The Children Who Time Lost Page 5

  Suzanna tapped Jenny, who moved to the foot of the bed. Suzanna sat down and looked into my eyes, tears streaming down her face. Behind her, the others moved even closer. Many cried and held their palms together.

  “This is the best news ever, honey,” Suzanna said. “We’ve got to celebrate.”

  I nodded. “But whe—”

  “They’re outside,” someone shouted from the back of the room. Kevin turned toward the voice, his smile gone. A thickset man in a dark gray cardigan came into view, panting for breath. He must have been running. “The press. At least twenty different news crews, all outside waiting for Rachel.”

  Warren nodded at me and approached the door. “I’ll handle them.”

  “Don’t let them in,” Kevin shouted out, but Warren was already gone.

  I lay my head back against the pillow and cleared all thoughts from my head. Conversations filled the room. People kept talking over each other in order to be heard. Everyone was happy, but my mind just kept overthinking things. Why were they changing all the rules for me? They never interviewed people this early. I could still hear excitement in some people’s voices and see tears of joy on the faces of others. But surrounding the bed, Jenny, Kevin and Suzanna all looked at me with love and affection.

  It was almost midnight when everyone finally left my room. Jenny and Suzanna waited with Kevin, however. It was unlikely that they would be leaving any time soon. I had been sitting on the bed for the past ten minutes, but I was still too overwhelmed and conflicted to stand up. On one hand, I was immensely happy, but on the other, I felt like I was not being true to myself. I’d always spoken against the Lotto, and yet here I was, happy to be winning a baby. Most in the room said that if anyone did, I deserved it, but I didn’t completely see it that way. Every couple deserved it. Most couples didn’t get a single chance, and I’d had two. But I had to be strong, and I was going to be.

  Warren walked back into the room just as I was getting to my feet with assistance from Jenny and Suzanna. Kevin hadn’t been able to get near me the whole night, because they refused to leave me alone. I sometimes caught him looking at me, smiling and blowing kisses. I could see that he just wanted to embrace and kiss me, but he understood how happy my friends were for me. It was so sweet of them, and after all, Kevin and I had the entire night to celebrate and they had only the moment.

  “Right,” Warren said, “Channel Two and Channel Two alone will speak to you when you get outside. I’ve told them that.”

  I walked up to Warren and embraced him. “Thanks for everything, Warren,” I whispered into his ear.

  “I’m so happy for you,” he said. “This is no more than you deserve. You’ll both make great parents.”

  I pulled back and held his shoulders. Jenny and Suzanna then walked past me. Kevin followed behind and waited by the door. I started to leave, but Warren stopped me. “Remember what I said. Anything you need and I’m here for you. I’ll work overtime if I have to, to make sure I give you the right treatment. But I don’t want you to see Jarrod anymore.”

  I sighed but quickly forced a smile. “Okay, Warren. I’ll finish the course I’m on and then we’ll take it from there. Okay?”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. Besides, you have a new baby to think about. I’ll give you all the time you need and then we can start.”

  I kissed him on both cheeks. “You’re a good man, Warren. You’re a good man.”I walked to the door.

  “Congratulations,” he called behind me. He exchanged looks with Kevin and me. “Both of you.”

  We nodded and walked out. In the waiting area, people stood on both sides of the corridor and they all clapped as I walked past. I blushed and smiled at the faces I made eye contact with. Though it was so unnecessary, I was flattered. Jenny and Suzanna stood by the exit. They had broad smiles on their faces and two large carrier bags each.

  “What’s in there?” I asked. “You didn’t have them before.”

  “You’re having a baby, honey,” Suzanna said. “You’re gonna need all sorts of stuff.”

  “Just think of this as a sort of welcoming gift for the baby,” Jenny said.

  “You guys are so sweet,” I said. “But it isn’t necessary, honest.”

  “But you’re gonna take it, right?” Jenny said.

  I chuckled and reached for one of Suzanna’s bags. “Okay, fine, I’ll take it.”

