Mercy General placed Matthew Harris on immediate administrative suspension.<\/p>\n
He did not answer his phone.<\/p>\n
He was not at his apartment.<\/p>\n
His truck was missing.<\/p>\n
No one had seen him since the previous evening.<\/p>\n
By noon, police had circulated his photograph internally.<\/p>\n
I stared at it too long.<\/p>\n
The toddler in Anna\u2019s old photograph had grown into a man with my jaw and Rachel\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
Twenty-seven.<\/p>\n
Dark hair cut short.<\/p>\n
Work badge clipped crookedly to his shirt.<\/p>\n
A small scar through one eyebrow.<\/p>\n
He looked ordinary.<\/p>\n
That frightened me now.<\/p>\n
Ordinary had become the disguise every secret wore.<\/p>\n
Rachel had been returned to her guarded room.<\/p>\n
Michael and Grace worked with an independent team to stabilize a treatment plan.<\/p>\n
Leah refused to leave Rachel alone.<\/p>\n
I paced the family lounge while Ortiz coordinated the search.<\/p>\n
Anna sat near the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was Claire like?\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked.<\/p>\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cGentle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t tell me much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat helps.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked too many questions for Harlan\u2019s comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe loved Matthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she ever mention Daniel Whitmore?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot in letters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo how did Matthew get my name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould Harlan have told him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I rubbed my face.<\/p>\n
Every answer still branched into another possibility.<\/p>\n
Anna watched me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want him to be innocent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Matthew\u2019s photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course I did.<\/p>\n
I wanted one child in this family to have escaped Harlan\u2019s machinery.<\/p>\n
One.<\/p>\n
Grace entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do that exactly like Rachel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTurn concern into orders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s voice came from behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cEffective, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace stepped aside.<\/p>\n
Rachel stood in the doorway with Leah beside her and an IV pole.<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel raised one eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace smirked.<\/p>\n
I surrendered.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah held out a wrapped sandwich.<\/p>\n
I took it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is emotional blackmail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Leah said. \u201cThis is turkey.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed despite myself.<\/p>\n
The sound felt strange.<\/p>\n
Then Ortiz entered.<\/p>\n
Every face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found Matthew\u2019s truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHospital parking garage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTruck has been there since last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe could have left on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCameras?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooped.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael entered behind Ortiz.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t David.\u201d<\/p>\n
We looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe camera loop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid uses copied feeds. This is a building-system override.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFacilities credential.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew.<\/p>\n
Rachel gripped the IV pole.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was he hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah muttered, \u201cExcellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the hospital lights flickered.<\/p>\n
Once.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
Grace looked upward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael checked his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cBackup transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hallway lights changed to emergency brightness.<\/p>\n
Ortiz grabbed her radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Static.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cPower disruption in west wing. Generator online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cFacilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone thought Matthew.<\/p>\n
Then my phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
I answered.<\/p>\n
No one spoke.<\/p>\n
Then a man\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m Matthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
I turned on speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz signaled everyone to stay quiet.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cPolice are looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause David is looking for me too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou helped him escape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Matthew said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said Harlan was going to kill my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s alive?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel sat down hard in the nearest chair.<\/p>\n
Anna whispered, \u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEight months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same period he had dosed Grace.<\/p>\n
The same period several hidden systems activated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you call police?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really are my father.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believe calling police is obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t where I grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel whispered, \u201cMatthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that Rachel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then his voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s eyes filled immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twenty-seven years reduced to one word.<\/p>\n
Neither knew what came after it.<\/p>\n
Rachel tried.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you safe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you eaten?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah covered her face.<\/p>\n
Grace whispered, \u201cDefinitely Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew laughed once.<\/p>\n
It sounded nervous.<\/p>\n
Rachel smiled through tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. I don\u2019t know what to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
That small kindness from a son who owed her nothing nearly broke her.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhy did David want Claire?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she knows where the original G3 files are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat original files?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael Vale?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s tone hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked at the speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Harlan built Phase II around him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael said, \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat don\u2019t I know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then said, \u201cYour samples weren\u2019t just used for Grace\u2019s embryo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid created more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost failed early.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne was transferred.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
Rachel whispered, \u201cTransferred to whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhere did you learn this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire\u2019s files.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Claire have them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause after she escaped Harlan, she spent twenty years collecting evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe contacted me when I was nineteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t grow up with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone froze.<\/p>\n
Rachel whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire lost custody when I was six.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarlan found us.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe ran.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFoster care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s tone was not cruel.<\/p>\n
Just tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hurt precisely because they were generous.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Harlan take you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did he track you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame way he tracked everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schools.<\/p>\n
Hospitals.<\/p>\n
Records.<\/p>\n
Systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened when Claire contacted you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me I was born through an illegal embryo transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that we were your biological parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you contact us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jessica.<\/p>\n
