the door. She peeked out and around the corner, ushering me forward with one hand.
I followed her down the hall to the elevator. When we got in, she pressed the button for intensive care and looked up at the reader above the door as we descended.
“Is he in bad shape?” I looked at her as she continued to look up, her head covered by her hood, leaving only her chin and nose peeking out.
“Yes and no. Nothing worse than you’ve seen before, as far as the bruising goes, though now it’s on both sides since both of his organs are failing.” She said it as though it were no big deal, as though she had a solution.
The elevator door opened and she stepped out like she owned the place.
“Where are you from, Molly? I mean, where is your base?” I followed after her as fast as I could though my stomach still ached, the familiar feeling of the nausea I had while pregnant remaining.
“Around here.” She did not look back as she turned a corner and I followed.
“When were you born?” I kept pressing, fighting for the answers Jordan could never ask.
She stopped as she came to the last door in the hall, looking back toward the reception desk as she opened it and walked in. I also looked back at reception, being quick as I darted through the open door, shutting it behind me with a gentle click.
“I haven’t been born yet.” She was whispering now.
“What?” My voice was sharp but quiet. “Then how…” My voice trailed off as I saw Jordan, the beeping of the monitors filling the air with an ominous beat. I walked slowly toward the bed, putting one foot in front of the other. His eyes were shut, his chest rising ever so gently. I glanced at his vitals, seeing they were dangerously low.
“I’m going to save him.” Molly’s voice cut through the silence.
I looked at her, her eyes staring at Jordan. “But…”
“Mother, this is my destiny. This is what I want more than anything.”
I felt my heart stop. “Mother?”
She looked at me, removing the hood from her head as a cascade of curly auburn hair tumbled down her back. “Yes. Mother.”
“But...” I put my hand on my stomach. What did she mean? She had been lost, miscarried.
“It is true that I can Shift just like he can, only I’ve learned to travel outside of my life.” There was a proud smile on her face. “When I was seven I found the book grandmother and father had left for me.”
“Seven?” I felt my brow begin to sweat.
“Dad always told me I was so pale, so cold. It’s because I was technically dead.” She watched me. “But now.” She looked down at my stomach. “Now I’m alive.” She was filled with pride. “Grandmother helped me. I went and saw her, told her the things Jordan couldn’t, and together we made a plan.”
I felt a lump rise in my throat. “But you…”
She cut me off, her smile fading as she looked back at my stomach. “No, he did die, my brother. But I did not.”
I took a deep breath, feeling my legs going numb as I moved to the chair in the corner. “Twins?”
She nodded, “It happens more than you think. You miscarried because he did not want to live this life, but it made room for me.” She paused. “Dad needs me, Mother, and I need him.”
I looked down at my stomach, my hands still cradling it, her.
“I do not want to live without him as I have. I love him, too.” She looked back at Jordan, touching his hand. “I have his blood. He can have one of my organs.” She touched her side.
“But how, Molly? They would never allow it.” I shook my head, my brow furrowed. “You cannot do that, you would die.” I was referring to the child inside me, and the surgery that would be inflicted.
“They will. Tell them I am his cousin. That’s all they need,” She handed me some forged papers that she’d had in her pockets as her eyes began to well with tears. “Mother, you don’t want to raise me alone. Trust me, I know. As much as you hate what he’s taken from you, one day you will see what he gave you in return. You love him, perhaps not right now, but you will remember.”
I tried to understand. “But what about you?”
She shrugged. “I do not need to Shift anymore. If I do this then I solidify my life as a regular being, and I am happy with what God decides to bring to me. I just want my father back.”
“Okay.” I rose from my chair, unsure of what to do next. Molly walked toward me then and wrapped her arms around my sides. “Please, Mother, for both our sakes.”
I let out a sharp, derisive breath, seeing the comedy in all this. I put one hand on the back of her head, running my other down the length of her hair, amazed by how similar it felt to my own. “We need to get you out of that hood, then. They know you too well like that.”
She looked up at me, stepping back and pulling it over her head. I grabbed it from her hand and stashed it under the bed. Looking at Jordan, I told myself this was the right thing. For all the decisions he had made for me, this was mine to make in return.
