My Name Is Lydia (Jack Nightingale short story) Read Online Free Page A

possible. Everyone has unique DNA...don’t they?”
    “Apparently it isn’t
impossible, but almost unheard of. Do you know what a Chimera is, Mr
Nightingale?”
    Nightingale frowned.
    “Rings a bell. Wasn’t
it some monster in Greek myths?”
    “Originally. Made out
of parts of different beasts, a lion, dragon, snake and a goat. Well a human
Chimera is much the same. One person made up of parts of two different people.”
    “That’s surely not
possible, it sounds like something out of Frankenstein.”
    Warren grimaced. “It’s
actually not as dramatic as it sounds. Apparently it’s more common in IVF
pregnancies than any other. What happens is that the pregnancy starts off as
twins, but one zygote fails to develop properly and is absorbed into the other. ”
    “Zygote?” repeated
Nightingale. “You’ll have to explain that, I’m afraid.”
    “A zygote is the first
stage between fertilisation and a foetus. When the weaker zygote is absorbed
into the stronger, often some evidence of its cells remains. Hence the twin
blood groups and DNA. It is rare, but it’s a recognised medical phenomenon.”
    Nightingale was
struggling to get his head around the idea. It still sounded like some mad
scientist’s experiment gone wrong. “You can’t mean that two separate people
have been developing inside Christine? Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?”
    The Doctor sighed. “No,
that’s not what I mean,” he replied. “I just wonder whether there may be some
sort of conflict within Christine, but I can’t see how that could happen. I’m
clutching at straws.”
    “But, if she is a
Chimera, could the other cells be removed?”
    “Quite impossible.
They’ll be spread throughout her body, and impossible to localise. Besides,
they can’t possibly be causing these episodes.”
    “So what’s your plan,
Dr Warren? What are you going to do?”
    Dr Warren stared out
the window and blinked. Nightingale thought the man was on the verge of tears.
“I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do,” he said eventually.
    “So what do you plan
to do?” asked Nightingale.
    Warren sighed. “What
we should have done when it started, I suppose. Seek professional help. The
medical profession I mean.” He looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, I have a
surgery at the hospital. I’m late already.” He stood up and forced a smile.
“Thank you for listening, Mr Nightingale. I’d like to pay you for your time.
Yesterday and today.”
    Nightingale shook his
head. “Pro Bono,” he said. “I was doing a favour for Father Mahoney. And, truth
be told, it’s not as if I did anything.”
    He showed Dr Warren
out and lit a Marlboro, only to stub it out when Jenny arrived back less than a
minute later.
    “Jack, what was
Matthew Warren doing here?”
    “A chat about
Christine. He’s at his wit’s end. Did you know they used IVF to conceive?”
    Jenny nodded head. She
went over to the printer and installed the new cartridge. “They tried so hard
to get pregnant. That’s what makes this all so horrible.”
    “IVF does cause
problems sometimes.”
    “You’re an expert on
children now?”
    “I had a case a year
or so back. An unfaithful husband who was threatening to throw his wife and kid
on the streets. The kid had autism and I spent a lot of time with the wife.
They’d used IVF to conceive and she always blamed the autism on the IVF.”
    “What does Matthew
think?”
    Nightingale shrugged.
“He doesn’t know what to think.”
    “It’s so unfair,” said
Jenny. “I remember talking to her ages ago, when I was at university, I think.
I’d come back for Christmas. She and Matthew were at my parents house, one of their shooting weekends. I remember her hugging me so tightly and
saying that she’d sell her soul to have a child like me. I thought it was a bit
scary, actually.” She finished installing the printer cartridge and turned
around to face Nightingale. She saw the look on his face and her eyes widened.
“Please don’t