Chapter 2 · The Doctor Said I Had Two Sons

I didn't bother asking her if she knew. It didn't matter anymore.

I asked, "Whose idea was it when you first decided to use my name?"

My mom hesitated before saying, "That was ages ago."

"I'm asking whose idea it was?"

"Kathryn, you're pregnant. Don't get yourself all worked up."

"I'm calm." I stared at the hospital's white walls. "In 2018, I was away at college, in my junior year. Laura was in the Harborview Health Pavilion, having her baby.

"But the hospital records say it was me. Who used my information?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Laura was really in a tough spot back then."

I clenched my fingers. "So, it was your idea."

"It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

"She'd just married Layton, her insurance was a mess, she didn't have any money, and suddenly she had to give birth. The hospital kept pushing her to get the paperwork done, so..."

"So, you used my identity for her?"

My mom got flustered. "We just borrowed it for a little while. It's not like I took your identity and never gave it back."

I looked down at my belly. It wasn't showing yet. Nothing showed under my clothes.

I asked, "And what about four years ago?"

The line went silent.

I pressed, "The first time, you said there was no other way. So, why did you use my name again for the second time?

"Mom, did Laura still have no insurance and money when her second kid was born? Or was it too late again?"

She finally spoke after a long silence, "We'll talk about this when you get home."

Here we went again.

I suddenly understood why Laura didn't answer me earlier.

They had a story ready for the first question. But they didn't have one for my second question.

I said, "That's not gonna happen. The hospital is asking about my medical history right now. I'm going to tell the doctor those two birth records weren't mine."

My mom's voice rose sharply. "Don't say anything yet!"

The exam room was dead silent. Even Dr. McCoy glanced up at me.

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Why can't I say it?"

"What's the point of bringing it up now?" my mom snapped. "The kids are already born. Kathryn, it's all in the past. Why do you have to dig everything up again?"

I felt a laugh bubbling up. "Mom, I'm here for my first prenatal appointment. The doctor told me I have two children. Are you seriously telling me to let it go?"

She choked up.

I pressed on. "Right now, I'm only doing one thing. Correcting the records that aren't mine. Is that what you call digging up the past?"

She was silent for a couple of seconds.

Then she said, "Don't do anything for now. Laura and I will come by tonight. We'll talk face-to-face."

I was so confused by her. "What are you guys so scared of?"

She didn't answer and hung up.

I sat there, with my phone still in my hand.

Roberto handed me a water bottle. "Have some water."

I took it but didn't take a sip.

Dr. McCoy waited until I finished my call before speaking, "So, you've confirmed those births weren't yours?"

"Yeah," I replied. "My family used my name."

She frowned. She didn't pry about my family. She simply tapped the screen. "For now, fill out the form with your real information. First pregnancy, huh?"

"Yes."

"No history of miscarriages?"

"No."

She tapped a few keys. "I'll add a note to your current file. But those two hospital records from before will still need to be sorted out later."

"What happens if I don't clear it up?"

"At the very least, it'll affect how the doctors diagnose you." She pointed at the second entry. "See this? Postpartum hemorrhage. The system says you've had two C-sections and serious bleeding before.

"That means every time you come in for a checkup, or when it's time to deliver, the doctors will treat these as major issues in your medical history."

I stared at that line.

For the first time, I felt something unsettling.

I always thought a name was just a name. An ID number was just a bunch of numbers. But now, everything had changed.

Someone else had gone under the knife, pretending to be me.

My identity carried scars, blood transfusions, and two births that weren't mine.

Years later, all these things I'd never gone through were starting to affect the medical decision on my own body.

Roberto asked Dr. McCoy, "So, what should we do now?"

"First, you need to file a dispute in your own name. And then we'll verify the original records." Dr. McCoy looked at me. "But you need to get on this quickly.

"The more records you add, the harder it'll be to untangle your real history from the old mistakes."

I nodded. "I'll get it done today."

My phone buzzed again. It was Laura.

She sent a message. [Kathryn, I'm begging you. Please don't file anything today.]

Then another message popped up. [If you change it, it'll stir up a lot of trouble.]

I stared at those last few words. A lot of trouble?

