GEORGINA
I look at Madison's pictures from my bed. There are thousands of her in the lab. They make me remember that despite what she suffered in there, she was a happy child. She used to smile most of the time, she played and said plenty of silly things. She really was a special child apart from all what she was genetically given. Above from the interests of everyone who used to work on her. A unique child. A perfect and gorgeous little girl that used to surprised me every day while she grow up.
I thought nineteen years were plenty of time. Looking at her and seeing her so grown up, so independent and so strong made me believed I have made it, that I truly changed her life the best I could. But I should had been there for her more. I should have escaped with her to keep her from knowing all this, and keep her safe from whoever wanted to hurt her. It was my duty, as a parent. I should have taken that little green eyed girl and gave her the life she really deserved. But instead, she found out about everything and I used her to try to repair the pain we made her went through, believing she really wanted to do it. Until now, I realize she wasn't so sure of it. I didn't want this to happen. I didn't thought I would end losing her for something like that. She was supposed to grow and be happy on her own...she should be able to have more time.
The bed sinks when someone sits down next to me and it takes all the strength of me not to burst out crying when he puts his hand on my shoulder. I sigh before turning to see him and find Sean forcing a smile.
"Are you okay?" he asks and I just shrug. "She's asking for you," he says squeezing my heart with that sentence.
"For me?" I ask truly unsure and he nods. Yesterday she couldn't even see me.
"It's a lucid moment," he clarifies making me get a big lump in my throat knowing that really isn't a good thing.
"That's not good," I say wiping my tears.
"I am so sorry Gina," he says and I make my best effort to nod without looking at him.
I drown my desire of crying during the small way from my old bedroom to the lab. When I enter, it takes me a moment to gain the enough courage to finally enter the room.
She talks smiling and laughing in the company of her best friend, her boyfriend, Sarah the woman who truly was always there for her and my little Alison who is going to take her place once this is over no matter how hard it is going to be to fill it.
She looks way much better thanks to the effect of the Signefrex that I am pretty sure is the same one causing this lucid moment. The same machine that let them retire the tube that drained the liquid from her lung and take away a big part of the yellow color stealing her skin. The same one letting her breathe on her own right now and the same one that helped her heart to regain strength. It hurts knowing what would happen when the effect is over. I guess the good thing from this is that we all know this is a temporary moment so we know what to expect later.
The door opens when I stand in front of it and all the eyes turn to stare at me immediately.
"Can you give us a moment?" says Madison and all of them nod standing up.
Sarah is the first one that tells her goodbye, giving her a big hug and telling her how much she loves her before getting out of the room crying. Levy is the next one and gives her a strong hug before saying something to her ear. When he leaves, her eyes are full of tears. Then is Dylan's turn who gives her a very intense kiss on her lips that makes me look away.
"Mommy that is disgusting," says Alison with a grimace on her face.
"Come here Alison," Madison calls for her and she runs jumping onto the bed making us all close the eyes for the pain that the movement of the bed must have caused to Madison.
"Be careful sweetie," I tell her when she lets out a giggle.
"I am sorry," she says crawling to Madison.
"Did you like San Francisco?" Madison asks her and she nods with a big smile.
"'I love San Francisco'," she repeats the same quote she always says making us all smile.
"Can you promise me one thing?" says Madison again before she gulps and Alison bobs her head up and down. "You are going to grow very, very, tall so you will live for many, many years till you look like a raisin. Okay?"
"As tall as the giraffes on the zoo?" she asks, impressed and Madison shakes her head raising her hands.
"Bigger than giraffes," she says and Alison leaves out a sigh thinking of it.
"I will try," she says laughing making us laugh too.
"And when I am not longer here you are going to stay with mommy and love her so so much even when she makes you mad. Okay?" Alison thinks for a moment before she replies.
"Where are you going?" A lump gets form in my throat with her question.
"Somewhere far away, that's why I need you to stay with mom," she says touching her cheek.
"Can I go with you?" she asks with a sweet voice that makes a tear get out of Madison's eyes before shaking her head. "Why not?"
"Because it is a place just for grownups."
"Would I go when I look like a raisin?" The question makes Madison laugh and nods to her pulling her in a hug.
"I love you sissy."
Minutes later we finally are alone. When I get to see her better, I swear I want to give me a punch right on my stomach when I see the now small bruise I made on her cheek for the slap I gave her during our last talk.
