Chapter 3 · The Doctor Said I Had Two Sons

I ignored Laura's advice.

After leaving the exam room, I headed straight for the registration desk.

The staff handed me a form.

I filled out my name, ID number, and personal statement, one by one.

I hesitated when I reached the "Dispute Details" section.

Then I wrote: [I have never been hospitalized for childbirth on July 21, 2018, or November 3, 2021. Neither of these two delivery records is mine.]

Roberto was right there next to me. He didn't push me or hurry me.

After I finished, I signed my name.

The staff took the form and gave it a quick once-over. "You might need to help us verify this later."

"Okay," I replied.

"This might take a while."

"That's fine."

I snapped a photo of the receipt.

My phone kept buzzing nonstop. Laura called three times. But I didn't answer.

My mom sent seven messages.

The last one read: [We're coming to your place at six tonight. Don't do anything yet.]

I glanced at the time. It was 3:17 PM, and I'd already done what I should.

I put my phone away.

Roberto asked, "Heading home?"

"Yeah," I replied.

I didn't say a word on the way back.

Dr. McCoy's words kept echoing in my mind. Two C-sections. One postpartum hemorrhage.

It wasn't a few lines of wrong information in a medical record. It was that someone else had gone through those two childbirths for me in the official records.

When I got home, I set the hospital paperwork on the coffee table. Then I booted up my computer and dug up all the medical records I could find from over the years.

There were regular checkups, physicals, dentist appointments, and an appendectomy when I was in college.

Nothing out of the ordinary besides that, except for those two OB/GYN records.

They were like two nails hammered in under my name.

At 5:40 PM, I heard the door open.

My mom had a spare key to my place. She let herself in without a second thought. Laura followed her inside.

I stared at her key.

It never bothered me before. But today, it felt intrusive.

I said, "Don't walk in with that spare key anymore."

My mom froze. "What?"

"Leave the key here when you go."

Her expression darkened. "Kathryn, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said."

Laura tugged at her arm. "Mom, let's talk about what's important."

She sat down across from me. Her eyes were a little red. She must've been crying.

My mom didn't sit. She stood there in the living room, staring at me. "Did you file anything at the hospital?"

I didn't answer.

Laura stared at me. "Kathryn, tell me. Did you file something or not?"

I put the receipt down on the table.

Laura grabbed it and scanned it over. Then her face drained of color. "You really filed it. How could you do that?"

I glanced up at her. "It's my medical record. Why shouldn't I?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what are you trying to say?"

Laura set the paper aside. Her hands were trembling. "You could've at least talked to us first."

I let out a laugh. "Did you bother to ask me when you used my name eight years ago?"

She went quiet.

My mom couldn't hold back anymore. "Laura already told you. There was a reason back then."

"What reason?" I shot back.

"She'd just had a baby, her insurance wasn't set up, and Layton's family—"

"I'm asking about the second time. What reason?"

The living room went dead silent.

My mom's lips moved, but no words came out.

I stared her down. "You said there was no other way when you first used my name. Fine. Now I want to hear why you did that again.

"In 2021, Laura had already been married for three years. Charlie was already in kindergarten. So, why did she still need to use my name?"

Laura kept her head down.

She didn't say anything for a long time. "I'd already used your name when I gave birth to Charlie."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She looked up at me. "All the records were under your name during my first pregnancy and delivery. So, when I got pregnant again and went back to the hospital, your info was already in the system.

"If I suddenly switched it back, nothing would match up."

I stared at her for a few seconds. "And?"

"So, I thought it was already messed up anyway."

Chapter 3

I ignored Laura's advice.

After leaving the exam room, I headed straight for the registration desk.

The staff handed me a form.

I filled out my name, ID number, and personal statement, one by one.

I hesitated when I reached the "Dispute Details" section.

Then I wrote: [I have never been hospitalized for childbirth on July 21, 2018, or November 3, 2021. Neither of these two delivery records is mine.]

Roberto was right there next to me. He didn't push me or hurry me.

After I finished, I signed my name.

The staff took the form and gave it a quick once-over. "You might need to help us verify this later."

"Okay," I replied.

"This might take a while."

"That's fine."

I snapped a photo of the receipt.

My phone kept buzzing nonstop. Laura called three times. But I didn't answer.

My mom sent seven messages.

The last one read: [We're coming to your place at six tonight. Don't do anything yet.]

I glanced at the time. It was 3:17 PM, and I'd already done what I should.

I put my phone away.

Roberto asked, "Heading home?"

"Yeah," I replied.

I didn't say a word on the way back.

Dr. McCoy's words kept echoing in my mind. Two C-sections. One postpartum hemorrhage.

It wasn't a few lines of wrong information in a medical record. It was that someone else had gone through those two childbirths for me in the official records.

When I got home, I set the hospital paperwork on the coffee table. Then I booted up my computer and dug up all the medical records I could find from over the years.

There were regular checkups, physicals, dentist appointments, and an appendectomy when I was in college.

Nothing out of the ordinary besides that, except for those two OB/GYN records.

They were like two nails hammered in under my name.

At 5:40 PM, I heard the door open.

My mom had a spare key to my place. She let herself in without a second thought. Laura followed her inside.

I stared at her key.

It never bothered me before. But today, it felt intrusive.

I said, "Don't walk in with that spare key anymore."

My mom froze. "What?"

"Leave the key here when you go."

Her expression darkened. "Kathryn, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I said."

Laura tugged at her arm. "Mom, let's talk about what's important."

She sat down across from me. Her eyes were a little red. She must've been crying.

My mom didn't sit. She stood there in the living room, staring at me. "Did you file anything at the hospital?"

I didn't answer.

Laura stared at me. "Kathryn, tell me. Did you file something or not?"

I put the receipt down on the table.

Laura grabbed it and scanned it over. Then her face drained of color. "You really filed it. How could you do that?"

I glanced up at her. "It's my medical record. Why shouldn't I?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what are you trying to say?"

Laura set the paper aside. Her hands were trembling. "You could've at least talked to us first."

I let out a laugh. "Did you bother to ask me when you used my name eight years ago?"

She went quiet.

My mom couldn't hold back anymore. "Laura already told you. There was a reason back then."

"What reason?" I shot back.

"She'd just had a baby, her insurance wasn't set up, and Layton's family—"

"I'm asking about the second time. What reason?"

The living room went dead silent.

My mom's lips moved, but no words came out.

I stared her down. "You said there was no other way when you first used my name. Fine. Now I want to hear why you did that again.

"In 2021, Laura had already been married for three years. Charlie was already in kindergarten. So, why did she still need to use my name?"

Laura kept her head down.

She didn't say anything for a long time. "I'd already used your name when I gave birth to Charlie."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She looked up at me. "All the records were under your name during my first pregnancy and delivery. So, when I got pregnant again and went back to the hospital, your info was already in the system.

"If I suddenly switched it back, nothing would match up."

I stared at her for a few seconds. "And?"

"So, I thought it was already messed up anyway."