Prologue

Or, Dan Wakes Up to Discover That He Is Don

He woke up in what he came to recognize as a hospital room. He wasn't too sure about how long it took to evaluate his surroundings, but the slight beep of a nearby medical monitoring device and his recognition that he was lying in a hospital bed were clues enough that he must be hospitalized. There wasn't all that much about the room he was in to tell him where he was or what had happened to him other than it appeared to be much like any other hospital room he had ever seen. He snorted as he came up with the sarcastically self-derogatory thought that he was really thinking sharply for someone of his experience and age.

Then too, there was the fact that his head was mildly throbbing. It was a bit painful. And both of his arms were restrained. He checked things out as best as he could and realized that his left arm had a cast from his wrist up to above his elbow. Also, his left side was stiff and sore - as if he had some broken or bruised ribs (been there, done that - he recalled). His right arm appeared to have had multiple IV drips stuck into it for some time. The pale skin of his forearm was bruised from what had to have been lots of needle sticks. Then too, there was an IV stand carrying multiple bags & attached vials of meds leading down to the IV needle still imbedded in his right forearm.

Well, he thought - maybe my aching head and my not-so-swift thoughts have something to do with a head injury and some potent, psychoactive painkillers. That seemed plausible. Then, he realized that had been a rather clear thought. Well, maybe things weren't that bad. Still, what had happened to him? He couldn't remember having become ill or getting into some sort of accident. He was thinking that maybe he had lost his short-term memory of whatever had happened to him when a nurse walked into the room and noticed that he was awake.

"Well, look who's finally awake! We've been waiting for you to wake up from your snooze for nearly two weeks, young man!"

He thought for a moment and wondered why this girlish-looking nurse was calling him a "young man." She was in her mid- to late-20s and still looked a bit like a teenaged girl. She was slim and blond and not all that bad looking.

Then, she continued with "Don, can you tell me how you feel?"

He tried to speak and produced a cackling croak that sounded like something heard in the darkest and dankest understory of a jungle. She immediately turned away and got a cup of water and straw. She offered it to him with a smile and said with a faked Southwestern drawl, "Wet your whistle, pardner." He sipped some water and swallowed. He did so twice more and then shook his head to indicate that he had had enough water.

As the nurse placed the cup on the bedside stand he asked her "Why did you call me Don? My name is Dan."

She frowned slightly but then smiled and held his right hand and said "Well, Dan - I'm Shirley Waters. I've been one of the nursing staff who've looked after you for nearly a week, since your last surgery."

"Shirley, what hospital am I in? I don't remember anything about how I got here."

"Dan, you're in the East Carolina Medical Center in Greenville."

"Greenville? East Carolina? But that's in northwest Carolina - near Spartanburg."

She smiled and then the smile disappeared as she frowned a bit. "No, not Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville in the eastern part of North Carolina."

"What am I doing in North Carolina?" Dan frowned in concentration and tried to remember taking a trip up I-20, I-85, or I-95. He noticed that Shirley was also frowning a bit more at his question.

She reached over to a clipboard and glanced at the topmost sheet of paper. She frowned even more. She looked closely at him and said, "Why did you say your name is Dan? Your name is Donald according to this chart, and I've been told you prefer to be called Don."

Now Dan's eyebrows got some more exercise as they climbed up his forehead and he considered what this young woman had just told him. He evaluated her posture and facial expressions and decided that she wasn't lying or trying to put one over on him. He said, "Uh, Shirley - maybe someone keyed in my name wrong, or you've got the wrong chart. What's the full name listed on that chart?"

A change in expression crossed Shirley's face as Dan watched her. "You're Donald A. Nichols, according to both this chart and your parents. I've been here on four of the occasions when they've visited with you. They've told me a bit about you. They're both working today, but I expect your sisters to visit you sometime soon. According to your family you're Don."

Dan's eyes' blinked and his eyebrows climbed a bit higher at hearing the unfamiliar name. And parents... And sisters... WHAT the HELL was going on!

"Uh, Shirley - my parents and sisters, you say? Uh, how old are they? Uh, how old am I? I'm feeling like someone stuffed me full of something that's slowing down how I think. I could have sworn that I don't have any sisters."

Shirley looked at him oddly. Then she told him his parents were fortyish. She checked his chart again and said that he was fifteen years old as of last month. "Your oldest sister does seem to be older than you. Those twins are definitely several years younger than you. Your middle sister might be your age. But I'm not sure whether she's older or younger than you."

