by Kelly Holm
thought, I really need to do something with this room, it’s depressing.
As Mila was walking back to her office it looked like there were two men, wearing black suits sitting inside; that’s impossible, I locked the door, how the hell did they get in, and more importantly, who the hell are they? She wondered as she approached the door.
Mila walked up to the door and cautiously opened it. As soon as she stepped inside, the men turned, and one of them spoke…
“Are you Dr. Mila Thorton?” he asked with a thick Indian accent.
“I am, and you are…”
“Who I am is not your concern. Do you have a copy of the marriage license?” He asked, very bluntly.
Mila wondered if the two men were from the cartel, I just called, how could they get here so quickly? She wondered. She decided she better ask before she handed over a falsified marriage license to them.
“Are the two of you part of the Sharma Cartel?”
“Yes. We need to see the marriage license before we proceed.”
“Of course.” Mila walked over to her desk and pulled the confidential marriage license copy out of the file, and handed it to one of the gentlemen. He looked at it and gave it to his partner, who also looked at it. When he was done, he carefully placed it in his briefcase.
“Ok. We’ll be in touch,” the man said, as he and his partner stood and turned to leave.
“Wait, what do I do now?” Mila didn’t know what was going on, she was sure they were going to give her more information, but they didn’t.
Once they were gone, Mila sat back in her chair and let out a sigh. Guess I’m not going to India now, she told herself. It was a relief to have established contact with the cartel, but she was feeling very overwhelmed. What have I gotten myself into… am I in over my head? I suppose it doesn’t matter much at this point, it’s not like I can stop or anything like that; people are depending on me to keep this machine running, she thought.
Chapter 21
Days later, Mila was still trying to sort things out. She took out the ledger book again and started paging through it; she needed to figure out how many people were involved if she had any hope of streamlining the process. So far, she had spent the last few days doing admin work, and it was definitely not her forte. She was itching to get back to judging the patients, but she knew this part was important too.
As she followed the trail backward, she couldn’t believe how many people were involved; the list seemed to go on and on. She recognized some names as colleagues she had met at conferences, and there were even a few names from the Freyhill hospital. After each name, it showed the activity they perform and the percentage they receive. Boy, Mr. Nickelbacker was right, Irving did keep good records, she thought.
Mila was baffled; how was it possible that this project could be going on for over ten years, and no one caught on? Just how crooked were you Irving? It occurred to her that maybe Harry Nickelbacker was the reason things had continued for so long; he seemed to be very willing to do whatever it took, legal or not, to keep the ball rolling smoothly and the checks lining his pockets.
Just then, Sofia buzzed her to tell her she had a visitor.
“Excuse me Dr. Thorton, but there is a woman here that is insisting that she speak with you. She doesn’t have an appointment, but insists that it is imperative that she sees you today.”
“What does she want?”
“She wouldn’t say; just that what she has to say is crucial and that you would want to meet with her.”
“Ok, send her in, but maybe have Lamar poke his head in
after about five minutes just to be sure,” Mila instructed her, as she quickly closed and moved the ledgers off the desk and back into the closet.
A few minutes later, a nicely dressed older woman, wearing a pale pink Chanel suit, appeared at her door. Her hair, a beautiful shade of silver, was pulled neatly into a low ponytail and finished with an elegant black bow. Mila could tell she was probably in her mid to late fifties, but it was difficult to be sure because her face was flawless; almost like that of someone in their early twenties.
“Thank you for meeting with me. I realize you don’t know me, but I have some information that I think you will want to know about,” the woman said.
Mila noticed how uneasy she looked and wondered what information she had.
“Please, come in.”
The woman followed her in and politely sat in the chair across from Mila. She was very nervous and kept rubbing her hands together like she was trying to get something off of them.
“My name is Cynthia Nickelbacker; I believe you met my husband Harry the other day.”
“Oh, yes, he was very kind. Were you also a friend of Irving’s?”
“No, I was not,” she said very sternly.
“I see. What is it that I can do for you today?”
“I have some information that I think you will want to know. Is it true that you were born in Rockville?” She asked boldly.
Mila was thrown, how did this woman know that?
“Yes, but…how did you know that?”
“Harry mentioned you were from there when he told me about you and Irving.”
“I see.”
“Is, or I should say, was Krystal Thorton, your mother? She was a nurse at Freyhill hospital, correct?”
“Yes, both also correct. I don’t understand; where are you going with this?”
“I’m sorry, this must seem quite confusing to you, I recognized your last name and…weren’t you born sometime in 1993?”
“Yes; July of 1993. Why is this relevant?”
“In 1991, I started working in the maternity ward of Freyhill hospital. The first nurse that befriended me was your mother, Krystal. She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. She was so kind and knowledgeable. I worked with her until 1995 when I quit and married Harry.”
“I see.”
“When they held back on raises in 1992, Krystal introduced me to a friend of hers, Dr. John, who ran a small free clinic in a neighboring town. Krystal said she worked there a couple of days a week for extra money and the doctor paid in cash.