I thought all I'd discovered was Laura borrowing my name to have her kids. But it seemed that they weren't afraid of me finding out. They were afraid I'd reclaim my name.

Chapter 2

I didn't bother asking her if she knew. It didn't matter anymore.

I asked, "Whose idea was it when you first decided to use my name?"

My mom hesitated before saying, "That was ages ago."

"I'm asking whose idea it was?"

"Kathryn, you're pregnant. Don't get yourself all worked up."

"I'm calm." I stared at the hospital's white walls. "In 2018, I was away at college, in my junior year. Laura was in the Harborview Health Pavilion, having her baby.

"But the hospital records say it was me. Who used my information?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Laura was really in a tough spot back then."

I clenched my fingers. "So, it was your idea."

"It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

"She'd just married Layton, her insurance was a mess, she didn't have any money, and suddenly she had to give birth. The hospital kept pushing her to get the paperwork done, so..."

"So, you used my identity for her?"

My mom got flustered. "We just borrowed it for a little while. It's not like I took your identity and never gave it back."

I looked down at my belly. It wasn't showing yet. Nothing showed under my clothes.

I asked, "And what about four years ago?"

The line went silent.

I pressed, "The first time, you said there was no other way. So, why did you use my name again for the second time?

"Mom, did Laura still have no insurance and money when her second kid was born? Or was it too late again?"

She finally spoke after a long silence, "We'll talk about this when you get home."

Here we went again.

I suddenly understood why Laura didn't answer me earlier.

They had a story ready for the first question. But they didn't have one for my second question.

I said, "That's not gonna happen. The hospital is asking about my medical history right now. I'm going to tell the doctor those two birth records weren't mine."

My mom's voice rose sharply. "Don't say anything yet!"

The exam room was dead silent. Even Dr. McCoy glanced up at me.

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Why can't I say it?"

"What's the point of bringing it up now?" my mom snapped. "The kids are already born. Kathryn, it's all in the past. Why do you have to dig everything up again?"

I felt a laugh bubbling up. "Mom, I'm here for my first prenatal appointment. The doctor told me I have two children. Are you seriously telling me to let it go?"

She choked up.

I pressed on. "Right now, I'm only doing one thing. Correcting the records that aren't mine. Is that what you call digging up the past?"

She was silent for a couple of seconds.

Then she said, "Don't do anything for now. Laura and I will come by tonight. We'll talk face-to-face."

I was so confused by her. "What are you guys so scared of?"

She didn't answer and hung up.

I sat there, with my phone still in my hand.

Roberto handed me a water bottle. "Have some water."

I took it but didn't take a sip.

Dr. McCoy waited until I finished my call before speaking, "So, you've confirmed those births weren't yours?"

"Yeah," I replied. "My family used my name."

She frowned. She didn't pry about my family. She simply tapped the screen. "For now, fill out the form with your real information. First pregnancy, huh?"

"Yes."

"No history of miscarriages?"

"No."

She tapped a few keys. "I'll add a note to your current file. But those two hospital records from before will still need to be sorted out later."

"What happens if I don't clear it up?"

"That means every time you come in for a checkup, or when it's time to deliver, the doctors will treat these as major issues in your medical history."

I stared at that line.

For the first time, I felt something unsettling.

I always thought a name was just a name. An ID number was just a bunch of numbers. But now, everything had changed.

Someone else had gone under the knife, pretending to be me.

My identity carried scars, blood transfusions, and two births that weren't mine.

Years later, all these things I'd never gone through were starting to affect the medical decision on my own body.

Roberto asked Dr. McCoy, "So, what should we do now?"

"First, you need to file a dispute in your own name. And then we'll verify the original records." Dr. McCoy looked at me. "But you need to get on this quickly.

"The more records you add, the harder it'll be to untangle your real history from the old mistakes."

I nodded. "I'll get it done today."

My phone buzzed again. It was Laura.

She sent a message. [Kathryn, I'm begging you. Please don't file anything today.]

Then another message popped up. [If you change it, it'll stir up a lot of trouble.]

I stared at those last few words. A lot of trouble?

I thought all I'd discovered was Laura borrowing my name to have her kids. But it seemed that they weren't afraid of me finding out. They were afraid I'd reclaim my name.