Extracted
By Karen Singer
During the day, Nancy had enough family constantly around
her to keep those areas of her brain stimulated enough to prevent them from
being overwritten, but at night, when she was basically alone with only an
occasional nurse creeping in and out, that wasn’t the case. All day long the process had continued,
working on other areas of the brain that the soul could more easily access
since those areas weren’t in use, but at night, there was nothing preventing
the process from invading the more immediate memories and traits.
By the time the nurse came into her room, early in the
morning, the process had proceeded far enough that the major portion of Nancy’s
memories and personality had been finally overwritten with Steve. Unknown to Nancy, for all intents and
purposes, she was now a boy in a girl’s body.
She had almost no memory left of being Nancy. Therefore, it was Steve who opened his eyes
to watch the nurse silently going about her duties.
Steve didn’t move a muscle as the nurse checked the
monitors and a few other things around the room. He considered her to be good looking. A bit old for him, but still, she had a body
he’d love to explore. He dared not ruin
things by letting her know he was awake and watching her so he continued to lay
quietly, only his eyes could give away that he was actually awake. In minutes, he was disappointed to see her
leave.
A visit from Melody just then would be nice. Especially if they could be alone for a
while. Would Melody get off doing it in
a hospital room? Something told him she
would love it. He certainly would.
It was only then that he realized that the spinning
around in his head had finally stopped, or nearly stopped. There was a bit, but it was so slight he
could easily ignore it. He was ready to
get up. He was ready to go home. He was ready to do something. Maybe practice some football. He was ready to…go the damn bathroom!
It was only as he was getting out of bed that he was hit
with the problem. He remembered being
hit with it yesterday. Hair! And a damn tiny girl’s body. What the hell? And he was feeling so good! What was going on?
Having no choice, he made his way to the bathroom and sat
to pee. Once again he felt all around
but found no sign at all of his penis.
What the hell? What was going
on? Not knowing what to do about it,
except hope that things would straighten out soon, he went back to bed.
He was tired of lying there though. He needed to move. He needed to exercise. He should be getting in his morning run,
preparing for football camp and the football season. Not to mention, he had all those weights back
in his room at home that he should be exercising with. But being stuck in a hospital room left him
with nothing he could do at all except sit there and fume in frustration, and
sleep of course. But he was getting
tired of sleeping too, especially since his head was so much better today.
Where was that doctor?
He wanted to go home!
---
§§§§§§§§§§ ---
In Philadelphia, Henry and Agatha Marsh walked out of
their house and headed to the car, heading once again for the hospital where
their son was.
“I sure hope he’s doing better today,” Agatha said.
“Me too!” Henry agreed.
“I’ve got work to do.”
“Henry! He’s our
son. Show some interest in something
besides your damn job.”
“I’m worried about him too,” Henry admitted. “He was doing a lot better yesterday. What I want to see is for him to be able to
go home today. Finally!”
“Yeah,” Agatha agreed.
“Me too. It’s just that…. What worries me is how confused he seemed
last night. Like everything he was
talking about was all mixed up.”
“Huh! Tell me
about it,” Henry grunted as he got into the car. “Who the hell is Emily that he kept talking
about? I thought his girlfriend was
Melody.”
“She is. I never
heard of Emily, but I’m guessing she must be another one from school that’s
caught his eye.”
“Obviously!” Henry agreed. “Let’s just hope it’s all straight in his
head by the time we get there.”
“Amen to that!”
A short while later, they walked into the hospital room
and saw their son sitting up in bed. The
look on his face was strange, full of anger.
“Your back!” they heard Steve say somewhat nastily.
Agatha and Henry were a bit surprised by the
attitude. “Of course we are Steve,”
Agatha told him. “How are you
today? Is your head still spinning?”
“Hardly at all,” Steve told them. “But why are you here? I know who you said you are, but you aren’t.”
Both Henry and his wife were shocked. “We’re not what?” Henry asked.
“My parents. My
mother and father. My family!”
Agatha’s mouth hung agape. “What?”
