5

Chapter Five: Dr. Strange

It was a relief to leave their large suburban home in the passenger side of Carol’s Saab. Jim was off to his job, and North realized she had forgotten to ask what he did. It was probably rude, but she supposed she could cut herself a little slack for the oversight in manners.

She made a conscious decision to look out her window to examine the city around them rather than look at her mother. Her mother. She tried the words in her mind, but they just didn’t feel right. She hoped the doctor they were going to see that day would have answers for them soon.

She didn’t know which was worse at that point—that they were her parents, or they weren’t. If they were, in meant everything she had known about her father was a lie, but if they weren’t, what was she going to do with her life? She couldn’t just go back to the cabin and pretend she hadn’t learned that her father had lied to her about the collapse of civilization.

It took about forty minutes to leave Ann Arbor and reach downtown Detroit. There were signs of decay and dilapidation wherever she looked, but there were also signs of growth and rebuilding. She supposed that was why the doctor they were about to see had chosen to locate his practice in such a sketchy area.

When they pulled up to a side road, Carol took it, following the curve around until they reached a fenced area with a guardhouse. A man in a white uniform came out to greet them, and North’s gaze moved to the gun at his side. They must take security seriously at the complex, which was probably necessary.

“Name?”

“Carol and Nara Allis. We have a nine-thirty appointment with Dr. Pytor Douglas.”

The security guard must’ve quickly found them, because he nodded. He didn’t speak again as he walked back to the guardhouse. A moment later, the wickedly secure gate rumbled open, and Carol drove through.

It was as though someone had drawn a clear line of demarcation around the office complex, clearly separating it from the destruction and urban decay around it. There wasn’t a hint of blemish on the brick walls, and the sidewalks appeared pristine, with nary a crack that she could see when she climbed out of the car a moment later.

It looked more like the corporate headquarters for an international conglomerate than it did a doctor’s office, or even a medical complex. Of course, what did she know? Her knowledge came from a collection of books that were twenty-plus years old, so maybe this was the current style for affluent doctors pursuing gentrification.

She followed Carol into the entrance of the clinic, and a shiver went down her spine when the automatic doors closed behind her. For a moment, she had the sensation she was locked in, and she had to grit her teeth to ignore the feeling urging her to turn around and run out. Instead, she forced her feet to move forward as she followed Carol, who clearly knew where they were going.

They bypassed the offices on the first floor, but took the elevator to the top floor, which was ten stories high. It was a bit disorienting to look out the open glass window of the elevator and see the height as they ascended. She experienced a moment of vertigo when she exited the elevator and paused near the safety rail to look down.

“What’s the matter?” asked Carol, sounding impatient.

North shook her head, shrugging off the sensation of disorientation. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been up so high. I mean, I’ve been up in higher elevations in the mountains, but never in a building like this.”

Carol’s face was a mask of anger. “When I think of what that man has deprived you of, I just want to…” She trailed off with a shake of her head. “Never mind all that. Let’s go see Dr. Douglas and have him confirm you’re our girl.”

North managed a wan smile at the suggestion, unable to summon any further enthusiasm for the idea. It was better to know, but at least she didn’t have to make any decisions or figure out her next step until she discovered for certain if her father had kidnapped her from her birth parents.

Her impression of it being a business office was reinforced when they entered, finding the few people visible in the lobby milling around wearing suits rather than scrubs. They all looked perfectly coiffed and professional, leading North to lean closer to Carol and whisper, “What kind of doctor is this?”

“Dr. Douglas is a highly-gifted geneticist, Nar—North.” Carol pasted on a smile as though to smooth over the lapse on her name. “I’m sure you’ll just adore him.”

North shrugged, remaining quiet as Carol checked them in and accepted a stack of paperwork. When the woman who might be her mother passed her one of the clipboards filled with paperwork for her to complete, North was happy to have something to focus besides Carol or the forthcoming appointment.

She sat staring at it for a moment without seeing as she contemplated how her parents had secured an appointment with the geneticist so quickly. They must be close friends, because she doubted they could have gotten in otherwise.

