“Michael,” Max spoke.

“Max!” Michael breathed pushing his arms against the floor to stand. “What’s wrong with you? I have an emergen…”

“I paged you,” Max cut Michael off.

“What? You can get in real trouble for that, you know,” Michael said brushing his pants. It’s against the law to falsely claim an emergency.” Michael put his hands on his hips demanding an explanation.

Max grinned at Michael and asked, “So are you gonna tattle on me?”

“What’s going on, Maxwell?” Michael asked irritated.

Max lowered his voice to a whisper and answered, “I have to show you something.” Max poked his head into the hallway and glanced in both directions. After he was certain the coast was clear, he guided Michael down the hallway.

Michael followed his friend, but his impatience escalated by the second. He rolled his eyes when Max motioned for him to quiet his heavy footsteps. “Max,” Michael said frustrated.

“Just humor me,” Max replied.

When the pair reached room 729, Max stopped and said, “You’ll never guess what this little girl is doing.”

“How many guesses do I get?” Michael asked smiling.

“Come on, Michael. This is serious,” Max whispered.

Michael brought his pointer fingers to his temples, closed his eyes, and hummed as he rolled his head.

“What are you doing?” Max asked.

“I guess that she is…watching television,” Michael said opening his eyes.

“You’re amazing, Houdini,” Max sneered.

“I’m not finished,” Michael said. He again raised his fingers to his temples and rolled his head around.

“And she’s changing channels…with her mind,” Michael said smiling.

Max’s face dropped and he stared at Michael. For a brief instant he wondered if Michael had perfected a new power. Then he noticed the smirk on Michael’s face and the almost evil twinkle in his eyes. “You already saw this, didn’t you?” he asked already knowing the answer.

“Yep,” Michael replied nodding his head. He became very serious and said, “I guess you were right. I guess Marianna is an alien.”

“We need to go ask her some questions,” Max said.

“She’s not my patient, Max” Michael shaking his head.

“You’re not performing surgery on her…just asking questions,” Max said pushing the door to walk into room 729. “Hi!” he said to Hope. “My name’s Max and this is Mi…Dr. Guerin. What’s yours?”

Hope looked up and smiled. “My name’s Hope.”

“That’s a nice doll you have. What’s her name?” Max asked moving closer to Hope.

Hope looked down at the doll lying next to her on the bed. She picked up the doll and held it up for Max to see. “This is my mama at work. Her name’s Marianna.”

Michael sat in a chair near the window of the hospital room. He was nervous about questioning a patient that was not one of his own. He decided to remain quiet and let Max do most of the talking.

“Tell us about her,” Max smiled.

“You want to know about my mama?” Hope questioned. “Why?”

“Because we’re both big fans. Isn’t that right, Dr. Guerin?” Max said widening his eyes at Michael.

“Yeah,” Michael answered not smiling.

“Okay…what do you want to know?” Hope asked.

“Well,” Max began. “Tell us about your mom. Does she have friends?"

"Sure she does," Hope said thinking Max's question was silly. "Her best friend lives far away, but she's here today. And so is my Uncle Alex."

"Your Uncle Alex?" Max repeated thinking he'd stumbled onto some odd evidence.

"Yeah," Michael interrupted to let Max know he needn't purse that course. "Her Uncle Alex Whitman is her mom's agent." Michael shrugged his shoulders telling Max there was nothing strange about that.

Max moved on with his mini interrogation. "Tell me more about what your mom is like. What is she like when she is not working?"

Hope laughed. “My mama’s so much fun. She took me to the zoo the other day and,” Hope paused to giggle before finishing. “and the llama spit on her!” Hope busted out in laughter. “She was sooooo mad about that! She had to use some cider oil before we could go in to see the monkeys!” Hope continued laughing as she remembered the fun they’d had at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, “Cider oil?” Michael asked with surprise. “Your mom uses cider oil?”

“Yeah,” Hope answered not thinking there was anything especially unusual about using cider oil. “She smells of it. It makes her calm down.”

Michael looked at Max. From the blank look on Max’s face, Michael gathered that Max did not pick up on the connection. “I used to have a friend who did that all the time,” Michael said hoping Max would understand his comment. It was evident, however, that Max had no clue why Michael reacted to Hope's comment about cider oil.

"Yeah, Mama won't let me try it. She said I'm not allowed to worry until I'm 16, but that's a long time. And I think I'm old enough to start worrying. I mean, at least then she wouldn't have to do it all by herself," Hope said while she combed her doll's hair. Any thoughts that crossed her mind came out of her mouth. "And she said I can't have a boyfriend - ever. But I don't want one. Boys are icky. This one boy, Jimmy, in my class at school...he always digs up worms at recess. The teacher told him not to, but he does it anyway. And then his hands are all dirty and gross. It's so disgusting. Ewwwwww” Hope continued combing her doll's hair as she spoke. "And he always pulls my friend Alison's pig tails. He's just plain mean."

