The Leaves in Winter (35 page)

Chapter 33

GeLixCo Advanced
Research
Center

Aguadilla
,
Puerto Rico

All of it could have been a terrible misunderstanding. But then the private jet touched down with a shudder of rapid braking. For Janis, the past few weeks felt like a dream. Now the dream was having a nightmare.

The certainty of arrival rendered her numb.

Trying not to expect the worst only brought it to mind. She knew so little after so many hours. She was certain of nothing more than the one word Faye had managed to say.
Alyssa
. How telling when a single word could say so much.

Her tortured imagination ran wild.

As they hurried from jet to car, the tropical sun blasted away overhead. Dense, humid air enveloped her. A mother’s heart had been ripped from ice and plunged in fire. The ride from
Rafael
Hernandez
Airport
down the coast was a blur. She was out of breath, powerless in the face of what should never be.

Faye was at her side but silent, respectful of her need to stay solid within herself and maintain. Being tense and overwhelmed left them both excited but exhausted. The agents escorting them were dutiful if not dispassionate. The lush scenery around them didn’t matter. Neither of them had been on this road before.

Neither of them could get past the feeling that things were out of control.

On the northwest coast of the island, the GARC complex sprouted in the hills above the beach resort of
Aguadilla
. The winding road narrowed and views of the ocean became panoramic. After a brief stop at a gated guard station, their car was allowed passage behind the high walls of bricks and vegetation that hid the research center from street-level view.

Janis looked up to see three buildings farther up the hill. In the center was the larger, obvious main building. The smaller structure on the right was connected by a fifth-story sky bridge. But it was the smallest and newly renovated building, the one on the left that attracted Janis’ attention. She had no reason to be so sure, but as soon as she laid eyes on it, she knew that’s where they had Alyssa.

The car pulled up to the smaller building’s side entrance. GeLixCo guards took over guiding them down a hallway and into an elevator. At the top floor, they were led to an office where a middle-aged woman stood looking out a window with her back to them. On the sound of their approach, the woman turned around.

“Welcome.” Her smile was slight but genuine. “Please have a seat.”

As Janis and Faye sat down, the woman sat nearer to Janis and mirrored her posture. She extended her hand. “And you are…”

“Janis Insworth.”

The introduction passed on. “Faye Gardner.”

“My name is Rebecca Yeats. I’m a scientist, but also a doctor. I was called in very recently. For the last couple of days, I’ve been caring for Alyssa.”

Janis held back a thousand questions. She’d trust that the doctor would say what was necessary while respecting how fragile she was.

“First of all, let me assure you, Alyssa is stable and in no immediate danger. She’s breathing on her own and shows no signs of distress.”

Knowing that Janis might be unable to speak, Faye spoke for her.

“What exactly is wrong?”

Rebecca hesitated, not so much gathering thoughts as shifting through them for the right thing to say. “From what I hear, Alyssa has complained recently about certain symptoms: indigestion, diarrhea, bloating, some abdominal pain.”

“I was told on the phone this came on suddenly.”

Faye’s statement was a question. The doctor would not be rushed.

“The last episode was sudden, yes. Before that there were chills and fever, nausea, all the signs of a flu or stomach infection.”

“What exactly happened during this…last episode?”

Rebecca glanced at Janis but answered Faye.

“We’re not quite sure. No one else was in the room. A care worker found Alyssa unconscious.” She paused, dismayed at having to proceed. “She’s been that way ever since.”

The news struck Faye and Janis equally but the shock of it jolted Janis to speak.

“She’s in a coma?”

Rebecca dropped her gaze, gave a nod, and eased back, at a loss for words.

Faye asked, “What’s the diagnosis?”

“The blood work came back this morning. We found elevated levels of Urofollitropin, a purified form of FSH, follicle stimulating hormone. It’s normally found in the brain, created by the pituitary gland.”

“I know what it is,” snapped Janis. “It works on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation.”

Faye jumped in. “What’s been going on down here?”

Grief became rage. Janis raised her voice. “Egg harvesting; that’s what it sounds like.”

Rebecca raised a hand to plead for calm and restraint. “I know nothing about that. I was told no such thing was ever authorized.”

“And yet it happened – in a secured lab, under the care of top scientists?”

Janis’ comment begged for explanation. Rebecca had none. “I don’t know how it happened. I just got here. My priority is helping Alyssa now. There’ll be time to find those responsible later.”

Janis demanded, “What exactly is her condition?”

Rebecca opened a file folder to avoid Janis’ withering stare. “The diagnosis is coma induced by a reaction to OHSS, ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. This is not my specialty but I’ve become quite an expert in the last 24 hours. I’m also in touch with top reproductive endocrinologists. From everything I’ve seen, I don’t believe this was going on for long. That fact alone is cause for hope.”

Janis broke down and sobbed. Faye put her arm around her.

“Can we see her?” asked Faye.

Rebecca stood. “Of course, whenever you want – for as long as you want.”

