Assignment Symbiosis

John 15:13

Short story by Danae Cambrany:

The room is calm; only the low mutters of voices from the TV are heard. The walls are white with a few paintings for decorations. There is a deep green couch on the far side, empty. The bed is connected to several syringes and tubes that run through several spots along his body. At this moment he has no idea where he is, what happened or even who he is. In due time it will all become clear he though to himself as he closed his eyes again to rest. The sound of footsteps would rise and fall every five minutes or so. Nothing was coming to him. Why couldn’t he remember? He searched his mind behind his eyelids for over twenty minutes and still couldn’t recall a single detail. Footsteps stopped in front of his door; the doorknob turned slowly. As if in attempt to not disrupt his sleeping. But he was already awake and he opened his eyes to see if the person who entered could help to trigger his memory. In stepped a short nurse, she had dark skin and hair licked back into a ponytail. She held a chart in her hand, which she seemed to be studying carefully. She jotted something down with a pencil and then set down the clip board. She didn’t look familiar. After pushing some buttons on the machines next to the bed she turned and faced him. She stopped cold; eyes round as she noticed he was awake. Gasping she clasped a hand over her mouth and ran out of the room. Odd. He attempted to use his elbows to sit up, failed because his body was still numb. Seconds latter a tall gray-haired doctor rushed inside followed by the dark-skinned nurse.

            “Why hello there! You’re awake!” said the doctor as he shined a light into his eyes.

            “Tell me, how are you feeling?”

            “Uhh…fine?”

            “Fine? Like good fine? Or just fine like fine? Does anything hurt?” The doctor was acting strange, inspecting every aspect of his body.

            “No, just still feel a little numb, that’s it… umm, can you tell me—“

            “Good, good, that’s normal, you’re progressing just as we expected you too. I’ll call your mother and tell her you’re awake.” Mother? He knew he had one but couldn’t reconstruct an image of her in his mind. He couldn’t even remember her name. But he knew his name, he was Llewellyn. Other than that he couldn’t remember much. The doctor and nurse were left and were back in the room in only minutes.

            “Doctor, can you remind me, why am I here?” The doctor snapped his head twords Llewellyn.  He turned away and muttered under his breath something about side effects, and him being right.

            “Son, you were in a very serious automobile accident, you were lucky to escape with only a few scratches”

            “What about the other car?”

            “They’re fine as well, just a broken leg and a fractured rib… but they’re fine”

            “Tell me, what do you remember?” asked the doctor suddenly very curious

            “…My name is Llewellyn…”

            “Yes… yes it is indeed. What else?”

            “That’s it.”

            “That’s it?… well, don’t worry about it boy, you suffered a concussion. Over the next few weeks you’ll regain your memory completely.” Assured the doctor as he left the room. The feeling was coming back to his limbs and Llewellyn sat up on his bed, looked about his body for the damage. The doctor said that he’d escape with few scratches, yet he couldn’t find any. Perhaps he’d just hit his head really hard, thus the concussion. Moments passed and light brown haired woman entered looking like she’d ran a marathon. She turned to him.

            “Ja… Llewellyn?? Oh my dear, dear Llewellyn!!” The woman sobbed into his chest, held him tight.

            “I’m so glad you’re ok, I was so scared. I came right away after the doctor called. How are you feeling?” Just then the doctor came back in the room.

            “He’s experiencing mild amnesia… he’ll be good in no time. It’s just part of the… you know, the concussion.” The doctor explained to the woman.

            “Oh… you mean, you don’t remember what happened?” she asked searching Llewellyn’s eyes.

            “I explained that already…I just don’t think he remembers you…” said the doctor

            “What! You don’t remember who I am?” Said the woman panicked. Llewellyn didn’t quite know what to say, he really didn’t remember.

            “Calm down ma’am, I told you, this’ll get back to normal in a week or two. Maybe even a few days.” Assured the doctor

            “Well you better be right because… just, you better be right” Said the woman pointing a finger to the doctor.

            “I’m fine, the numbness is going away” added Llewellyn. The Doctor nodded patiently, yet something in his eyes showed concern. He stepped out, leaving Llewellyn and his mother alone.

            “Are you… hungry? Thirsty? Do you have to use the restroom?”

