"Nikolas is alive?!" The shock on Anna's face was mixed with pure joy. She thought of the strange feeling she had a few weeks before, but she was afraid to let herself believe it.
"You remember when I went to Egypt to help you look for Nikolas? Well, I knew where Nikolas was, all along. Your mother and I had found him in a British hospital badly wounded and not remembering who he was. Your mother even wanted me to administer drugs to him to further confuse his memory. I didn't do that, but I did make sure you didn't know where he was. It was for your own good."
He gave Anna a strange look. "I see you don't know about your mother!" He looked away. "God forgive her."
"God forgive her?" asked Anna.
"Your mother had me replace the healthy baby you gave birth to with a dead one ... You were young and we felt it was best for you. But your mother made sure your son was raised properly." Making theatrical gestures with his hands, he continued, "We wanted to protect you."
"Protect me?! You made me think my baby was dead and he is alive, like Nikolas? Where is he? What have you and that monster that used to call herself my mother done with him?"
She looked at the doctor, who rambled on. "Even if Nikolas found you, you're already taken … " He raised his palms to the sky. "… and he is dangerous ... but I am still here!"
Anna was filled with anger. She became nauseated. She had not experienced such livid feelings, in many years, since early in the war when she had killed German soldiers. She held her stomach and her cross, and leaned over in pain.
"Your mother, may her memory be eternal. I am going to repeat myself, she meant well. She tried to protect you."
"Protect me from what!" shouted Anna. "Yourself." Doctor Vassili Tsipras moved his hands toward Anna. "She did not want you to make another mistake." Anna held her cross tightly. "You see, your mother and I ... Don't underestimate a mother's love Ann ... I mean, Agatha … "
"I won't, Doctor." Anna glared at him.
"Your mother ... Apparently you have not been informed." He rose and started gesturing with his hands.
"Poor Melpomeni, when she found out that Nikolas was back here in Greece and looking for you, she became so upset that she told your father everything about you and Nikolas, everything except the truth about the boy, threw it all in his face and stormed out.
"One day later, she was dead. Nothing remained of her ... just a handful of ashes ... and very little left of her red convertible, too! A big ball of fire engulfed the car ... Hell couldn't be worse." He stared into space.