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Chapter 5

CARA

“Just give me the paper, I’ll sign it and I’ll get the hell out of here. What else can you do? I’m discharging myself against medical advice. I will not hold it against you.” I looked at the nurse without batting an eye. I knew the procedure and I knew how to get the hell out of there.

For almost a minute, she finally conceded with a sigh. “I’ll talk to the doctors. I can get you some orders you can take home. Just make sure you’ll be careful.”

I nodded and thanked her, not looking at Lorraine who was standing with her arms across her chest at the far end of the room. She was leaning against the window, looking at me pointedly. She was not pleased that I wanted to get out of the hospital but somehow, she couldn’t stand up against me. Maybe she had this kind of relationship with Bridgette. She was afraid of her sister and I couldn’t blame her for that. It was no surprise if people wouldn’t feel threatened by Bridgette whose body I now possessed.

I tried not to think about my situation because if I did, I would only go crazy.

After an hour, the nurse came back with the news that I could finally go home once the hospital cleared me. I thanked her once more and I started to fix myself when it suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t know where to go after I got out of the hospital.

I took the phone beside the table the moment Lorraine went out of the room to get a cup of coffee. I asked to be connected to Cara Leonard’s room. I almost cried when I heard my father’s voice answer. I wanted to tell him that it was me, his real daughter he was talking to.

“Can I speak to Bri—I mean, Cara?” I asked when I managed to find my voice.

“For a while,” my father answered and I heard some rustling sound and Bridgette’s voice came in.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Cara,” I said without any proper greeting.

“What?”

“I don’t know where to go after my discharge. I want to know if you have a plan.”

“Just…go with Lorraine. Ask her to drive you home.” Her voice was hushed. Obviously, unlike me, she was not alone.

“How about keys? How do I know which one I should use?”

“It’s the one with a kitten keychain. I have to go now because dad wants to talk to me.”

I didn’t know how to answer that. She was calling my dad her dad?

BRIDGETTE

The old man wouldn’t leave me alone. He came out of the hospital as early as any birds catching the earliest worms and came back wearing a fresh set of clothes. Still checkered, still slacks. And still with that warm smile that would melt anyone’s heart.

But I didn’t need that. What I needed was my original body and it was laying in bed just a few doors down. I told the nurse that I wanted to go home before the old man came in and he was surprised that I was about ready to leave when he came in. I was still wearing my c-collar but the doctor said that it can be removed after two to three days.

And while he was having a talk with me about how staying in the hospital would help me a lot, Cara called to ask me where to go after she went out of the hospital.

“I am a nurse,” I said with confidence, crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t ask me any medical questions or reasons why I was ready to go home because I couldn’t very well give him a great answer other than what would be the best time for a summer wedding. “I know how I feel so please, don’t worry.” That was the best I could come up with.