No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 51

Jessica was lying in her crib, staring up at the mobile as it slowly spun above her head. The bright colors and soft melodies didn't interest her much—her mind was preoccupied with more complicated thoughts. She was still frustrated from earlier, but she tried to settle into the rhythm of her day.

Suddenly, she heard the front door open. The sound of unfamiliar footsteps caught her attention, and she craned her neck to see a stranger stepping into the house. He was tall, wearing a rumpled lab coat, and had a somewhat nervous energy about him. His eyes flickered around the room before they landed on her.

Without hesitation, the man approached her crib and awkwardly leaned down to pick her up. Jessica's tiny body tensed immediately—he clearly had no idea what he was doing. His grip was uncomfortable, holding her more like he was handling a delicate object than a living, breathing baby. Her head wobbled, and she instinctively wanted to cry out in frustration.

"Put me down, you idiot!" Jessica wanted to scream, though of course, she couldn't—at least not in any way that would not sound impossible and crazy.

Just then, Henry rushed into the room. His eyes widened when he saw the man holding Jessica like she was a football. "Whoa, whoa, hold on," Henry said, quickly intervening. He gently took Jessica from the man's awkward grasp and cradled her properly in his arms.

"You've clearly never held a baby before," Henry said with a chuckle, though there was a protective edge to his tone. He showed the stranger how to support Jessica's head and body properly.

The man seemed sheepish, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I haven't. Sorry about that." Once Henry was satisfied, he handed Jessica back to the man, who this time held her correctly.

"Thanks," the stranger said, offering a small smile to Henry. Then, turning his attention to Jessica, he spoke softly, as if addressing her directly. "I'm Dr. Mathis. I study anomalies—strange things that don't quite fit into the natural order of things. I've been asked to come here and help figure out why you're so... advanced for your age."

Jessica stared at him, sizing him up. He was clearly some kind of scientist, but she wasn't entirely sure how much she should trust him. Still, she was intrigued by his introduction. "Anomalies," he had said. It was a word that piqued her curiosity.

"You study anomalies?" she asked, surprising herself with how naturally she was conversing with him, even though her voice came out in babyish tones.

Dr. Mathis raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her response. "Yes... I do," he said cautiously. "That's why I'm here—to try and understand your... unique situation."

Jessica's mind was already racing, and without much thought, she blurted out, "Have you ever heard of the portal theory? You know, the one that posits that there are interdimensional portals scattered across the universe, and certain gravitational anomalies could indicate their presence?"

Dr. Mathis blinked at her, his expression shifting from confusion to fascination. "Of course I've heard of it! It's highly speculative, but the concept has been floating around in certain scientific circles for a while now. Only a few eccentric scientists and deep science nerds even give it much thought."

Jessica felt a sense of relief—finally, someone she could talk to who might actually understand her. "I've been thinking about it a lot," she continued, her words coming out faster now. "The way gravity fluctuates in certain parts of the universe... it could be linked to those portals, right? But no one's found any definitive proof yet. Still, if we could just measure the right distortions, maybe we could—"

Dr. Mathis interrupted her, laughing softly in disbelief. "You're really something, aren't you? A baby discussing advanced theoretical physics. I've never seen anything like this."

They talked for a few more minutes, diving into a rapid back-and-forth about portal theory and other obscure scientific ideas. Dr. Mathis seemed completely captivated by her intellect, and Jessica felt an odd sense of validation. For once, she wasn't stuck having to deal with blocks or rattles or explaining things to people who didn't get it.

But eventually, Dr. Mathis cleared his throat and brought the conversation back to why he was there in the first place. "Alright, as much as I'm enjoying this conversation, we need to figure out why you're so smart. Let's get started with some tests."

From his bag, he pulled out a set of strange devices—odd-looking x-ray machines that glowed faintly with blue light. He noticed the way Jessica eyed them skeptically.

"Don't worry," he said, offering her a reassuring smile. "These aren't like the regular x-rays you're thinking of. They don't use radiation, so there's no risk of exposure. They're perfectly safe."

Jessica wasn't entirely convinced, but she didn't protest as Dr. Mathis set up the devices. He positioned them around her carefully, making sure everything was in place. As the machines hummed to life, a soft blue light washed over Jessica, scanning her from head to toe.

Henry stood by the side, watching with concern. Lucy, who had just entered the room, looked even more nervous. "Is this really safe?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

"Absolutely," Dr. Mathis replied, not looking away from the machine's readings. "It's a non-invasive scan. We're just looking for any abnormalities that might explain her advanced development."

As the scan continued, Jessica couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. Maybe, finally, they would get some answers.