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

I sit down on the end of the

near enough for me to touch – and mouth “thank you”

on the pillow, nodding

on her shoulder that makes her flinch.

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

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

guide you back to your memories of that day. You’ll hear my voice,

your memories, Roger will join me in asking you some questions. Is

right?”

looking anxiously up

assures her, tightening his hand a little on

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

stop whenever she gives the word as well, if she sees that you are in distress.

give your sister permission for

me for confirmation. I slowly bob my

her back, as

and Roger

nice and easy.”

eyes again. She doesn’t flinch at all as Leon presses

2/4

long

start to flicker, though, a little behind

watch her, curious, wondering if I looked

also on Cora, Roger comes and sits next

action. I give him a warm little nudge

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

Leon says quietly after a few minutes. “How

she says, a peaceful smile on her

are you?”

apartment,” Cora replies, her voice carefree. I blink, surprised. This is

my own hypnotic states.

nodding and taking a little notepad out of the

a happy place for

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

you like

to see her happiness. “I like to be helpful,”

breezy. “And

go to work now, and tell me when

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

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