Belly of the Beast by Blake Crouch, Douglas Walker Read Free Book Online

was a name on my birth certificate, but it turned out to be someone who died years before I was born.”
    “And your mother is missing?”
    “She left me when I was fourteen.”
    “You have no brothers or sisters? No other relatives that you know of?”
    “Just Rob’s.”
    “I see his sister matched only two antigens. You matched three – not quite enough.”
    “There must be someone on the donor register.”
    “Not yet, Niki. There are six protein markers to match. The likelihood of finding a match from someone who’s not related is one in twenty thousand. Next best odds are with Alex’s ethnic group, then—”
    “I think my mother was Russian.”
    Dr. Baxter looked at the file. “That wasn’t listed.”
    “I’m not really sure. She spoke Russian, but she spoke French and German too.”
    Dr. Baxter sat back down. “Well, if she were Russian it explains part of the problem. Soviet subcultures don’t intermix much so there are hundreds of isolated gene pools, and few Russians are on the donor list. It’s ironic because our hospital is surrounded by a Russian community.”
    “One of them could be a match for Alex,” said Niki. “There must be a law to make them get tested.”
    “Perhaps if we lived in Russia. It’s a problem. Did you volunteer for the donor list?”
    Niki looked at her shoes.
    “Sorry. I’m not being judgmental, but you can see the problem.” Dr. Baxter closed the file and looked at her fingers. “I need to ask another question. Are you sure Rob is the father?”
    Niki’s stiffened. “Of course. I never—I may be single, but I don’t sleep around.”
    “I understand. I had to ask. I don’t know what else to suggest. The only loose end is your mother. Missing it says.”
     “It’s complicated. After she left, I thought she was dead. Years later, I thought she was alive and living in San Mateo, but I wished she were dead. Now I just don’t know.”
    “I realize this must be difficult,” said Dr. Baxter, “but you have to pursue any chance of finding her.”
    “I went to the Russian Consulate this afternoon. It seems they know her. Perhaps she is alive.”
    Dr. Baxter stood as if to indicate the meeting was about to end. “I’ll do everything I can to help you,” she said, “but antigen matching is all about probability. The chances for finding a donor for Alex are very slim unless you find your mother. Ask the consulate to help you.”
    Niki stood. “I did. I think they’d just as soon kill me.”
    “I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
    “You don’t know,” Niki shot back. “And you couldn’t know what it’s like to have a son who is dying.”
    Dr. Baxter stood quietly for a moment. “I didn’t study oncology until I was thirty-four. My daughter died of leukemia when I was thirty-three. She would have been about your age. My husband died of liver cancer before I graduated.”
    Tears welled in Niki’s eyes. “I’m sorry. Alex is going to die too, isn’t he?”
    Dr. Baxter moved to Niki and embraced her. “Go back to the consulate, hire a private detective, do what you can to find your mother—and get some rest. Things always look better in the morning.”
    “If you make it through the night.”
    Dr. Baxter held Niki for another moment, then let go. “Find your mother,” she whispered.
    Niki traded the blanket for her coat. “I’ve taken too much of your time. Thank you, I’m really sorry about your daughter and husband.”
    Dr. Baxter nodded. “We all have our burdens. May I call you a cab?”
    Niki shook her head and walked to the door, but then turned. “I know you’re doing everything you can.”
    “If anything on the donor list changes, I’ll call. Where are you staying?”
    Niki thought about the smug woman at the consulate. “I don’t have a place yet,” she answered. “I’ll call you.”
    Dr. Baxter took a business card from the ornate holder, wrote on it, and handed it to Niki. “I’ll be here until five tomorrow, then I’m