Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“I really must insist,” Leon says awkwardly, looking around at the packed guest bedroom, “that we …thin the crowd. Just a bit.”

“Well, I’m not leaving,” I say, stepping forward and bouncing Rafe in my arms as I look down at my sister laying on the bed. Cora is awkward and uncomfortable as she looks around at the collection of investigators, at Roger, at me, Rafe, and Sinclair, all standing around her. Leon sits primly squeezed into a chair at her side.

“Perhaps…the child?” Leon suggests and I sigh, realizing that he’s right. I turn to Sinclair, my eyes pleading.

“Can you?” I ask.

Sinclair blanches at me. “Ella – I have to be here to hear this

”

“Please,” I say, stepping towards him. “Maybe we can….like, is there a way to make a video feed? Or sound? So you can hear in another room?”

Leon’s eyebrows go up. “That would work,” he says, looking at Sinclair, who nods firmly, reaching out for Rafe.

“I owe you,” I whisper to him, standing on my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek and handing the baby to him. “I can’t leave her.”

“I understand,” Sinclair murmurs back, “I’ll send someone up with AV equipment in a few minutes.” He brushes my cheek with his thumb before signaling to the investigators to leave the room with him. I turn back to my sister and then blink when I see Roger still standing in the

corner, his arms crossed.

“What are you still doing here?” I ask, surprised.

Roger just stares at me for a moment, apparently appalled that I would ask. “I’m the lead investigator on this, Ella!” he informs me, frustrated, throwing out an explanatory hand. “I need to be here! To ask questions! To guide the investigation!”

“Ooooookay!” I say, putting my hands up placatingly. “I just didn’t know lead investigators were usually so pissy.”

“Pissy!” Roger gasps, leaning forward to me, aghast. “Ella, I –”

“Roger,” Leon says, holding up a hand towards him. “We need a calm environment for this to work, and your level of agitation is…non–conducive.”

Roger stares at Leon, his mouth open, shocked to have been put in his place so politely.

“Yeah,” Cora says, grinning at Roger and wrinkling her nose at him. “So, in other words, stop being so pissy.”

Roger stares between us for a moment and then leans back against the wall with his eyes closed, taking a deep breath and raising a hand to press the bridge of his nose between his fingers.” Sisters…” he mutters, “I am never again spending any time at all with…sisters.”

A younger member of Sinclair’s team enters quietly then, nodding to me and beginning to set up a computer and a microphone on Cora’s far side. He works quickly while Roger composes himself

prepares the ether shot. I sit down on the end of the bed, putting a hand on Cora’s

to touch

head back on the pillow, nodding

comforting hand on her shoulder that makes

is about this. “I

everyone’s journeys are a little different. I’m going to give

back to your memories of that day. You’ll hear

me in asking you some questions. Is that all

right?”

stop whenever I want?” Cora asks, looking anxiously up at the doctor. “If I get….scared?”

doctor assures her, tightening his hand a little on her shoulder. “The

you’d like. And if you’d like

well, if she sees that you are in distress.

your sister permission for

looks at me for confirmation. I slowly bob my head, letting

her back, as I always do.

then,” Leon says, smiling around at Cora and Roger and me.

nice and easy.”

her eyes again. She doesn’t flinch at

2/4

long

though, a little behind her eyelids

state. I watch her, curious, wondering if I looked the same

Roger comes and sits next to

warm little nudge of

a few minutes earlier. I’m glad he’s here.

Leon says quietly after a few minutes. “How are

she says, a peaceful smile on

you?”

carefree. I blink, surprised. This is

own hypnotic

nodding and taking a little notepad out of the bag

is this a happy place

shrugs and makes a noncommittal noise. “Eh. I’d rather be at work.”

like work,

my sister nod and smile, my heart warming to see her

breezy. “And busy.”

to work now, and tell

Cora nods. Leon continues. “What day

is stupid for asking. “Duh.” I bite my lip to hold