Chapter 2

Once again he was awakened by a hand on his shoulder and someone speaking Don's name.

It was Shirley. And Dr. Chen was with her.

"Hi Shirley, Dr. Chen. How are y'all doin'?"

"I'm fine, Don."

"I'm doing well, Don. Did you enjoy your lunch?"

"Yeah! I ate two separate meals. Maybe I won't fade away into a pale shadow of my former self!"

Both women grinned. "Well, if you aren't presently starving to death, then I'd like to ask you a series of questions. Is that alright with you?" She grinned in reference to his earlier objections about hospital food.

"Yeah - go ahead, Dr. Chen."

Shirley spoke up. "Don, I'll be back by to check in on you. See you later." She smiled as headed on out the door.

"Bye, Shirley."

Dr. Chen pulled up a chair and sat down beside Dan's bed. She was wearing a white doctor's lab coat over what seemed to be a shiny gray blouse. "Give me a minute to review my notes, Don."

"Sure, Dr. Chen." She smiled at him.

He was looking at her and suddenly realized that her blouse was translucent, perhaps even transparent. He could actually see a lacey black bra underneath the blouse. What's a professional like Dr. Chen doing walking around in sexy cloths like these?

Dr. Chen was adjusting herself in the chair and had a notepad that she was checking. That's when Dan was really surprised. That lacey black bra had only demi-cups. Her nipples were exposed underneath her semi-transparent blouse. How in the world is she getting away with dressing like that?

Something was obviously strange. He began reviewing in his mind all of the other women who'd been in his room. Most had been wearing hospital uniforms. Those sets of clothing were obviously meant to be comfortable and protective. He had to assume he just hadn't seen enough other women in street or professional dress to know whether what Dr. Chen was dressed in was exceptional. It should be, but he already knew that something was strangely off-track about his memories. They didn't match up with reality (as he knew it) in some instances. He might be wrong about the dress code.

Dr. Chen looked up from her notes at that moment and caught Dan's stare.

"Yes, Don? Is there something you want to ask me?" She smiled at him.

"What? Uh, no... I was just thinking about things."

"OK, then are you ready for us to start?"

"Sure."

For the next thirty minutes or so she asked him a mix of questions. Some were specific enough that they required only very simple responses. Other questions required some discussion. His answers had to be more involved.

He mentioned his memories of things being different from those of others about what he thought of as some significant events. She wrote down some lengthy notes at that. He speculated that he might have reconstructed some false memories out of fragments of some of his original memories.

She took more notes. She asked some more questions.

She inquired about how he felt in regards to being introduced to his parents and his sisters.

He commented on his surprise about Jan and failure to recognize anything about his sisters. He did comment on the girls' assumption that he had memories from having viewed a film with them. She continued taking notes.

Somewhere out beyond an hour after she'd sat down Dr. Chen decided she had enough to work with. She got up from the chair and pushed it back to its original place. That's when Dan really noticed just how short her skirt was. And she was wearing old-fashioned hosiery. He could actually see the top of her hose and the clasp of what had to be a garter belt. A garter belt! Who wears garter belts these days? More evidence that either Dr. Chen was one sexually uninhibited lady not afraid to push the limits or else something was a lot more different with this place than he should have expected.

She came over and gave Dan an interesting look. It was a sort of speculative examination of his whole presence.

"Well, Don - did you enjoy the sights?"

"Excuse me, Dr. Chen?"

"I noticed you looking, Don."

"Oh. Well, you're dressed very provocatively."

"I am? This is my regular style of dress. It's wholly professional."

"It is? That's not how I perceive it?"

"Don, is your family a religiously conservative one?"

"I don't know. Uh, I don't think I have any really significant religious convictions." That's true. I wore them out.

"Oh. Then why do you think my clothing is provocative?"

"Well, it is. I can see your nipples through your blouse."

"And that bothers you?"

"It's distracting."

"Uh-huh. Thank you Don. I may want to re-assess my dress when dealing with clients. I might be doing some of them a disservice if what's acceptable is actually distracting them. Thank you for your honesty. Oh, and thanks for the complement!"

She smiled when she said that and turned to go.

"Your welcome, Dr. Chen."

She turned back and smiled again. "Bye Don."

"Bye"

He lay there and wondered what that last bit had been about. Was the way she's dressed really viewed as professional? If so, then this wasn't the world that he remembered. This had to be some alternate reality. And that was plainly crazy. And if he thought that was the case, then maybe it wasn't the world around him that was actually crazy. Maybe he was crazy!