Faye helped Janis down the hallway. They passed through secured doors into a separate wing, more hospital than office building. Rebecca led them to a corner room facing west. Heavy drapes shielded them from the afternoon sun. Rebecca stopped in the hallway. Faye paused in the doorway.

Janis took small steps inside. Stunned by finally seeing her daughter once again, she took in every detail without shedding a tear.

Alyssa looked asleep. But the peacefulness on her face was belied by the vital-sign monitors clustered around the head of the hospital bed. Janis was taken by the starkness of the room. It was such a contrast to the sweetness of her girl.

  
Janis approached the side of the bed. A dizzying wave of impressions swirled around one emotional focus. After everything of the past few weeks, they were together again. But after all of her hopes, why did it have to be this way?

Janis searched for strength. She knew neither of their journeys was over. The hardest part might be yet to come. The power of intention must have its own, greater purpose coming to bear, something that aligned with things unseen but necessary nonetheless.

She took Alyssa’s hand in hers and instantly knew something bigger than the both of them would come of this. It had too. The suffering of angels such as Alyssa couldn’t be meaningless. Someway, somehow, Janis would make sure of it.

Faye drew near. Janis sensed her presence and a surge of anger returned.

“Take a good look at your project. And don’t tell me you knew nothing about this.”

“It’s the only thing I can say…” whispered Faye.

“It doesn’t matter. You agreed to what was going on behind the curtain. You didn’t need to know what it was. But then, that’s always been the difference between you and me. You believe what they tell you, no matter what else they’re using us for.”

Faye forced calm on her reaction. “I can’t argue with you when you’re right.”

Janis looked over and saw conciliatory softness in Faye’s eyes. “I guess next you’re going to tell me – that’s why we always argue.”

The fact that Janis could manage even sarcastic humor and meet her halfway was more than Faye ever expected. She took hold of Janis’ hand and squeezed. They stood side-by-side with their gazes trained on Alyssa.

With so much welling up, they couldn’t help but turn to each other. Separated for so long but thrust together like never before, the two of them wavered before falling into each other’s arms. They hugged and cried and held each other tight; they fully expected at any moment the world would fly off balance and fling them apart.

With nothing else left, they hung onto each other for dear life.

Rebecca gave them as much time as they needed. After respecting their privacy for awhile, she returned to the room ready to continue the business at hand.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I need Janis for a few minutes. There’s a quick orientation; I’m told she should really get it done before settling in.”

Janis and Faye both started for the door.

“Just Janis…” Rebecca didn’t explain. Faye stepped back.

Janis followed Rebecca along the hallway past the elevator to a service stairwell. A single flight of stairs brought them to the roof. Rebecca opened the door but didn’t go through. Her demeanor was all business but filled with compassion.

“I’ll be in my office if you need me for anything afterward.”

Walking onto the open roof made no sense. Janis held back, uncertain.

“It’s all right,” assured Rebecca. “It’s something just for you.”

With halting steps, Janis moved forward. Warm afternoon light hit her and ocean breezes swept back her hair. The view all around was expansive. The stairwell door closed behind her as the arc of her gaze brought a solitary form into focus.

She was not alone. A man walked towards her. Not just any man.

He said nothing at first. He didn’t have to.

“You!” Coming from Janis, it was not so much a word as a yelp of pain.

Colin Insworth appeared before her.

“No! You can’t be a part of this!”

“I’m the one who called Faye.”

“You’re her boss?”

Colin nodded.

Janis lunged forward. “Damn you!”

A swinging blow struck Colin in the side of the head.

A second and third blow was deflected by his upraised arms.

“How dare you touch my baby!” Janis was incensed and inconsolable.

Colin did nothing to try to stop the blows. Over and over he absorbed them until the last one broke through his defenses and caught him on the face. His head flung to one side as his hands grabbed Janis by the wrists.

Blood trickled from his nose.

“That’s enough!” he yelled.

Janis jerked away and stormed back to the stairway door. When she got there, he found it locked. She spun around like a caged animal. “Open this door!”

Colin stood his ground. “I knew it would be this way. But I have to talk to you.”

“Drop dead!”

“This is the only place where you can’t run away. You have to hear me out.”

Janis took determined strides to the edge and looked down. If there was anything down there to break her fall, she was furious enough to jump.

“There’s no place to go. You might as well listen to me.”

She rocketed away, checking the perimeter of the roof.

Colin followed. “I went to a lot of trouble to get you here. Everybody else wants to send you away for good. You pulled quite a stunt last night; created quite a shit-storm.”

“Leave me alone!”

“You’ve made a lot of trouble for a lot of people.”

“I’ve only gotten started!”

“It isn’t what you think. Until two days ago, I knew nothing about what happened to Alyssa. I don’t even work here. Ask Faye; she’ll tell you where we’ve been working, if she hasn’t already.”

Janis stopped long enough to shout back. “You miserable piece of shit – don’t lie to me! For once in your life, tell me the fucking truth. Man up to it – or can’t you do that?”