What a Saturday afternoon I was having, dull, wet, sad and looking towards boredom day. I had never married since an incident when I was a teenager, I had finally sold my company so that I could retire; as a company we designed and built many different computers, computer components and software and I had ensured my team of twenty staff wouldn’t get broken up by the new owners, well not without them getting paid 5 years salary each, for the privilege. For me, well I was still involved with the Scout movement as a Group Scout Leader. I had just left the restaurant opposite The Theatre Severn where I had paid the account for my retirement party the night before.

I had walked across the Welsh Bridge and was just about to start across the Smithfield Road into Shrewsbury town centre, away from the river bank when I heard the scream of tyres and a roaring engine coming from Frankwell towards me, followed by the wail of multiple sirens. I looked around and saw a car racing over the Welsh Bridge and then looked forward and saw a party of four Brownies starting to cross the road from the traffic island in front of me, I looked behind me again and saw the racing car nearly over the Welsh Bridge; there was no time for the little girls to get clear without help so I darted forward with arms spread and as I swept the four little girls back; I was hit by the car. I was thrown spinning into the air as the children were caught by the barrier for the other carriageway I cartwheeled onto the other carriageway in front of the wheels of an articulated lorry; the next fraction of a second seemed to last for an eternity; I blacked out as I watched the lorry wheels run over my body from my waist towards my head.

I awoke, unable to feel anything, I couldn’t see anything, I tried to speak and realised I wasn’t breathing.

“Ah Martin, I can see that we recovered you before it was too late, don’t worry about speaking, as you can think at us; just as we are thinking at you.”

“Where am I, and more importantly how come I’m still alive?”

“Ah well, your mind is alive, unfortunately your body isn’t, your body was killed saving those four little girls. You are in a spaceship manned by what you would call extra-terrestrials. We were able to remove your brain between your landing in front of that vehicle and it crushing your head. It has taken us a while to learn to communicate with you.”

“So I’m just a brain, is that what you are saying?”

“Well yes and no, at the moment that is true, however we will be able to transfer you back into a body that has lost its mind in an accident. We have learnt a lot about human brains since the accident. We now know how to transfer you again when we find a suitable recipient.

We learnt a lot about you and your public service, The Scout and Guide associations took over organising your funeral when they discovered you had no living relatives. There were over 800 young people and their leaders who marched in front of and behind your hearse from the funeral directors on the Whitchurch Road up past the Castle and down Pride Hill and on to St Chads to meet up with your friends there. We can show you how it went if you want. You literally brought Shrewsbury to a halt for the procession and Town Walls was closed by all the people watching the service on the big screens outside the church and in The Quarry. Your support for young people in the town was noted and the collection taken there was added to the gift of your estate to the young people of Shropshire. You can watch it if you wish.”

“Thank you that will be fascinating.” With that thought it was if a cinema screen was in front of me; but I was in it. I was in the park and ride car park near The Battlefield watching scouts and guides gathering together. The Marshalls were lining the groups up. I could see my old troop at the front, behind the scout band. A bus full of police arrived and they lined up on the exit road to escort the march. An open top car arrived with the four brownies I had rescued. I guessed that they had new uniforms on after being rolled around the Smithfield road. I could see the plaster casts on various arms and legs.