He listened to what she said and asked, "I'm fifteen years old?"

Shirley looked at his chart again and said "Yes, fifteen years and just over a month old."

Dan thought about that and knew something was stranger than hell. Why would she be telling him he was fifteen when he was really fifty years old? He decided to shift gears and ask a question about something that might provide him with information that was real and useful.

"Uh, Shirley - what was that surgery was you mentioned a minute ago? I can tell that my headaches and that I must be on some sort of painkiller from how things seem a bit fuzzy. What happened to me?"

"OH! Don, you don't remember, do you? You were struck by a hit-and-run driver!

You were both fortunate and unfortunate, in some ways. The fender of his truck broke your arm and bruised your ribs. But, your head was struck by the passenger side mirror. Since it was mostly plastic, it wasn't the worst thing for your head to impact. Because of that, it didn't kill you. Still, it was your head injury that caused you to undergo two different surgeries. That's why you're still on a drip of painkillers and other medications. You were really seriously injured when first brought into the emergency room."

"What happened to whoever hit me? And what was I doing here in North Carolina?"

Shirley looked at him as though he had said something really odd. But she answered with "The driver was a repeat offender for DUI. He was reported by one of your neighbors who witnessed what happened and someone else followed him from the intersection where he had struck you. That driver following him called 911 and reported that he was following a hit and run driver that had left the scene of an accident involving a pedestrian. The guy who hit you tried to outrun the Sheriff's Department and the Highway Patrol. The pursuit took the bypass around Greenville, but they ran him off 264 near Wilson. He had a gun and shot at the officers. He was dropped dead with nearly twenty shots from the deputies and officers."

Dan said "God! What an idiot!

... Wait - Wilson, where's Wilson? Is that near Greenville?"

Shirley looked at him strangely and said, "It's West of here - closer to I-95. I read that the investigators thought he was trying to get to the interstate.

Why did you ask what you are doing in North Carolina? You live here, from what your parents and sisters have told me."

Dan thought - parents and sisters, again... What is that about?

"Uh, Shirley - you've met and spoken with my parents and sisters? Uh, how did they seem about me? What were they saying?"

"Oh Don, your father and step-mother have been here every day until yesterday. They had to return to work today. I understand your sisters will be here later this morning. Your parents are supposed to come in and see you later in the evening."

"Oh, OK - how are my sisters doing? I kinda don't want any big surprises when they first see me."

"Well, your younger sisters were crying the first time I saw them here, but your older sisters just seemed really concerned. They're all such beautiful girls. Since that first time the twins seem to have gotten better about how they responded to your condition."

Dan considered what Shirley had just said and decided that he must have several sisters. At least some of his younger sisters had to be a set of twins. Parsing out what had been said, then he figured that he must have at least four sisters. Yeah, right! Something's plainly wrong here. Maybe I'm dreaming or even still in a coma - if I'm really injured. Like I really have living parents (and one who's a stepmother!). And sure - I have a small gaggle of sisters! This has to be a dream or else the effects of poly-pharmacological interactions. There's just no way that this is real!

"Uh, Shirley - do I live with my family here in Greenville? I'm really fuzzy about living in North Carolina. I kinda feel as though I've forgotten something about how I got here."

"Don - your parents said that you've lived in Danielville all of your life."

"Danielville? Where's Danielville?"

"It's the county seat of Morgan County. That's between here and where I grew up in Bertie County. What's wrong? Don't you remember your hometown? I actually know some of your cousins and the Nichols have been there forever."

Dan thought quickly and decided to act the part of someone really confused by memory loss.

"Uh, maybe not. I seem to be having some problems with remembering some things that I should know.

Uh, Shirley - is there a neurologist assigned to my case? I think I need to talk to him. I'm worried that there are some holes in my memories. You said that I had a head injury. I'm worried that I may have some form of amnesia."

Shirley seemed to immediately realize what he meant by what he was saying and her expression became very concerned. "Oh, Don! I'll call Dr. Wilkins immediately. He'll be relieved to know that you're awake and talking. I'll be right back after I call him. I'm sure he'll be here as soon as he can get away from his office."

