Hours passed as the integration processed. The hospital staff kept her comfortable as A.A. eventually rebooted after the integration. Being in a hospital, this met the parameters Selena had set forth for upgrades, so he processed a batch of them while she was unconscious and on very excellent medication and healthcare.
A.A. heard the television and familiar chatter beyond that before the beeps of the machinery as it processed another upgrade. It was Gunn outside the room. It recognized him. The other voice was unidentified. It heard a small exchange before it updated with another one of the stored update packages. It was the best place to process as many as it could to spare Selena the agony. Now it could.
"Didn't we talk about her, Gunn? She's off limits until one of us finds better." Jakob Reinhold said to Gunn. He didn't know she was sick, it's not like he would look down on that kind of thing. He tried to behave more maturely than Liam.
Gunn looked at Jakob, his face as serious as it could be, exasperated. "Dude, she had a seizure at the bank my mom is having a meeting at. Come on?" He was a bit slower than Liam on making connections like this. Did he expect her to be heartless, being that they both knew and cared about someone with epilepsy?
Gunn looked at Jakob, his face turning serious and asked, "Besides, think about it. Don't you think she looks like Jonah?" Gunn said. He watched as Jakob thought it over. he paused as his face changed. "Her birthday is only a couple of days off. The timing lines up. She was born here too." Gunn said. He had wanted to wait to investigate, but he had already taken a footprint of hers to compare to the one on the records. He'd know shortly.
Jakob looked down at his short friend, "No shit? You cannot set fire to her world based on a suspicion. We should do a DNA test, but where could we get a sample from the Lowrie family?" Jakob said, thinking.
If she ended up being Jonah's sister, it could change things. Jonathan Lowrie would sue the Whitehaven family, not that Gunn would care. He hated his Dad, and the family could afford both settlements. Jonah could look past it, but could McKenna tolerate another girl? They separated from the school to attend St. Theresa so they could interact with girls. Selena had complicated matters in another way.
Gunn felt nervous in his heart. He said, "I've checked her feet,"
Jakob snickered, "Pervert." Jakob teased the short boy. He dodged a punch. "Whoa there, squirt."
Gunn was caught off guard and scowled and said "Hey, fuck off, idiot. Seriously, I'm checking her footprint, comparing it to the one on her birth record. Dummy." Jakob smiled wordlessly; seeing him sputter was a personal pleasure.
Gunn explained, "We have those on record. Can you call Liam to check if there is shit like a hair brush or toothbrush in Jo's overnight bag? I think we can get DNA from there." Gunn said in a hushed tone that he heard the footfall and a stunning blonde and a limping older man rushed down the hall towards the desk of the premium ward.
Jakob rubbed his forehead. "It would probably be best to do DNA testing. Do you realize your dad is going to kick your ass for this?" Jakob said as he looked at the scrawny boy. Joseph Whitehaven could be a vengeful prick, but Gunn could also be a shithead. He lived to prank his father, but this was their family's livelihood.
"Holy shit, wow. Her pictures did not do her justice," Jakob whispered to Gunn. He looked down the hall; for the love of all that was holy, that woman was a goddess. His jaw dropped.
Molly looked around nervously, the bill was going to be sky high this time. Her heart was wrenched. Selena paid for her last visit and worked for months to get them back on track. She had just gone to the bank today, and she found out from the kid on the line that she had invested her earnings into a trading account. Staying in a place like this overnight would probably lead them to bankruptcy. It did not matter a lot; Selena mattered. But come on, God. How bad was Selena?
Molly stomped to the nurse's station. "Why is she in this ward? We cannot afford this. She's not in a coma, right?" Molly pleaded to the charge nurse as she looked at the signage that read 'Jonah Lowrie Neurological Institute'. Tears leaked from her eyes.
"Miss, calm down. I will find out more information. Let's start with who you are looking for first? What is the patient's name and date of birth?"The nurse was of the same class Molly was, however the concerned bimbo infront of her was caked in body glitter.
"Can you help me out please?" Molly asked.
"Selena Estella MacDonald, October 23rd, 1989" Molly nervously rambled off. A young boy walked up to her and James. He had maturity that was either bought with a strict upbringing with expectations or by a need to be an adult.
James looked at the young man stress building in his chest. The boy looked well off, who hurt his kid? A taller lankier boy was staring at them with an open mouth, he was used to this. He grunted and the boy looked away. But the little one walked over confidently. "Hello, son, are you the one who called?" James asked. The boy nodded.
"Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald, it's okay. I'm a friend and classmate of Selena's at school. My family owns the hospital. Selena saved me from muggers after school once. Her stay and medication are on my family and will be covered by the Lowrie Foundation Grant for Juvenile Epilepsy. They are friends of the Whitehaven family who suffer from Epilepsy in the future. We will provide care, free of charge, as long as she meets the requirements." Gunn said, embellishing the truth.
"Selena is the same age as our friends Jonah and McKenna Lowrie," Jakob said, long finished his call. He pointed at the lettering on the wall. He looked at the blonde bombshell's facial structure, almost certain that Gunn was onto something. McKenna's face was far more similar to this woman's than that of Eun Ho. She was the darker version of the woman standing in front of him.
"They go to private school upstate, but now that Selena has come into the picture, they might end up transferring," Jakob said, his conviction building.
Gunn looked at Molly and smiled,"She is an excellent person, smart," Gunn said. The real McKenna Lowrie lay in that hospital bed and had spent a life of poverty and suffering while this real woman's daughter didn't appreciate what she had and was possessive of everything. He watched a look of confusion wash across Molly's face. He was certain now, McKenna had this woman's beauty. The other half was a sociopath or something worse.
Molly frowned. She was certain this was the kid her daughter complained about. "Who are you to my daughter again? I am glad you are paying, but someone has had it out for her." Molly stared down the young man, overly helpful usually meant bad news.
"Gunn, can you explain to me why you asked for this comparison?" Joseph Whitehaven walked up to the boy. "Is this a prank?" He asked his son after the records room called up with this gem of a mess.
More like shit pile. It was the maternity ward's biggest nightmare next to a snatching. It was an accidental switch, if his son wasn't fucking around. Joseph's eyes widened as he looked at the adults.
"It's not a prank?" Joseph said as he looked at the two boys. Gunn shook his head. Joseph regretted doubting his son so loudly in front of a new complainant. The prints were identical. Fuck! His family was doomed.
"Ma'am, could I please speak with you and your partner in private?" Joseph Whitehaven asked, his face beginning to flush and cold sweat forming on his forehead.
James looked at him warily. "What's going on, Doc? What comparison are you talking about?" He clicked his tongue nervously, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Was his daughter okay? Had the hospital made some kind of mistake?
Joseph's back stiffened, his eyes darting between James and his partner. "I think it would be better if we discussed this in private," he repeated. He'd need the Lawyers, the Lowrie's and DNA to confirm it. But the evidence was damning.