The Body Swap

Ann Peters had always had serious issues with her Physics teacher, and she didn't get how anyone would ever say, "Light traveled faster than sound."

Ok, maybe it made sense in a way when you studied it from the "lightning and thunder" perspective.

Have you ever considered why people are advised to talk to their loved ones in a coma?

This just seemed to prove her point as she tried opening her eyes. She could hear all the discussions going on around her, even though her eyes and brain were having a kind of disagreement.

"Please stay still, ma. You may have a concussion," The nurse standing by her bedside checking her vitals said courteously.

Did she just call me ma? Ann thought inwardly as she slowly looked around. This looked like a private ward... No, sorry. A VIP ward.

What was she doing in a hospital and a VIP ward at that? Who in good heavens had made the mistake of bringing her here? She couldn't certainly afford to pay for this hospital bill.

"Please, may I know how long I've been here, who brought me in and why?" Ann asked the nurse politely.

Something must be wrong with her brain. Miss Grace never says please, the nurse thought to herself. "I'll just call the doctor. Miss Grace, he will give you the details," She said and hurried out.

'Miss Grace? Oh, no! These people must be mistaking me for someone else, and I need to sneak out before the doctor gets here. I can't add to my debts,' Ann said to herself.

She got up and checked to make sure the nurse was far away. She quickly changed into the fine designer gown hanging in the wardrobe.

Just as she turned to leave, the door opened. "You can't leave Miss Grace, your parents asked me to keep you here till they arrive, and they'll be here soon," The doctor said immediately after he entered the room and saw her dressing up.

"Miss Grace? My parents?" She asked, looking at the doctor. "You must have me mistaken for someone else, I'm an orphan, and my name isn't Grace. My name is ..." She winced in pain as she felt a splitting headache behind her head.

She raised her hand to her head and felt the soft curly hair trailing her shoulders which she hadn't noticed earlier, and she frowned as she looked around for a mirror. Did someone wear her a wig? She thought.

"You need to lie down. I think the blow to your head must have affected you more than we thought," The doctor said, looking concerned, as he led her back to the bed.

"No, no, you don't understand, my name is Ann, and I can't afford this hospital bill. I don't know who brought me here, but I can assure you I'm not Grace, and neither do I have parents," She said, trying to get up from the bed again.

The doctor signaled the nurse to get a tranquilizer as Ann stood up again, "I need to ease myself," She lied, and the doctor pointed in the direction of the toilet door.

She walked inside and noticed the mirror by the toilet washing bowl, and she walked closer to it. She stood in front of it. This wasn't her, the hair, the eyes, the nose, the lips, the face, the skin... None of these looked like her facial features in any way.

This was Grace staring right back at her in the mirror. She placed her hands over her mouth to prevent the sound coming from her mouth.

Her heart was racing, and her face was ashen white. She turned on the tap, washed her face, raised her head again, and looked into the mirror, but nothing had changed. Grace still stood there staring right at her.

She raised her hand to pinch her cheeks and noticed the fine hands, well-polished nails, and soft palms. She couldn't believe it.

What happened? Was she dead? She had often heard that when people die, they take the form of their soul. Was this her soul?

Ann Peters, stop thinking nonsense; if you were dead, you won't be feeling a headache, and neither would you be in a hospital. She said to herself.

'What about Grace? If I look like Grace, does that mean Grace looks like me now? What is going on?' She asked herself as she burst into hot tears.

"Go and check on her. She's inside the bathroom," The doctor told the nurse who had just returned with the tranquilizer.

The nurse knocked on the door, "Sorry ma, are you ok? Do you need help?" The nurse called out reluctantly.

Ann quickly wiped her face and stepped out, "I'm ok. I'm fine," She said as her mind wandered. She had no idea what was going on. But she knew she couldn't do anything until she was sure of what was happening. All she had to do was play along until she was sure about what was going on.

**********

"What am I doing here?" Grace screamed at the nurse by her bedside angrily,

"Please calm down, Ann. You were in an accident."

"Goodness me! Who is Ann? Are you blind or stupid? Who brought me here? Why am I not in a private room?"

"What's this rag I'm wearing? Where are my clothes?" She screamed hysterically.

The nurse ran out to call the doctor because she couldn't understand what was going on.

Grace looked round the room but couldn't find her handbag or phone, just wait till she met that idiot driver of hers. He'd be in real trouble for leaving her here.

She felt a grazing pain on her forehead. She lifted her hands to touch it and noticed her chapped nails and rough palms. 'Just one minor accident and my hands are looking this rough?' She thought to herself.

She raised her hands to her face, and it felt rough. She sure hoped that wouldn't leave a scar. She raised a hand to scratch her hair and felt the short mop of hair. 'Did someone cut my hair? Why is everything feeling and looking strange?' She asked herself suspiciously, getting ready to rain fire and brimstone if her suspicion proved to be true.

Grace walked into the nearest bathroom to wash her face; she didn't need anyone seeing her tattered and unkept to add to the whole unpleasantness of her day.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and let out a loud scream. She washed her face, looked into the mirror again, screamed, and then fainted.