Author's POV
A couple of days passed and Lea was recovering steadily under Phill's watchful care.
Phill sat quietly beside Lea's hospital bed, his expression was one of gentle concern as he watched her lost in her thoughts. He reached out, placing a reassuring hand on hers. "You need to rest, Lea. Stress isn't good for you or the baby."
Lea finally glanced at him, her eyes filled with a mix of worry and stubborn resolve. "I can't help it, Phill. I keep thinking about Jake.Didn't he call after he left? "
Phill shook his head,Lea sighed. "I get it that you are still not over him. But you gotta focus on you now. "Lea sighed deeply again, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's just...I will never be able to explain how I feel about him. Never mind! How is aunt? I should be beside her. Looking after her but here I am, lying on this bed. Absolutely useless." She turned around, her back towards Phill.
" She is still the same. Has been like that for awhile. I am sure you will have plenty of time to spend with your aunt. Just focus on getting better. You will be able to help nobody if your body is down. ” Phill extended his arm to touch her shoulder but refrained. He furrowed his brow slightly. "By the way Lea, did you know anything about Jake's family before your aunt took him in?"
Lea shook her head, her eyes clouded with memories. "Only that his old man was a damn addict. And abusive, too... we were both raised by Aunt. Orphans, both of us.Sometimes it worries me that he doesn't inherit his father's habits."
Phill's concern deepened. "You think Jake might follow in his father's footsteps?Did he ever physically hurt you? " He clenched his fists.
" No! Never! ” She raised her voice in protest and then Lea bit her lip, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared he might fall into addiction though, Phill. He's got that temper, you know? But I can't lose him, not now,when the future shines so bright for him."
Phill squeezed her hand gently. "You won't lose him, Lea. He will have to figure this out if he wants to come back. He needs to man up.You can't baby him around. He is a full a** grown man."
Lea nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I hope so he does, Phill. I hope so."
The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft beeping of machines. And then Phill's phone rang.
" I will have to take this! ” He smiled at Lea before stepping out, she curled up in the bed, closing her eyes, trying to get some sleep this time.
***
Phill’s phone buzzed incessantly, pulling him out of his worry for Lea. He picked up the call, glancing at the clock. It was barely 7 PM.“Yeah, Phill here,” he mumbled pinching his brows. He needed rest. He was over worked and exhausted.
“Dr.Rodgers, we’ve got something,” the voice on the other end said, urgency lacing his words.Phill stood up straight, now fully awake. “What’ve you got, Greg?”
“Well, you’re not gonna believe this. We traced Jake’s records, and it turns out he and Percy Rodgers, your younger brother,were born in the same hospital. Same day, man.”
Phill’s jaw dropped. “No way. That’s impossible.Jake was born in my grandpa's hospital?Jake’s family... they weren’t exactly rolling in dough.There is no way they could afford it...that is...without a patron. ”
“I know, it’s a shocker,” Greg continued. “But the records don’t lie. Same hospital, same day. Something doesn’t add up here.We had to use a few tricks to get hold of those records. They were well hidden.It wasn't easy. There were modifications in the document he officially uses but he used the serial number to dig up. It was hard work. ”
Phill’s mind raced. “Alright, I need more info. I’m heading to the hospital myself. Meet me there if you can.”
“Got it. See you there." Phill hung up and jumped in his car, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. As he headed towards the hospital, he sent a quick text to Percy.The engine roared to life as he sped down the street. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. How could Jake and Percy be born on the same day, in the same hospital, with their families living such different lives?Phill dialed Greg again, putting him on speaker as he navigated through the morning traffic.
“Greg, you still there?”
“Yeah. Sorting whatever I can before you come. What’s the plan?”
“I need to know everything. Who was the attending doctor? Any unusual notes in the records?”
“There’s something else.I don't know if it's a glitch or mix up...” Greg said, his voice tense. “Jake’s birth certificate and his birth records at the hospital don't match up...it’s got a different set of names for his parents. Not the guys he grew up with.”
Phill’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Who’s listed as his father?”
“ I think it's best you come and see it for yourself! "
“Dammit,” Phill muttered. “Alright, I’m almost at the hospital. Meet me in the records office.”Phill’s mind was spinning as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He hurried inside, heading straight for the records office. Greg was already there, a folder in hand.
“Phill,” Greg said, handing over the folder. “Here’s everything we found.”
Phill flipped through the documents, his eyes scanning the details. It was all there.The folder almost fell from his hands. Jake’s birth records, with own parents names listed as the patents. The attending doctor’s notes, the hospital records. Everything pointed to one shocking truth.It made no sense.
“Greg, this is insane,” Phill said, shaking his head. “If this is true, then... Jake’s our brother?”
"Looks that way,” Greg replied. “But there’s more. We looked into the financial records you mentioned. Payments made to Jake’s father, regular as clockwork until the lumpsum amount on the delivery day.Then nothing. It abruptly stopped. ”
Phill felt a chill run down his spine. “So Dad was supporting them? This is... I don’t even know what to say.”
“We need to talk to the hospital staff who were around back then,” Greg suggested. “Maybe someone remembers something.Strangely enough,all of them were dismissed within a month. We could trace only one old matron. She was a helper back then. ”Phill nodded, his mind racing. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
Phill leaned forward as soon as she was brought in, going straight to the point. “What do you remember about that day, Mrs. Henderson?”
She sighed trying to understand exactly what they wanted to know then her eyes constricted distant with memory. “There was a lot of commotion. Two babies born almost at the same time. One to Mrs. Rodgers, the other to this young woman. But there was a mix-up, something about the paperwork. Mr. Cole was furious, threatened to sue.”
Phill’s heart pounded. “A mix-up? What kind of mix-up?”
“I don’t know the details,” she said, shaking her head. “But there was talk. Some said the babies might’ve been switched, but it was all hushed up. Mr. Cole made sure of that.”
Phill felt like the ground was shifting beneath his feet. “Mrs. Henderson, do you think it’s possible... that the babies were switched?”
She hesitated, then nodded slowly. “It’s possible. There was so much confusion, and with Mr.Cold throwing his weight around... anything’s possible.I was too young and insignificant back then. I don't clearly remember."
Phill thanked her and left, his mind a storm of emotions. If what she said was true, it meant everything he thought he knew about his family was a lie.
He called Percy immediately. “Percy, we need to talk. Now.”
“What’s going on, Phill?” Percy asked, his voice worried.
"Just meet me at the old cabin. I’ll explain everything there.” Phill hurriedly hung up.
As he drove to their family’s old retreat, Phill’s thoughts whacked him left and right. They needed to confront their mother, and their father to find out the truth. But first, he had to break the news to Percy. The truth was out there, and it was up to them to uncover it, no matter how painful it might be. “Alright, Phill. Let’s get to the bottom of this." He told himself.