  “Not so fast, pretty lady,” Suzanna said. She pulled her hand back and laughed playfully. “We’re not letting you carry anything. We’re coming with you.”

  I turned around and looked at Kevin. He shrugged. “Yes, sure. They can come back with us.”

  I smiled and hugged both of them again. The claps returned, but this time all at once. After wiping yet more tears, I walked toward the hospital entrance, where a sea of flashing lights and camera lenses waited. Fear suddenly gripped my body, but I couldn’t explain why.

  Then I felt Kevin’s thick arms around me. “Don’t be scared, baby. This is your night. Remember that.”

  I opened the glass doors and walked out. Reporters charged forward, but armed police officers and fifth-generation Lypsos stepped forward and stood in their way. In contrast with their third and fourth-generation cousins, these Lypsos were trained in combat straight after stepping off the production line. Sky blue in color, they had a sea of weapons embedded in their physical structure. They could assemble more than twenty types of weaponry from their bodies, capable of totaling half a city block.

  Everything seemed wrong. Winners of the Lotto never got any screen time this early. Why weren’t the organizers waiting until I at least returned with my child? The presence of fifth-generation Lypsos confirmed what I’d suspected all along: The organizers wanted to make a big deal out of my winning the Lotto, and on my first attempt. Could it have been rigged?

  The authorities kept all four of us in the same spot while the crowd watched through the windows. Kevin held my right hand and Jenny held my left. Suzanna stood in front for me, as if trying to shield me from the reporters.

  A news van the size of an SUV glided twenty feet in the air toward us. It touched down on the ground and two women and a cameraman stepped out. The police held them back for a moment as they dealt with another cameraman who had broken free of the blockade and charged toward us. I flinched, and my hands quaked. But Kevin, Suzanna and Jenny made me feel safe.

  The ruckus ceased after a few minutes, with the man detained. The Channel Two employees were then allowed through. Their cameraman stopped a few feet from me and started to set up his camera. The two women continued toward me. Suzanna stepped aside after I squeezed her shoulder.

  The reporters had wide smiles on their faces. One of them was tall and skinny and had bright red hair. I recognized her as Amber Williamson from her fantastic expose on real estate corruption. I didn’t recognize the other woman. She had sharp cheekbones and long blond hair. They were both attractive, but there wasn’t a newscaster who worked for Channel Two who wasn’t.

  “It’s so great to meet you,” Amber said. She extended her hand. “I’m Amber Williamson, Channel Two news.”

  I smiled and shook it. “I know who you are.” I moved my gaze to the blond woman, who extended her arm, too.

  “You’re like a legend, Rachel,” she said. “I’m Jessica Ford. I’ve been a huge fan of yours for years. Your bravery inspires me.”

  “Thank you.”

  The women held their smiles for a few seconds before looking back at their cameraman. The tripod was set up, but he was still fiddling with buttons and switches. “How much longer, Justin?” Jessica said.

  The man continued to fiddle with buttons. After another minute, he looked up at them with sweat pouring from his face. His breathing appeared to be labored. “It’s ready now.”

  The women smiled and turned to me. Amber held her hand out. “May I?”

  I looked at her for a second before realizing what she meant. “Oh, yes, of course.” I smiled at Kevin and Jenny, removed my ha
nds from theirs and took Amber’s.

  Amber and Jessica moved either side of me and faced the camera, both grinning widely. The cameraman shifted the lens toward us and began a countdown. I grinned along with the reporters. One thing I had learned from my previous appearances on TV was that anything but a smile didn’t go down well with viewers.

  “Going live in five, four, three, two, one,” the man said. “Action.”

  Amber took a step forward and put the microphone to her mouth. “Hello. I’m Amber Williamson, reporting live from Bricklewood Hospital. I’m standing beside one of the California Lotto winners. Except this woman is not any simple contestant. No. In case you haven’t recognized her already, this is Rachel Harris, the last woman to give birth naturally. Following the tragic loss of her daughter a year ago, many had lobbied for the Lotto organizers to grant her a child, but none of those voices were heard. Many said it would be unfair to give Rachel special treatment, leaving other families praying every night to win a child while she’d already been given one.

