The visit was nice but tiring. I knew more about who I was, but besides not being able to blurt it out like footnotes from a text book, I had to try and associate what I had learned with what Mike and Ann were talking about. Cathy interceded, though my 'parents' would have said she was interrupting. But she saved me a few times when they mentioned something that I should have known about.
Mike said he liked the change in my hair and that the makeup looked good on me. Ann allowed that I did look a lot more mature and healthier.
After they left I stayed in my room and tried to watch some of the Friday Night Movie, but I would have much rather had a computer for research or at the very least CNN. With a sigh I realized that those days would be a long time in coming.
Linda and Julie came in just before their shift started at 11. It seemed they had taken a particular liking to me, and enjoyed 'helping' me recover my basic memories.
I asked Linda what had happened to Patrick and she said she would find out and if I was still awake after they did their first round, would stop by, and fill me in. I was going to be awake.
One of us, whether it was Patrick or me, would have to get into the outside world so we could help each other. We were the only ones who really knew the truth, knew about the future, and knew about each other. While I firmly believed that Einstein was going to make the best of his new chance, I felt responsible for his life. Actually, I had a fear that if he did something totally moronic or dangerous, both of our lives would be affected.
Watching Carson again, I realized how much I information I could gauge about the current state of the world just by listening to Carson's comic reflections on it. I learned a valuable lesson from Johnny... Don't take yourself or life too seriously.
Linda and Julie came in just as Johnny had his last act on. Linda sat back by the window and lit up a cigarette while Julie joined me on the bed.
"It's always quiet on Friday nights," Julie said after Carson was finished. "The doctors want to get as many kids home as possible for the weekend."
"What about you two?" I asked. "Do you get the weekend off?"
Linda rubbed my head affectionately. "Afraid not kiddo. We're on till Tuesday and then we have three days off and start back on days."
"I'm glad," I said, "I really like you guys." And I meant it. They were really caring nurses and I'd hate to leave them. I knew them better than I knew my own family, and though they didn't realize it, they knew me better than anyone in this life.
"As for your friend Patrick," Linda was saying, "I don't know all the details, but Mrs. MacDonald said that she heard Patrick was up to all hours with his parents and the psychologist. The police came in at one point, stayed about an hour and left. Seems they won't lay charges. Patrick's father offered to pay for replacing the windows, but the police said then they would have to officially charge him. I don't know what that boy said last night, but they decided to let the insurance company pay for it as an act of random vandalism, with no suspects found."
"That's strange isn't it?" I asked.
"I don't think so," said Julie. "It sounds like he was really sorry and this was his first time in trouble. Why ruin a young boy's chance of success by starting him off with a Juvenile Offender record?"
"You think he really meant it?" I asked trying to see how well Einstein had convinced everyone that he was sorry.
"I think he meant it," said Linda. "Dr. Mallard is a hard one to fool. He's been around too long to be taken in by a hoax."
"Especially in the middle of the night," laughed Julie.
"I wish him a lot of luck then," I said, and I really meant it!
Linda looked mischievously at Julie. "Shall we give her a sponge bath now?"
"Aw, come on you guys!"
True to her word, Cathy was up to see me Saturday morning at 10. Since the ward was pretty well empty, she was allowed to spend most of the day with me.
The day nurse shooed Cathy out at 11 to check on my progress, checked out the scar and after putting a fresh, even smaller dressing on it, told me I could slip on my own clothes if I wanted as long as they weren't too tight. I was also given permission to go outside with Cathy and enjoy the fresh air.
I wanted to walk as much as I could to keep the physiotherapists happy and I wanted to do it outside. I had been cooped up inside for the better part of the week.
I told Cathy the good news and then instantly regretted it.
Cathy whooped for joy, closed the door to my room, and pulled the overnight bag out of the closet that Mike and Ann had brought with them on one of their visits. She opened it up and started going through the selection of clothes I had telling me what I should wear.
"I can't believe your Mom packed your bra in here!" Cathy exclaimed.
"Why not," I asked, "Don't I wear one?"
"Pete... Look at you. You don't need one! I know your Mom is just trying to make you feel good, but what have you got that needs holding up?"
I took the garment from her hands. It really wasn't much more than an undershirt, though I could see that it was padded in the cups.
"It's a training bra Pete!"
At first I thought she meant an athletic bra, until I realized this was exactly what they gave young girls to make them feel grown up.
"Well, you know," I mumbled, "I could still grow."
"Well when that happens maybe you'll want to wear one, but I don't," she said lifting the bottom of her halter up to show a perky set of tits, "I like being a liberated woman."
"Okay, forget it." I said. It felt strange but somehow, even though I knew size didn't matter to me, I knew that in the real world, especially that of teenagers, this was a rite of passage. Just another defining moment on the way to full womanhood. If I was going to pull off this role of being a teenage girl, I would have to wear the padded bra to show the world I was a woman! Not a child. Besides, whether or not I needed one wouldn't make a bit of difference to Ann. I had the feeling that she wanted her little girl to be proper, and only the hippies didn't wear bras.
Cathy put a pair of shorts on my bed, a pair of panties, and a t-shirt. It was an awkward moment for me. Cathy was supposed to be my best friend, yet she wasn't a nurse, and I felt a bit embarrassed undressing in front of her. But I couldn't very well ask her to leave the room, after all, we had, according to Einstein, grown up together.
I pulled off the hospital housecoat that covered the nightgown Ann had brought and then slipped out of it, just slightly hurried and slightly turned away from Cathy.
"Hey! Not so fast," she said. "I want to see your scar."
"Ah... the nurse just put a fresh dressing on it," I stammered.
"Well then let me see where they shaved you," she countered.
"How did you know I was shaved?" I asked.
"When my cousin Jill had her appendix taken out they shaved her pubes," she said.
What was I going to do? I didn't mind letting Cathy see me, but I was afraid of my reaction to her looking at my crotch. I still had very vivid memories of Marcie. She had said she could see that I was aroused and Cathy was the kind of girl I used to jack off thinking about. There really is an advantage to not having a cock give away your feelings.
With a sigh and a "If you must," I turned around and let her look.
"Why didn't they shave it all?" Cathy asked from below.
"I don't know, I wasn't awake when they did it. Maybe I should have asked for a trim at the same time!"
"Get dressed," she said, snickering.
I slipped on the panties and the shorts and threw the t-shirt over my head. Thankfully there were no heeled shoes to fight with, just a pair of socks and plain white sneakers. Before I went out, I ran the brush through my hair and surprised myself by checking my makeup in the mirror before I allowed Cathy to lead me to the elevators. This was strange. Who would have thought I would so quickly adapt to makeup?