Dan watched with his fifty year old mind as concerned young nurse Shirley Waters left his room to call his neurologist. He thought about what she had said. He was supposed to be a fifteen year old teenager with parents and what sounded like four sisters. In a part of North Carolina that he knew nothing about. Well, he had heard of Bertie County. He remembered that his umpteenth Rhoderic grandparents were supposed to have left Bertie County sometime around the time of the Revolutionary War. They settled in Georgia and their grandson had moved on to the newly opened Territory of Florida after it had been acquired by the U.S. in 1821. He had been Dan's great-great-great-or-something-grandfather. Dan's family had been in Florida since the 1830s. He had gotten slightly interested in genealogical studies over the past several years and was really sure of some of what he had uncovered about his origins. He never was able to recall exactly and precisely who everyone had been and who they had married. But, he knew the basics of his ancestry. Dan stopped to consider that set of facts and realized that he seemed to have some real and true memories that were intact. Facts that seemed to indicate that he had had a long and interesting life. But, he thought - what is this about me being Don Nichols when I know that I'm Daniel Rhoderic. How can I be a fifteen year old teenager when I know that I'm really fifty years old?

He lay in his hospital bed and considered what he was going to say to his neurologist. His own past and training caused him to decide on a cautious approach to what he admitted to the physician. He would have to see how flexible this guy's mind might turn out to be.

Post-Prologue Or, Dan Starts to Wonder about Whether He Can Be Don.

He awoke again.

He decided that he must have fallen asleep after his last talk with his nurse. He looked around and thought that his IV drip stand looked a bit less crowded. Maybe some of the meds had been removed.

He was still pondering that possible change in his medical status when he noticed someone coming through the doorway.

OK, this has to be my attending physician, he thought. Then, he immediately wondered - why are my thoughts so damned precise? It's like I'm aware of defining roles or something. It's almost like I've gotten sharp, all over again. I'm starting to feel like the smart kid I was when I was a teenager. But, oh hell - that nurse did say that I'm a fifteen year old teenager...

The man who had entered the room had watched him for several seconds and then smiled. He stepped around the hospital bed and placed his hand on Dan's shoulder. "Well, Don - how are you doing?"

"Uh, are you my attending physician, my neurologist, or what?"

"Oh, I'm Dr. Wilkins. I'm your neurologist. Dr. Rogers is your attending physician, but he's dealing with an emergency trauma case just now. Since Shirley called my office with news that you were awake then I thought that I should see how you are doing. So, how are you doing?"

"Uh, let's just say that I'm a bit confused..."

"OK, Shirley said that you might be confused and are having problems remembering things. Well, you've been in a coma for nearly two weeks, so I wouldn't be too worried about being confused after having just awakened. And given your head injury, then you may find it difficult to remember what you were doing prior to your accident. Also, we did artificially induce and extend your coma over the last several days to allow you to better recover from your head injury. Does any of what I just said help you with your feeling confused? Better yet, what can you tell me that you remember?"

"Oh, OK. I was in a coma that was drug-induced. Is that what you are saying?"

"Yes, that's correct. We wanted to stabilize your condition prior to allowing you to regain consciousness.

But, what is it that you remember?"

"This is going to sound really, really strange."

"That's alright. You've had a head injury and many patients I've treated start out with what seem to be strange problems."

Dan lay there for several seconds and thought that this guy is going to have some problems with what I lay on him. I'm not going to tell him everything that I'm thinking - that's for sure!

"OK... Well, Shirley told me that I live with my parents and several sisters. She said that I live in North Carolina. She also said I lived somewhere near Bertie County."

"That's right, your family lives in Danielville - it's between here and Bertie County."

OK, time for a bit of acting.

"Daaammmnnn..."

"What is it, Don? You said you're confused and can't remember some things. You seem to recognize Bertie County. Is there a problem with remembering your family or home?"

"Uh, yeah.

Dr. Wilkins, does patient confidentiality extend to someone as young as I'm supposed to be?"

"Oh yes, since the passage of the new statutes extending legal protections to teen-aged minors, then whatever you say to me stays between us."

New statutes - what new laws is he talking about? Oh! Maybe it's just a North Carolina thing.

"Well then, as far as I know about things - I don't have any living parents or any sisters. I've never heard of Danielville, North Carolina. I don't know anything about my having a living family or having ever lived in North Carolina." Dan really didn't consider having been stationed at Fort Bragg as being the same as having lived in North Carolina.

"So, Don - you're saying that you don't have any memories of your family or hometown."

"Yeah... Dr. Wilkins, I'm pretty sure that I have amnesia. And I think that I might have some other, more serious problems."

Dan watched as Dr. Wilkins pursed his lips and stroked his beard. He seemed to be considering what to ask next.

Dan beat him to any question that he might have been considering.