  “I’m pleased to say that our prayers have now been answered, and Rachel has won the child she deserves. We’ve watched her bravery following the experiments she’s had to endure. Not to mention those around the world who insinuated that she used sinister and supernatural powers to conceive her beautiful daughter. We’ve seen her condition deteriorate after all the drugs injected into her system over the years.

  “But the main thing is that she’s survived all that and now has her reward: a baby.” Amber turned and faced me. “Rachel, you have been quoted as saying that the Worldwide Lotto is cruel and painful for people who practically stood no chance of winning. Do you still stand by those words?”

  I swallowed and chewed on my bottom lip. I so wanted to chew on my fingernails, but I was on live TV. Not just in the states but around the world. I glanced at Kevin behind me. He smiled and nodded. I looked at Amber once more. She still had the same annoying smile on her face. I faced the camera and made sure the microphone was underneath my mouth.

  “I was lucky tonight,” I said, “very lucky. To win on my first attempt is really amazing. I wish every woman could feel the kind of joy I’m feeling right now. But it’s not just ecstasy I feel but also sorrow, sorrow for all the men and women at home who could so easily be in my place right now.

  “You asked me if I still stand by my words, and the answer is yes, I do. I believe our situation is horrible, but at the same time, it’s unavoidable. I appreciate what the Lotto does for women like me, but most of all, I thank all those parents, willing to give up their children to us. I don’t look down on them for what they’re doing. Not everyone is cut out for parenthood. Adoption happened a long time before we became infertile, and as far as I see it, this is the same thing. So I guess what I’m saying is that while I might think the entire process is cruel for those who don’t win, I’m still eternally grateful to the governing body of the Worldwide Lotto for the opportunity to be a mother again.”

  Jessica stepped forward and faced the camera. Amber took a step back. “Wow,” Jessica said. “What a response that was.” She faced me. “I’ve had the utmost respect for you for as long as I can remember, Rachel, but what I would like to know—and I think I speak for many around the world—is whether you consider this victory as divine intervention, especially after the death of your child? I mean, as you’ve just said, it’s a huge coincidence that on your very first attempt, you’re a winner, especially when some families have been trying to win a child for years.”

  My breathing grew heavier. I hated questions like that. Did I think I deserved to win? Of course not, but then again, why not me?

  “I don’t think divine intervention had anything to do with me winning,” I said. “I just think the luck of the draw was on my side. I know many families will continue to hope and pray that they can be winners, too, but all we can do is stand up and make our voices heard.

  “We must urge the governments to work harder. They must keep funding the programs that are combating the infertility problem. Once that happens, we won’t need the Lotto anymore. We’ll go back to having millions of newborn babies every month. Our world will return to the way it used to be.”

  “Very well-said,” Amber said. “But I do wonder, Rachel, will you be taking the option to select a preferable gender, or will you go with the draw? I only ask because the baby you get will be replacing your beloved Madeline, whom you loved with all your heart.”

  I sniffed, and tears flowed from my eyes. I realized that most people thought I was replacing my daughter, but I could never do that. It wouldn’t be fair to my new child, for I’d forever be comparing him or her with Madeline. I quickly shook those thoughts from my head and wiped the tears from my face.

  “Are you okay, Rachel?” Amber whispered, moving her face toward me. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, I’m okay,” I said. I looked beyond the camera at the many faces staring at me. They looked lost in the moment, as if the fate of the world rested on my answer. They would never understand how I really felt or the thoughts that went through my head, but then, how could they?

  “This baby will be coming to a loving family. Race or gender doesn’t make a difference. There’ll be no comparison to Madeline. It won’t be fair. So the answer is no,” I blurted and the tears fell freely. I placed my hands over my eyes. “I won’t be selecting a gender, but you have to know that nothing in the world can replace the daughter I lost. I mourn her every day. This new baby will bring me joy, but I’ll never forget.”