Nothing turned out well. Sincerely I still haven't found the politically correct way to react when your daughter tells you she is going to die because of a man that has been ruining her entire life right from the start and knowing it is all my fault. How was I supposed to react when she told me I couldn't do anything to avoid it? When I knew there's nothing left to do?
"I am sorry... for that," I say gesturing to her bruise from the distance, "and for everything else before."
"And I am sorry I wasn't smart enough to help your plan like I was supposed to," she says, creating another big lump in my throat seeing her suffering so much for that stupid comment.
"It wasn't fair of me to say that, you did better than anything I could've ever imagine," I tell her and she forces me a smile with tears.
"I'm sorry I told you all those terrible things," she cries. "I didn't mean them, I don't know why I said that, you are nothing like Wen."
"I know baby, you weren't yourself," I say with tears in my eyes pulling the chair I brought here to put it next to her and sit down. When I do so she looks away biting her lip and passing one of her hands over the other nervously, again and again. I watch her doing it for a moment till I can't take it anymore.
I stretch my arms taking one of her hands on mine and getting her to look at me again. "I am going to stay completely focus on this case, no matter what happens," I tell her no matter how hard it is to say it and her eyes get wide open nodding and forcing me a new smile.
"For the kids?" she asks.
"And for you." She smiles. A true big smile along with tears that I dry immediately.
"Thank you," she says and I nod before she bites her lip again. "What happened in Seattle?"
"We won," I tell her and she looks at me with her shiny eyes. "Do you want to see them?" the moment I ask her she nods. I let go of her hand searching for the picture in my phone and then I show it to her. "They are Sage and Page."
"Are they...?"
"Twins, yes."
"Why?" she asks impressed.
"The children with the code 463 are part of experiments based on genders," I explain, "they practice the same tests on them, and everything needed to be exactly the same way for both of them. The outcomes were examined and compared to see how many differences or similarities existed on the results between the boy and the girl regarding those tests."
"How old are they?" she asks without looking anywhere but the photo.
"Three and a half."
"Were they together?" I nod. "What is going to happen with them?"
"We are looking for a foster family that can keep them both. It has been a little challenging, but keeping them apart would not be a good option," I say. "They have been together their whole lives."
She nods before taking my hand again and then stays staring at her reflection on the mirror next to her for a moment, reflecting my words or maybe she just looks at herself. I do exactly the same thing, except for the fact that I try to memorize every detail of her face. All of them that soon, I won't be able to look at anymore.
"Mom?" she says without taking her eyes from the mirror.
"What's going on?" I ask while I caress her hand with my eyes stuck on her face.
"I am scared." She still doesn't look at me but a tear threatens with getting out of her eyes when she says it. "What am I going to feel?"
I am incapable of talking. What am I supposed to say? That nothing is going to happen? Lie to her and tell her she is going to live for more time? That it is going to hurt so much it would eventually leave her unconscious? That she won't feel it?
"I don't know, luv," I reply getting her to see me with a gulp and that is what makes me get on the bed and hold her strong in my arms. "But I promise I am going to stay with you the entire time," I tell her leaning on the mattress with her against my chest like a little girl crying after a nightmare.
While she cries I cover her with kisses on her forehead and head without letting her go not even for a second. "I love you so much Maddie," I say getting a stronger hug from her in return. "I am so proud of you."
Her bracelet lights up starting to beep telling us something is wrong again. "What's going on?" she cries letting me go but I only take the bracelet off her wrist ceasing the beeps. We really don't need to know what is wrong anymore.
I take her again against me and begin to pass one of my hands from her head to her back calming her so she falls asleep but when I see her, her eyes are wide open.
"You can sleep now Madison," I tell her and she tries to shake her head.
"What if I don't wake up?" she says against me taking tears out of my eyes.
"You are going to wake up," I say but my voice doesn't help and breaks.
"You are a terrible liar," she says and I can feel and see her smile when she says it before she shuts her eyes strongly and her muscles tighten. Something is causing her pain. A minute later she relaxes again but her eyes stay shut.
EDITED BY: JadeFoliage
THIS SHOULD BE THE MILESTONE CHAPTER!! WE ARE ONLY 10 READS AWAY FROM 1K AND I COULDN'T FEEL ANY HAPPIER OR PROUD OF IT! THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU THAT HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING THE STORY SO FAR! DON'T FORGET TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND LEAVE YOUR GUESSES FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IF YOU LIKED IT!
Read you later.
-MF. Hernandez
Next Chapter: April 19th, 2019.