“Well there are two test results that you haven’t heard. We found traces of the blood on her, as well as a certain other fluid. It was mostly scrubbed away in that bath you gave her, but we found small amounts all over her. It is impossible to get a match on the blood because it is devoid of white blood cells, which are the only cells in blood that contain DNA. We also found amniotic fluid,” said Dr. Anderson.
“So what are you saying?”
“The blood on her had to have been treated to have the white blood cells removed, and unless she was just born yesterday from a giant cloned uterus in a lab somewhere, there is no explanation for why she would be covered in afterbirth.”
“We’re hoping that by telling her this, it will jog her memory,” Detective Baum stated.
“All right, but I want to be in there with her.”
“Actually, how about you and I wait out here, have a little talk between men,” Detective Francis grunted.
It was not a suggestion. I could feel the blood boiling in my veins with the desire to stand by Angel and protect her, but this was out of my control.
“Very well.”
While Anderson and Baum stepped inside Angel’s room to try one last time to jog her memory, Detective Francis and I stood out in the hall face to face.
“So I’ve heard from the staff that while you two have been here, you and Angel have been quite cozy with each other. The two of you are complete strangers, but no one has seen you separated for more than a minute and you two slept in her hospital bed. The horniest teens on the planet couldn’t get that close in a single night when one of them only knows her name.”
“I’m telling you the truth, I’ve never seen her before. The relationship we have (I use that word carefully due to time constraints) is simple: I want to protect her and she feels safe and comfortable around me. Yes, we get along really well, amazingly well even, but yesterday was the first time we met.”
“So when we get the dogs to search your property for any scent trails, we won’t find something surprising or contradicting to your story?”
“Disregarding the fact that it snowed all night and anything that your tracking dogs could have found is long gone, no, you won’t find anything.”
“Well until this matter is taken care of, she’ll be put up in a public shelter. You don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
“I’m not going to let you take her away. You can perform your investigation, but I’ll take this court if she isn’t released into my custody. She needs me.”
“If she’s put in your custody, then she’s your responsibility. If something bad happens, then it’s your fault.”
“That’s all that I ask.”
The door was opened and Dr. Anderson and Detective Baum stepped outside. “No luck, she remembers nothing.”
“We’ll be at your property later today to begin the search. Thank you for your patience,” Francis said dryly before he, his partner, and the doctor walked off.
I stepped into the hospital room, seeing Angel sitting on the bed with a shaken look on her face. Blood devoid of DNA and amniotic fluid… so she hadn’t just materialized in my bed, she had actually been born. I walked over and wrapped my hand around hers. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to let them separate us, I promise.”
As my parents signed the temporary custody papers, Angel and I sat in the car, just enjoying being close to each other. I could tell that she was happy about having a home to go to. We both knew that eventually she would become a permanent member of the family, even after the police had performed their investigation.
“I don’t have to stay, do I? If I have to waste my time, I’d rather it not be in the freezing cold,” I said dryly to the police.
I was standing with a squad of cops at the edge of the woods behind my house. The dense forest went for miles and it was the only direction Angel could have come from if she was found at the back door. Without even looking, I could sense her watching us from the windows.
“We need to make sure that you aren’t lying and maybe destroyed some evidence,” one cop said with a bloodhound next to him.
“Look around, Mother Nature destroyed your evidence. A monster truck could have rolled through here and you wouldn’t know it.”
One of the cops pulled out one of the towels I had used to clean off Angel when she was in my bed. He held it up to the bloodhounds and the dogs immediately seemed confused as they sniffed the ground, unable to pick up the slightest scent other than the slight trace Angel left at the house when returning from the hospital. I certainly didn’t expect them to find any traces of her, and I had to hide my relief when they finally gave up.
“Feel free to search the area, but if you need me, I’ll be with someone who needs me more.”
Angel and I stood in the guestroom. It was the early afternoon and the house was empty. My dad was at work, my brother was at a friend’s house, and my mom and sister were out shopping for clothes for Angel to wear while she stayed with us. The cops had quickly left, unable to find any evidence to confirm or deny my story, but they would eventually come back.
“Now this is your room.”
I looked at Angel and could tell that she was tired. I placed my hand on her shoulder. “You should get some rest; you had a long night and woke up early.”
A small smile crossed her face. “I am tired, but I slept so well last night. I think it’s because you were with me. Will you stay with me again?”
“Of course,” I whispered, feeling like I was finally on the right path.
With the shades drawn to keep the room dark, we both climbed into the bed and I put my arm around her. Underneath the blankets, our bodies pressed together like two puzzle pieces, I felt so warm and comfortable that my eyelids suddenly weighed as much a pair of dumbbells.
“Marcus?” Angel murmured.
I could only hum in reply.
“I think I remember something.”
My eyes bolted open. “What is it?”
“I was supposed to meet someone, I was supposed to meet him and bring him happiness, just like the happiness he would bring me. I can’t remember who it was, but I think… I think that person is you. I think we were supposed to meet and make this world paradise.”
She tightened her hold on my arm, clutching it against her chest like it was a lifeline. I knew that it was pointless to say anything; she had already fallen asleep. There was nothing to do but join her.
I woke up a couple hours later, my body feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds simply from how cozy that bed was. We had separated during the nap, there was about a foot and a half of space between us, and we were on our sides facing each other. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine, realizing that Angel was in the exact same position as when I would wake up to see her as a dream. I looked upon her beautiful face, unable to form a single thought. Slowly, her eyelids opened, and her blue eyes held a faint glow. Her face was stoic, but her eyes were filled with love, inviting me to come closer. I felt a pulse of warmth crawl throughout my body as a light seemed to shine in my mind. This was the moment I had been waiting my whole life for.