            “Just a little I—“

            “Good! I’ll go get you something to eat” The woman was gone just like that. He wasn’t even that hungry, but if she wanted to get him food, he wouldn’t complain. Llewellyn turned his attention to the TV a cooking show was on, familiar, but not quite. He watched as the woman on the screen gave a recipe for deep kettle chili, maybe he was hungry after all. After a few minutes his attention drifted and he turned his thoughts to the woman who’d came to visit him claiming to be his mother. He would believe her of course, why would she lie? Maybe now that he knew what she looked like, he would be able to remember better. Llewellyn spent the next couple minutes attempting to extract any memories he’d shared with her. None came to him. Soon enough though, sleepiness took over his body. He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Llewellyn dreamed. He dreamed of the accident, it was very scary, but it helped him remember. He was driving in his black Jeep, headed to a friend’s house, Miguel. He was distracted for some reason, angry. He couldn’t pin point the source of his frustration but he knew he’d just had an argument of some kind with someone. He was so angry that he didn’t even notice the light turn red. There was a loud honking; he turned his head just in time to see a silver car slam into his door. It all happened in two seconds, the it all went black. After the blackness he was drifting in and out of consciousness, he would wake because of the screams, because of the sirens, there was blood everywhere, he couldn’t see too clearly because his right eye was swollen shut. There was something stuck inside his chest, but he couldn’t make it out. He passed out again.

Llewellyn began to wake, dozen of thoughts raced though his mind. If he remembered clearly, the accident was just as horrible as it was in his dream, he should be bloodied and swollen everywhere. Yet he hadn’t been able to find a scratch in his body. Either some miracle had happened, or his memory was playing ticks on him. When he opened his eyes his mother, which he now remembered was named Jamie, sat on the green couch changing the TV with the remote.

“Hey mom…”

“Llewellyn! You’re up! I went to buy you a sandwich but when I came back you were fast asleep. I decided to let you sleep and jus wait for you here.”

“Thank you; I remember your name now… Jamie”

“Oh thank goodness! Your memory is coming back!” exclaimed his mother in pure joy, yet there was a hesitance hidden within her words. Llewellyn smiled as Jamie handed him a six-inch BLT sandwich from subway.

“Got your favorite!” stated Jamie. Llewellyn took a bite, this was his favorite, he loved the way the bacon crunched as he bit into the Italian herb bread now that he thought of it.

“So, how was your nap?”

“Ok… I dreamed about the accident. I think I remember what happened now.”

“Yea…?”

“Yea, I was driving my black Jeep and I was angry for some reason, I don’t remember why specifically. But I was driving over the speed limit and I didn’t notice the street light turn red and as I crossed the intersection a silver car rammed me.”

“…That’s quite what happened…” Said Jamie slowly, her eyes shifty.

“Yea, and then I remember screaming and sirens…blood was everywhere… I don’t understand how I got out with only a concussion. I could swear that…”

“Trauma to the brain can sometimes cause … umm…false or exaggerated memories to be created in a person’s mind. This is clearly the case right now. Your accident was indeed bad Llewellyn but not nearly as you recalled it.” Interrupted the doctor to explain what Llewellyn was experiencing. Jamie seemed to have been holding her breath; she released it once the doctor was done. Llewellyn finished his sandwich and turned his attention back to the TV, his mom had been watching a tennis match, his mom loved tennis now that he recalls. An hour passes, and he realizes that he needs to use the restroom.

“Hey mom, I’m going to go use the restroom, I’ll be back in a sec”

“WHAT?! … I mean uhh, yea, sure go ahead… don’t take to long though…haha, I’ll miss ya” answered Jamie, laughing strangely. She must have been spacing off, she always really got into those tennis games. Llewellyn stood from his bed, just a little sore here and there but nothing too bad. As soon as he shut the door he heard someone run out the door, his mother? Anyway, he washed his hands in the sink and looked up to see his reflection in the mirror. Something wasn’t right. Something was really not right. He looked at his face closely, studying the stubble that had grown on his jaw. He looked into his eyes, they were amber; gave him goosebumps for some reason. Suddenly there’s a pounding on the door followed by his mother’s voice

“You ok in there? Is everything fine?”

“Yea mom, I’ll be out in a second” replied Llewellyn, what was up with his mother being so paranoid? He stopped observing his face distracted by the thought if she’d always been this way. He glanced at his reflection one last time. He knew that face, of course he did, it was his!  Llewellyn chuckled and twisted the door knob. When he stepped out his mother was waiting for him right in front of the door, the doctor was next to her.

“There you are, I was getting a little worried. You were taking quite a bit in there.” Stated Jamie. Had he really been in there that long? It surely didn’t seem like it. The doctor studied him intently, as if he were searching for an answer to a math problem on his face.

“Umm, is everything ok? Or have I just forgotten the norms for human behavior?” Asked Llewellyn. The doctor laughed, a full hearted laugh.

