This choice: Your parents can see past your body and see you for you. • Go Back...Chapter #7Your parents can see past your body and see you... by: Wassel   Walking back out there with great trepidation, seeing both your mother and father's eyes on you, you had to admit, for a moment you weren't entirely sure which way it was going to go. Being happy to see them of course, and to know that they were alright, and yet at the same time, uncomfortable as hell being seen like this. Being almost as old as they were now!
Thankfully however, the first words out of your mother's mouth were, "Oh Tim... Thank God you're alright!" Rushing towards you without any sort of hesitation or discomfort and throwing her arms around you. Pulling you into her loving embrace. It being very strange admittedly to feel your boobs mashing up against hers, but you quickly ignored the sensation and gave her a great big hug back.
Joining in on the embrace, your father chipped in, "We were so worried about you, buddy." The three of you just standing there with your arms wrapped around each other for what felt like a good two minutes, before you at last, finally parted. Your mom wiping a tear from her eye as she did.
"How... How are you feeling?" she asked. Looking you up and down. Giving you her patented concerned but happy smile.
"As well as can be expected I guess," you shrugged. Rubbing a little nervously at your arm. Feeling very weird standing in front of them like this, speaking with that voice. Growing extremely conscious now of your drop in height (having lost a good five or six inches), the excess hair that was now tickling at your neck and face, as well as just how far your new boobs stuck out. Pressing as they were against your arm.
Sensing this, your mother told you to have a seat. Leading you back over to your bed and helping you get in. Apologizing then for you being in this state. Your parents quite clearly blaming themselves for what had happened. For giving Dr. Kerry their permission to carry out the operation. You knew fine well it wasn't really their fault though. They had been put in an impossible life or death situation. Only wanting to save their son's life. Telling them as much, as you awkwardly chucked, "I mean, I might be a girl now. Randall's step-mom at that, but at least I'm still alive. It could have been a lot worse."
It certainly could have been, and you supposed as terrifying as this situation was, it was far better than the alternative.
"So how's.... How's Randall coping with all this?" you asked. Figuring that apart from you, it was him and his father that this would really effect the most. "Does he know?"
"Not yet I don't think," your father replied. "He's still recovering from the crash. Jim (Randall's dad) didn't want to tell him until he was fully on the mend." This news of course causing you to instantly worry for your friend. Having not even bothered to think about how he might have been injured too. Seeing how he had been sitting right next to you when the accident had actually happened.
"Oh God. Is... Is he okay?"
Dissuading these fears, he assured you that he was fine and that he'd just had a minor head injury. Being fully on the mend now. "The doctors said he was really lucky considering. Should be up and about in a day or two." Adding, "Everyone else is fine too. Your brother and sister. Us. We all got out of it pretty much unscathed."
You let out a relieved sigh. "That's good." Seeing a lack of any kind of real injuries on your parents right enough. "What about Mr. Davis? Is he okay."
"He's pretty broken up about it all, as I'm sure you can imagine," your mother chimed in. "Losing his second wife and all. I can't even begin to imagine..."
Nor could you. Having never really thought all that highly of Mrs. Davis since he'd married Alice. Having changed a lot in the intervening years. His faith seeming to have taken precedent over his own son. Barely having time for him anymore, between his wife and his trips overseas. Still, he didn't deserve this. Nobody did.
What did surprise you though, was the fact that he'd actually agreed to the transplant in the first place. Having assumed it would have blasphemy to even consider, or some such nonsense. Putting this to your parents, your mother surprised you with the news that, "He actually agreed to it before we did." Having assumed he would have taken the most convincing. Explaining that Alice was apparently a big advocate of medicine and helping the ill. Being a former nurse herself, as well as a card carrying donor. It being what "she would have wanted", as Randall's father had said. "To help anyone she could."
"Except her step-son", you almost felt like scoffing. But instead held your tongue.
Your father adding then with a derisive little smirk, "And as her "soul" is up in heaven now, she wouldn't be needing her body anymore anyway." Rolling his eyes slightly as he paraphrased it. Nobody in your family really being all that religious. "Said it was "God's work" the doctors were doing, keeping you alive."
"Wow..." was all you could think of to say in reply. Knowing of course that Mr. Davies believed in all that stuff, but still finding it rather strange to hear.
Your mother seemed to share this opinion. Telling you, "I know. But that is how he's been for years now. Ever since he met Alice. "God this" and "God that". If it helps him get through this tough time, then more power to him. We'll just have to keep a close eye on him and make sure he's alright."
"We...?" you asked. Not entirely sure if involving you was such a good idea. What with you now being in the body of his dead wife. Even with his blind faith, you doubted he'd want the living reminder of his deceased wife still hanging around.
Neither one of them immediately responded to this however. Instead glancing towards the other. Looking slightly awkward. There obviously being more they had to share, and were reticent to do so.
"Yeah..." your dad eventually said. Taking a seat beside you. "That's the other thing we have to talk to you about. How this is all going to work. You being in that body..." Proceeding then to explain all the various legalities to do with the transplant and the body you were now in. It appearing that Dr. Kerry and Dr. Saunders had performed the operation entirely off their own backs, and without the proper authorization of either the hospital or the medical board (hence why they'd been arguing when you'd first woken up). Having now traded your life for Alice's, quite literally. Seeing how, to avoid any legal ramifications or unwanted media attention, you were all going to have to keep it a secret. Pretend that you really had died in the crash and spend the rest of your days in the guise of Mrs. Davis. At least in public.
Naturally, this came as a devastating shock. It having been bad enough that you were now a 38 year old woman instead of a 16 year old boy, without adding this stipulation on top. Having no idea how on earth you were meant to actually do this. To let yourself die and become someone completely different. Even with the apparent monetary compensation the doctors were going to give you...
"This is insane! I've got to pretend to be her? ... To live the rest of my life as her?" It not being something that you'd even considered for one moment after you'd woken up. Having assumed things would change (how could they not?), but not to this extent.
"We know its not ideal, sweetheart," your mom replied. Looking more than a little uncomfortable with the situation also, "But the doctors explained, its really the only way this will work. No one can find out. Randall's father and the two of us, we've... we've already signed a non-disclosure agreement. David and Tabitha as well. I'm so sorry." Lowering her gaze in shame. Your dad similarly doing the same.
As messed up as this was, and as angry as it made you at first, you really couldn't blame them. Once again, only doing what they thought was best for you. Even if it did mean you were pretty much losing your identity and your life. Better that than locked up in a cell somewhere and be experimented on I guess, you thought to yourself, after letting the idea sink in for a while. Or even worse... be plastered all over the internet and the TV. Having everyone looking at me like I'm some freak of nature! That definitely not being something you wanted to experience.
Right on cue, once your parents had finished telling you all this, Dr. Saunders appeared at the door, with clipboard in hand. Come to see how you were, as well as get you to sign the various bits of paperwork your parents had just been telling you about. Feeling as though you were literally signing your life away, as you scrawled your signature across the piece of paper. Saunders informing you, after you were down, that you'd be able to check out in the next few hours. Seeing how you were now fully recovered. This coming as a huge relief to your parents, and to you. The only question now was, where exactly would you be checking out to... Your house, or Randall's?
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