At 11 o clock the band started playing and the first police officer moved out on his motor bike to lead the band; they moved to the main road and met the other police motorcycle outriders who would be holding up the traffic at the traffic lights and road junctions. The band played and the march moved on heading for town, the police outriders holding up the traffic at each junction. The car with the brownies was towards the front of the march with my scout troops colour parties in front and behind the car. My groups colour party had all our Group flags; the scout, guide, cubs and brownie flags along with the group’s Union flag directly in front of the brownies car. I watched the parade swing round the new roundabout and approach the funeral directors where I knew my body was waiting to join the procession. Marshalls slowed the rear section from the car backwards to allow enough space for the hearse to join the parade. I could see people starting to line the street now as we moved on towards town along Castle Foregate and up the hill past the Castle. As we entered the top of Pride Hill the colour party in front of the hearse stopped to allow the contingent of brownies and rainbows to walk in from St Marys Street. The hearse and rear colour party then moved forward to allow all the cubs and beavers to join the parade behind the hearse. The parade through the shopping centre and down Pride Hill stretched from the whole length of the pedestrian section and on to the junction with Barker Street. We were soon outside St Chads where my coffin then waited to be carried into the church whilst all the marchers were guided in. My coffin was carried in by 6 scout leaders, escorted by the colour parties. I could see the church was packed well beyond the 1000 official capacity, the cubs, brownies, beavers and rainbows were doubled up in the pews, twelve of them where there were officially six seats and so on. The flags were then placed in supports around my coffin, after the hymn the four brownies were helped from the front row, where they were alongside the representatives from the police and Ambulance service to the lectern.

“We are only here because of Group Scout Leader Martin. He saw that we were in peril and gave his life to save us; He fulfilled the verses from St Johns Gospel, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends; and; I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He acted as the good shepherd to our scout and guide company.” With that she broke down in tears.

“Thank you, I think that’s enough for me.” The screen disappeared

“Martin, We have found a body we can use, she’s 16 years old and is currently in a coma after she received brain damage in a car crash that killed her family, unfortunately her mind was destroyed; however her brain stem survived which is why she is still alive. The other injuries have now healed but she will need physiotherapy to fully recover. Her name is Ruth, at the moment we transfer your brain her aunt will be sitting with her, as she has every evening since the crash. We have seen that you were a very successful computer designer and programmer, that you know the hardware as well as the operating systems and applications. We have added circuit diagrams for an easy to build computer and all the peripherals to your mind and on the USB stick; you will see how the memory works with the solid state devices we have given you the details for; with your current knowledge on hardware and operating systems you will be able to use the data on the USB sticks we have placed in Ruth’s bag to create solid state memory devices and you will recognise the programs as we were able to transfer them from your brain to the stick. I would suggest you use it as the memory for your new computer. We have given you all the knowledge you will need to advance computing by many years. Good luck and enjoy your new life.”

With those words I went to sleep and then woke up in a body. I moved my eyes and saw a lady in her 30’s sitting beside me, her eyes were drooping. I tried to speak but couldn’t, I coughed and her eyes flicked to my face and she saw my open eyes.

“Ruth, Ruth!! You’ve woken up!! NURSE! NURSE!!!”

A student nurse came into my room and was shocked to see my open eyes following her into the room; she grabbed my wrist and looked at her fob watch, then ran out of the room I was in. I could hear her feet running down the corridor.

There was a loud shout. “NURSE!!! Is there a fire or a haemorrhage? Those are the only reasons for a nurse to run!”

“No Sister, Ruth has woken up!”

“Go and ring for her Doctor.” I then heard a different set of footsteps moving quickly towards me as the nurse ran on towards the ward to ring the doctor. As the other set of feet came through the door she turned to the lady, is my nurse correct?” she then looked towards me and her eyes widened. “Yes, I see she is. What’s happened?”

“I don’t know, I was dozing as I had a busy day, when suddenly I heard a light cough, I looked up and saw those bright blue eyes looking back at me.”

“What has happened, where am I, who are you and why are you holding my hand?”

“To answer in reverse, I am your aunt Helen, you are in the Nelson Hospital, Merton and you were in a very bad car crash.”

“But who am I?”

“Ruth Turner, you’re 16 years old and I am now your guardian.”

As she said this I heard heavy footsteps clumping up the corridor and a grumpy man’s voice saying “What nonsense is this, Ruth woken up, you know that’s never going to happen, don’t you mean she has finally died?”

“No Dr, her eyes are open and her pulse has risen to 62.”

“Nonsense,” then he saw my open eyes following him into the room. “I’m sorry Miss Turner, I really believed that you couldn’t recover, you will pardon my surprise.”

“Certainly Dr, I am trying to find out who I am as I have memories of being a man and being killed in a car crash in 2018.”