The ancestry message.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked Jessica about me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said I had no children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you knew nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I stayed away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Claire told me Harlan still watched you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Even when people tried to protect me now, the old logic survived.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you come to Mercy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo find David.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEight months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you got a job at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFacilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I could access systems without entering research areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace whispered, \u201cYou looped cameras.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlocked transport.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelped David escape.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe promised to take me to Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s voice tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhere are you now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOld surgical wing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked sharply at Grace.<\/p>\n
\u201cThird floor east.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cClosed renovation area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz signaled officers.<\/p>\n
Matthew heard movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t send police.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Here we were again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t tell them not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid has access to hospital controls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s in custody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Matthew said, \u201cNo, he isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every person in the room froze.<\/p>\n
Ortiz grabbed her radio.<\/p>\n
\u201cConfirm David Mercer status.\u201d<\/p>\n
Static.<\/p>\n
Then a voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cStand by.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew said, \u201cHe never went to county lockup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man you transported from Whitmore Auto wasn\u2019t David.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid planned for capture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has an identical-access decoy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leah looked baffled.<\/p>\n
\u201cA what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot identical physically. Similar enough with facial prosthetics, beard, sedation posture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used masks during unauthorized research visits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen those fabrication tools.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz\u2019s radio crackled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDetective.\u201d<\/p>\n
She lifted it.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe detainee is unconscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeizure during intake. Medical staff noticed facial adhesive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every face changed.<\/p>\n
Ortiz swore.<\/p>\n
Matthew said quietly, \u201cDavid is still inside Mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace looked toward Rachel.<\/p>\n
My blood went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he never cared about escaping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does he want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew whispered, \u201cBecause the suppressor only works if both male lines are combined.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat male lines?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel\u2019s through Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Michael.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Harlan\u2019s through Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo G3 was not just my egg and Michael\u2019s sperm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a second embryo set.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel and a Harlan-line donor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael whispered, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarlan tried multiple combinations.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gripped the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are those embryos?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMost.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne became a child.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went completely still.<\/p>\n
Rachel whispered, \u201cAnother?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew said nothing.<\/p>\n
I could barely speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
A distant metallic sound came through his end of the call.<\/p>\n
Matthew breathed sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMatthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThird floor east. Room 318.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then the line went dead.<\/p>\n
Ortiz moved first.<\/p>\n
Officers flooded the corridor.<\/p>\n
Grace stayed with Rachel.<\/p>\n
Leah ignored instructions and followed until an officer physically blocked her.<\/p>\n
Michael and I went with Ortiz because Matthew had said David wanted us.<\/p>\n
Room 318 stood at the end of a dark renovation corridor.<\/p>\n
The door was open.<\/p>\n
Inside, Matthew Harris stood beside a hospital bed.<\/p>\n
He looked exactly like the photograph.<\/p>\n
And somehow not at all.<\/p>\n
He stared at me.<\/p>\n
I stared back.<\/p>\n
No DNA test was needed emotionally.<\/p>\n
Something in his face was familiar in the deepest way.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMatthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither of us moved.<\/p>\n
Then Michael looked at the bed.<\/p>\n
A woman lay unconscious beneath a blanket.<\/p>\n
Mid-fifties.<\/p>\n
Thin.<\/p>\n
Dark hair streaked gray.<\/p>\n
Anna entered behind us and gasped.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s surrogate.<\/p>\n
The woman who had carried our stolen embryo.<\/p>\n
Alive.<\/p>\n
I stepped toward the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew looked at Michael.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrugged.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael checked her.<\/p>\n
\u201cPulse stable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortiz scanned the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is David?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Claire opened her eyes.<\/p>\n
Slowly.<\/p>\n
She looked at Matthew first.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby.\u201d<\/p>\n
He bent toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her gaze moved past him.<\/p>\n
To me.<\/p>\n
Then to Michael.<\/p>\n
Fear transformed her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew caught her shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGet him out.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was staring at Michael.<\/p>\n
He stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire, I\u2019m a physician.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her breathing accelerated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looks like Harlan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael froze.<\/p>\n
Anna whispered, \u201cHe\u2019s Harlan\u2019s son.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
Then began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew tried to calm her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Rachel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlive.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her fingers gripped Matthew\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarlan\u2019s last child.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire looked at Michael.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI carried two embryos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s surrogate had carried twins.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
I felt the room tilt.<\/p>\n
Matthew whispered, \u201cI had a twin?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire nodded weakly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHarlan took him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s eyes moved toward the open door.<\/p>\n
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.<\/p>\n
Slow.<\/p>\n
Unhurried.<\/p>\n
A man appeared.<\/p>\n
White coat.<\/p>\n
Dark hair.<\/p>\n
Around thirty.<\/p>\n
He looked at Matthew.<\/p>\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n
Then Michael.<\/p>\n
Claire began sobbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
Matthew whispered, \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour brother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mercy General placed Matthew Harris on immediate administrative suspension. He did not answer his phone. He was not at his apartment. His truck was missing. No one had seen him … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19938"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20016,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19938\/revisions\/20016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}