“The clinic was very small and only had the doctor and one nurse on staff at any time. When Krystal asked me if I wanted to make a little extra money, I immediately asked what I had to do. She said it was just assisting the doctor with routine exams and such. Krystal said the clinic was mostly used by teenage girls looking for free birth control. It was easy work, and the pay was terrific; however, once I realized what was actually going on at the clinic, I immediately quit, but I think your mother stayed on for a while longer.”
“…and what does this have to do with me.”
“I’m sorry I realize this is confusing for you; this is very difficult for me to say, but I need to tell you this.”
“I understand, take your time. Would you like something
to drink?” She thought about offering a glass of the ‘magic’ water, just to speed things up, but decided against it.
“No! Please, I have to tell you this, it’s imperative that you know. What you do with the information afterward is completely up to you, but I must tell you.” Mila could see how upset Mrs. Nickelbacker was and how important it was for her to tell what she knew.
Mila was getting concerned. What could this woman possibly have to tell her? It obviously involved her mother in some way, but from the sound of it, it also happened over twenty-five years ago. She didn’t have time for this. She casually looked at her watch, where was Lamar, he was supposed to be her ‘save.’
Mila could see the distress in Mrs. Nickelbacker’s face, so she politely said,
“Please, continue.”
“Like I was saying, I needed some extra money, and your mother suggested that I work with her friend a couple of days a week like she did. I took her advice, and started working for Dr. John Summerlund at the free clinic in Stogie, the town next to Freyhill.” Mrs. Nickelbacker took a brief moment and looked at Mila
to see if she was catching on.
“I never knew there was a free clinic there, is it still there today?”
“No, it was closed down sometime around 1994 after the scandal. At first, things seemed pretty normal, teenage girls would come in looking for free birth control, and some less fortunate women also frequented the clinic for various ailments. I had been working there for about six months when I started to notice some things that were going on, but shouldn’t have been.”
“I’m not following.”
“Dr. John was a bit… slippery. He didn’t always do thing by the book. He liked the young girls, and soon, I started to realize
exactly what he was doing.”
“Which was…?” Mila’s patience was growing thin, this woman obviously had a story to tell, but Mila wished she would just get to the point. Where the hell is Lamar?
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to blurt it out. Dr. John was hypnotizing the young girls and then artificially impregnating them with his own sperm.” Mrs. Nickelbacker closed her eyes and shook her head in disgust.
Mila took a moment to digest what Mrs. Nickelbacker just said.
“Why would he do that?” Mila asked.
“Who knows why he did anything he did, but I suppose in his mind, Dr. John may have thought that these ‘unwanted’ babies might find their way back to him, and he could sell them for profit. You see, he also ran a small adoption ring along with the free clinic.”
“How could he be sure he was impregnating them?”
“When they called for an appointment, we were instructed to ask when they were ovulating, and then we scheduled the appointment during that time. It wasn’t always the right time, but it definitely improved the chances.”
“Did you actually see him do this… impregnate someone without their knowledge?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did. I had to assist Dr. John several times, just like your mother did. These young girls had no idea this was happening; when they came out of the hypnotic trance, they didn’t remember anything that happened. Before things blew up, he had impregnated several young girls in the area without their knowledge.”
“I never heard anything about this; you mentioned a scandal, were charges brought up?”
“Yes, a young girl did try and bring charges against Dr. John and his staff, but there was a lack of evidence, and there was speculation that the girl was sleeping around with a couple of the boys in town at the time. The case went to court, but there was no jury, just a judge; and Dr. John was able to talk his way out of it; all charges against him and his nurses were immediately dropped.”
“That’s quite a dark story, but I’m afraid I don’t understand what it has to do with me,” Mila said, as she looked at her watch again. I’m going to kill Lamar…
“By the spring of 1993, I had quit working for Dr. John, but I was still working with your mother in the maternity ward. Around that time, she started talking about having a baby. She knew she couldn’t carry a baby to term herself because of past health issues, but she was very interested in adopting. Krystal told me she was going to talk to Dr. John because he ran that small adoption ring on the side, but I don’t think she ever did.
“Weeks passed, and Krystal got a call from a young girl in Freyhill that needed her help. When Krystal got to the girl's house, she said she recognized the girl from the clinic. That night, Krystal delivered the girls baby. The young girl had no idea she was even pregnant.
“Long story short, a couple of weeks later, that baby appeared on Krystal’s doorstep, and she eventually adopted you.” Mrs. Nickelbacker sat back in her chair, relieved that she did her duty and told Mila the truth.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Lamar poked his head in.
About damn time… Mila thought.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Dr. Thorton, but you asked me to remind you about the meeting.”
“Thank you, Lamar, I’ll be right there.” Finally, she thought, what the hell took him so long?
“That was quite a story Mrs. Nickelbacker, although, I already know that I was adopted. Now, I apologize, but I have to cut this short, I have a meeting scheduled,” Mila said, as she got up from her chair to show Mrs. Nickelbacker out.
“Don’t you hear me!?” Mrs. Nickelbacker screamed as she leaped up from her chair towards Mila.
