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

on the end of the bed, putting a hand on

thing near enough for me to touch – and mouth “thank

sighs and leans her head back on the pillow, nodding to

comforting hand on her shoulder

this. “I know that you’re aware of some of Ella’s

a little different. I’m going to give you the

I’ll guide you back to your memories of that day.

Roger will join me in asking you

right?”

looking anxiously up

a little on

will stop whenever you’d like. And if you’d like to give permission to your sister

the word as well, if she sees

your sister permission for

at me for confirmation. I slowly bob

back, as I always do.

then,” Leon says, smiling around at Cora and Roger and me. “Then let’s get this started,

nice and easy.”

eyes again. She doesn’t flinch at all

2/4

long

behind her eyelids as the ether takes over and she

watch her, curious, wondering if I

eyes also on Cora, Roger comes and sits next

give him a warm little nudge of my shoulder, both in welcome

teasing him a few minutes earlier.

after a few minutes. “How are you feeling?”

says, a peaceful smile on her face.

are you?”

replies, her voice carefree. I blink, surprised. This is indeed

my own

and taking a little notepad out of the bag at his side, starting to

this a happy place

makes a noncommittal noise. “Eh.

like

smile, my heart warming to see

voice breezy. “And busy.”

Why don’t you go to work now, and tell me when you’re

nods. Leon continues. “What day is it, Cora?” he asks, his voice

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