Looking at Molly, I saw that she was thin like me, her body tall as she knelt down beside Jordan. “Someday, Daddy, you will understand why I did this.” She kissed his hand.
“Alright, come with me. We’re going to talk to the head of hospital. They’ll trust me. We need to get this done before Agent Donnery comes back.”
Molly smiled. “Thank you, Mother. I know they will trust you. I know this will work.”
I shook my head. “Please Molly, no more telling me the future. It takes the fun out of this.”
She laughed. “Alright, I promise.”
I put my hand to my stomach, wondering if this would hurt me as much as it would hurt her.
August 4, 2009
7:33 p.m.
By sundown I had managed to convince them she was a legitimate relative. God knows why they believed me, but they did. As far as they were concerned, they had a willing individual that was legally and adult, so no one cared. It seemed they had a grasp on the importance of the situation, even if they didn’t know the facts.
“How will you get back?” I looked down at her as she lay in the cold operating room beside Jordan, her hair tied back into a net and her face as cold as I had imagined before.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll make it one last time, I know it.” She squeezed my hand.
“Of course you do.” I squeezed back, admiring the brave woman I had somehow managed to raise alone.
“I’ll see you soon enough, Mother. I promise.” She gave me a faint smile as someone entered the room.
“Dr. Ashcroft?” A nurse touched my arm. “I’m sorry, but we have to ask you to leave.”
I looked back one last time as the nurse led me out, giving Molly a smile of thanks, of love.
August 5, 2009
03:53 a.m.
“Doctor?” A voice roused me and I rubbed my eyes.
There was a pinch in my side as I sat up, and I felt what had happened to Molly.
“Doctor, have you seen your cousin?”
I looked at her with alarm. “What?”
The nurse looked frantic. “Your cousin. We can’t find her anywhere.”
I looked around. “No but, did it work? Is he okay?” I knew Molly was fine, I could feel it. All I cared about now was Jordan.
The nurse gave me a quick nod. “Yes, but, Molly... She’s gone. We brought her back to her room after we removed the kidney, but when we came to check on her she was gone. We fear she may die if she’s not found soon.”
I grabbed my stomach, feeling it lurch. “Well, um…” The nurse stood, distracted.
“Don’t worry, we will find her.” She took off then toward the front desks as a doctor summoned her.
I looked around the dark waiting room, then at the clock. Rubbing my eyes I stood, knowing by now she was already gone, and they would never find her.
I walked toward the water cooler and grabbed a cup, pressing down the latch as the liquid splashed inside and the cooler bubbled.
“Good to see you up and about.” The voice was eerily familiar and the one I had been dreading since the moment Molly had come for me.
I froze, squeezing my eyes shut. After a few minutes I was able to gather myself and I turned. “Agent, good to see you so soon.”
He gave me a look that told me he knew what was going on. “Where is Molly?”
I shrugged.
He sighed and motioned me toward the chair. I sat, sipping on my water, my eyes darting about the room.
“Listen, Kenzie.” He brought his hands into his lap. “I felt as thought there was some connection here I wasn’t picking up on. I see it now.” He looked at my stomach.
“I, uh…” I took another sip of water.
“I honestly don’t care, Doctor.” He looked toward the ceiling, his body slumping with exhaustion.
I wrinkled my brow, surprised by his reaction.
“When I got home, my wife hugged me and my little girl gave me a drawing she had made in pre-school. It was then that I realized I’d do anything to protect them and anything to keep our family whole.” His breath dragged in his throat. “I may not completely understand what is going on here, but I can tell you it’s harmless. One child or one father with just one kidney will not risk Shifting again. This I know.”
I swallowed. “Agent, I honestly didn’t know about her.”
He laughed. “I don’t figure you did. You look like hell.”
I smiled. “Thanks.” I thought about the boy I had lost then, wondered why he didn’t want to be a part of this life or this family.
Agent Donnery stood. “As far as I saw, this whole thing never happened. Just a false alarm.” He winked as he pulled the tapes of our recorded conversation from his pocket and handed them to me.
My mouth fell open. “Really?”
He laughed. “Just go home, Doctor. Have some peace for once.”
I felt relief and excitement pass over me.
