"You've done what with my eggs?!" Em's voice thundered down the phone line, leaning forward at her faux wood desk.
The voice on the other end of the line quieted, unsure how to proceed.
"Yes... I have to extend my utmost apologies on behalf of the entire office at Family Fertility Services. We know how valuable your frozen eggs are to you, and it is with great sorrow that I'm calling to tell you this now. If you..."
Em cut in unapologetically. "Sorry that the office made such a massive screw-up? Sorry that you have to tell me about it? Or sorry that they're throwing this task to their intern because they don't want to be the ones to actually break the news?"
The wince on the other end of the line was almost audible. Em rose from her desk to close her office door with shaking hands.
"Honestly... all of it?" The intern warbled. "I can't tell you the details right now, but..." There was a brief pause before the intern lowered their voice to a murmur. "I'm supposed to contact the family next to arrange an individual mediation through the office. If you let me know when you're free, I can make your individual mediation talk just before it."
The intern paused meaningfully. "I'm sure they'll want to talk directly with you too."
At the intern's kind gesture, Em felt the raw panic wane slightly.
"I... Um. Fine. Tomorrow or Friday afternoon." She knew that the chance that she would be able to focus until then was slim. "This is a damn mess. How incompetent does someone have to be to mess up a procedure that badly? What am I supposed to do now? What about those embryos? Does that mean I'm going to be a parent?"
The intern let out a sigh. "Legally you have parental rights just like the couple does. It could be hell of a legal battle though. I had a cousin who... Sorry, that's probably not helpful. Maybe see if you can come to an agreement with them. The doctor is bringing in a mediation expert with experience in family disputes to run through some of the options."
The sound of mouse clicking traveled over the line. "Alright, I'll call the couple with those time options then. Again, I'm sorry that this happened. I might not have been involved, but this really isn't... I..."
Footsteps cracked on the linoleum floor at the doctor's office. The intern's voice shifted to a more professional tone. "Thank you for agreeing to meet for the mediation process, and we are very sorry to have lost the trust you placed in us. Expect an email soon with details."
The call dropped, leaving Em alone in her office, staring at a phone that couldn't possibly answer the questions running through her head. What was happening right now?
When the first rush of anger faded, the sorrow crept in. Em dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.
YOU ARE READING
Second Chance Family
General FictionCareer professional Em always knew that she wanted a family, but she never imagined having one this way. When she finds out that her frozen eggs have been accidentally used for egg donation, she suddenly has a new family in people she's never met. W...
