In the After

door. Baby was already in bed so I curled up next to her.
    “Amy?” I heard my mother calling from the other room, but I ignored her. “Amy,” she said again from the doorway. “I . . . we have to talk.”
    I turned on my side to glare, but when I saw her worried expression, I sat up. She motioned me to come into the living room, where she sat on the couch. I settled in as far away from her as possible. I stared at the floor.
    “Amy, look at me. Dr. Reynolds expressed some concerns to me. . . .”
    “What? What concerns?” I asked snippily.
    “That you don’t respect authority,” she told me unhappily. “That you like to pry into things that don’t concern you. That you may not have New Hope’s best interests in mind.”
    My head snapped up. “Dr. Reynolds wants to send me to the Ward?” I asked, horrified.
    My mother pressed her lips together and nodded. “But he won’t just yet, as a favor to me. Because my research is so important, he doesn’t want me distressed in any way.”
    “So the only reason I’m not in the Ward is because of you ?” I let that sink in. “What about Baby?”
    “Baby is fine,” she assured me. “She’s fitting in with all the other children, learning to read and write, to communicate. We’re confident her vocal skills will come eventually. I thought it would be best for both of you if we began to sever your connection to her.”
    “What? No! That’s crazy.” I wanted to jump up but I had nowhere to run to. Instead I folded my arms across my chest and tried to stay calm. I knew that I couldn’t afford to freak out again. “Is that why you want her in the dorm?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Do you think that’s really necessary?”
    “I don’t know, Amy. I just want you to be safe.” She reached for my hand. “Becoming a Guardian will be a good start. You can prove yourself. Until then, you have to try harder.”
    “I will, I promise,” I told her, all my fight gone. I held on to her, still in shock about how close I was to losing Baby. “Mom . . . I have to know.”
    “I can’t tell you about my research.” She squeezed my hand.
    “No, it’s not that. I want to know if you’re really on board with all of this.”
    She let go of my hand and gave me a hard look. “I did what had to be done. Before you got here, Amy, New Hope was my whole life. Even Adam was a result of a regulation I helped establish. We have to protect New Hope. It’s the only possible future of humanity. Otherwise, we should just let the Floraes in. It’s not only about us. It’s about the generations that will follow. It’s about our future.”
    I looked into her shining eyes with a sad understanding. I knew now that Kay was absolutely right. My mother could never learn about Baby’s incredible hearing. Finding me in a restricted area wasn’t harmful to New Hope, so she hid it. My becoming a Guardian will not only show that I can fit in, but will help protect New Hope. Everything she did, she weighed with the benefit of New Hope in mind. If she thought they could use Baby, study her, dissect her to find out how she ticked, she would do it willingly.
    “I love you so much, honey. It’s hard, I know, but we will make it . . . and so will this community.” She hugged me tightly and kissed me on the top of my head.
    I closed my eyes and wondered which my mother would choose if it came down to it: me or New Hope?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
    I see Dr. Samuels in the hall, but I try not to make eye contact. I want him to think I don’t know who he is, that I’m sufficiently drugged. He comes to me, though, looks me up and down .
    “Amy, I want to apologize.” He clears his throat. “I was wrong to recommend your electroshock treatment. There’s a reason it’s only used to treat extremely severe cases of depression. I should have considered your circumstances more carefully. I shouldn’t have let Dr. Reynolds influence my professional opinion.”
    The pain, the torment I endured, comes flooding back and it takes everything I have not to lash out at him .
    “I’ve begun to think . . . ,” he continues in a whisper, “that Dr. Reynolds may not have your best interest in mind.” I can’t help but flinch when he puts his hand on my shoulder .
    “Don’t touch me,” I say between clenched teeth. Dr. Samuels stares at me. He sees the hate in my eyes and begins to back away .
    “I was only trying to help,” he tells me guiltily .
    “If you want to help