The doctors come in

"I know. Even after everything, I'm so full of energy, but they want me to do bed rest for a few days. What about you?"

"One more night for observation," you repeat the doctor's words from earlier.

"Oh, great. We can have meals together while your father takes care of Tabitha and David."

That makes you wonder what is going on with them. Actually, what the future holds. Can your mom come home and be your mom with this new body? What will your friends and neighbors think? Heck. What will the world think? Your mom will be a celebrity - the first brain transplant. There will be reporters staking out your house. All your guy friends will be smirking about living with this sexy woman. And what will Allison, your girlfriend, say or think? Everything will be so different.

The door to the room opening breaks your thoughts, and you hear the doctor's voice.

"I see everything is going well."

Following him in is another man wearing a suit and tie and carrying a stack of papers. He looks very slick, very unhappy, and very serious.

"This is Mr. Longdraft from our legal department. We need you, both, to sign a few papers about the operation and keeping it all to yourselves."

This is news to you, but your mom nods an acknowledgment. Seeing your confusion, her eyes motion the doctor to you.

"Oh, Tim. Yes. I guess I haven't explained this all to you."

Mr. Longdraft gives him an annoyed, impatient look then rolls his eyes with a mumble under his breath. "Doctors."

"Um, well, you see, Tim, this surgery and all is fairly experimental." Longdraft sighs, and the doctor quickly adds, "Perfectly legal, of course. Ms. Kenning was an organ donor, and your father OK'd using all available means to save your mother."

"You know how caring your father is, Tim. Wasn't that sweet to let him move my brain to this body?"

You don't have time to ponder that as the doctor coughs and continues.

"Um, well, we didn't tell him specifically that until afterward."

"It's a standard form," Longdraft firmly interjects. "Just like these non-disclosure forms." He then gives you and your mother each a stapled set with the last page flipped to be on top showing a line for a signature. Then he hands you a pen. When you start to turn it back to see the rest, he taps the packet and adds, "Medical and legal terms. I doubt you know most of them. It just states the procedure and that you are not allowed to tell anyone." He then folds the page back to the signature line.

"What?"

"Tim, it's to avoid publicity and putting your lives in a fishbowl," Dr. Kerry explains while Longdraft fidgets tapping his foot.

"It's OK, Tim," your mom offers. "They've explained it all to me, and I completely understand. We don't want people calling me a freak or anything."

"I guess. It just doesn't seem right. I mean, it's almost a miracle, at least one for medical science."

"Oh, I totally agree, Tim, but science always requires verification and multiple testing before announcing complete success. For now, we need to keep this under wraps until we have more examples. Besides, it will be best that your mother has time without interruptions to recover and get acclimated to her new life."

"New life?"

"Well, yes. Of course. She can't really just go home and continue where she left off looking like this without too many people asking questions and creating problems for everyone. She's a college student now just a few years older than you. It'll be clearer after your mother's funeral."

"Sign, please," Longdraft tells you and again taps the page.

"Funeral? But she's still alive!"

"Technically, Tim, she's not."

"That's what the form is for. Just sign it."

"It's alright, Tim," your mother's new soothing voice comforts you. "We'll still see each other, just not as much. Think of it as what will happen when you go to college and are not living at home. Instead, I'll be at college instead of living at home."

Your mother is so cheerful and enthusiastic that you have to believe her. It just feels so strange. Your mom is alive, but she's really dead and will be buried and grieved. However, she will live on in this new body as a different person. You stare at her as she signs hers and hands it back.

"B-but, how will we actually meet the new you and have a relationship? We never knew you before," you ask bewildered.

"Sign."

"There's several ways we can help with that," the doctor starts. "You've just met in the hospital is one or at college when you take a tour."

"Maybe you can attend my college too once you graduate."

"All that can only be done if you sign," Longdraft says and taps once more.

"I suggested that your father go into a deep depression and find me at the club, fall deeply in love, and marry me" your mom smirks. After a moment's pause, she looks back shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she adds, "Your father countered with he was already having a secret affair."

"Dad. What about Dad - and Tab and David?"

"They're too young right now to understand and probably can't keep this secret. But we trust you."

"The pen - on the paper," Longdraft emphatically urges once more.

"It will work out, honey," your mom chirps. Suddenly, she looks off and reflects, "I guess I need to learn how to pole dance."

She starts to wave her arms over her head and undulate her body on the bed. A combination of shock and arousal sweeps over you as you imagine the fine figure sensuously writhing under the moving sheet.

"No dancing just yet, Ms. Kenning," the doctor instructs.

"Sign!"