Prologue: Checkerboard Skin
It's so warm in here, it feels so nice; what do you think, brother?
It really is amazing, sister.
Hey, brother?
Yeah?
Let's be friends forever...
"Oh look! David! Isn't that cute? They're holding hands!" The expectant mother lying on the examination table looked at her two children with a mix of amazement and joy as they seemed to hold hands on the ultrasound screen. The woman, her name is Sarah, had been trying to have children for the past 6 years with her husband David. Their dreams finally came true when the doctor told Sarah they were having not one but two children. They ordered a amniocentesis test since Sarah, being in her late thirties, was in the age range that most complications and birth defects happen. When the test came back negative for major defects and other issues the couple settled down to enjoy the 9 months it would take to bring their children into the world.
The morning that it happened was only three days after the ultrasound, in the middle of her 15th week at the end of her first trimester. She had been feeling nauseous in the morning but chalked it up to her normal morning sickness until she noticed it hadn't stopped and was being accompanied by sharp pains in her stomach. David rushed home from work to take her to the hospital because she was too weak to drive herself.
The doctors ordered an immediate ultrasound to find out what was happening. The embryo the doctors assumed was the boy appeared to be weakening and the placenta was becoming detached. Sarah's body was rejecting her son and there seemed to be nothing to do about it. Sarah was put in the hospital for observation where their worst fears were made a reality: they had lost their son. No further action was needed, however, since it seemed the other twin was absorbing the other like how a white blood cell absorbs a bacteria to destroy it. Soon the two sets of DNA would be inside the one twin. This would mean the doctors would have to run tests on her once she was born to make sure the extra chromosomes didn't interfere withher body's own genetic make-up.
Sarah stayed bedridden most of the time after that, depression slowly creeping into her mind no matter what David tried to do to console her. He made her favorite foods, tried inviting over her friends, rented movies that she loved, even offered to take her out to dinner to her favorite restaurant, but to no avail. David felt helpless as he watched his wife spiral down so he contacted a good friend of his who had a local psychiatric office in town.
"Ben, I really don't know what to do." David let out an exasperated sigh as he talked with his friend. "Do you think you could see her and help her if you can?"
"Don't worry, you don't even have to bring her here. I'll drop by and take a look at her after I close up here. Free of charge too, it would be in bad form for me to charge a friend after going through this."
At around 7 Benjamin showed up and was lead upstairs to where Sarah had all but barracaded herself in their room. David pulled him aside for a moment, "Ben, try anything, please! Hypnosis, dream therapy, whatever it is you do, please save her. I've been a wreck watching her get like this..."
"Everything will be fine, Dave. I'm sure if I can't do anything now she will feel better once the baby is born. And that will be two months, you said?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll start off with a bit of hypnosis to see if that will have any effect." He walked over to the bedside, greeting Sarah with a warm smile. "Hello, my dear," he said, pulling over a chair "mind telling me what is troubling you?"
Sarah heasitated for a moment. "It's just between you and me, doc?" She watched as David closed the door behind him.
"Of course, even house calls fall under doctor/patient confidentiality." He took a small notebook and a pen out of his bag. "Now, tell me all your problems."
"Well, doctor... I feel like I let Dave down. I know how much he wanted a son but my body was too weak to carry two. It makes me feel like I'm a failure and don't deserve the happiness of a child."
"Hmm.. and did you know that David wanted a boy or are you just inferring this?"
"I guess so... I mean, he never outright said it but doesn't every man want a son he can pass things down to?"
"This is true for some men," Ben nodded, scribbling down some things in his notebook, "but not all men feel this way. Some men are happy having a daughter that they feel they can protect. Overbearing fathers and all that."
"But I still feel horrible, doctor, is there anything you can do to make me stop feeling like this?"
Once again Ben reached into his bag and pulled out a small disc attached to a chain. "If you wouldn't mind watching this for a moment, it should help." He started to swing it back and forth. Sarah's eyes were fixed on it as Ben started to coax her into a state of semi-consciousness. "Now, feel every muscle in your body relax, start at your feet, working up the legs... that's good. Now relax your abdomen, let your breathing slow to a relaxed state. Keep going up the body, relaxing the neck, the muscles of the face and all the way to the top of your head. When i count to three you will be so relaxed you will feel as if you are dreaming. 1... 2... 3."
