The following day, you awoke to find your parents by your side, the both of them looking incredibly happy to see that you were alive. Throwing her arms around you almost immediately, your mother began to sob, telling you how worried they'd all been these last few days. It was obvious from the sound of her voice that she was incredibly shook up about the death of her little sister, gripping onto you so tightly that you father actually had to pull her off. Worried that in your fragile state you might be unable to actually breathe.
Once you had all managed to settle down, sharing little more than a saddened glance to express your emotions at the loss of your Auntie, you asked about your little brother and sister, not spotting either of them in the room and worrying about their own physical state. According to your dad (who did most of the talking), they were both fine, having escaped the accident with little more than a few cuts and bruises - as your parents had. It was only you, Randall and Joan that had caught the worst of it, having been sitting on the left hand side where the truck had rammed into the car. As for where they were, he then informed you that they were outside, waiting in the hallway. The two of them not wanting to overwhelm you with everyone being here at once, so soon after you had awoken.
Happy that they were all alright, the conversation then switched to the rather more uncomfortable topic of Randall and his new form.
"Have... have you seen him?" you asked, recalling your own eerie encounter the day before.
Your father nodded. "The doctors took us while you were still unconscious, after the transplant. Obviously it was rather difficult for your mom to see him like... like that. And after the doctors explained, well... we thought they were crazy. But it is him, son. That's Randall inside there now."
"I...I think it's what she would have wanted," your mother added, sniffling slightly. "She would have wanted to help if she could. She would have wanted to help poor Randall. It's just... it's just..."
Unable to hold back the tears, she broke down right there in front of you, this whole thing being just too much for her. While you had loved your Aunt deeply and enjoyed the time you'd spent together (having developed something of a crush on her when you were younger), your mom had spent her entire life with her. She was her own sibling. You couldn't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to lose either David or Tabitha.
Trying to comfort her as best you could, but there unfortunately not being much you could say given the situation, your father then rather delicately brought up the matter of keeping the transplant surgery a secret and continuing on under the pretense that Joan had never died. "This is going to be so hard for all of us, Randall especially. But I think, in the long run, it really is going to be for the best. Jim and Alice (Randall's father and step-mother) really didn't want any of this to come out, because... well, you know how Alice is." You did indeed, Randall and his step-mom having never gotten on. Alice being a bit of a religious fanatic who was already of the opinion that he was 'unworthy of God's love' - God knows what she thought now.
"And even though Joan is... was your mother's sister," your father continued, placing a hand on your mother's knee, "we have to think about the well being of everyone affected. We don't want Randall to be thought of as some kind of freak, or have the press hounding us every single day. Plus, the doctors did say there would be financial compensation. I know money isn't everything, but it might just make things a little easier for Randall when he does wake up."
While the money thing was news to you, and you had somewhat reluctantly accepted this idea the day before, it still seemed incredibly unfair.
"I guess." you shrugged, clutching onto the last part of his sentence - having yet to have heard any updates on Randall. "So he hasn't woken up then? He still doesn't know whats happened?"
"No. Not yet. The Doctors say he still needs a few more days to recover from the surgery."
"And when he does, how is he gonna feel about all this? About us all making these decisions for him behind his back?" you asked, this probably being the unfairest part of all. He really had no idea at all what was going on.
Your father was as diplomatic as ever though, assuring you that "Ultimately, son, it will be his decision. We can only agree to it if he does, and we won't know that till he wakes up."
Changing the subject then and hugging your mother tightly as he did (it being obvious now that this whole discussion was becoming a little too much for her), your dad then asked you with a smile, "Now, how about we send your brother and sister in? I'm sure they'll be happy to see that their big brother is doing fine. Doctor says two more days and they'll be able to discharge you."
Nodding your head, being anxious to see them too, as well as being happy to hear that you wouldn't be laying on this bed forever, your parents then rose from their seats. "We'll talk later."
"Okay."
Giving them both a great big hug then (your mother especially), you watched as they turned and walked out the door. You were amazed at how strong they were being. Even your mother, as much to the contrary as it appeared. She was fully prepared to go along with this ruse and pretend that her own sister had not died, and pretend like her son's best friend was actually her. That really did have to be tearing her up inside. Well, I guess if she can find the strength to do that, so can I, you said to yourself, moments before David and Tabitha charged through the door.
Just as your father had told you, the two of them were fine. Equally saddened and shocked by the news of your Auntie's death, and the fact that Randall now inhabited her body. But still, overjoyed to see you were alive. You didn't really get much in the way of info out of them however, it appearing they had been kept in the dark about most things, and after they had left, after you were left alone again, your thoughts turned once more to your best friend and how life was going to be for him once he awoke. He would now be a woman. Your own Auntie no less. What the hell would that do to him - both mentally and physically? Like you, Randall had of course been obsessed with girls and trying to find a way into their panties. But unlike you, he never really seemed to have all that much success. Being sort of clumsy and awkward, not to mention tall and gangly with ginger hair - this having always put him at somewhat of a disadvantage. He was incredibly funny though, with a wicked, playful personality that was more often than naught getting you into trouble, and the two of you had been through so much together over the last 13 years. Discovering that he was not only a completely different person, but a completely different gender too would be a shock you couldn't even begin to imagine.
Though he knew your Auntie and often commented on how hot he thought she was, or how massive her boobs were (being a very busty lady), their interactions up to this point had been kind of limited - usually at a family get together, like a barbecue in the back yard, or a trip to a football game or something. You were pretty certain then that he wouldn't have the first clue about actually living her life. Your Auntie Joan was four years younger than your mother and lived across the other side of town, working for an advertisement agency. She was married briefly when you were younger, but it hadn't worked out and had since gotten a divorce. Now she was, as far as you were aware, single (or at least she had been). She was smart, funny, incredibly attractive, and not someone who's life could be so easily filled. How Randall was going to get on then, you really didn't know...
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