Part Four
The doctor left the room shaken. In his many years as a doctor, he had seen many things, both sad and cruel. But he had never felt this way. The boy, Ty, awoke things in him. The righteous anger in his voice bore into the doctor's soul. The depth of his feeling was astounding.
And the girl, 'Becca, she was too frail, too delicate. She looked as though her very presence on earth was draining to her. As if despite anything he could do, the hand of death lay upon her cheek. And then there was the family resemblance. It was uncanny to have such similar creatures grace earth. He knew identical twins that were less disconcerting.
He walked up to the nurses' desk. "Look, Amber, I need you to contact a Cynthia Mather at 466 - 9721. Her daughter is in serious condition, and we still haven't heard from her."
The nurse took the piece of paper, and looked at it twice. Her eyes widened. She grabbed at her desk in a flurry of paperwork. "Doctor, Cynthia Mather is in the hospital. In palliative care. Look, its here on her chart. Look, Cynthia Mather, home phone 466 - 9721."
The doctor turned to her with an abruptness that startled the nurse. "She is? Palliative care? What's wrong with her?"
"Stacey just checked on her. . . I wouldn't even have made the connection. . . If Stacey hadn't been so upset. . . She had a massive heart attack at the age of thirty nine. . . So young, and, well, . . . There doesn't seem to be anything more we can do. It permanently damaged her vital systems. She is on life support, but it is more procedure than hope."
The doctor swore. "I've got her daughter, in a coma. Her son is with the little girl, waiting for his mother." The doctor stopped and took a deep breath. "Well, let's not jump to conclusions, maybe it's not the same person. . ."
The nurse's eyes were wide. "Well, I can look her up in the computer, check and see if it's the same person." The nurse turned to the computer. "Oh my god. . . I think. Yes, here it is, Cynthia Mather, nearest relative, an aunt in Kansas City. Two children, Ty Mather and Rebecca Mather. Are those the ones waiting in ICU?"
"Yes." Good God, yes. The doctor turned back toward 'Becca's room. What was he ever going to say to uncanny boy, Ty?
Ty looked at the doctor in disbelief. Hello? Someone out there? What is this? Some sort of perverse joke? "What do you mean, my mom's dying?" This doctor had to be short some marbles, and not a few either.
He looked over at the police officer who seemed to be wearing an identical mask of disbelief.
"It's not official. Why don't you come with me and we'll check to see if it's your mother." The doctor could just see the headlines if it wasn't. . . Doctor has a traumatized boy examine a dying woman. - It could have been his mother, doctor claims.
Ty stood up. "Fine, then, let's make this quick. I don't want to leave 'Becca alone for too long." Ty was certain the doctor was mistaken.
It was no mistake.