“Well I don’t know where that dream came from as you are a 16 year old girl in 1968. Let me examine you,” With that he started flashing lights in my eyes, moving his finger from side to side and asking me to follow it with my eyes, then he took my arms and tapped my elbows and tapped below the kneecaps, my reflexes were fine. “Well that all seems fine, Helen, I’ll need to get her back to the Atkinson Morley for further tests. I don’t know how I am going to explain this to her previous consultant, he simply won’t believe it.” Helen nodded her head.

“Dr, I think one of us needs to explain to Ruth what we are talking about.”

“Ruth, you and your family were in a car crash with a lorry, you had multiple injuries including a serious head injury, in fact you were diagnosed as brain dead, which was when you were transferred from the Atkinson Morley Neurological Hospital to here; your brain stem was still functioning, that is why your vital organs were still working. Basically you were sent here to die; there was nothing anyone could do. Then suddenly you have woken up, I cannot understand why you apparently have memories of a man of the future, but I do understand why you have no memories of your own. I won’t make any record of the man from the future and suggest neither of you refer to it in public as you won’t be believed, your aunt will help you with your history I’m sure. Now we had better bring in some water for you so that we can get you restarted on feeding yourself and we can then take this down.”

With that I looked and saw the glass bottle of what looked like water on the stand and a tube with a rubber connector disappearing into the bandage on my arm. The doctor left the room and a nurse came back in with a glass jug of water and a drinking cup, the over bed trolley was brought from the side of the room and I was set up with the first drink since whenever.

“Ruth, if you have no memories of yourself we are going to have to think what we can do for you. You are physically very weak, you had a broken leg and arm, broken ribs, fractured skull and broken jaw, they have all healed whilst you have been laying here but your school friends won’t believe how much weight you have lost and how thin your arms and legs are. Once they have finished with you tomorrow then we can start getting you fit, you remember I told you that I’m your guardian, well your mum, dad and your brothers all died in the same car crash.”

“I can’t remember them, should I feel sad?”

“I can’t answer that I’m afraid. If you had your memories, then yes you would feel sad, but with you having no memories.” With that she shrugged her shoulders. I looked at her and saw sadness in her eyes.

“Helen, do you have anyone?”

“I did, however I came home from a holiday in Germany, six months before the crash, and found a letter from him, who is now my ex-husband, saying he had left me; to be honest I am not unhappy about it as I discovered he was a mummy’s boy; after I had married him, that’s why I have no children.”

I lay there and thought. I saw a man come in with the Doctor.

“See! I told you she was awake and talking, she seems to have no sense of who she is but apart from that she’s fine.”

“Well I have to believe my eyes but I find it so difficult. I saw her EEG results, there was nothing there, yet I am sure if I were to connect her up now we would see a different story. Helen, can I take her to Atkinson Morley now? I can do an EEG tonight and get her back here before lights out; you can come with us if you wish.”

Helen looked at me and I nodded. “Okay sir, it will be fascinating to watch.” The nurse came in with a large canvas sheet and rolled me onto it along with my top sheet and blanket. Two ambulance men then came in with a trolley, pulled the bed out, removed the headrest and took up the poles and slid them into the sleeves of the canvas and lifted me onto the trolley. Helen gripped the pole of the drip stand and walked alongside me and out to the ambulance. I looked and was surprised to see the large bell on the front bumper of the white van, so different to the green and yellow ambulances I was used to in my previous life. I was carried from the trolley into the ambulance and the poles put into their rests. Ten minutes later we were drawing up outside the neuro hospital. Within minutes we were moved into a treatment room and a nurse was busy fitting the EEG contacts to my head. I watched the nurse and asked her a question.

“Nurse, why are you shaking your head?”

“I remember doing this when you were bandaged and plastered. I watched the flat lines the machine was drawing and I wondered how long it would take you to die, yet here I am 6 months later and you are talking to me, now lay back and relax, let my machine do its thing.”

It was strange listening to the whir of the pens as they moved back and forth across the roll of paper, in what seemed a short while the pens stopped and the consultant was looking at the paper.