  I bent over for a moment before feeling Kevin’s big arms over me. “It’s over,” he said. “My wife’s said enough.”

  I rose to see him nod at a few of the police officers. Three blue Lypsos stomped forward and stood in front of the Channel Two team. The police officers led Kevin, Suzanna, Jenny and me to one of their larger vehicles and signaled for everyone else to leave. The Lypsos turned their attention to the masses. “The interview is over. Please vacate these premises at once. The interview is over. Please vacate these premises at once.”

  Cars took to the sky and flew away in all directions. I sat in the back of the car taking us home and gazed out the window at the many faces still huddled by the hospital windows. I waved at the people and they all waved back. I wiped a tear just before feeling the car lift off.

  At home, Jenny and Suzanna slept in the living room, but they still hadn’t stopped talking and laughing by 2 a.m. Their excitement for me was touching. They were the best friends I could ever have hoped for.

  Kevin’s snoring grew louder. Having his arms wrapped around my body made me feel safe. But I was also nervous and afraid. I cast my mind back to the only group of winners who supposedly hadn’t made it back home after collecting their babies. It was on February 10, 2022, just two months after the Lotto had begun. I remembered sitting in front of the TV with Kevin at his parents’ house, waiting for the mothers to return for their interviews. The U.S. winners that year were all from New York, and all the news crews camped outside the New Jersey portal.

  The interview never happened, and it wasn’t until nearly midnight that we heard the tragic news. None of the mothers made it back. Scarier was what had supposedly happened to them. The show’s organizers tried to relay the news as delicately as possible, saying that the heart of one of the contestants stopped beating as a result of a pre-existing condition. The disturbance to the mechanical waves within the portal resulted in instability, sucking all the oxygen and killing everyone else.

  The truth, however, revealed through leaked reports some months later, was much more terrifying.It was said that the mothers actually made it to the future and collected their children. On the return journey, however, a recent ripple that had occurred in one of the contestants’ time lines—the portal is intolerant of drastic changes in a traveler’s life up to a week before the journey— altered the course of the time travel. All of them as well as the children were then transported to a parallel dimension, ex
cept that it wasn’t to any known land but rather to empty matter. Many still believe that their bodies are stuck somewhere in the portal, possibly up to hundreds of years ahead or behind in time. A memorial was held the following year and every year after that to commemorate the children whom time had lost.

  The Lotto went on hiatus for six months, and after resuming, a mandatory immunization was introduced to ensure that all winners maintained a linear time tangent, dating back a month, even if they had unknowingly changed it in the past.

  I never understood how the drug worked, but from what I had read, it recalibrated the brain when necessary so that it would know only of events from the desired tangent, rather than the other possible ones. That some of a person’s memories hadn’t actually happened wasn’t important. She would make decisions as if they had, and that was all that mattered to the organizers. Accidents like the catastrophic one in 2022 never happened again, and the Lotto was certified with a 99.9 percent safety rating.

  I dismissed the thoughts from my head and opened my eyes. I stared at the ceiling and listened. Jenny and Suzanna no longer spoke or laughed. Kevin continued to snore beside me. I went back to the whole recalibration thing. What would it do to my memories? I didn’t want to forget. I couldn’t. Good or bad, the memories were mine. But that was the price for becoming a mother again. I closed my eyes again and prayed for sleep.

  Chapter Six

  “Have you got your foundation?” Jenny asked.

  I rummaged through my bag and pulled it out and waved it in the air. “Honestly, you two, I’ve got everything.” I glanced at Kevin, standing behind them. He smiled at me and I briefly smiled back.

  Suzanna walked up to me and held my shoulders. “We just want to make sure you have everything.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “We’re so happy for you, honey. It’s like we’ve all won a baby. You’ll be such a great mother.”