Chapter 7 - THE LAB RESULTSDaniel and I stood up instantly, our nerves stretched to their absolute breaking point.
"What is it, Dr. Harrison?" Daniel asked, his voice strained. "Is Sofía okay?"
"Sofía is resting comfortably, but this isn't about her medical chart," Dr. Harrison said, holding up the manila folder. "About an hour ago, a courier dropped off a sealed biohazard envelope at our pathology lab. It was addressed to me, marked Urgent: Pediatric Oncology Verification."
My breath hitched. "A biohazard envelope? Who sent it?"
"The return address listed a local genetic testing facility," Dr. Harrison explained, pulling a set of printed documents from the folder. "Inside the envelope were hair samples—freshly harvested golden hair clippings—along with a formal request for a full DNA zygosity and paternity test comparing the child's genetic markers to yours, Daniel."
The room went dead silent. You could hear the faint, rhythmic beep of Sofía’s heart monitor from across the room.
"Paternity test?" Daniel repeated, his brow furrowing in profound confusion. "Why would anyone run a paternity test on Mateo's hair? I am his father. Valeria is his mother. Everyone knows that."
Dr. Harrison adjusted his glasses, looking gravely at Daniel. "That's what the lab technician thought, too. But because the request came with a high-priority physician override code, they ran the test immediately. And the results... the results are completely staggering."
"What are you talking about, Doctor?" I demanded, stepping forward. "What did the test show?"
Dr. Harrison laid two printed pages on the bedside table.
"According to the DNA profile extracted from those hair clippings," Dr. Harrison said slowly, every word landing like a lead weight, "Mateo is not your biological son, Daniel."
The ground beneath my feet dissolved.
I let out a sharp, breathless gasp. "What?! That's impossible! I gave birth to Mateo in this exact hospital! I held him the second he came into the world!"
"Valeria, I know how insane this sounds," Dr. Harrison said quickly, holding up his hands. "I looked at the hospital birth records from five years ago. You did give birth here. But the genetic markers on these DNA strands show an absolute mismatch with Daniel's paternal DNA. In fact... the genetic profile matches a completely different individual."
Daniel stepped backward, his face turning the color of ash. He stared at me, his eyes wide, filled with a sudden, agonizing wave of betrayal and doubt.
"Valeria..." Daniel’s voice cracked, a devastating whisper. "Did you... did you sleep with someone else five years ago?"
"No! Daniel, no! Look at me!" I screamed, tears bursting from my eyes as I grabbed his arms. "I have never cheated on you! Never! I swear on Sofía’s life, I have never been with another man!"
"Then how—how is this possible?!" Daniel cried out, pulling away from me, his hands shaking violently as he stared at the papers on the table. "How does a DNA test say my son isn't my son?!"
"Because," a raspy, weak voice croaked from the doorway.
May you like
We all whipped our heads around.
Standing in the doorway, leaning heavily against an IV pole with a white bandage wrapped around her forehead and her hospital gown stained with dried blood, was Carmen.
