What if we are not brothers? Mike looked straight ahead. Then I still won’t leave you like this. Mark turned to him, eyes wet. Why? Mike answered honestly. Because even before the birth, Mark, I saw myself in you. Not your clothes, not your situation, your eyes. Mark swallowed hard. The nurse came in. Blood samples were taken.
Results will take some hours, the doctor said. Mike nodded. We will wait. The hours felt like years. Mark sat quietly. Memories [clears throat] flooding his mind. His parents crying at night. The stories they stopped telling halfway. The way they always stared at the road like they were waiting for someone.
Mike paced the hallway. His mind raced. Johnson. Agnes. The names felt heavy now. Real. human, not just ink on paper. His phone buzzed again. Yes, Mike answered. We searched old records. His head of security said, “There was a powerful businessman involved in child trafficking 30 years ago. The case disappeared.
The name was buried.” Mike stopped walking. “What was the name?” There was a pause. Then the voice said carefully, “Sir, the man’s surname matches the surname of the couple who raised you.” Mike’s world tilted. His knees felt weak. “You mean,” Mike whispered. “Yes, sir,” the voice confirmed.
“Your adopted family may have been involved.” Mike ended the call slowly. He looked at Mark, who was sitting quietly, unaware of the storm approaching. Mike’s hands shook. If this was true, then the people he loved were the people who destroyed his family. At that moment, the doctor walked out of the lab holding a file. His face was serious.
Mike and Mark stood at the same time. The doctor looked at both of them and said, “The results are ready.” Mark held his breath. Mike stepped forward. The doctor opened the file and before he could speak, a loud crash echoed from inside the hospital. Shouting followed. Security guards ran past. Someone screamed.
Mike turned sharply toward the noise and a nurse shouted from the corridor, “Sir, someone is trying to steal the DNA samples.” Mike’s eyes widened. Mark’s heart dropped because now they knew one thing for sure. Someone was desperate to stop the truth from coming out. “Someone is trying to steal the DNA samples.” The shout tore through the hospital hallway.
Mike reacted first. “Lock the floor,” he commanded, his voice sharp and clear. “Now.” His head of security moved fast, blocking exits. Nurses rushed patients into rooms. A guard slammed a door shut at the end of the corridor. Mark stood frozen. “Why would anyone steal our test?” His mind screamed. Mike grabbed Mark’s wrist. “Stay with me.
Don’t move.” Heavy footsteps echoed. A man in a hospital coat ran past, pushing a trolley too fast to look normal. His cap was pulled low. His eyes darted left and right. “That’s him!” a nurse shouted. The man saw Mike and panicked. He shoved the trolley aside and ran. Mike sprinted after him.
His white suit flashed as he moved fast and angry. Mark followed, heart pounding, slippers slapping against the floor. “Stop!” Mike shouted. The man burst through a stairwell door. They chased him down the stairs. The sound of shoes and boots thundered. At the ground floor, the man tried to slip into the crowd, but Mike was faster. He grabbed the man’s arm and slammed him against the wall. The man cried out.
The cap fell off. Mark gasped. “I know him,” Mark whispered. Mike turned. “You do?” Mark nodded, eyes wide. “He used to come to the village when I was small. He brought food sometimes. He asked questions about families.” The man struggled, sweating. “Let me go.” Mike pressed him harder. “Who sent you?” “I won’t tell you anything,” the man snapped. Mike leaned closer, voice cold.
You already told me enough by trying to steal the truth. Security arrived and handcuffed the man. As they dragged him away, he shouted one last thing that made Mark’s blood turn cold. You don’t know how deep this goes. You should have stayed lost. Silence followed. Mike breathed slowly, steadying himself.
Then he turned back toward the lab. Doctor, Mike said firmly. Is the sample safe? The doctor nodded, shaken. Yes, he only got copies. The original samples are locked. Mike’s shoulders dropped a little. Mark wiped sweat from his face. Why would anyone want to stop this? Mike looked at him. Because the truth threatens someone powerful.
They returned to the lab. The doctor opened the file again. This result is clear, the doctor said. There is no doubt. Mark’s hands shook. Please just say it. The doctor looked at both of them. You are identical twins. The words landed softly but hit hard. Mark’s knees gave way. Mike caught him.
Tears poured down Mark’s face. It’s true, he cried. I’m not alone. Mike’s eyes burned. He pulled Mark into a tight hug, holding him like he was afraid the world might steal him again. “My brother,” Mike whispered. “I found you.” For a moment, nothing else mattered. Then reality returned. Mike stepped back, wiping his face.