Sister protection program

20 • baby pictures

"Hey mum!" Luke yells when we enter the house.
"In here love!" She calls out from the dining room. We enter and see the same damn five people dressed all professionally sitting around the table. I mentally roll my eyes.

"Luke, Lillian" Liz says happily standing up and hugging Luke first then me, our hug lasts a little longer.
I just realized even our names go together.

"Lillian we would like to talk with you about a few things" a lady at the table start.
I look up at Luke "...I thought this was to spend time with Liz" i whisper before I nod sitting down beside Luke. He looks at me and gives a reassuring smile.

"Ms. Lillian, we tried to reach Ms. Mitchell. Switching infants intentionally is one of the highest criminal offenses. We are currently on a search for her but have not been able to find her. Do you have any idea where else she could be?" She finishes.

"Look, I don't know her that well. I lived with my dad 8 hours away in Melbourne for the last almost 4 years. I heard she turned into an alcoholic in the years after I left but I just don't know the lady that well. I'm sorry."

"Did your dad or anyone else around you give you any reason to believe they knew of the switching?" She asks another question tapping her pencil on her pad.

I think about the letter.
If they found out my dad knew and didn't tell, he'd be in big trouble.
"No, not that I ever remember."

"May I ask why you went with your father and not your mother? She wanted you so much to steal you, then just let you move away like that?" A different lady asks.
I look up.
"Are you asking why my mum no longer wanted me?" I ask in a dead tone offended.
"Ms. Thompson I don't believe that is an appropriate question" Liz speaks up seeing how frustrated I am.
"It's okay." I take a deep breath and continue, "My dad took me away. I was uh- getting bullied here is Sydney pretty bad so when the divorce he wanted to give me a new start. Mom protested it so he didn't want mum seeing me, and Sam was really attached t his friends here so he didn't come with us. That's all I know." I say looking down.
Luke looked down as well, piecing together his part in where me and Sam went.

They asked me a few more useless questions and I just want to leave.

"Now, looking through your medical history, you had several hospital visits throughout your life, particularly around high school. what were they for?" One of the men asks flipping through some papers spread out on the table. Liz and Luke look to me.
I mentally face palm.

"It was uh- nothing. Just you know, procedures." I mumble. "We need to know as many details as you can, please. You went to the hospital five times just in the first year living with your dad ." The man repeats.

Luke looks at me very concerned.
I take a deep breath.
"Ive always has had several severe panic attacks due to stress. They got worse from separation from Sam. It wasn't long after my parents divorce. I started to black out after them. My dad never knew how to handle them so he always got concerned and took me to the hospital when I begged him not to. I was diagnosed with stress induced syncope. It's nothing, I don't get them that often now and I handle it.." I trail off.

"So the episode the other day here at our meeting, that was what happened?" One of the lady's asks writing something down.

I sigh and shake my head. "I- yes but you just told me my whole life is a lie, of course I had a sudden burst of stress!" I raise my voice getting annoyed. I have taken care of myself for a very long time now, I don't need anyone telling me I haven't been doing a good job.
"Has it ever been treated?" A man asks.
"Yes! I mean, not technically, no. But that's because I'm fine" I argue.
"Ms. Mitchell, you understand that since we are aware of you having this condition and it is currently reoccurring, by law we must proceed to make sure you seek treatment."

I take a deep breath. Luke reaches for my hand and squeezes it.
"Mr. Johnson, I will make sure of it" Liz responds and Luke nods.

They ask more questions before finally standing. "It has been a pleasure, Ms. Mitchell." They say shaking my hand.
"We will see you all soon" another one says.
"We will need to be sent confirmation of Lillians treatment by 90 days" one woman says. Liz nods.

They leave and Liz turns to me. She smiles and hugs me, I feel tears start to come from her eyes.
"I know that was hard." She says.
She breaks away and looks at me putting her hands on my shoulders. "You're so beautiful."
She whispers touching my face. I smile.

"I want to show you something." She announces and I nod. She takes me upstairs and Luke follows close behind. She leads us into a large room at the end of a wide hallway. It's beautiful just like the rest of the house. It is super tall ceilings with elaborate crowning. Long windows that go up almost the entire long wall with drapping curtains.
Along the walls are tables and sewing machines and various fabrics.

My eyes go to the corner of the room, light coming in and putting a spot light on a light pink crib.

"This was the nursery. I could never bring myself to move your crib out. I eventually turned it into a sewing room." She explains and walks to the crib in the corner and I follow.
She slowly reaches inside the crib and brings out a photo and hands it to me.

I stare at it for a long time.
It's of a young Liz sitting in a hospital bed holding two babies, a man standing beside her.
She reaches for my wrist and hold it.
"Are you alright love? I know this is all lot I can't imagine what you're going through." 
I nod. "Yes. I'm fine."

"Are you going to pass out?" Luke comes up from behind me when he notices I'm staring into space.
"Please don't treat me differently because you know i do that" I say turning to him.
"Lillian, we aren't going to treat you differently, just take care of you." Liz explains.
"Exactly! Just let us" Luke points.

I stand in silence. Suddenly just everything hits me. I start to cry. Liz and Luke step forward and hug me. We just stand there in a hug for a long time.