He recognized the onset of another bout of sleep approaching. He seemed to be sleeping a great deal during the day. Oh well, it's probably for the best. It's probably part of the healing process. He drifted off into sleep.

This time he was awakened by Gwen Nichols.

Don's parents had arrived to visit with him.

He blinked a bit and smiled at them. "Hi, folks - how're y'all doin'?"

"We're find, Don. How are you feeling?" That was Henry Nichols.

"OK. I met the girls. That was quite a surprise!"

"Oh, how so?"

"Uh, learning that I had a living goddess as a sister! Jan could have caused me to faint!"

Gwen and Henry Nichols exchanged glances.

"Hey Folks! It ain't no problem. Shirley explained the plan - after the fact. Unfortunately, it didn't work. But still, it was a shock to learn that I've been living with and that I will be living with a literal, veritable, living goddess!"

Gwen smiled. "You still don't remember anything, do you?"

"No - nothing so far."

"Jan's appearance didn't shock you? She's my first baby and I've always felt so much fear about how people react to her."

"Gwen. Mom. Oh, hell - I don't know what I've called you! Anyhow, when I get of this damned hospital bed - if anyone says anything about Jan and I learn about it then that sorry ass is gonna wish he'd learned to zip his flap shut!"

Gwen Nichols looked a bit shocked. But, she just beamed - anyhow.

Henry looked a bit concerned. "Don, don't be going off and getting into fights. You've been terribly hurt. Somebody could slap you up side the head and who knows what might happen to you."

"Dad, Pa, I don't know what I called you!" He grinned at their expressions. "They've first gotta touch me. If they try anything against Jan, Susie, or the twins - then the police better hold me back. I'm not afraid of getting into a fight!"

Henry's eyes seemed to get a bit bright and perhaps even teared up a bit. "Well, Don. Maybe you don't remember us. But, you still seem to retain that protectiveness you developed regarding your sisters."

Henry turned to Gwen. "Remember 'The Fight'."

"How could I forget it?"

They both smiled at him.

"Uh, I guess I was in a fight?"

"Oh, yeeaahhh!"

"What'd I do?"

You took on three older boys who were taunting Janice."

"And I'm still alive?"

You're friend Vince jumped in and distracted one of 'em."

"My friend Vince? That's the first I've heard of him. Is he still my friend."

"Oh - yes, Don! He came along with us once while you were still unconscious. He was very upset at seeing you like that."

"Oh, I guess somebody needs to let him in to see me, again.

Uh, what about that fight with three guys and Vince helping me?"

Henry smiled. "You and Vince were walking along and saw Janice and Susie being bothered by some boys who were in the same grade as Janice. You heard them taunting Jan and you jumped all three of them. Jan and Susie said you completely surprised them. Anyhow, since there were three of them it looked like they've had an advantage. But Vince took on one of them and while they were fighting you went ahead and beat up two of them. When you finished pummeling those two you went over and pulled the third guy off of Vince and beat the shit out of him."

"Uh, I guess I got into some trouble over that."

"No. Didn't happen. When their parents called we had Jan and Susie repeat what they'd said. That was the end of it. Well, except for what happened to those three hooligans. One of them is still required to attend a military-style boarding school. The other two cleaned up their acts and have become very polite young gentlemen. Oh, and they avoid you like the plague. And nobody has bothered Jan since that incident. That was about when Jan and Susie quit teasing you. Still, though - Jan does tend to treat you like her little brother. Maybe her over-protective little brother. But still, her little brother she has to watch over."

"Oh. Do you think I might have problems with controlling my temper? I mean, that sounds like someone who lost control."

"No Don. What those three young idiots said to Jan and Susie would have set me off. I'm an adult and I know better. But, if I'd heard that I would have beaten the shit out of those little assholes, myself!"

"Oh, OK."

Dan thought about that. He'd have to be careful. If this body was prone to emotional responses, then he couldn't let his defenses down.

Dan noticed a covered dish resting on the caster-wheeled thing-a-ma-jig that was use to serve him his meals. "What's that?"

Gwen smiled. "Oh, I just brought along some home cooking. Shirley mentioned that you were always hungry. We saw her as we came in and repaid her for those meals that she got for you and the girls, by the way."

"Great! All the way around! That steak lunch has done me a whole lotta good. I was really hungry! You know, when I finished it I even ate all of my hospital food!"

Don's parents laughed.

"Let me have it, now. I can eat it right now and then try whatever they bring to me, this evening.