She lifted the pen to her mouth and chewed on the lid without thought as she stared at the blur of words in front of her, finding it impossible to start writing. She was stuck on her name, which was crazy. She had been North Campbell for twenty-one years, and she would continue to be North Campbell, even if she found out that wasn’t her birth name. Regardless of what Sam had done, or why he’d done it, she was comfortable with that name, while she couldn’t imagine ever wearing Nara Allis and feeling easy with it.

“Is there a problem, dear?”

She shook her head at Carol’s question and finally broke the paralysis that had kept her from filling out the paperwork. The first page was fairly smooth, and she had most of the information. There was a spot for insurance, and she wasn’t entirely certain what that was. She understood the basic concept of insurance, but not how it applied to medical care. She leaned over to Carol. “What do I put here?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m sure you don’t have insurance, but we’re taking care of this.”

With a nod, North continued, filling out the rest of the front side before flipping to the back, which wanted an accounting of her medical history. “How detailed should I be?”

“Have you had any surgeries, or any emotional problems, like an eating disorder or addiction?”

North’s eyes widened. “No, I haven’t had anything major.” She wrinkled her brow. “For that matter, I don’t think I’ve had anything minor either. I must have an amazing immune system, because I never get sick.”

Carol’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Perhaps you should put that down. It might be of interest to the doctor.”

North followed the suggestion, writing a quick sentence explaining her medical history. It was very brief, since there wasn’t anything to tell besides a couple of childhood injuries.

The next section was strange. She examined the questions before she started answering, growing more and more perplexed. “What is this? Why are they asking if I’ve had visions?”

Carol gave an uncomfortable laugh. “I think they mean hallucinations, dear. They’re probably trying to screen you for mental disorders, like schizophrenia.”

North had a basic understanding of mental illness, having covered it in some of the medical books her father had assigned her to study as part of her curriculum, and she was certain she didn’t qualify for the diagnosis. She tried to answer the questions as best she could, even though they were bizarre and personal. Perhaps that was the standard set of questions, and she wouldn’t know since she’d never been to a doctor’s office before. Deciding she was overthinking it, she answered as honestly as she could.

She had just finished the last page when the receptionist called Carol’s name. When the other woman stood up, gathering her coat and purse, North did the same. She followed her back after turning in the clipboard to the receptionist, who directed them through the next door.

A silver-blonde woman with a pale complexion that blended almost seamlessly with her white suit met them just around the corner. “Hello, Carol. It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Hello, Kira. This is my daughter, North.” She emphasized it in a way that suggested she was just humoring North.

North hid a grimace as she extended her hand to shake Kira’s when the other woman offered it.

“It’s lovely to see you. Jim and Carol have looked tirelessly for you.”

“I might not be their daughter.” She was compelled to remind all three of them of that fact.

Kira nodded just once, and not a strand of hair fell out of her perfectly arranged coif. “Follow me, please. Pytor managed to work you in this morning, and he’d like to start in his office reviewing the paperwork before we move on to testing.”

The word testing made North’s stomach clench with anxiety. “What sort of tests?”

“Oh, the usual.”

Kira’s answer did nothing to enlighten her. “What do you do here, Kira?”

“I’m Pytor’s assistant, and also a geneticist.”

North had nothing else to say, and she followed Carol and Kira quietly into an office that was larger than the cabin she’d shared with her father. They had to walk a ridiculous number of steps to reach the middle, where the desk dominating the center of the room stood.

There was a handsome dark-haired man seated behind it, though he was probably old enough to be her father. He looked to be in his late thirties, but surely had to be mid-forties or older to be a highly-respected geneticist. He pushed back from his chair and came around to meet them, holding out his hand first to shake Carol’s, and then to take North’s.

She was expecting a handshake, but he grasped both of her hands between his and just stared at her for a long moment. It was unnerving, and his hands felt clammy. At first, she was discreet as she tried to pull away, but when he continued to hold her, his gaze roaming over her face, she finally tugged her hands away forcefully, uncaring if it was rude.

He made no mention of it and acted as though it hadn’t happened as he gave her a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Nara.”

“She prefers North,” said Carol with only the faintest bite in her tone.