He grabbed my hand. “Perhaps I’ll see you again someday, Doctor. Perhaps when you have that second child.” His grasp loosened as he turned away from me before I could utter a word, leaving me alone once more.
I walked toward the nurse’s station, the whole hospital in an uproar to find a girl that had escaped surgery. The girl that was right here, with me. I touched my belly and looked down the hall toward Jordan’s room, sneaking past the doctors and slinking through the door.
As the door clicked shut, I heard a soft murmur. “Kenzie?”
I turned, seeing Jordan laying there, his eyes barely open. “Kenzie, what happened?”
I ran to the side of his bed. “Oh Jordan, you’re okay.” I grabbed his face, kissing it over and over.
He tried to laugh but stopped, his stomach too sore to handle it. “I take it you’re no longer angry with me?” His voice cracked.
I smiled. “No, I’m not angry.”
He looked at me. “And the baby?”
One chuckle passed my lips. “She’s alright.” He didn’t need to know that his attempt to change things hadn’t worked, and he didn’t need to know about the twin just yet. The moment would come, but now was not the time.
His eyes got wide, “She?”
I swallowed. “It’s just a hunch.” I wouldn’t tell him about Molly either, figuring that one day he’d see and that hopefully then he’d understand the love of a family, and the fact that he was never alone.
March 4, 2010
3:42 a.m.
After twelve hours of labor and eventually an hour of pushing, our little girl came into the world. She was a healthy six pounds and three ounces, and as they handed her to me, I already knew what I’d see. Her turquoise eyes were brighter than I remembered as she blinked and gazed at me, her face rosy and her hair barely sprouting from her head.
Jordan came to my side, his brow beaded in sweat, afraid of the unknown. There was a small scar on her belly as I ran my hand across it, a very light pink that showed despite her new skin but enough that I could recognize just what it was. Jordan looked over my shoulder with a smile that was quick to fade as his body froze.
“Let’s name her Molly.” I grinned with pride and looked up at him.
His eyes were wide as he looked around the room and at the remaining nurses, now just leaving. “What is this?”
I laughed as Molly stuck her hand out toward Jordan.
He let out one surprised laugh. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise, that’s all.”
Jordan reached down and grabbed her tiny hand. “But how?” I could tell he was struggling to understand. “She saved me, didn’t she? And now…”
I cut him off. “And now she’s just like you, Jordan. So you can be stuck here together.”
He stared at her for a moment before formulating another question, his eyes still wide in amazement. “Do you think she’ll remember it, like you did?”
I tilted my head, watching her curious eyes. “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll find out.”
The doctor came in then and inspected her, his face filled with concern. “May I take her?”
I nodded, knowing what his concern was about. He would surely find that Molly had been born with one kidney, the other removed in a fashion that wouldn’t make sense. As a doctor, I knew how confusing it would be to them, but I also knew that at some point they would give up and Molly would come back to me.
Molly’s curious case was surely a gift from God. And though I doubted God held any hope for our family, it seemed this was His way of saying that
He was still here for us, despite all that had happened.
When I look back, I think that I still lived a lucky life. One filled with magic and mystery, adventure and love. Though it’s nice to live in a perfect world, it is better to believe that it is, in fact, very flawed but beautiful because of it. I watched as Jordan came back into the room, walking toward me and grabbing my hand.
“But how?” he asked again, still lost.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure how or why she came to us so soon, but I do know that she wanted a father, and I could not deny her that affection. She is just like you, Jordan. Just as strong willed and determined. She knew what she needed to do to prevent your death, but to also put an end to our bloodline. With one kidney, childbirth for her is a major risk and so is Shifting. It was her way of forcing herself into a normal life, and though she may know what the future holds, it will be different because you’re in it.”
Tears formed in Jordan’s eyes. “I never knew. I never thought it was possible for a Shifter to move like that.”
I squeezed his hand as hard as I could muster, my body exhausted. “All she needed was the journals from you and your mother, the pictures and the memories that you laid out so well.” I saw his eyes flash, and I knew what he was thinking. “You cannot think like that any longer, Jordan. Your mother wanted you to live a normal life, and you know that. She hoped that you would be born normal, but when she realized you weren’t, her hope was lost. You cannot save her anymore. We need you here with us, as a family.”