With the exception of Amelia, we all sat in silence as Dad pulled into the parking lot of the research lab. Amelia had spent the last few days acting even bitchier than normal; something which I didn't think was possible. In a way I couldn't blame her; as both of our lives were being turned upside down.
I'd spent the last few days alternating between spending time with my friends and having, to my annoyance, lessons from Amelia on what I was to do now that I'd have her life. I couldn't believe that she expected me to continue to be a part of the cheer squad.
After we were signed in, Amelia and I were sent to separate rooms for tests. Dad went with me while Mom went with Amelia.
Once we were in the room, Dad said to me, "How are you handling all this, David?"
"How do you think, Dad?" sighing, I said, "I'm about to spend the rest of my life as my bitchy sister."
"You don't have to be like her, you know." Pausing, Dad said, "Think of this as an opportunity to make her into a better person."
I realized Dad had a good point, just as the door opened to reveal a woman in a lab coat. As she walked into the room, I saw that she was clearly pregnant. "You must be David; I've heard a lot about you from Dr. Thomas." Looking at me, she said, "I'm Gloria Adams, Dr. Thomas' assistant."
"Hi Gloria, I'm David."
Dad stood to the side as Gloria took my vitals and prepped me for the procedure. Once that was all finished, I was placed on a gurney and wheeled out of the room. Looking at me as she walked alongside, Gloria said, "I'm going to put you under anesthetic now, if that's alright."
"It's fine."
"Okay then." Smiling, Gloria said, "I'll need you to count backwards from 10."
As Gloria placed the mask over my face, I said, "10...9...8..."