The Unborn

So what do you think the dream means?

That your vagina is completely disease-infested.

Shut up. For real.

Okay, babies...

"Babies are symbolic of change and renewal.

"If the baby is a stranger to you,

"it may represent something developing within yourself

"that is not yet ready to be born."

And it doesn't say anything about babies in formaldehyde.

Okay, what about dogs?

Okay, okay, okay.

"In mythology, the dog was often seen as a messenger of the dead."

Then it just goes on and on about some more psychobabble bullshit.

So, where are the kids?

Did you have to, like, change diapers and shit like that?

Nope, the baby was down when I got here,

and the four-year-old, he conked out as soon as I read to him.

Do you think they have porn in their DVD collection?

Like I really want to know what Mr Newton beats off to.

Well, it's not Mrs Newton, that's for sure.

- Case? - Hang on.

Look in the mirror.

Some people are doorways.

Matty? Matty, are you up?

Hey, Rom, I think one of the kids is awake. I'm going to call you back, okay?

Good luck. - All right.

Keep looking.

Matty?

Keep looking.

Keep looking.

What are you doing, Matty?

Keep looking.

Keep looking.

Matty!

Matty, stop that. We have to go to bed now.

Matty!

Jumby wants to be born now.

Are you sure you're all right?

Yeah, no, it's fine, it's not a big deal.

I'd feel better if you'd had your eye checked out.

Okay, I will.

I'll see you guys later, okay?

Hey, Dad.

- Hi, Case. How was sitting? - Good.

There's cheesecake from La Scarola, if you want.

Mmm, no, thanks. I'm just... I'm gonna crash. Good night.

Oh, my God!

He was shining a mirror in the baby's face. And then he hit me.

Okay, that's creepy.

The kid's like four. I mean, he probably didn't even know what he was doing.

It's bad luck, you know.

Newborns aren't supposed to see their own reflection till they're at least a year old.

It means they'll die soon.

According to whom?

It's just one of those superstitions, you know.

You're retarded. She's retarded.

It's not like I'm saying I believe it, I'm just saying it's one of those things.

Okay, so as far as we know, the universe is roughly 15 billion years old.

Right?

So, if the universe had a beginning, what happened before the beginning?

Einstein would tell us that there was no before,

because time itself did not yet exist.

So here's another question for you.

How big is the universe?

Does the universe just keep going on forever?

And if it doesn't just keep going on forever, then what's beyond the edge?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Here's the catch.

Since our universe began...

Jumby wants to be born now.

...back where you started.

It'd be like walking into a mirror.

Is everything all right, Casey?

Yeah, I... I just need to get some air.

So he texts me, like, the day after we went out. And he put, "I miss you."

But then when I text him back, he never replied.

And that was like two days ago.

Case.

- There's something wrong with your eye. - What are you talking about?

I don't know, dude, I think you should look.

It's called heterochromia.

Meaning one iris is a different colour than the other.

Usually, it's congenital. Sometimes it occurs after a blunt trauma.

On very rare occasions, it might be indicative

of a malignant melanoma of the iris.

In order to rule that out, I'll just need to take a few digital pictures.

Okay.

I'll go ahead an insert a speculum in order to keep your eyelids open.

Oh, God.

Just relax and everything will be fine.

Ooh!

All right, you're doing great.

Okay, go ahead and rest your chin right here.

And keep your head very still while we take a few pictures, all right?

- Okay. - All right.

Good. Good.

- So, does it hurt? - Mmm-mmm.

I think the light's just a little bright because of the eye-drops that he gave me.

Baby, thank you for coming with me. I know I'm such a pain in the ass right now.

Mmm-hmm! Yeah, you are, yeah.

The good news is that my dad's not gonna be home till tomorrow morning.

- Does that mean what I think it means? - Yes.

Great, 'cause, you know, 'cause those glasses, they're just...

They're definitely giving me wood.

Yeah, I don't know what it is.

Hey. You all right?

Yeah, yeah, let's go.

You know, it really screws with your head,

what Mr Shields was saying.

That the universe doesn't have an end. I used to have nightmares about it.

That the world would just stop spinning, and we'd just fall off out into space.

I'd get so upset by it,

that one day we'd just keep falling forever and ever and ever. No?

Yeah. No, I mean, I still get that way when I think about dying.

You know, me and just all my thoughts ending.

So you don't think there's an afterlife. No, why?

Because I don't feel her anywhere.

I mean, I remember the last time I saw her.

We went to the hospital.

And she was just sitting there staring out the window.

It was almost as if she was already gone.

Did she say anything to you?

Well, she was adopted,

and I guess she found out who her birth mother was.

Then she died that night.

You know, they say that it takes a really long time when you hang yourself,

that some people have second thoughts.

And then they can't do anything about it.

God, I used to hate her for leaving us.

Hey.

Come here.

What? What? What?

Inside! Inside the mirror! Inside...

I didn't see anything in the mirror. What did you see, huh?

Mrs Byrne, what's going on?

It's the baby. She wasn't breathing.

No, please, don't take her!

She can't be dead!

I'm very sorry, ma'am.

I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm sorry!

Well, we've gotten your lab results back. And everything looks fine.

But there was one oddity. Are you a twin by any chance, Miss Beldon?

No, I'm an only child.

Are you familiar with the term "genetic mosaicism"?

Occasionally, when you're dealing with twins,

the placentas can become fused

and a certain amount of blood will be exchanged back and forth.

I suppose the emerging pigmentation in your affected iris could be the result

of that foreign genetic strand.

Now I don't think it's anything you need to worry about.

But you may wanna see a genetic counsellor, just to be on the safe side.

Excuse me.

Case, what's up?

I just got back from the eye doctor, and I got my test results back.

And?

Am I a twin, Dad?

Yes.

- Oh, my God. - You had...

You would have had a brother.

Sweetheart, he died while you were still in utero.

How?

- Case, it's a long time ago... - Dad, I need to know.

It was a freak thing.

One of the umbilical cords got twisted around his throat.

My cord?

So, my brother died?

Is that why Mom killed herself?

Your mother was clinically depressed. Period.

The hard truth is that some people come into this world

less equipped for life than others.

Like my brother?

He was never your brother, Case.

It was way too early in the pregnancy for that.

- Did he have a name? - Neither of you did yet.

We had nicknames for you, though.

What was his nickname?

Jumby.

I can't believe I let you talk me into coming down here.

Look, my mom obviously thought this woman was important.

I mean, why would she have kept that article? And this creepy photo?

- The kid from your dreams. - Yes.

Okay.

You know, Case, if this was me, I would just take one of my mom's Xanax,

and I would just call it a day.

Okay, so just wait in the car.

No, no. This is way too bizarro for me to miss out on.

Excuse me.

We're here to see Sofi Kozma. We called earlier.

Yeah, if you could please sign in.

She is on the third floor, room 307.

Let's go.

God, it smells like diarrhoea in there.

Look at the munchkin lady.

That guy's wearing a diaper.

God, I never want to get old.

No one does. Mr Walker suffered a stroke.

Now he's paralysed from the waist down.

But he doesn't suffer much any more. His mind is elsewhere.

It's very homey here.

It's tolerable. I've certainly endured worse.

What was over there?