“Mrs. Brown?” A small hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up and was met with a little old lady in a clean-cut nurse’s uniform. Her hands went instinctively to her face to wipe the tears.
“Um, yes? Can I help you?”
“The doctors wanted me to come let you know that even though they did everything they could, your husband didn’t make it out of surgery.”
“Didn’t make it out of surgery. What do you mean, it just started?”
The nurse scrunched her eyebrows, “No, Mrs. Brown, they have been working on your husband for a couple of hours now.”
“Oh, right.”Not my Darla body. But the woman’s husband who I am now inside. Ok. Get it together. Don’t look at the past, just keep looking forward.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have any emotional ties to this stranger’s husband, but she seized the opportunity to allow herself to feel the loss of Kinley, and possibly Jenkins. Her mind swirled with memories of their short time together. Images of Kinley chewing with her mouth open and full of food.
Oh, how I wish I could see her eat again. To see her shine on the big screen.She reflected as she allowed herself to mourn.And what of Jenkins? If he survives, surely, he will never forgive me.
“How could this happen?” The idea that she came so close to having a family again and it being ripped from her was more than she could bear.
“Well, I am sure the doctors would be able to provide a better explanation, but I understand your hesitancy to speak to men you don’t know. There were a lot more injuries internally that didn’t show up on the scans. His brain began swelling and they tried to relieve the pressure, but his body just couldn’t handle all the ailments while under.”
She wanted to scream at this nurse, instead she screamed internally.I don’t care about this man, tell me about the boy, about Jenkins!
“Is there anyone we can call for you?” The nurse put a hand on her shoulder.
Mrs. Brown shook her head, allowing fresh tears to fall. Even as Darla, she would have no one to call. No one would be here waiting to find out if she would make it out of surgery.
My fans would mourn, they would celebrate my life. But no one that I cared for. Not even the adoration of my fans would be enough for me to feel loved.
“Even if there was, I wouldn't know what to say to them.” The nurse nodded in understanding.
“Just know that your husband did fight hard. He was a healthy man. This was a tragic car accident.”
Mrs. Brown stiffened, the hairs on her neck stood up as she listened to the nurse.It isn’t possible he was in the same accident as I was, is it?
“That is true. Was anyone else involved in this accident?” Mrs. Brown stiffened her jaw, not wanting to hear the answer but needing to all at the same time.
“Well, yes,” the nurse glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “The woman who caused the accident is also here. She is currently in surgery. She may not make it either though. She was in worse shape than your husband.”
Her blood ran cold. The man was the truck driver who hit her. She had killed two innocent people today. The idea that her body, that now had the truck driver’s wife inside, could be the third innocent death today, was more than she could bear.
It was true she’d killed men before in cold blood, but those were needed to serve her purpose. These deaths were not needed and just added to the complexity of her situation.
Her chest tightened as she tried to process what she was feeling inside. Mrs. Brown stared at the nurse until she awkwardly walked away, giving her space she needed to process all of this information.
I can’t look back. I need to keep looking ahead, to come up with a plan if I don’t get back into my Darla body.She considered her options as she watched the nurse’s retreating frame.
“Ma’am,” Mrs. Brown called after the nurse. “I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. Is it possible you can let me know when the woman who killed my husband is out of surgery?”
“We don’t normally share patient information with non-relatives.” The nurse paused, moved by the pleading on Mrs. Brown’s kind old face. “Okay, I will let you know. But I won’t be able to give you any additional details.”
“Thank you.” She sat down and picked up the coffee, which was still warm thankfully, and gulped it down.
Her fingers started twitching as adrenaline coursed through her. The first obstacle was whether she needed to make the switch back to Darla’s body or stay as Mrs. Brown.
At least temporarily,she considered as she flexed her stiff fingers.If I can come up with some solid backup plans, there won’t be a need to worry.
She leaned back, and the elder body ached in response, so she closed her eyes and weighed her options.I can’t stay in this body for long, A hospital isn’t the best place to find someone. I need to figure out how this woman got here and see if I am able to get to a city.
Soft voices approached and she kept her eyes closed, hoping the voices weren’t coming for her.