“Well that proves your brain has started working again and that your talking to us is not a figment of our imagination, I don’t know why, I don’t know how and I can’t begin to explain how or why the results look like a text book picture of a healthy brain, well I can discharge you again to your doctor at the Nelson Hospital. He will have to get you drinking and eating again and get your muscles back in tone.”

I was soon back in the ambulance and returned to the side ward. Visiting had finished and Helen hugged me as she said goodbye. I lay back and thought of how I could move forward. I knew that I had to get the tubes out of me so that I could start full physiotherapy, I looked around my room and realised there was nothing for me to do, the ward sister came in with a young nurse.

“Ruth, did you drink all that?” pointing to the half empty jug.

“Yes, I did, my mouth was very dry.”

“How do you feel, sick at all?”

“No, I feel fine, except I don’t feel as if I need to go to the toilet or anything.”

“You won’t, you have a tube in you to drain you into a bottle and I can see that your urine output is up nicely, I think that can come out.” With that she folded my bed clothes back and lifted my gown. “Now this will feel very strange.” There was a pulling sensation deep inside me and a short sharp pain. “It will probably hurt the next couple of times you go to the toilet.”

I was left with the young nurse. “Can you get me something to read?”

“Certainly, I’ll be two minutes.” I shortly heard two sets of footsteps, the click clack of the nurse’s shoes and a softer shuffle. The nurse popped her head in the door.

“When I asked to borrow some books Sarah asked who for, and I explained you had just woken up after six months and had nothing to do, she asked if she could visit.”

“Come in Sarah.”

A teenage girl in pyjamas and dressing gown joined the nurse.

“How are you Ruth?” I saw you through the open door when I was admitted and when I was taken to theatre but you were always sleeping.”

“Yes, I have been told I was asleep for six months. I know nothing of what happened before I woke up, I’ve been told I was in a bad car crash and my family were killed, but I have no memory of them, my aunt was holding my hand when I woke up but I had to ask who she was.”

“Do you remember your school at all?”

“No, my entire past is a blank, I have been told that I am sixteen, whether I’m in school or not I just don’t know.” Whilst I was saying this I was thinking back on my past life that ended so abruptly under the lorry beside the River Severn in Shrewsbury.

“Ruth, your school bag is in the locker, it was found in the car.” Saying this, the nurse bent down and pulled the bag out of the locker and put it on my bed.

“Oh boy, I’ve never seen a school bag like that, where did you get it?”

“I don’t know, I can’t remember.” Sarah quickly undid the straps, the label inside read The Chocolate soup. Danish Souperbag. New York.

“That is amazing, ooh let’s see what you are studying.” Out came some brown paper wrapped exercise books, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English Language, English Literature, French, Latin, Economic History, History and Geography. As I lay there I heard a voice in my head.

“Martin, or should I say Ruth, I have transferred all the knowledge you need for those subjects to take you to what I can read from Sarah is A-level standard and the physics and mathematics to post doctoral degree standard. You can say that reading those books brought back your memories. We are getting all the information you need from Helen and will transfer it overnight whilst you are asleep, we can give you facts but unfortunately we can’t give you the emotions about your family.”

I opened a book and started reading the first page from the start of term September 1967. It felt strange to suddenly understand what was written.

“Ooh, that’s so strange, I can understand what I am reading, it’s like my brain is filling up with knowledge.”

I stopped speaking as all my memories of Martin linked with the download of information of my schoolbooks. I realised that maths and physics kept coming along with what Martins brain told me was a history of computing, it was strange to see the wiring diagrams for the various computer boards appearing in my brain along with the technical data of how to produce the negatives for them. I lay back and let the knowledge wash over me, content that I didn’t have to try and remember.

“Wow, my brain just remembered all my school work, it’s strange but I still don’t remember me.”

“At least you won’t have to relearn all your schoolwork; that would be so boring.” I laughed at the thought of what Sarah would say if she really knew what had just happened inside my head. The nurse came and moved Sarah back to the main ward to settle down for the night. Hot cocoa and a thick digestive biscuit were brought for my supper. I lay back and worked out how best to make my next computer, it wasn’t long before I was fast asleep.