If he was surprised, it didn’t show in his tanned face. “Let’s just go over this paperwork, shall we, North?”

She shrugged as she followed Carol the last few feet to the chairs placed in front of the desk, taking a seat on the inside as Carol maneuvered herself to the outside. It was as though the older woman thought she might make a break for it, and North was seriously considering the idea.

Pytor had the clipboard in front of him, and it must’ve been ferried back to him by someone else while Kira greeted them. He read quietly for a moment, though occasionally made a noise that sounded like a purr of satisfaction. When he lifted his head, his coal-black eyes focused on her with a new kind of intensity. “Tell me about your childhood.”

She frowned. “I really don’t see the need. We’re just here for a DNA test, aren’t we?”

“Please indulge my curiosity.”

North felt churlish refusing, though she really didn’t see the point, and she wasn’t anxious to open up about growing up with Sam. Perhaps it was strange to feel protective of the man who might have kidnapped her, but she didn’t want them to know anything about him. Surely that was all part of her coping process. “It was fairly basic. It was just Dad and me, but I had a happy childhood.”

“How are you raised? What kind of education did he give you?”

That question seemed completely unrelated to determining her paternity, but she couldn’t think of a reason not to answer. “Mostly, it was textbooks, though there were a number of fiction books and lively discussions. I suppose you could classify it as a classical education, and there was an emphasis on being a decent person, so my generation wouldn’t make the same mistakes as the ones that had caused the collapse of society.”

His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

Carol shook her head. “That’s how he explained keeping her locked away from the world. He told her there was no civilization to turn to, and the humanity had devolved to a bunch of savages.”

Dr. Douglas surprised her with a dark chuckle. “Perhaps he wasn’t entirely wrong about that assessment.” Then his expression changed, becoming more impersonal again. “And you were never ill?”

North really concentrated for a moment, trying to recall a time when she might’ve had the sniffles, the flu, or even something as benign as childhood chickenpox. Coming up with a blank, she shook her head. “I really don’t remember ever being sick.”

“But you were injured occasionally?”

She nodded, unconsciously pushing back the sleeve of her sweater and holding out her arm to the doctor, so he could see the small silver scar that slashed the underside of her forearm. “I fell on ice one winter while learning how to skate, and it was jagged enough to cut me deeply. That’s the only scar I have, though I did cut my finger with a knife once when I was learning how to cook, but it healed quickly.”

He made an ambiguous sound. “I imagine it would have.”

After staring at the paperwork for another moment, he looked up, pinning her with his dark gaze. “And you’ve never had visions of any kind?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have schizophrenia. I’m sure of that.”

He shared a look with Carol for a moment before nodding. “Excellent.” Except he didn’t sound too happy about that. “What about any other unusual talents? Are you stronger than average?”

North started to say no, but then recalled the moment when she had lifted her father out of the house yesterday. “I guess there was one time, but it had to be the adrenaline surge. When my father was so sick yesterday, I managed to get him out of the house and into the truck by myself, and he outweighs me by at least a hundred pounds.”

“Yes, adrenaline,” he said in an offhand way. “How about any other talents? Do you move quickly, or are you extremely flexible?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, and I really don’t see what this has to do with anything.”

“I’ll be comparing your medical history to your family’s history later in the event the DNA test shows that you are the Allises’ daughter.”

“Oh. Well, I still don’t know about any other special talents.”

He gave her a smile. “Perhaps you just haven’t discovered them yet, North.”

There was a strange tone to his voice, and it sent a shiver down her spine just like she’d gotten when she stepped into the building.

A moment later, he spoke again, and there was no trace of it. “Right. I’ll send in Kira to move you to an exam room, and she can collect samples. After that, we’ll do a full body scan, and then we’ll have an answer within the hour.”

“That soon?”

He nodded at North’s comment. “You’re a special case, so we’re going to rush things. And fortunately, Carol is right here to provide a DNA sample as well. As long as you match her, you must be their daughter.”

North was surprised to find out they would know so quickly, but also relieved. She stood up from the chair and followed Carol and Kira from the room a moment later when the brunette came to retrieve them.