You aren't allowed to see Randall until you're ready to be discharged.

You didn't see Randall for the next couple days. Whenever you asked about him, the nurses would just look at you sadly and shake their heads. You finally asked your parents when they came to check on you and you realized that they thought he was dead - they didn't know what had happened. You kept quiet about it for the rest of your stay, wondering if perhaps you had imagined the whole thing.

Finally, on the day of your discharge, Dr. Saunders showed back up with some papers for you to sign. He waited until you were alone to present you the contract. It was a non-disclosure agreement in which you agreed not to reveal anything that had happened regarding your friend Randall, Tammy Barnes, and experimental surgery. The documents were vague enough that someone not 'in the know' wouldn't be able to figure out what had truly happened. Instead it sounded like Randall had simply been a donor of nerve tissue in a radical treatment to save Ms. Barnes' life.

Dr. Saunders explained rather forcefully the necessity of your agreeing to this. "Your friend will be well compensated for his - and your - silence. If this were to come out, however, his life would be ruined. And that's assuming you were even believed - in all liklihood you would be thought to be crazy."

You weren't very happy with the hospital's attitude, but you agreed anwyway - with the condition that you speak with 'Tammy' first. So Dr. Saunders took you up several floors to the elite, private wing and led you to her room.

You walked in to see the woman from before lying in a bed. Without makeup you wouldn't have recognized her as the same woman from television. You compared your mental image of her -

with the person in the bed. She was watching television and hadn't noticed your entrance.

"Randall?" you asked nervously. "Is that you? Are you okay?"

"Hey, Tim!" she said. "I'm cool, considering..." she added, giving you a thumbs up. Her speech was a little slurred - obviously she was still on some meds.

"They told me what happened," you explained. "And they want me to sign a contract to keep quiet about all this. What's going on?"

She shrugged. "Well, they actually want me to pretend to be his old broad. Got to say, they make a convincing case." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They're giving me a shitload of money, man. I'm going to be set!"

"So you're okay with it?" you asked in wonder.

She rolled her eyes, starting to perk up a bit. "Okay? Dude, nothing about this is 'okay.' I died! And woke up as a woman older than my dad. Of course I'm not 'okay'!"

You flinched at her tone, and she tried to calm down. "Sorry, man. Didn't mean to take it out on you. Look, this whole situation is pretty fucked up. Dad and Alice dumped me first thing - said that their son was dead and that they didn't want to see me." She harrumphed. "Well fuck'em! I don't need them. They weren't much of a family anyway."

At your horrified look she continued. "Yeah, shoulda figured they'd be like that, huh? Anyway, I'm alive and I'm getting a ton of money. All I have to do is pretend to be this 'Tammy Barnes' dame. Should be easy enough - got the excuse of a brain injury to explain my memory problems. And her son, Ryan, is kinda cool. Said he'd help me get settled into her life. She'd kind of pulled away from everyone anyway, moving here to kind start fresh."

You shook your head in amazement. "It's all so unreal. I can't believe it."

"You should try it from my end," she snorted.

You couldn't help but laugh as Randall's sense of humor manifested even in this absurd situation. "Well, you know I'll help. Do whatever I can. Just let me know."

"I know," she said softly. "You're my best bud. I'll need the support." She laughed a little. "And shit, man, I'll need help spending all the dough I'm getting!"

You were interrupted by a knock at the door. Dr. Saunders poked his head back in. "Sorry, Tim, but your parents are waiting for you. I couldn't really explain that you were visiting Ms. Barnes..."

You grimaced. "Yeah, I guess not." You gave Randall a parting look. "Call me, dude. Let me know when you get out."

"Will do, Tim-bo," she said with a smile. And you said goodbye and went to meet your folks.