As fall slowly turned to winter, the Parker family was greeted with a particularly sunny afternoon. Emily and Sarah decided to use this rare opportunity to take a walk to a local park, a place Emily had grown quite fond of.

The crisp air and the crunch of leaves underfoot filled Emily with utter joy. She felt a gentle pulse thrum within her as the Daniel side of her consciousness shared in her delight. “You like sunny days too, huh, Danny?” she mused to herself, eyeing the swings and playgrounds, debating which to embark on first.

“Oof—when did you get so much energy, Em?” Sarah chuckled, following her daughter with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in hand. “Want a sip?” she offered, as Emily bounded back with enthusiasm for the treasured treat. Just as Emily reached for the cup, a shout pierced the calm.

Both Sarah and Emily snapped their heads toward the source of the noise. A man, previously jogging along the path, clutched his chest with a pained groan before collapsing onto the leaf-littered ground.

Sarah’s medical instincts surged to the forefront. Dropping her hot chocolate, she dashed to the man’s side, with Emily in tow. “Emily, stay back! This is serious,” she commanded, her voice a blend of concern and authority. Emily froze, alarmed at the sight of her mother transforming into a figure of urgent medical action. Sarah quickly assessed the man, muttering clinical observations to herself. “His breathing is shallow; he’s not getting enough air.”

“Can someone please call an ambulance, now!” Sarah barked at a bystander, who scrambled to dial emergency services.

Meanwhile - Emily realized that this moment would soon demand more from her than she could have ever anticipated.

–

As Emily watched her mother attempt to assess and resuscitate the man, she saw the struggle, the strain, in Sarah. Her eyes wide with concern, stood frozen for a moment before edging closer, unsure, operating on instinct.

“We can help them, Emily,” a voice rose from deep within her, stirring a familiar mixture of fear and determination.

"Danny? How can I? I'm just a kid," Emily countered, her eyes closed in concentration.

“I knew CPR and basic medical response—use my knowledge... our knowledge,” the voice, Daniel's, urged her with a sense of urgency.

“But what about our secret?” Emily hesitated, the fear of exposing their shared secret weighing heavily on her.

“We can't just stand by while Mom struggles. You know the pain of needing help and being helpless,” Daniel’s voice whispered, his memories mingling with her thoughts, persuasive and poignant. “You’ve seen it through me.”

“But what will it cost us?” Emily grappled with the impulse to step forward. Each second of hesitation thickened the tension, her mother’s frantic efforts echoing her rising panic.

“A life is at stake…” the urgent, compelling pulse within her responded. “Could you forgive yourself if we did nothing?”

At last, breaking through her mental barricades, Emily’s resolve crystallized. “Okay, Danny, let’s do this,” she whispered.

“Together,” the voice within her reassured her.

Taking a decisive step forward, she approached her mother, her voice low but resolute. “Mom, I can help,” she declared with simultaneous certainty and nervousness.

–

As Emily approached closer, Sarah admonished her sharply, “Not now, Emily! Stay back—this is critical!” her focus intently on the stricken man.

Sarah’s fingers pressed firmly against the man's neck, checking for a pulse. She muttered under her breath, “He’s barely breathing, and his pulse is weak.” Her medical training stepped to the forefront as she assessed the gravity of the situation.

Despite feeling initially fearful and chastised, Emily was emboldened by a surge of courage from watching her mother in this new persona. She moved closer to her mother and the victim, kneeling beside them. Her observations became clinical, her voice tinged with urgency as she noticed alarming symptoms. “Mom, his lips are swelling and turning blue. I think his airway is closing—it could be an allergic reaction..”

Sarah, caught between her role as a mother and a medic, hesitated for a moment before her professional instincts prevailed. The sight of the man’s worsening condition refocused her. “Could be,” she responded breathlessly. Turning back to the man, Sarah began chest compressions, her movements practiced and precise. Between compressions, she gasped, “It could be anaphylaxis or a heart attack. We need to keep his airway open and restore circulation.”

Emily, standing by but ready to assist further, watched her mother work, her own heart pounding with a mix of fear and resolve. The situation was dire, and every second counted.

“EpiPen…” Daniel’s voice echoed in Emily's mind, urgent yet calm. As she watched her mother's frantic attempts at resuscitation, Emily remembered the man clutching at his throat before collapsing. “Mom, he might really been having an allergic reaction. He grabbed his throat—I saw him. He might need an EpiPen. I can check his bag.”

Sarah paused mid-compression, her gaze snapping to Emily. The intensity in Emily's voice and her suddenly mature stance made Sarah falter. Emily's eyes held a depth that confounded her, leaving her momentarily in awe. These were no longer the eyes of the little girl she had coaxed through scrapes and bruises, taught to cook, or read bedtime stories to. They were the eyes of someone wiser, grown beyond her years, confidently making a medical suggestion.

