Chapter 5

I had two things to check.

First, I needed to look up Richard and Helen's marriage records. I had to confirm some dates.

Second, I wanted to get my full medical records from the day I gave birth, especially the notes from when I was unconscious.

At the County Clerk's Office, the staff hesitated when I asked to see marriage records from more than twenty years ago, clearly unsure how to handle my request.

"You have to be the person in question or an immediate family member, and you need to show valid documents," one of them explained.

I was prepared. I took out my marriage certificate with David, my own driver's license, and a copy of David's driver's license that I'd quietly made when he wasn't paying attention.

I made up an excuse, giving them my best sincere look. "I'm his daughter-in-law. Does that count as immediate family?

"We've got some family property issues to sort out, and the older folks can't remember the details anymore, so I wanted to check the original records."

The staff member checked my driver's license, then looked me over.

Probably figured I wasn't up to anything shady, so after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Fill out this application form and write down why you need to see the records. But you can only look at them. No photos or copies allowed."

"Okay, thanks," I said.

I filled out the form and waited about half an hour before being led into a records room.

The staff member brought over a thick file box with a microfilm reader inside.

"Everything's sorted by year and district, so you'll have to dig through it yourself. Richard Carter and Helen Carter, right?" the staff member told me.

"That's right," I replied.

I sat down in front of the microfilm reader, my fingers cold with nerves.

I scrolled through the years until I found the right one, and the right district.

I turned the pages, one after another.

Yellowed paper, faded handwriting.

At last, their names appeared before my eyes.

Richard Carter and Helen Carter.

Registration date: May 18th, 1992.

I stared at that date, my heart dropping like a stone.

David's birthday was January 15th, 1993.

So that meant they had David about eight months after getting married.

It wasn't exactly unusual. Getting married because of a baby happened all the time.

But if David was born full-term, then Helen must have gotten pregnant right before they tied the knot.

I kept reading through the registration form.

My eyes landed on the section labeled "Pregnancy and Childbirth Before Marriage."

Next to Helen, it said "none."

Next to Richard, same thing.

Cold sweat broke out on my palms.

What if Richard had other kids before or during his marriage?

Could that kid be Lucas?

No, the ages didn't add up.

Lucas was only five.

Five years ago, Richard was almost sixty.

A sixty-year-old man made me pregnant?

That was absurd.

Besides, I have absolutely no memory of anything like that. I was unconscious after giving birth, but before that, I was fully awake.

I remembered that only doctors and nurses were in the delivery room. No way Richard could've been anywhere near me. Unless...

A terrifying thought made my whole body go cold.

Unless my baby was swapped.

Could it be that while I was out, my baby was switched out for Richard's secret child?

No, that was even crazier. Lucas looked just like David, like a Carter. If he were Richard's illegitimate child, same father but different mother, the resemblance would still make sense.

But the paternity test said David and Lucas were full siblings. Same father, same mother.

Same father, same mother?

My breath caught in my throat.

Helen? No way.

Helen was my mother-in-law. How could she possibly be Lucas's mother? She was already well into her fifties five years ago.

That was way past the age for having kids. She would've been menopausal.

My mind was a total mess.

It was like a ball of yarn a cat had shredded.

I forced myself to calm down, jotted down the key dates, and left the archives.

Then I went to the Oasis Hospital.

I gave birth here, and Richard used to be the hospital director before he retired.

This was no coincidence.

*****

The hospital's record-keeping was way tighter than at the County Clerk's Office.

I said I needed to look at my delivery records because I was planning for another kid.

The nurse glanced at me. "You can check your own records if you show your driver's license, but you can't take the originals. You can ask for copies of certain parts, though."

"Okay," I said.

I handed over my driver's license.

The nurse looked it up on the computer, then got up and headed to the back to grab the file.

Every second of the wait felt like an eternity.

I sat there, watching people come and go outside the hospital, my palms slick with sweat.

What if the records had been tampered with?

What if Richard used his connections to erase some of the records?

"Found it," the nurse said, bringing over a thick folder and setting it on the table in front of me. "This is your complete hospital record from back then. Take your time.

"If you need any copies, just let me know and I'll make them for you. But you can't take the originals with you."

"Thanks," I said.

I opened the folder.

The first page was the admission record. My basic info, how far along I was, and my prenatal checkup details.

I flipped through the pages. Labor records, delivery notes, medication logs, and so on.

I scanned every line, searching for anything that didn't add up.

The delivery record read: [Natural birth, baby boy, 6.3 pounds, 19 inches, Apgar score 10. The time of delivery matched what I remembered.

Postpartum notes: [The mother suffered severe postpartum hemorrhage, received blood transfusions and emergency treatment, then was transferred to the ICU for observation.]

ICU records: [The patient's vital signs were stable, but she remained unconscious.]

Cause of unconsciousness: [Hemorrhagic shock, or might be the anesthesia.]

Anesthesia?

I had an epidural when I gave birth, so anesthesia was expected. But could it really keep me unconscious for twenty-four hours straight?