He cleaned out that rice, vegetable, and ham dish covered in some sort of melted cheese covering that Gwen had brought along. It was good and filling.

Don's parents had said their reluctant goodbyes and headed home to be with their four daughters.

Shortly after, the same woman who'd brought him his lunch of hospital food came in with his dinner. "No sisters with you, this evening?"

Dan laughed. "No, no distractions! Just let me at the food. I need it!"

She laughed good-naturedly. "Were they teasing you?"

"Yeah, a bit. My parents were here earlier and were telling me about how we got along in the past. I got my head cracked and I can't remember too much about my family. I've got amnesia. But, I'm learning! I did learn that my sisters love me. I guess that I'll have to re-learn how to love them. Seems like I've got some interesting times ahead of me."

She looked at him seriously. "Yes, that sounds about right. Go ahead and eat your supper. I'll be back after awhile to collect whatever is left-over."

"OK, see you in awhile."

He again wolfed down the hospital food. It did seem as though his body was starving for nourishment. Perhaps it was an aspect of a new mind settling into a body and establishing new neuronal networks for the memories being established and those brand new memories being acquired.

He fell asleep before the food service woman returned to collect his food tray. Shirley Waters happened to walk in as the woman was clearing away the devastated remains of his second dinner. They paused and exchanged pleasantries as Dan slept.

Once the woman from the food service left Shirley checked Don's vitals and went over his chart and took stock of his IV fluids and medications.

Everything checked out and she went on about the remainder of her duties with a smile on her face, thinking of young Don.

He woke that morning to the voice of Maggie Wilson.

She smiled at him as he woke. "How do you feel, Don?"

Dan smiled back at her. "I'm feeling OK. Oh, I hope you'll forgive me for ranting like a spoiled kid, yesterday. I was truly hungry, but that doesn't excuse my childish behavior. Please forgive me."

"Oh, Don - aren't you nice! You don't need to apologize to me. You just got me to break through the rules and help my patient with some of his needs."

"Oh! OK, Maggie - I just felt bad after the way that I had acted up! Thanks for not feeling mad at me."

She smiled at him while checking his IVs and then looking him over. She told him he seemed be OK and he'd soon be getting his breakfast.

She hurried along, giving him a smiling goodbye.

A woman brought in his breakfast and spoke with him for a moment. He checked the breakfast and was relieved to find that he had been provided with ample servings of substantial breakfast foods. He expressed his thanks to the woman and started digging in. He wolfed down his breakfast in about ten minutes.

He lay back and found the TV control and turned on the wall-mounted set. He found what looked like CNN. The female presenter was a knock-out. She had super-model good looks. And her blouse was nearly transparent and she hadn't bothered to wear a bra. That was clear on the HDTV display. Her nipples were clearly visible through the transparent material of her blouse. In fact, the camera work seemed to be directed in a way to always insure a view of those nipples. More strangeness!

Then there was a news item from a reporter at the White House. It was a typical political report about some story he hadn't yet heard of. The interesting things he noticed were:

1. The reporter was standing on the White House lawn and she too was wearing what amounted to being a transparent blouse. She did have on a bra, but it seemed to be a push-up item with demi-cups. Her nipples were pointing slightly upwards. Also, the tops of her stockings were visible below the hem of her micro-sized mini-skirt.

2. The names she was noting during her report were mostly unfamiliar to him. He thought he recognized a couple of them as having been liberal members of the Senate or House. But, he couldn't be sure of that.

3. It seemed that the recently elected administration of his own reality wasn't the same one as in power in this here and now. That was another indicator of interesting differences between his expectations and what he was actually discovering.

Okaaayyyy - the alternate or parallel reality hypothesis is gaining strength, here.

This was when Wendy the nursing assistant came through the door with a cart loaded down with books.

"Hey Don - how are you feeling? Would you like something to read?"

"Hi, Wendy. I'm OK. You've got books? What sort of collection have you got there?"

"Oh, I've got a little bit of everything. Some thrillers, Science Fiction, Westerns, Erotica, Natural History, and other stuff."

"Did you say 'Erotica'?"

"Yeah, here's one for teens."

She handed him a large photo-book which appeared to be a sex manual. He opened it up and discovered a series of photos featuring young teenagers engaged in explicit sex acts. He guessed by their physical development that they were 12, 13, or 14 year old boys and girls. Simply incredible! A hospital library with what was essentially child porn? He must have been dropped into an alternate reality!