This choice: His 38 year old step-mother, Alice. • Go Back...Chapter #5His 38 year old step-mother, Alice. by: Wassel   ...His own step-mother, Alice Davis. A woman who he absolutely loathed. Staring at her peacefully sleeping face, laying there on the hospital bed. Apart from her slightly disheveled looking, shoulder length, ash brown hair, there was no other indication whatsoever that any surgery had even taken place. Looking exactly like the woman you knew. Which only served to make this whole thing all that much harder to actually take in. To accept that she was now dead and that it was in fact Randall inside there now. Inside his own step-mother's body.
"It appears that unbeknown to anyone," Kerry went on to explain, "Mrs. Davis had a small blood clot in her brain, and while vacuuming yesterday afternoon she accidentally slipped and fell down the stairs. The impact of the fall causing the blood clot to rupture, which resulted in an aneurysm that ended up killing her... or at least ceased any activity in the brain."
Jesus! you thought. The fact that someone could die so suddenly like that almost causing you to forget your best friend's plight for a moment. But only for a moment...
"The paramedics brought her here not a half hour before Randall and the rest of your family arrived, but sadly there was simply nothing we could do for her. Other than what we did for your friend."
"Putting his brain inside her body you mean?" you replied. It sounding so utterly bizarre to even say.
"Exactly," he said. Going off on a slight tangent then as he continued to explain, "Though obviously transferring an entire brain into another person skull wouldn't exactly work like it does in the movies, so instead we took only a small part of Randall's brain and grafted it onto Mrs. Davis'. Allowing him full control of her motor functions as well as complete access to her nervous system." Sounding rather proud of himself over this medical breakthrough.
Though to be honest you were barely listening to him at all. Still too busy staring at Alice's body and trying to reconcile the fact that it was actually Randall in there. It being just so damn freaky and wrong. Thinking to yourself as you stared, Why her? If it had to be anyone at all, why the very same woman that had made his life a living hell for the past five or six years? Not even being able to begin imagine what his reaction would be when he woke up and discovered this. Pretty sure that he'd be even more freaked out than you currently were. Especially with the doctors having mentioned that he was also going to have to actually pretend to be her... in public no less. Not being able to think of much worse. Seeing how his step-mother had basically been a giant pain in his ass from the moment she'd first entered his life, not long after his real mom had died. Having met his father at church and the two of them having gotten married soon after that. Randall often joking that she'd basically brainwashed him into joining her "cult". Seeing how she was one of those super religious types who was forever quoting scripture and bemoaning the rest of the world's (as she had put it) "wicked ways". The two of them clashing almost immediately due to their vastly different personalities. Your best friend being a total goof, who was messy, laid back and probably one of the biggest perverts you knew. Basically worshiping at the alter of boobs, babes and video games. While Alice was the complete opposite. Uptight, organized and incredibly intolerant to what she perceived as laziness. Having pretty much turned his own father against him too. Which in turn created an inordinate amount of tension around their house. This being the reason then that he'd spent so much time at yours; to get away from her. Well... that and the fact that she didn't really like you much either. Forever disapproving of your visits.
Now though this was who he was... who he was going to have to pretend to be. This buttoned-up, prudish, bible-basher, who was not only everything Randall hated, but was also married to his own father as well. Making it doubly fucked up! The thought of this causing you to almost gag.
While you tried your best to avoid doing this, in the meantime Kerry continued to fill you in on your friend's condition. Telling you that, "...it should only be a matter of days before he's up and walking again. As good as new. ...In a manner of speaking at least."
"And then what?" you asked angrily. "He's just gonna have to continue on as his step-mom like none of this even happened?" It not seeming right at all.
"It's not ideal we know," Saunders answered this time, "but I'm afraid that there really is no other option. This procedure we used, it was... it was state of the art. Brand new you might say." Sounding a little flustered now himself.
"What Dr. Saunders is trying to delicately to explain is that the transplant procedure hasn't been officially sanctioned by either the hospital or the medical board yet," Kerry said. Taking over the reigns from his floundering colleague. "Technically, we weren't supposed to even try it. If wind of any of this gets out, well it won't just be our jobs on the line, but Randall's very existence." There being no sugar coating things now. Dr. Kerry giving you the hard facts as you sat there in shock, listening to him talk. "Think about all the media attention something like this would generate, not to mention the legal ramifications of your best friend being inside his own step-mother's body. It would be beyond overwhelming. He wouldn't even be able to step outside his front door without getting hounded. Surely you don't want that for your friend. No matter how difficult all this might seem."
"No. No of course not." you told him. This being the last thing you wanted Randall to have to go through. Simply wishing that there had been some other way instead.
Sadly there wasn't. The doctor informing you if there had been they would most definitely have taken it. This literally having been their best chance to keep him alive. And while you knew you should be glad of this, of the fact that he wasn't actually dead, you still couldn't help but feel bad. Bad that any of this had happened in the first place. That he was even in this mess.
He was though and it seemed that the both of you were just going to have to live with it, as Dr. Saunders rather more gently explained. Kneeling down to face you now. "I know it might seem unfair but I promise you, Tim, it really is for everyone's benefit. No one can know that this procedure took place. As far as this hospital and everyone in it is concerned - officially - Randall Davis is dead."
"And it will only be for the benefit of others," Kerry added, kneeling down as well. "You will still know the truth."
"And what about Randall? How's he supposed to live like that? As someone else?"
"It will be difficult," Saunders agreed, nodding his head as he stared intently into your eyes, "But that is why he will need you by his side. To help him get through this. "
Though you were still feeling rather overwhelmed by everything, not to mention confused and bewildered by the fact that they actually expected you to keep quiet and pretend like everything was normal when it so clearly wasn't, looking now at Dr. Saunder's face and the sincerity and empathy his weathered features wore, you knew he was right. Randall would need you now more than ever. He hadn't asked for any of this. So you had to be strong for him. You had to...
"Alright. I think that's enough excitement for one day," Kerry suddenly announced. Telling you then that, "You still need to rest, Tim. So lets get you back to your room for now and then perhaps later we can bring in the rest of your family to see you. Okay?"
Nodding your head, feeling admittedly rather more worn out now than you had done before after all of these crazy revelations, the two doctors escorted you back to your room. Again helping you into bed. Once there, Saunders promised to explain everything more thoroughly once you'd had a chance to discuss it with your family. Briefly mentioning papers that would need to be signed and arrangements that would have to be made with Randall's father. In the meanwhile, Kerry re-attached the IV tube that had previously been in your arm and injected something into it, telling you that it was "just something to help you sleep".
You felt the effects almost immediately and in no time at all you were drifting off. Your final thoughts before you did being exclusively focused on both Randall and his bitch of a step-mother. Still not being able to picture your goofy best friend actually taking on that role.
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