"Dr. Wilkins, what's the possibility that I may have constructed a set of false memories. I'm really sure of my name and it isn't Don Nichols. I'll just say that I'm real sure that my name is actually Dan. And, that I'm not a fifteen year old kid. I have memories of going to college and working as an adult.

I mean, if I am fifteen years old - then I've created some interesting memories of an adult. They seem really, truly valid to me. How could that happen?"

Dan paused for a moment, and then continued.

"But then, maybe a head trauma, then a coma, and even an extension of a coma with drugs - maybe that's caused me to dream up a new identity. Well, that is - if this isn't all a dream..."

Dr. Wilkins was looking at him with concern plainly written across his face. He seemed to have become disturbed over what he had just heard.

"Don, I've examined you along with Dr. Rogers and you seem to be a well-developed young man of fifteen years. Physically speaking, you aren't an adult. That just isn't the case. As to your memories, that's something that I'm going to ask our staff Psychiatrist Dr. Pralinski to talk to you about. It is possible that you've experienced some vivid dreams while in a coma and in the absence of your own memories, then you've created a new personality from those dreams. I don't really see how that could have occurred. But it may be possible.

It might be best to wait until all of the medications you've been taking have been flushed from your system. It's possible that you're just experiencing some confusion due to an unexpected drug interaction or possibly how your medications have interacted with your injury. These interactions may have caused you to experience delusions."

"Uh, OK - I think that I can see how that might have happened...

Still, though - I don't have any memories of my family.

OK, I have parents and some sisters. I don't recall my parents. And I don't even know how many sisters I have!

Dr. Wilkins, I'm really at a loss - if I've got amnesia, then whether or not its permanent or isn't permanent - then it's going to be very disturbing to my family if I don't even recognize them."

The neurologist looked at him with another expression of concern. Then he seemed to come to a conclusion.

"Don, your sisters are supposed to visit with after your lunch. I think that I'll restrict access to you to your parents. I'll explain that you seem to be a bit confused due to your medications. I'll make sure your sisters understand that this is a measure meant to not stress you. Which, in essence - is the truth. It's possible that you'll remember much of or everything about your life over the next several days. The less stress that you experience, then the better for you. I've met your sisters, and those four young ladies just might confuse any male!"

Dan wondered about that. So, there are four sisters! And that seems to mean that they're all teenagers! That's exciting! That's horrible! Ugh! I've never gotten over those teen and pre-teen girls I used to see when I worked as a teen-aged scorekeeper. Well, there've been lots of women since then. But, teen-aged girls have always been my favorite form of eye-candy.

Dan realized that his life might have just gotten far more complicated than he might have imagined!

DAMN! They're the sisters of this boy's body! Well, that's the case if any of this is true! Yeah, right... Sure, I'm now a fifteen year old kid!

I can't be thinking about girls so young. I can't be doing anything with them! That would be incest! Well, at least - physically. And yeah, RIGHT - I'm sure that the teenaged sister of some guy is gonna jump his bone! That just ain't gonna happen! And it would be wrong! And also, I have to be sick to be thinking this way!

Then, his thoughts came back around to basic problem - What the hell? Do I really believe any of this? Like, for real - he's once again a fifteen year old boy!

Dan shuddered and tried to clear his mind of such thoughts.

"Uh, OK - that sounds like a workable plan for dealing with my sisters.

But, what about my parents? I don't even know what they look like! I'll be at a complete loss if they walk in here and start talking to me and asking me about things that I should know."

"Well, Don - I'll speak to them before they visit with you. I will explain to them that you are experiencing some memory problems and identity issues. I will explain that this may be a consequence of your head trauma and possibly due to your medications. I will explain about temporary amnesia and the possibility of long-term memory loss.

Don, you are my patient. I will do everything possible within my abilities to aid you.

Do you think that will adequately deal with your family and how they need to be introduced to your present problems?"

"Yes, Dr. Wilkins - that sounds like a workable plan."

"OK, then. I'm going to speak with the staff Psychiatrist Dr. Pralinski or else the hospital's Psychologist about speaking with you. Either of them should be able to help you with the emotional aspects of what seems to be affecting you. And between us, we might be able to assist you in overcoming your amnesia. Also, the Psychologist can administer some tests to determine your basic mental function and knowledge.

Beyond that, I have some colleagues with much more experience dealing with amnesia, so I think that I'll call and check with one or two of them. Your physical injuries do seem to be on the mend. But, if your memory remains unclear or confused, then I'll want to bring in some experts to help in determining how best to assist you in your recovery.

Chapter 1 »