Sarah's eyes closed partially, giving off a glazed over look. Ben started the suggestion therapy. "Listen to me, Sarah," at the sound of her name Sarah gave a little grunt of acknowledgement, "I want you to get rid of the guilt in your mind. It was not your fault you lost a child, things like this happen randomly to many women much younger and older than you. Let the love you would have given to both children be given to your daughter. Do not reject her once she is born because of the loss of her twin." Ben now started to ease her out of her mental state. "Now I will count backwards from three, and when you awake you will feel refreshed and happy and ready to bring your healthy baby girl into the world. 3... 2... 1."
She awoke with a slight yawn, giving Ben a tired smile. "I don't know what you did while I was under, doctor, but I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. What can I do to repay you?"
"No monetary compensation is needed. However... if once you're back on your feet I could have one of your wonderful apple pies that would make my day."
Sarah laughed softly. "Sure, doc. Anything for someone who saved me from that horrible depression."
The rest of her pregnancy with off without a hitch, two months after seeing their friend Ben, Sarah was in the delivery room, David holding her hand tightly. He was waiting to cut the umbilical cord, a honor many men have had the chance to take.
Soon their baby girl was born at 3:17PM, June 3rd, 2011; coming into this world wet and bald like the rest of us but already loved so very much by her parents. The nurse took her away to clean her off, weigh her and all the other things they do when a new life comes into this world. She was a bit perplexed at the baby's skin pattern though, it had alternating colored shapes in the shape of a rough checkerboard down her back. She called over the doctor and asked what he though caused it. "Simple, Deliah. This baby absorbed her twin in the womb. The two different sets of DNA cause coloration like that. I wouldn't be surprised if she depeloped heterochromea as well."
The baby was carried over to Sarah who was recovering from the labor, who took her in her arms as she started to nurse. "What are you going to name her?" One of the nurses asked as she watched the happy family.
After mulling the name over in her mind, she looked up at David. "Let's name her... Eva."
It really is amazing, sister.
Hey, brother?
Yeah?
Let's be friends forever...
"Oh look! David! Isn't that cute? They're holding hands!" The expectant mother lying on the examination table looked at her two children with a mix of amazement and joy as they seemed to hold hands on the ultrasound screen. The woman, her name is Sarah, had been trying to have children for the past 6 years with her husband David. Their dreams finally came true when the doctor told Sarah they were having not one but two children. They ordered a amniocentesis test since Sarah, being in her late thirties, was in the age range that most complications and birth defects happen. When the test came back negative for major defects and other issues the couple settled down to enjoy the 9 months it would take to bring their children into the world.
The morning that it happened was only three days after the ultrasound, in the middle of her 15th week at the end of her first trimester. She had been feeling nauseous in the morning but chalked it up to her normal morning sickness until she noticed it hadn't stopped and was being accompanied by sharp pains in her stomach. David rushed home from work to take her to the hospital because she was too weak to drive herself.
The doctors ordered an immediate ultrasound to find out what was happening. The embryo the doctors assumed was the boy appeared to be weakening and the placenta was becoming detached. Sarah's body was rejecting her son and there seemed to be nothing to do about it. Sarah was put in the hospital for observation where their worst fears were made a reality: they had lost their son. No further action was needed, however, since it seemed the other twin was absorbing the other like how a white blood cell absorbs a bacteria to destroy it. Soon the two sets of DNA would be inside the one twin. This would mean the doctors would have to run tests on her once she was born to make sure the extra chromosomes didn't interfere withher body's own genetic make-up.
Sarah stayed bedridden most of the time after that, depression slowly creeping into her mind no matter what David tried to do to console her. He made her favorite foods, tried inviting over her friends, rented movies that she loved, even offered to take her out to dinner to her favorite restaurant, but to no avail. David felt helpless as he watched his wife spiral down so he contacted a good friend of his who had a local psychiatric office in town.
"Ben, I really don't know what to do." David let out an exasperated sigh as he talked with his friend. "Do you think you could see her and help her if you can?"