For a brief moment, Sarah's instincts as a doctor clashed with her instincts as a mother, but the urgency of the situation overrode her hesitation. “Quickly then,” she said, her voice heavy with stress. “Check his bag, Emily. Do you know what an EpiPen looks like?”

“Yes, I know, Mom,” Emily replied, already diving into the man's bag with a focus that belied her years. Her hands, guided by Daniel’s memories, moved with dexterity and focus. She rummaged through the contents, until she finally spotted the oddly familiar shape of the EpiPen.

“Mom, I found it!” Emily exclaimed, holding the EpiPen aloft triumphantly.

The man's breathing grew more hoarse and labored. "Mom, we don't have time to swap, I'm going to administer it in the thigh..." Emily announced, determination in her voice. “May the cards fall where they will..” she quietly murmured to herself as she positioned the EpiPen.

"What? Emily, wait—" Sarah began, but before she could finish, Emily's hands moved with unexpected calmness and precision as she administered the EpiPen to the man's thigh.

"EMILY! Grr - child! Okay, hold it in place for 10 seconds after injecting," Sarah instructed, her voice strained but steady, as she watched her daughter handle the situation with surprising competence.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Done - EpiPen administered, Mom—let's proceed," Emily stated, her voice carrying a mix of urgency and relief.

As the medication took effect, the man's labored breathing began to stabilize, and the color slowly returned to his face. "His breathing is getting better, Mom," Emily observed, a note of relief evident in her tone.

"Emily, you shouldn't have—ugh, help me turn him on his side now. We need to keep his airway clear," Sarah directed, attempting to reposition the man. "Got it— recovery position," Emily responded instinctively, helping her mother maneuver the man gently.

Sarah's shock deepened as she observed Emily's adept handling of the situation and use of medical terminology. "Emily, how did you know...?" she murmured, her mind racing with questions about her daughter’s inexplicable expertise.

"I don't know... CPR training... I don't remember," Emily responded, her voice carrying a mix of focus and mounting irritation.

The cacophony of her own fears, Daniel's pressing urgency, her mother’s doubt, and the looming threat of her secret being exposed merged, invoked a hint of frustration as Emily added "I know this seems weird, Mom, but can we please focus on stabilizing him first? We can sort everything else out later," she added, redirecting Sarah's attention back to the immediate crisis.

Sarah nodded, still in a daze from the whirlwind of actions and revelations, "Okay, we need to keep him talking if he wakes up." "To make sure he stays alert," Emily quickly added, further demonstrating her grasp of the situation.

Sarah paused for a moment, her eyes fixed on Emily, a blend of pride and utter bewilderment coloring her features. "Emily, how do you know all this?"

"Mom... later," Emily replied shortly, a small grunt escaping her as she assisted in positioning the man more comfortably.

As the sound of approaching sirens swelled in the background, Sarah was about to press Emily further when the paramedics arrived, cutting through the tension. The paramedics moved in, their swift, professional movements pulling Sarah’s attention away. Emily thanked any power that existed to use this interruption to quietly withdraw from the immediate action, her retreat critical to her her growing need for space.

She watched as the paramedics expertly stabilized the man, securing him on their stretcher. "Good job on the EpiPen, and stabilizing him — he was lucky," one of the paramedics commented to Sarah before climbing into the ambulance. With a final glance at her mother, who as she fully engaged with the paramedics, Emily felt a simultaneous mix of relief and isolation as the ambulance doors closed, sealing off the scene with a definitive thud.

—

Emily sat alone on a nearby half wall as the ambulance’s sirens faded into the distance, watching the normalcy of the park slowly return. Inside, however, turmoil churned as she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the chill of her own fears.

She replayed the recent events in her mind—her mother's urgent commands, her own intervention, the successful location and administration of the EpiPen, and the man's labored breathing steadying. Relief washed over her knowing the man would likely recover.

Yet, this relief was overshadowed by anxiety about the consequences of her exposure. The likelihood of her and Daniel’s secret being revealed seemed more real now than ever. She had worked hard to keep their joint identity just out of sight, but today, Emily realized that her worlds were colliding with a force that threatened to shatter her carefully maintained facade.

'What if Mom starts asking questions I can’t answer? What if she finds out everything? How do I even explain... us, Danny?' she mused internally.

'Mom and Dad love you, Emily—we will figure it out,' Daniel tried to soothe her from within.

She stood up, feeling unsure, resolving to walk away. 'Maybe it’s better if I just go... before I have to lie again,' she thought, taking a few hesitant but determined steps to distance herself from the scene, from her mother, and from the inevitable interrogation she feared would upend her life. Yet, she froze as she saw Sarah approach, trembling, trying to process the life-or-death events that had just occurred.