Six thirty and I was woken up to a bright good morning and the nurse sticking a thermometer, from the pot above my bed, into my mouth; and off she went down the corridor and into the main ward. Two minutes later she was back and reading the temperature and taking my pulse. I listened to a rattle from the corridor,

“Hello dear, I’ve heard you woke up last night, would you like some tea?”

“Yes please, I hope I like it.” I watched as she selected a cup, poured the milk and tea, she looked at me;

“Sugar?”

“I don’t know, that is one of the things that hasn’t come back, I’ve remembered my schoolwork but nothing about me.”

“Well, try it without sugar then.” She brought the cup and saucer to my table, I sat up and took the cup and sipped, bliss.

“That’s beautiful.”

“We’ll be bringing in the wash bowls shortly.” Fortunately I could use my Martin memories, but it was funny when I came to wash my body, my mind found washing my breasts and pussy very different, I wondered as I did it what my peers called these body parts, certainly not what Martin would have called them, fortunately there was a clean gown for me. I was soon dressed and ready for breakfast.

The student nurse came back with a wheelchair for me, to take me to breakfast. A long table was in the middle of the ward with chairs around. There were four girls my age or younger and six adults. I was introduced to the other patients and was sat by Sarah.

“Ruth, we have cereal or porridge first and then it’s usually bacon and eggs or bacon and tomato, except on Sunday when it’s a boiled egg; then toast and marmalade to follow.” What a change from the last breakfast I remembered eating, coffee and yogurt. I listened to the patients sharing their knowledge and the discussions about which was the best record, Cliff Richards; Congratulations, Tom Jones; Delilah or The Beatles; Lady Madonna. One of the older ladies folded her newspaper and placed it on the table; I asked if I could borrow it, she passed it to me. I read about the murder of Martin Luther king, I had already seen it. It was difficult to separate my memories of the event from Martins brain and my reading of the event as Ruth. I looked at the top of the page. Thursday April 4th 1968, that date explained what I hadn’t been told, how far through time I had been moved; to before the start of personal computing. I had the knowledge to change the path of computing to using a user friendly Linux system and not wait on the big boy to make the original disc operating system. I could also advance the computer itself to solid state hard drive and main memory and solid state digital memory sticks for transferring programs and data, it would be interesting to see if CD’s and DVD’s ever became popular. With those thoughts I concentrated on eating my porridge. I had been told that was what I would be eating this morning to get my stomach ready for food again.

Half an hour later I was back in my room waiting for the physiotherapist, I had been told she came into see me every morning before reaching the ward proper, to keep my muscles moving. It seems she always said hello to my unresponsive body and talked to me whilst she moved me around. I heard footsteps in the corridor then a cheery voice followed by a body came into my room.

Hello Ruth, here we are again trying to get you ready for running that marathon.”

“No we’re not you’re getting ready to help me walk again.” There was a clatter as she dropped her bag and spun around.

“Ruth, you’re awake, how, when,” she spluttered to a halt.

“I woke up last night, I have seen my doctor here and the doctor at Atkinson Morley; where they did a scan of my brain, it’s there and working. I was started on food last night with biscuits and hot cocoa, then porridge, toast and tea this morning. They have taken my catheter out so can you get me walking to the toilet please?”

“Certainly Ruth, let’s get you round onto the side of the bed, then when you are steady I will get a nurse to help me get you standing.”

Two hours later my gown and dressing gown were soaked with sweat and my muscles were trembling with the strain, the nurse turned to me and said.

“To the bathroom with you young lady, I think a bath is called for.” She wheeled me down the corridor and into the bathroom. The bath was ready for me, the nurse helped me to stand up whilst she undid my dressing gown, undid the ties on the plain white, back opening gown. It was strange looking down my very slim body, no bulging belly or man-boobs, just shapely little breasts, an A cup from looking, at an unusual angle for me; ribs showing through the skin, a hollow tummy and swelling hip bones. I used the harsh pink carbolic soap to wash with.