“Please calm down ma’am; what am I missing?” she asked as she sat back down.
“Krystal recognized the girl who gave birth to you from the free clinic. It is extremely possible that you are one of Dr. John’s kids.”
“Forgive me, but I’m still not following, why does it matter who my father is?”
Mrs. Nickelbacker was sitting forward, wringing her hands in frustration. She had told Mila the truth; does she have to spell it out for her too?
“Let me ask you something, how well do you know your recently deceased husband?”
“Irving? Pretty well I think,” she lied.
“Then you should also know that his middle name is John and his mother’s maiden name was Summerlund;” she paused and looked Mila directly in the eye, “he’s the doctor that ran that free clinic in Stogie. After the scandal, he changed his name back to Irving Blackmore, and opened this clinic.”
“What…”
“When Harry told me that he married you and Irving the other day, I was beside myself with worry. Harry has no idea I knew Irving when we got married. I asked Irving to keep it between us, and he was very agreeable; I mean, what choice did he have, I was marrying his best friend.”
“Are you telling me that I somehow married my father?” Mila felt sick to her stomach; how could this be? She knew he was dirty, but she didn’t realize just how twisted he really was. Did he know he was marrying one of his own children when he presented the contract to her, she wondered.
“Of course, you can’t be one hundred percent sure without a paternity test, but the odds are definitely stacked against you. I’m sure this isn’t something you were ever planning on hearing, and I will never say another word about it. What you do with the information is completely up to you. I just thought you should know.”
Mrs. Nickelbacker quickly got up and walked to the door. As she grabbed the knob, she turned back towards Mila and said,
“I’m terribly sorry that I had to tell you this, I hope that you will understand and not mention this to Harry next time you see him. He has no idea about that time in my life, and I would really like to keep it that way.”
“You have my word; I won’t mention anything about you coming to visit me today or our conversation to your husband. Thank you for telling me about this, it took a lot of courage.”
After Mrs. Nickelbacker left, Mila broke down and sobbed; the news was more then she could take, and now, it felt the like the walls were closing in around her. Is it really possible that I somehow married my father? She didn’t want to believe it… it was too twisted; even for her. What was happening to her life?
Mila wondered if it was karma coming back to bite her in the ass; she had done some pretty horrible things recently, and it made sense. She felt lost, and like her world was cracked and could crumble down around her at the drop of a hat. On the outside, things appeared totally normal, but inside her mind, there was a war going on. She got up and walked over to the window and gazed out at the cars whizzing by on the highway as she let
her mind wander. She slowly realized that she didn’t want this life anymore, not any of it; except, of course, the money.
As she continued gazing out the window, it suddenly occurred to her that maybe Mrs. Nickelbacker had an ulterior motive. Sure, she had some facts, but perhaps she had deeper issues with Irving; it was more than obvious that she wasn’t a big fan of his. Mila starting thinking… Maybe she’s upset that I was named sole heir instead of Harry, she thought. Mila was confused and thought it might be a good idea to do a little digging on her own, just to be sure, so she buzzed Sofia for her help.
“Ex
cuse me, Sofia; I was wondering where would I find Dr. Blackmore’s files from 1992 and 1993?”
“He had all his files digitized a couple of years ago. They would be on a green flash drive that he kept in his top desk drawer.”
“Thank you,” Mila said, as she hung up the phone.
Mila quickly opened the desk drawer and looked for a green flash drive. Just as Sofia said, it was right there in the top drawer. She placed it in the computer and booted it up.
There were several files on the drive, but there was just one year Mila was interested in. She clicked on the folder labeled ‘1992’, then the folder that said ‘patient list.’ Mila wasn’t sure she really wanted to know, but she had come this far, she couldn’t turn back now.
Mila scrolled down the list looking for Daisy’s name. Please don’t be here, she thought. As she continued down the list, she grew hopeful, she had gotten through the first page; but when she got to page two, about halfway down, there it was. Daisy had visited the clinic on Wednesday, November 18, 1992, looking for birth control. Mila sat back in her chair and sighed. She wondered if Larisa knew.
Mila thought as long as she was digging around, why not look to see if her mother actually worked at the clinic and helped with this heinous crime. As she clicked on the folder titled ‘Associates 1992’, she felt a twinge in her stomach. She knew this was a bad sign, it usually meant she was about to encounter lousy news. She took a deep breath, clicked the folder, and scrolled down the list of names. About halfway down, she found Krystal’s name.
There it was right in front of her, there was no denying it, Cynthia Nickelbacker was right. The story was true; she was very probably the daughter of her deranged dead husband. Her mind was racing, how could this happen, she kept thinking; as her stomach swirled around like a tornado before jumping into her throat. She quickly grabbed the trash can and threw up. Mila wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole and never come out again. She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone ever finding out, she was humiliated.
Weeks passed, and Mila found herself falling deeper and deeper into depression. She had everything she thought she wanted; money, success, a couple of good friends, and a new family; but for some reason, it just wasn’t enough.