Feeling her mother’s anxiety, Emily instinctively held her hand for a moment and then hugged her tightly, both to comfort her and, perhaps, hoping that this gesture would delay the inevitable probing and questioning.

—

Sarah, still shaking from the adrenaline of the emergency, sat beside Emily, her breathing gradually calming. She patted Emily’s hand, trying to ground herself in the moment.

"You were incredible, Mom..." Emily murmured softly, leaning into Sarah.

"So were you, Emily...we both were," Sarah responded automatically, her mind replaying the recent events. “A child—my child—assisted me like a medic. How is this possible?” Sarah thought to herself.

Pulling Emily out of the hug, Sarah looked into her daughter’s eyes, her voice low and tinged with disbelief, "Emily...how did you know how to do that? All of it? Any of it?"

Emily’s eyes darted as he tried pulling away, her voice evasive, "Does it matter, Mom? I just knew... maybe I read it somewhere…I don’t remember…"

But Sarah’s instincts, honed by years of medical questioning and probing, wouldn’t let this go and the evasion inadvertently spurred her into a more aggressive line of questioning "Emily, that's not an answer. TV shows and books don’t teach you this. How did you really know? How did you know what an EpiPen was, or how to administer it?"

Emily shifted uncomfortably, the pressure of her mother’s questions mounting. Feeling Daniel’s presence trying to soothe her and gently urging her to confide, she whispered, "Not now, Danny...I’m not ready" as she closed her eyes momentarily trying to stem the rising panic.

Sarah’s concern morphed into insistence, her voice rising sharply, "Not now, Danny? Emily, who are you talking to? You need to tell me what's going on. Now!"

The weight of her long-guarded secret became unbearable. Emily’s voice cracked as she struggled to articulate her feelings, feeling choked and trapped by panic. "Mom... it’s complicated... I... just wanted to help..." she responded, her eyes became moist.

"Complicated? Emily, I just saw you perform first aid like a professional. You need to explain—how did you know what to do?" Sarah’s tone was unintentionally sharp causing Emily to reel back.

Emily’s heart raced, pounding in her being, Daniel’s reassurance mingling with her own fear. The truth teetered on the edge of her tongue as her resolve crumbled. "Mom...I...how do I explain? Two are becoming one...we...we saw you struggling...we had to help...or that man would have died."

“Mom…” Emily began, her voice trembling. “I… how do I explain? I …two are becoming one…I..we..we saw you struggle…we had to help…or that man would have died..”

Sarah’s voice softened, confusion and concern intermingling, "What do you mean, ‘two become one’? Who is ‘we’?

Emily’s resolve began to crumble. She opened her mouth, the truth teetering on the edge of her tongue. Her eyes shifted and Sarah felt her breath catch as she observed - just for a brief moment, something deep and almost unrecognizable flicker within them — something not quite Emily, not quite a child.

Overwhelmed, Emily’s emotions crescendoed to numbness as she struck a mental and emotional wall. Her posture stiffened as tears streamed down her face, her gaze distant, her voice almost dreamy. "I’m tired, Mom... it’s been a long day... I’m going home... I’m sorry..." Her tone was flat, resigned.

Stunned, Sarah watched as Emily gave her a final, pleading look, almost as if begging to say something more but unable to articulate, then turned and walked away with an adult's composure. "Emily Gwen Parker... get back here this instant!" Sarah called out weakly, too shocked to move. Emily paused for a moment, then continued walking, her steps slow and zombielike. Sarah, heart pounding with fear and confusion, rose to follow her daughter, her mind a whirlwind of dread and unanswered questions.

–

As Sarah trailed behind Emily, each step felt heavier, echoing her growing dread. The shock of the medical emergency, Emily's unexpected persona change, her sudden medical competence, and her near revelation had shattered any illusion of normalcy that Sarah had clung to for so long.

"Who are you really, Emily? And who is Danny? What does ‘two become one’ even mean?" These questions pounded in her mind, relentless and oppressive. “What were you so close to telling me?” she wondered silently.

She glanced at Emily's small figure ahead, distant and seemingly on guard, her shoulders set in a way that spoke both of defiance and vulnerability. It struck Sarah then—not just the magnitude of what Emily had done, but the chilling realization that her daughter might be entangled in something far beyond ordinary understanding.

"My little girl... or is she something else entirely?" The thought was a chilling whisper in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine. “What secrets are you harboring, Emily?” she murmured almost inaudibly.

With each step closer to home,Sarah realized that the stage was set for revelations she may not be ready to comprehend - that everything may change irreversibly. Her heart raced as she followed Emily, the weight of impending confrontations looming over her like a storm cloud ready to burst.