Waking up

When you woke the following morning, Dr.Percy was there to greet you. The two of you immediately sharing your pain and sympathies over what had happened to your mother. Over what was going to happen. The bald doctor reminding you however that the most important thing was that she was alive. No matter how or why, or what it meant for her future (not to mention how **** you all were to go along with it). It was truly the only way forward. The only chance to have anything even remotely resembling a normal life.

So, after discussing the pros and cons of all this for the next hour or so, the other doctor eventually appeared to inform you that your mom was now awake and ready to see you all again. The only question of course being; where you ready to see her? To look into the eyes of someone who is foreign to you, but instead your gentle, loving mother. Or would this be just too much for you to take? It having been weird enough seeing her when she was ****.

You then meet a woman who is now sitting leaning on the bed. The woman you don't know. When she saw you the woman smiled at you. Her warm smile is still the same as before which makes you sure that this is your mother.

"Are you all right, Mom?" You sit next to her.

"It's never been better" She said with heavy accent , still taken aback by what had just occurred. The voice was distinctively different. The Latin American accent was thick and deep.

Her hand goes to your head. Stroking your head, a habit your mom used to do that sometimes embarrasses you. You're not a kid anymore. But this time you don't want to lose this caress. Just yesterday you almost lost your mother for good.

"Aw" Immediately she pulled her hand back.

"Are you alright, dear" Her face showed a worried expression.

"Nothing. Just got my bruise" You stare at her. There's no way your mom will be okay with this situation "How do you feel, Mom? Yeah after, you know, after this incident?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Better than fine actually. This new body might be...well, strange, but Leslie was far fitter and healthier than I ever was. I need to adjust to my new voic .Not much, but I'm three years younger right? "Her voice dipped slightly as she said this, bringing to mind something that you really hadn't given much thought too; and that was the fact that Leslie was actually dead, something that it was obvious your mother had clearly been thinking about a lot, a deep sympathy evident in her (now) dark brown eyes. "It might be a bit of an uphill struggle getting used to everything, but at least I'm alive," she then continued, breaking again into a smile, "At least I've still got you, John. Things could have been much, much worse."

This was very true, and although you were more relieved than anything that this hadn't happened, it didn't exactly make things any less weird.

"How about you?" she then asked, sensing this fact, as she peered into your eyes, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," you replied, remembering what the doctor had said, but needing to tell her the truth, "It's just kind of strange I guess...seeing you like this."

"I know, sweetheart, and of course it is. But we'll get through this together, as a family. My body might have changed, but I haven't. I still love you all just the same.

"I love you too, mom," you told her, feeling a lump forming in your throat, the strangeness of it all.

Thankfully before either you or your mom got too choked up, Dr.Percy tepped in, saying a little awkwardly from behind, "Uhm, uh, I spoke to Dr. Wilson a little while ago and we agree that we'd probably be able to release you this afternoon after one more visit from the neurologist.", this information causing both you and your mother to smile, before quickly adding, "And John as well...once he signs the paperwork."

Slightly confused by this, not entirely sure what he was referring to, you quickly spun around and looked at.Dr.Percy, asking, "Wait, what paperwork?"

Not enjoying being left in the dark, realizing that from the sound of it this was something important, you asked, louder now, "Told me what?" grabbing both of their attention.

Letting out a long sigh, your mother beckoned you closer towards her, "Come here, sweetheart," and somewhat nervously you did; she then took your hand in hers and began to softly explain, "Now as terrible and tragic as this accident was, John, and as truly unfortunate as it was that the woman who's body I'm now in had to die, the simple fact of the matter is that I should be dead. The operation Dr. Percy performed on me was highly experimental and not properly sanctioned by the hospital. Which means that as far as everyone else is concerned, I died on that operating theater, and it was Leslie who lived."

"Buh-but she didn't," you mumbled, not entirely sure where she was going with this, "You did!"

"Well I know that and you know that, and the doctors know that. But as for everyone else, they have no idea what Dr. Percy did. They don't know that he put my brain inside her body; the other doctors and nurses, they simply saw my body die and Leslie Martinez's somehow miraculously awake. And that's why we've all decided," she told you, glancing towards the doctors, "...They and I ,that that's exactly what we're going to continue to let everyone think."