Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

Lyric's Point of View- 16 Years Later

I gave Hero a hug, and a small smile. "They're all gone?"

She nodded. "All the teams are gone. It's just us now."

She held the door open to the observation room and I walked in. I could smell spring soap and the strangely pleasing combination of cedar, citrus, and ginger scent of whomever had been in here before me.

I peered through the observation room window. "She's changed."

The woman with the stringy light brown hair curled up on her side. She watched the t.v. that had been wheeled in. She was thin and tired looking, her skin had a sallow, grey tint.

"Is she dying?"

"She is," Hero answered, "but her meds are under control now."

The door opened and I saw a young woman enter. For a moment my breath caught, hope overwhelming me. I was let down when I saw who it was, but also a bit amazed. 

"Marie?" 

Hero nodded. "She's here for the day. We called you as soon as Kate confided in her."

My fingers gripped the sill of the window, and I closed my eyes tightly. "What did she say?" I held my breath.

"She said that Sang's mother was Garret's cousin."

My knees buckled, and I found myself sitting on the cold tile floor. Hero was next to me in an instant.

"She said that?" 

Hero nodded, tears in her eyes as well as she wiped under my eyes with her sleeve.

"Did you tell the guys?"

Hero shook her head. "My team wanted to tell you first. You've been searching so long, Lyric. She's been with them this whole time."

I shook my head, my muscles tense. I wanted to jump up, to run into the room where Kate was lying, and shake her until she told me where my daughter was.

"Sang?"

Hero nodded. "That's what they named her."

"But I looked!" I cried out, overwhelmed. "I watched! All the evidence! It all pointed to her being Kate's baby! She was mine?!"

I covered my mouth. "Oh my God, Hero. What was her life like? My poor baby."

All the worry, all the fears came rushing back. "Why didn't we look closer? How could I not? Why was I..."

I thought about all the information I found: birth certificates, photos. I thought about the information that I'd received from other teams; it'd all ended in disappointment.

"Do you know? Hero? Do you know what her life was like?"

Hero watched me and I understood. I let the sobs overtake me. I cried for the baby I lost, for the hopes and dreams I had for her, for the life I wanted to give her, the life I could have given her; if only she hadn't been stolen from me.

"Can you call Taylor and Kell?" I asked Hero. "And James. I'm going to talk to her."

"Are you sure?"

I stood up, and wiped my eyes. "She's had my baby. She hurt my baby. Yeah," I answered. "I'm sure."

Hero looked nervous.

I took a deep breath, walking out of the room and opening the door to Kate's room.

Her eyes flickered to me and then widened. "Lyric."

"Kate."

A slow smile appeared on her face. "Haven't seen you for a while. You still coming around for the birthdays?"

I ignored the question and sat down in the chair nearby, glancing over at Marie. "Hello Marie. My name is Lyric McInnish. I'm Sang's mother."

Marie's mouth opened and closed. She looked at her mother and then she looked at me. "I know you."

I nodded. "We met a long time ago."

"Don't talk to her!" Kate snapped. "I don't want my daughter talking to a whore."

I saw Marie pale, but I smiled at her reassuringly. "Why don't you give us a chance to talk, Marie."

"Don't go anywhere, Marie," Kate cried out. "She'll kill me!"

I rolled my eyes. "She's perfectly safe. There's a hospital full of people who'd save her if I tried."

A tiny smile appeared on Marie's face before she shut it down again and stood up. "I'm going to get something to eat. I don't want to listen to your boring conversation anyway."

"Marie!"

"I'll be back, Mom," she said before leaving without a backwards glance.

I leaned forward. "Where is she, Kate?"

She chuckled mirthlessly and turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "Why should I tell you?"

"Did Garret know? Did he take her?"

She laughed, and shook her head. I saw a tear escape her eye and run down her cheek. She wiped it away and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"It was all your fault you know. I lost my baby because of you."

She turned to stare at me, hatred blazing from her eyes. "You owed me."

I shook my head. "Where is she?"

Kate adjusted herself, and pushed against the bed. Her frail arms shook as she tried to get into a sitting position. She pulled the sheet up to her chest and crossed her arms. "Don't you want to know how I got her?"

"I want to know where she is."

The door opened and a man I'd never seen before came in. He was tall, and wore a suit. He had on glasses and fixed me with a serious silver stare. He was Academy, that much was clear.

"Can I help you?" he asked me.

I looked over at Kate who regarded me smugly. If she thought that this man would keep her safe she was wrong. I turned away from him. "Tell me where my daughter is, Kate."

The man stepped forward. "Who are you?"

I stood up. "My name is Lyric McInnish, and you need to leave. I'm talking to her right now, if you have a problem with it, you can contact Dr. Roberts. He'll know who I am."

The man reached up, touching his tie as if it wasn't perfectly straight and then the corner of his glasses.

"Mrs. McInnish," he began, he gestured to the door. "Please come with me. I think I can answer your questions."

I put up a hand to stop him and turned to Kate. "How did you get her? Where is she now?"

She seemed to know she had no more power, and she deflated in front of me. "A woman. She called and told Garret about you. Then she brought us Sang. I should never have kept her. She's trouble. A whore. Just like you were."

My hand acted before my brain and I slapped her across the face. I leaned over, staring into her sunken eyes. "I don't know what you've done, but know this: if you've hurt her, I will hurt you a thousand times over."

Her eyes widened and she looked toward the man behind me.

I straightened and faced him. "Can you tell me where she is?"

He watched me emotionlessly, his face and emotions masked, and I stepped closer. I had to tip my head back to look at him. He smelled like spring soap and I knew he'd been observing Kate like I had.

He touched his tie again and cleared his throat before gesturing toward the door again. "Shall we, Mrs. McInnish?"

I left, looking back at Kate. If I didn't get the answers I wanted from this man, I'd be back.