"You sure talk a lot," Michael said rather bluntly.

Max immediately shot Michael a don't-do-that look.

"Yeah, I know," Hope, giggled. "My Uncle Alex says I'm just like my mama. He says we both are like the energizer bunny. We rabble on and on and on…"

"You mean ramble?" Max asked.

"Yeah, that's the word. Ramble," Hope answered.

"My same friend used to ramble a lot, too," Michael said emphasizing the similarities that Max did not pick up on.

"Gee, Michael, that's nice," Max said sarcastically. "But we're hear to learn about Marianna."

"Your mom's friend who lives far away," Michael began disregarding Max's comment. "What is her name?"

"Oh, that's my Aunt Liz," Hope said.

Max looked at Michael with wide eyes as the reality of the similarities sunk in.

"Finally!" Michael shouted. "Took you long enough!"

Max began shaking his head in disbelief. "It's not possible. The irony here....no, it can't be."

Michael got up and moved toward the door. "We have to go, Hope. We'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure," Hope said.

Max stood slowly and made his way to the door. Just at the doorway, he turned and asked, "Hey, Hope? I saw you change the channels without the remote control. How did you do that?"

Hope suddenly became very uncomfortable. She squirmed around and refused to look Max in the face. "Um...my mama told me not to talk about that." Hope's voice began shaking with fear. "She'll be very mad with me if you tell her you saw me." She finally looked at Max in the face. "Please don't tell," she pleaded.

Max recognized her fear, as did Michael. The two boys were all too familiar with the kind of fear they saw written on Hope's face. "Your secret's safe with us," Max said and smiled. "We'll see you later," he said and turned to leave.

In the hallway, Michael turned to Max and exclaimed. "Don't you see? That's why I've had all the strange feelings about her. Marianna is so much like Maria's it nearly...unbelievable."

"Unbelievable is an understatement," Max said pulling Michael back into the supply closet where they could talk privately. "Michael, how good a look at Marianna did you get when she first came in?" Max hated to even consider the possibility, but he began to wonder just how similar Marianna and Maria really were.

"Well," Michael looked at the ceiling trying to remember. "She definitely reminded me of Maria even then. I mean, she didn't exactly look like her, but she definitely favored her..." Michael's voice trailed off as he realized what Max might be suggesting. The thought that Maria might actually be alive made Michael smile uncontrollably.

Max saw the hope in Michael's face and thought he should put a stop to such consideration right away. He knew how hard Michael took Maria's death, and to get false hope...Well, he couldn't stand to see Michael hurt that way again. Until they knew for sure, until they knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, then there could be nothing more than comparisons brought to the table. Nothing more.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say…" Michael began.

"Michael, don't do this to yourself," Max said shaking his head. "She died 6 years ago, Michael," Max said bluntly. He didn't want to stick the knife any deeper into Michael's heart, but he was afraid of Michael to get his hopes up about an idea they both knew was impossible.

"I know," Michael said lowering his head.

"If you pursue this kind of...nonsense...then you're only setting yourself up to be hurt. You're opening old wounds. Just leave it alone," Max pleaded.

"I won't leave it alone. And they're not old wounds," Michael said angry that Max refused to recognize his need to know. "I feel the same pain today...daily. It feels like it just happened yesterday. I can't leave it alone."

Michael had never found resolution. Even in practicing medicine. He rarely lost patients and the good news he delivered to most patients' family members was not even a drop in the bucket. It would never be enough.

"Okay, forget Marianna for just a minute," Max said feeling a strong need to change the subject before he and his best friend started fighting. "We really need to consider the possibility that neither Marianna nor Hope are human."

"Leave it to Max to be the voice of reason," Michael thought. "But he's right."

Michael looked at Max and asked seriously, "How do we find out?"

"Michael, you're the doctor. Need you really ask me?" Max said smiling.

"I'll need blood," Michael said.

The two left the closet with a plan. They finally agreed that if Marianna and Hope were indeed aliens, then that would explain a lot more than they were ready to think about.

"By the way," Michael said as Max started to leave. "I saw Liz. Why didn't you tell me she came with you?"

"What?" Max asked. "Liz and I aren't...you saw her here?" Max's eyes opened wider as each piece of the puzzle landed in place. "Oh my gosh, Michael. Her Aunt Liz....is our Liz."

The two stood silent for a moment. Max stared at the ground and Michael stared at the ceiling. Finally, Max broke the silence. "I think we've all been lied to. How could she do this?"