Chapter 14 - Nurse ThomasWe found Evelyn Thomas in a retirement home.
At least, that's what the records said.
She was ninety-one.
Blind in one eye.
Wheelchair-bound.
But when we entered her room, she immediately looked at me.
Not through me.
At me.
“You're late.”
Dad stopped.
“You know my son?”
She smiled.
“I know both of you.”
Evan froze.
“You remember us?”
“I remember every second.”
She reached toward me.
“Come here.”
I stepped forward.
Her fingers touched my face.
She started crying.
“You survived.”
I swallowed.
“Which one?”
She whispered:
“The wrong one.”
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?”
She looked toward Dad.
“You should have told him years ago.”
Dad couldn't speak.
Thomas continued:
“The night they were born, Voss ordered the babies separated.”
“Why?”
“Because one was genetically valuable.”
“Me?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed at Evan.
“Him.”
Evan stared.
“Then why did they clone me?”
Thomas looked confused.
“They didn't.”
Silence.
Mara whispered:
“Then what happened?”
Thomas sighed.
“Evan is the original.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
Thomas nodded.
“The healthy baby was born first.”
“That's impossible.”
“I held him.”
She looked at Evan.
“You had a red blanket.”
Mom started crying.
Evan looked stunned.
“Then who am I?”
Thomas turned toward me.
“The second baby.”
My whole body went cold.
“But the second baby died.”
“No.”
“Dr. Brennan signed a death certificate.”
“She signed it for a baby who wasn't yours.”
I couldn't breathe.
Thomas whispered:
“They switched the records.”
“Why?”
“To hide the fact that the first baby wasn't human in the normal sense.”
“What?”
“He had cells that repaired themselves.”
Evan stared.
Thomas continued:
“When he was born, a cut on his wrist closed before I could bandage it.”
My skin crawled.
“That was Evan?”
“Yes.”
I looked at my brother.
“What happened to me?”
Thomas hesitated.
“You were born weak.”
“Then why am I alive?”
“Because Voss experimented on you.”
Dad stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Thomas looked at him.
“You knew.”
“I knew he survived.”
“You knew the baby was not your biological son?”
Dad's face hardened.
“I knew he was mine.”
Thomas nodded sadly.
“That's why you were chosen.”
I stared.
“Chosen for what?”
Thomas looked at me.
“To keep the original safe.”
“From whom?”
“Everyone.”
She opened a hidden drawer.
Inside was a tiny cassette tape.
She handed it to me.
“Your mother's message.”
Mom looked confused.
“I never made a message.”
Thomas smiled.
“You will understand when you hear it.”
We found an old cassette player.
I pressed play.
Static.
Then my mother's younger voice.
“Connor, if you're hearing this, I'm probably dead.”
Mom began crying.
The recording continued.
“Whatever they tell you, don't trust the man who says he made you.”
A pause.
Then:
“Because he didn't.”
The recording crackled.
A baby's cry sounded in the background.
Then my mother whispered:
“They made a copy of our son…”
The tape stopped.
I rewound it.
“Say it again,” I whispered.
But it wouldn't play.
Thomas looked terrified.
I asked:
“What did she mean?”
The old nurse stared at me.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“She was talking about you.”
