Chapter 7: The Girl With Two Names
Terrence reached the hospital in less than eight minutes.
The pediatric floor was chaos.
Nurses crowded the corridor.
Security officers shouted into radios.
A mother was crying beside a vending machine.
Terrence ran toward the nursery.
“Where's Charlotte?””
A nurse pointed.
“Inside.””
“Anna?””
“Also inside.””
Terrence stopped.
“Who brought them?””
“We don't know.””
Lena arrived behind him.
“Door's locked again.””
Terrence looked through the glass.
Charlotte stood beside Anna's bed.
The two girls were holding hands.
Neither appeared injured.
A security guard approached.
“Officer, the system says the door was opened using Mrs. Sinclair's credentials.””
Emily arrived seconds later.
“I never opened it.””
Terrence nodded.
“I know.””
The guard looked confused.
“How?””
“Because she was with us.””
Terrence turned toward the girls.
“Charlotte!””
She looked up.
Her eyes widened.
“Officer!””
Terrence pointed to the nurse.
“Open it.””
The nurse hesitated.
“We don't have authorization.””
“Then override it.””
“We can't.””
Terrence looked at the security guard.
“Can you?””
The guard shook his head.
“The system has gone into lockdown.””
Terrence stared at the electronic panel.
Then he saw a small blinking light.
Red.
Not green.
“Someone isn't locking this door.””
Lena frowned.
“What?””
“They're keeping us out.””
A voice came from inside the nursery.
“Mommy?””
Emily rushed to the glass.
“Charlotte!””
Charlotte pressed her hands against it.
“I didn't do anything.””
“I know.””
“The woman brought us here.””
“What woman?””
Charlotte looked over her shoulder.
“She said you sent her.””
Emily's face went white.
“I didn't.””
The lights flickered.
Anna began crying.
Terrence spotted movement behind the girls.
A woman stepped into view.
Red hair.
White medical coat.
She held no weapon.
But Terrence immediately recognized her from Emily's description.
“The woman from the fire,” Emily whispered.
The woman smiled.
“Hello, Emily.””
Terrence grabbed the intercom.
“Step away from the children.””
The woman did not.
“Who are you?””
She looked directly at Emily.
“You know who I am.””
Emily's voice trembled.
“Rebecca.””
The woman nodded.
“Rebecca Voss.””
Rachel's sister.
Terrence pressed the intercom again.
“Rebecca, move away from the children.””
“You still think you're protecting them.””
“I am.””
“No.””
She looked at Charlotte.
“You're protecting a lie.””
Emily shook her head.
“What do you want?””
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“The truth.””
“Tell me.””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Seven years ago.””
Emily closed her eyes.
“The fire.””
“Yes.””
Rebecca looked at Charlotte.
“She wasn't supposed to survive.””
Charlotte squeezed Anna's hand.
“Why?””
Rebecca's expression changed.
“Because she was proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That Douglas stole a baby.””
Emily's breath caught.
Rebecca continued.
“Your second daughter was declared dead.””
“I know.””
“No. You don't.””
She stepped closer to the glass.
“She wasn't dead.””
Emily's knees nearly gave out.
“What did he do?””
“Moved her.””
“To where?””
“His private facility.””
Terrence interrupted.
“Why?””
Rebecca looked at him.
“To study whether children could be conditioned to tolerate repeated doses.””
Emily stared.
“My baby…”
“Was his first subject.””
The hallway went silent.
Charlotte whispered:
“Is that me?””
Rebecca looked at her.
“No.””
Charlotte's face crumpled.
“Then who am I?””
Rebecca didn't answer.
Emily stepped toward the glass.
“Rebecca, tell me.””
Rebecca's eyes softened.
“You have two daughters.””
Emily shook her head.
“You just said—”
“Your daughters aren't the girls you think they are.””
Terrence felt a chill.
“Explain.””
Rebecca reached into her coat and removed a photograph.
She held it against the glass.
A newborn baby.
A hospital bracelet.
*BABY GIRL — VOSS.*
Emily stared.
“That's…”
“Your daughter.””
“No.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your daughter.””
Emily stepped backward.
“That's impossible.””
Rebecca's voice broke.
“I was Rachel's sister. Rachel stole the baby from Douglas's facility before she died.””
Terrence looked at the photograph.
“Why would she?””
“Because she discovered the research wasn't about medicine.””
“What was it about?””
Rebecca looked at Charlotte.
“Memory.””
Terrence frowned.
Rebecca explained.
“Douglas wanted to know whether repeated trauma and medication could alter a child's memory formation.””
Emily covered her mouth.
“He experimented on them.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because he believed children could be conditioned into forgetting pain.””
Terrence's stomach turned.
“And Charlotte?””
Rebecca shook her head.
“Charlotte remembers everything.””
The girl stared at her.
“I do?””
“Yes.””
“Why don't I remember?””
Rebecca looked at Emily.
“Because your mother was the one who asked them to erase it.””
Emily recoiled.
“No.””
“You begged Douglas.””
“I would never—”
“You begged him to save your children.””
Emily's face crumpled.
Terrence looked at her.
“Emily?””
She shook her head.
“I don't remember.””
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“That's the point.””
A loud alarm suddenly sounded.
The nursery lights turned blue.
Rebecca stepped away from the glass.
Terrence shouted.
“Rebecca!””
She pressed something on the wall.
The door unlocked.
Terrence rushed inside.
But Rebecca was already moving toward an emergency exit.
Lena chased her.
“Stop!””
Rebecca ran.
Terrence grabbed Charlotte.
“Are you hurt?””
Charlotte shook her head.
“Where's Anna?””
Anna stood frozen beside the bed.
“She was telling the truth,” Anna whispered.
“What?””
Anna looked at Emily.
“She said my daddy knows yours.””
Terrence's blood ran cold.
“Who is your father?””
Anna looked toward the hallway.
Then whispered:
“Dr. Marcus Bell.””
Terrence turned.
Bell was supposed to be bleeding in Douglas's office.
He was supposed to be unconscious.
But a security monitor suddenly showed his face.
He was standing downstairs.
Alive.
And walking toward the pediatric floor.
Lena returned alone.
“Rebecca escaped.””
Terrence pointed at the monitor.
“Forget her.””
Lena looked.
“That's Bell.””
“Yes.””
“He was shot.””
“I know.””
The monitor flickered.
Bell stopped beneath the camera.
Then he looked directly into it.
As though he knew they were watching.
He lifted one hand.
In it was the flash drive Emily had taken.
Terrence looked at Emily.
Her purse was open.
The drive was gone.
May you like
Bell smiled at the camera.
Then the monitor went black.