“Where’s my real mom?” Nancy demanded angrily. “Where is she?”
“Steve! I’m your
real mother. How could you think
otherwise?”
“No you’re not! I
want my real mother. I want my real
father. I want my real sister. Where are they? Because you’re not them.”
“Steve, what are you talking about? Of course….”
“Stop calling me Steve.
I’m not Steve. I’m Nancy. Get it straight. I’m Nancy.
Now where’s my real mother and father?”
Henry and Agatha could only stare at their son in
disbelief. “Nancy?” Henry asked.
“Nancy!” Nancy confirmed.
“Now go away and get my real family!”
“Stephen Marsh!” Agatha said angrily. “Stop this stupid foolishness right now. You certainly are not Nancy. You’re my son, Stephen. Stephen Marsh. And we love you very much.”
“You are not my parents!” Nancy screamed back. “And my name is Nancy, not Steve…or whatever
you claim it is. I’m Nancy. Nancy Stiller. And you better watch out because my father is
a U.S. congressman, so don’t try and pull any funny business.”
“A U.S…” Henry started in disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“My father. He’s a
congressman in the U.S. government! He
works in Washington. Now go get
him! And stop trying to hand me all this
other stupid bullshit about being someone else!
Go! I want my real family, not
you!”
Neither Henry nor Agatha knew what to do. “Let’s find a doctor. Fast!” Agatha said softly. Together, they quickly left the room. What had happened to their son. Nancy?
A U.S. congressman? Nothing was
making sense! Things were suddenly worse
than they had been.
Together they hurried down to the nurse’s station. “He’s ranting and raving!” Agatha exclaimed.
“He’s completely out of his head!” Henry added.
The nurse nodded.
“Yeah. He was like that earlier
when the doctor went in. He ordered
another CAT scan to see if anything shows up yet.”
“But what are we supposed to do?” Agatha asked.
The nurse shrugged.
“Wait and see what the scan shows.”
---
§§§§§§§§§§ ---
In New York, the doctor was a little behind on his
morning rounds, but that was nothing new.
He walked into Nancy’s room and saw her sitting up in the bed. “Feeling better today?” he asked hopefully.
“I’m living in a hallucination.” Nancy’s body replied.
The doctor was immediately concerned. “You’re hallucinating now? In what way?”
“All I see is a girl’s body.”
“Where?” the doctor asked. “Does she talk to you?”
“No! I have
a girl’s body. Completely. I even have to sit down to pee. It’s ridiculous. And don’t get me started on how real it feels
as if I’ve got long hair. It’s annoying,
to say the least.”
The doctor was confused.
“But you are a girl. A
twelve-year-old girl. And a very pretty
one at that. Why should you think…”
“I’m not a girl!” Steve shouted. “Why can’t you see that? Oh.
Shit. You’re part of the
hallucination too. Damn, this is so
real, I can’t believe it. What kind of
drugs did you give me?”
“Nancy. We aren’t
giving you any drugs at all. All those
drugs you were given while you were kidnapped should be out of your system by
now.”
“Well, something isn’t, because they’re making me think
I’ve got a stupid girl’s body.
Completely! I can’t even feel my
penis.”
“But you don’t have a penis, because you’re a girl. You are very confused today.”
“You’re telling me,” Steve agreed.
“How is your head?
Is the room still spinning?”
“Not really.
Barely at all. What a
relief! It’s just…now I’m hallucinating
like you wouldn’t believe, and it feels so real. I’ve got to get past this. I’ve got football camp next week.”
“Football camp?”
“I’m a linebacker on our high school team,” Steve
explained.
“Football!” the doctor muttered, trying to make sense of
things. “Nancy,” he said. “I think I’m going to…”
“Nancy?” she said quickly. “Don’t call me Nancy! Stop calling me anything else. My name is Steve. Stephen Marsh. Not Nancy!
Stop trying to make this damn hallucination worse than it is!”
“Nancy…Steve…Nancy…” the doctor said. “I believe I’m going to send you for another
CAT scan, and we’re going to put a rush on it!”