"Don't worry, you don't even have to bring her here. I'll drop by and take a look at her after I close up here. Free of charge too, it would be in bad form for me to charge a friend after going through this."
At around 7 Benjamin showed up and was lead upstairs to where Sarah had all but barracaded herself in their room. David pulled him aside for a moment, "Ben, try anything, please! Hypnosis, dream therapy, whatever it is you do, please save her. I've been a wreck watching her get like this..."
"Everything will be fine, Dave. I'm sure if I can't do anything now she will feel better once the baby is born. And that will be two months, you said?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll start off with a bit of hypnosis to see if that will have any effect." He walked over to the bedside, greeting Sarah with a warm smile. "Hello, my dear," he said, pulling over a chair "mind telling me what is troubling you?"
Sarah heasitated for a moment. "It's just between you and me, doc?" She watched as David closed the door behind him.
"Of course, even house calls fall under doctor/patient confidentiality." He took a small notebook and a pen out of his bag. "Now, tell me all your problems."
"Well, doctor... I feel like I let Dave down. I know how much he wanted a son but my body was too weak to carry two. It makes me feel like I'm a failure and don't deserve the happiness of a child."
"Hmm.. and did you know that David wanted a boy or are you just inferring this?"
"I guess so... I mean, he never outright said it but doesn't every man want a son he can pass things down to?"
"This is true for some men," Ben nodded, scribbling down some things in his notebook, "but not all men feel this way. Some men are happy having a daughter that they feel they can protect. Overbearing fathers and all that."
"But I still feel horrible, doctor, is there anything you can do to make me stop feeling like this?"
Once again Ben reached into his bag and pulled out a small disc attached to a chain. "If you wouldn't mind watching this for a moment, it should help." He started to swing it back and forth. Sarah's eyes were fixed on it as Ben started to coax her into a state of semi-consciousness. "Now, feel every muscle in your body relax, start at your feet, working up the legs... that's good. Now relax your abdomen, let your breathing slow to a relaxed state. Keep going up the body, relaxing the neck, the muscles of the face and all the way to the top of your head. When i count to three you will be so relaxed you will feel as if you are dreaming. 1... 2... 3."
Sarah's eyes closed partially, giving off a glazed over look. Ben started the suggestion therapy. "Listen to me, Sarah," at the sound of her name Sarah gave a little grunt of acknowledgement, "I want you to get rid of the guilt in your mind. It was not your fault you lost a child, things like this happen randomly to many women much younger and older than you. Let the love you would have given to both children be given to your daughter. Do not reject her once she is born because of the loss of her twin." Ben now started to ease her out of her mental state. "Now I will count backwards from three, and when you awake you will feel refreshed and happy and ready to bring your healthy baby girl into the world. 3... 2... 1."
She awoke with a slight yawn, giving Ben a tired smile. "I don't know what you did while I was under, doctor, but I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. What can I do to repay you?"
"No monetary compensation is needed. However... if once you're back on your feet I could have one of your wonderful apple pies that would make my day."
Sarah laughed softly. "Sure, doc. Anything for someone who saved me from that horrible depression."
The rest of her pregnancy with off without a hitch, two months after seeing their friend Ben, Sarah was in the delivery room, David holding her hand tightly. He was waiting to cut the umbilical cord, a honor many men have had the chance to take.
Soon their baby girl was born at 3:17PM, June 3rd, 2011; coming into this world wet and bald like the rest of us but already loved so very much by her parents. The nurse took her away to clean her off, weigh her and all the other things they do when a new life comes into this world. She was a bit perplexed at the baby's skin pattern though, it had alternating colored shapes in the shape of a rough checkerboard down her back. She called over the doctor and asked what he though caused it. "Simple, Deliah. This baby absorbed her twin in the womb. The two different sets of DNA cause coloration like that. I wouldn't be surprised if she depeloped heterochromea as well."
The baby was carried over to Sarah who was recovering from the labor, who took her in her arms as she started to nurse. "What are you going to name her?" One of the nurses asked as she watched the happy family.
After mulling the name over in her mind, she looked up at David. "Let's name her... Eva."