“Ahh, that’s a good one son, everything’s fine. We just want to make sure you’re fine. You suffered a pretty bad accident back there…”he said

“Yea, I’m aware of that, yet I managed to escaped with only a concussion and a few scratches…which I haven’t been able to locate, interestingly… are you sure everything fine? Did I suffer some severe internal damage and only have a few days to live? Is that what you’re not telling me? ”

            “Of course not dear! Like the doctor said, we just want to make sure you’re healing correctly.” guaranteed his mother. Llewellyn nodded his head. Of course they were right, a concussion is pretty serious business. They were just making sure he was fine. He was, he was very fine actually. Like he’d never been hit by a speeding car. He made his way back into his bed, it was getting late.

            “Well I’ll stay here with you over night, I’ll sleep here on the couch” Sated Jamie. The doctor brought her blankets and a pillow.

            “Goodnight mom”

            “Goodnight dear”

            Llewellyn jumped right out of his sleep, sat straight up on the bed. It was two in the morning. He remembered where he had seen that face in the mirror. It was his father! But how was it possible… He ran back into the restroom, flipped on the lights. Yes!! It was him, why was he looking at his father, what was going on?!

            “MOTHER!!! WHAT IS GOING ON?? WHY WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I DON’T SEE MYSELF BUT MY FATHER?!” Jamie woke up startled…

            “Llewellyn listen—“

            “TELL ME WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?” Just then the short nurse from earlier in the day entered the room.

            “Is everything ok? What’s—“

            “I BET YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH MY FACE DON’T YOU LADY, I WANT AN EXPLINATION NOW!” The small nurse trembled, cursed under her breath and ran out of the room. Two seconds later the doctor arrived.

            “Jamie, I just received news from… Oh, Llewellyn, you’re up?..”

            “LLEWELLYN? REALLY? THAT’S NOT WHO I SEE WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR! I SEE JACOB MY FATHER, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO ME?… I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP” Jamie began to cry.

            “Llewellyn; I’m sorry, he didn’t want you to know…”

            “What? Who didn’t want me to know? Explain yourself for crying out loud mother!” The doctor joined the conversation.

            “Llewellyn. Yes that is who you are. I understand your confusion, and I’m sorry we agreed not to tell you until later. It’s best if we get this settled out once and for all.” Llewellyn listened to the doctor, waiting for an explanation.

            “Llewellyn; you are the second person to prove that the soul is separate to the body. There was a device invented many years ago with the function of transferring souls into other bodies. Unfortunately it hadn’t been used again until now… at the insistence of your father… The accident was in fact very, very gruesome. The way you recalled it was exact, the thing is your father didn’t want us to tell you what he did. He knew that the side effects of using the device would be amnesia. He knew that it wouldn’t be sure if you’d regain all your memory. The one other person who did this never did. But I warned him that every body is different and that you might end up recovering completely. So it seems this is so. In that case, we have no option but to tell you the truth.” Llewellyn listened awestruck, how could any of this be possible? Tears still streamed from Jamie’s eyes.

            “Your body was completely wreaked after the accident. You were in a deep coma for many days… The doctors didn’t think you would make it. Your parents were growing desperate, and your father searched frantically online for any method to save you, no matter how extreme or what the cost would be. He found out about the device, read that the only one in existence was owned by our hospital here. Your family transported you over a thousand miles here in the hopes of saving you. We warned your father many times of the possible consequences, but he didn’t care. We told him that there was a great chance that he… well he in your body wouldn’t make it. He was willing to take the risk… which is just what I was coming to tell Jamie about…” Continued the doctor. Jamie knew immediately that Jacob had died. Well, Jacob in Llewellyn’s body. She cried even harder now, burrowing her face into the couch’s green fabric.             Llewellyn’s heart was pounding, his head felt like it was going to explode.

            “Take me to him… me.” demanded Llewellyn. The doctor simply nodded and signaled him to follow. They entered a room similar to his, but the sight on the bed paralyzed him from head to toe. His body was disfigured, bruises and gashes covered his skin, his right eye was swollen shut and a large bandage covered his chest. Llewellyn felt destroyed then, for he now remembered why he had been so angry when he was driving, he now remembered who his discussion had been with. It had been with his father. He had spit into his face after he prohibited him from using the car because he wasn’t passing his classes. Because he was being irresponsible, because he was wasting his life drinking and parting with ‘friends’. Llewellyn fell at the body’s feet, he trembled in despair, how could he have chosen to take his place after he had willing fully rejected him and turned away his love! How?  He had chosen to give him his hands, his feet, his heart, his lungs, his mind, everything! He gave him his body, his blood, his life! Llewellyn would make sure he would use it to do what his father would always dream he would, study, work, help the needy. But right now all Llewellyn could do was nothing but weep; weep and love his father. Love him ever so deeply, and accept his gift. His gift of life.