“Whatever!” Steve replied. “I just want this hallucination to stop. I just want the world to return to normal.”
“That’s what we’d all like,” the doctor agreed. “I’ll set up the test.” He quickly walked out.
Steve shook his head.
This was the darndest hallucination he could ever conceive. It seemed so real. Absolutely real, in every way. Real enough that the doctor was ordering some
kind of scan for him. He really hoped
that scan would find something to explain it all. Otherwise, who knew how long he would be
sitting to pee. Ridiculous! Not to mention, football camp was next
week! He needed to get better!
He was still sitting there fretting over everything when
his room was invaded by three people.
“There she is,” Wanda Stiller said happily. “You’re sitting up and looking so much
better! How are you darling?” she asked
as she walked over toward her daughter.
Steve shook his head.
“Whoever you people are, why do you keep showing up? You keep saying you’re my family, but I don’t
know you. Any of you! It’s almost like you’re all part of my
massive hallucination too…except I keep remembering you from when you were here
before. Who are you anyway?”
“Nance!” Emily exclaimed.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I don’t know you either,” Steve told her. “Even though you’re really pretty and I’d
love to date you sometime. Maybe when
all this is over I can get your number.
But in the meantime, I just want something to start making sense! I want to see someone that I actually know.”
“Someone you know?” Wanda asked, totally aghast. “You don’t recognize us at all? You don’t remember us? You did yesterday.”
“I…don’t…know…you!
Even though yes, I remember you being here before. I just want to see my own family. I want to see people I actually know!”
“Like who?” Michael Stiller asked.
“Like maybe my father.
That would certainly be nice.
Even though he’s always working.”
“And who do you think your father is, if it isn’t me?”
“Who? Who
else? Henry Marsh of course. Philadelphia’s District Attorney. That’s who my real father is. Not you…whoever you are.”
“Henry Marsh,” Mike Stiller repeated, then shook his
head. “Nancy Stiller! You stop this crazy ranting right now. We’re your family. We’re your mother and father. Your real mother and father. Not some made up, fake…I don’t know what!”
“I’m not making anything up. And stop calling me Nancy. My name is Stephen. Stephen Marsh, and I’m not a girl, I’m a boy,
and this is all driving me nuts!”
“This is so weird,” Emily muttered, staring at her
younger sister in disbelief. Her mother
could only agree.
“Come on,” Mike told them. “Let’s see if we can find a doctor. Things just suddenly got a whole lot worse,
and I didn’t see any of it coming.”
“Neither did I,” his wife agreed.
“Bye! And don’t
come back,” Steve called from his hospital bed when he saw them finally
leaving. The nerve of some people! Now.
How the hell was he supposed to get this stupid hallucination to
end? If only it wasn’t so real.
---
§§§§§§§§§§ ---
Once again the CAT scan showed nothing wrong with Steve’s
head. The problem was that Steve seemed
to be thoroughly convinced that he wasn’t Steve, but a twelve year old girl
named Nancy instead. With the CAT scan
coming up clear, it was time to switch tactics.
Steve didn’t need a medical doctor.
He needed a psychiatrist. A good
psychiatrist!
---
§§§§§§§§§§ ---
The tests they ran on Nancy showed no physical problems
at all. Nancy had them all completely
confounded though. How could she
possibly think she was a boy? Some boy
named Stephen. And Nancy had made up so
many facts about him that made it all seem so real. Football?
It was crazy. Nancy hated
football. Nancy was the epitome of a
girly girl. She loved dolls, makeup,
clothes, and stuffed animals. Certainly
not sports of any kind.
In the end, the doctor sat down with Mike and Wanda
Stiller and explained that there was nothing medically wrong with Nancy that he
could find at all. He was now going to
refer her to a behavioral clinic in hopes that the psychologists there could do
something with her. It was time to send
her to someone more knowledgeable about what was now a completely mental
issue. He was going to dismiss her from
the hospital just as soon as he could make arrangements with the doctor he
thought she needed.
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