The nurse helped me with my hair, I hadn’t taken notice of it, as my most recent memory of hair was being bald, it was pinned up and I couldn’t tell how long it was until she pulled the clips and poured jugs of water over it and rubbed in a green pine scented shampoo, it was hard work getting a lather and she explained as she rinsed out the first wash that my hair had been sprinkled with talcum powder whilst I was in a coma, purely to cut down on the hair grease on the pillows, finally, after many washes and changes of water my hair was squeaky clean and the nurse wrapped it in a turban of towels, she then helped me out of the bath to dry me. She sat me in the chair and plaited my damp hair. I was finished just in time for lunch. I hadn’t realised just how long my hair was, pinned up as it had been, as even plaited it came down to my waist.

My doctor came back after lunch and our rest period. He discussed with me what he wanted me to do in physio each day, it sounded as tiring as it turned out to be. As he left the bell rang, I was later told that it marked the start of visiting. A smartly dressed woman came into my room.

“Ruth, your aunt Helen let us know that you had woken so I thought I would come and see you.”

“I’m sorry but who are you? I don’t know you, but then apart from the staff, my aunt and a girl called Sarah who I met yesterday, I don’t know anybody.”

Helen told me you had problems with your memory. I’m Miss Hunt, your head of year from school.”

“Oh hello Miss. When I woke up yesterday I knew nothing,” I didn’t mention my memories of Martin, “when I was with Sarah she found my schoolbag, I opened the physics book and it was like a tap was turned on and all my scholastic knowledge poured into my mind like a tap being turned on.”

“Would you like me to bring your friends in, they’re waiting outside?”

“Oh yes please.” Miss Hunt went to the door and beckoned down the hall, I heard the scurry of feet and suddenly my room was full of schoolgirls all saying “Hello Ruth.” In my head I heard the voice saying I’m going to give you all their memories of you and them. With that my eyes closed as my mind filled with memories of school, and visits to each other’s houses. Miss Hunt noticed my eyes close.

“Are you all right Ruth?”

“I think so miss, my mind has just filled with memories of all my friends, it’s rather overwhelming.”

I lay there as they talked about what had happened in the six months since the accident. My mind was happily filling with new knowledge, but it seemed so strange to hear about the music of my original youth. The time soon passed and the bell rang for the end of visiting time. My friends left to go back to school and a nurse came into my room and said that I was being moved to the main ward later.

My aunt came in to see me. “I have arranged to come in early. Sister has told me all you have done today, it is good to see your hair like it is, I had forgotten what it looked like when it was done up in that bun. You will be doing school from tomorrow morning then physio tomorrow afternoon. They expect you will stay in for at least another week or ten days. They want to put some muscle back on your body, as you have lost a lot of weight; they are bringing the scales round to weigh you.”

It was then I heard the squeak of wheels and a nurse brought in the scales, and invited me to step on the scales, she kept sliding the balance weight back until it read 7 stone 2 pounds.

“Oh my Ruth, you have lost over 3 stone, none of your clothes will fit, I will bring my dressmaker in to make you some clothes.”

“Where do I live and if its six months since my parents died, what’s its state?”

“Well, it’s 96 Toynbee Road, just under a half a mile from here; your father’s factory is next door, where they make televisions. I have been working there, running the business for you and I have been staying in your spare room, I hope you don’t mind?”

“Not at all, better than leaving it empty. I suppose you were expecting me to die.”

“I suppose it could seem like that, the truth was if you lived then I would be your guardian, if you died then the house would have come to me in your father’s, my brother’s, will. I have been working for the estate. The insurers for the owner of the lorry are going to be most upset with this news as they were waiting for you to die before allowing the claim to go to court as they thought they would save money by not having to pay you damages for the loss of your parents and siblings. It doesn’t help them that the driver was drunk at the time. The mortgages on both the house and the business were covered by the insurance policies on your father’s life and your parents both had personal life insurance policies which have all been paid into the estate. Now that you have regained consciousness the estate will pass to you with me as your guardian.”