The Strange Death Of David Parmenter - 3. The Adventure Begins free porn video

Author's note: This is an original work of transgender fiction. Any similarity between any person, living or dead, is strictly coincidental. I. The Strange Death of David Parmenter by Erin Shoemaker, Jr. 3. The Adventure Begins David awoke to find himself lying in a bed in what was basically looked like another hospital room. His vision was hazy, and his head felt like it was full of cotton - but certainly full of confusion. Rubbing his face, he tried to clear his vision. On the side wall was a large curtained window which looked out into what appeared to be a central garden area. Neatly mowed lawn, a few trees and brightly colored flower beds gave it a look of tranquility, or that he had suddenly been transported to a Hilton resort. But the rest of the room was unremarkable. The hospital bed took up most of the room. There was a little table next to the bed, and a small couch in front of the window. On the wall opposite the bed a television had been mounted, and a door to its left side led into a lavatory. There were a couple of cheap- looking vinyl chairs sitting next to the bed on the side away from the window, and behind them was what, he assumed to be, the entrance door to the room. His head was pounding as he tried continued to try to focus his vision. Then the thought dawned on him, "Christ! I'm still in the hospital." What had happened? Why hadn't he been moved to the LRP facility? Was something wrong? He sat up only to discover his level of confusion increased dramatically as the blood drained from his head. Confused and spinning, he lay back down; worried that the plan had not moved forward as the doctor and Kyle had anticipated. After a while, he rose and walked over to the window. It was a beautiful, manicured central courtyard, surrounded by the building on all four sides. He was staring out at the garden, when he heard the door unlock. Turning, he saw a smiling a dark-haired middle-aged man entering his room. "David," he cried with a large smile on his face and an outstretched hand. "How are you? My name is Darius, and I will be your..." But before he could finish, David burst out, "What the hell is going on? Why wasn't I moved? Why am I still in the hospital?" Darius, not expecting this reaction, withdrew his hand and stared at David for a moment. Then smiling again, he said, "Please relax Mr. Parmenter. You have been moved. This is the LRP facility and not the hospital in San Francisco. Everything has gone exactly as planned. You are safe, and so are your loved ones. So please, try to calm down." With this, he pulled one of the cheap chairs closer to the bed and sat down as David returned. All the agitation made David's head hurt even more. "As I was trying to say," Darius began again, "my name is Darius, and I am your first contact here at the facility. You will soon begin the process of taking on your new identity. Now, I'm sure you have a million questions, and most of these will be answered in their own time. But for now I can reassure you that, first, your mother and friends visited you while you were still in the hospital. They were deeply saddened by your passing. Second, that you were extracted from San Francisco without incident, and as far as anyone in the world knows, David Parmenter is dead. Finally, tomorrow morning, the SFPD will be taking your mother and friends out onto the ocean and in a ceremony there, will spread your ashes at sea. Yes, everything is going according to plan." Hearing all this, David was certainly set more at ease. He could feel his muscles relax and he sank back into the pillows of the bed. "Thank god," he said with a large sigh. "I thought that something had gone wrong when I found myself in a hospital bed again." "Perfectly natural," said Darius. "I would imagine your head feels like the mud that a football team has just run through, yes? This will pass quickly enough." Pausing for a moment, David then asked soberly, "Do you know how my mom took it?" Darius replied, "I don't know many details, but from what I've heard, she had made a statement to the Chronicle that she was very proud of your achievements in life, and especially your courage to stand up to the mob. The Press is calling you a citizen hero." David nodded in acknowledgment, tears coming to his eyes. Trying to bring the conversation back up some, Darius began, "So, here we are - let's talk a bit. Our goal here is to give you a new life, one free from worry about retribution by the mob. Now, I'm not sure how much you've been told about the program, but basically we guarantee that after we're done with you, no one will ever know who you once were. You will have a completely new identity, new looks, and live and work in a new town or city." "Yeah I know all that," said David. "OK then, here's the way it works. You will be taken through a fairly rigorous program of body modification and training to prepare you for your new life." "Body modification?" cried David. "What does that mean?" "Not to worry," was the reply. "Obviously we will have to change your appearance in a fairly radical way to prevent anyone from ever recognizing you. So, well, we will change your looks to fit the new identity we give you. The process is relatively quick and with only minimal discomfort. But what is exciting about our techniques is that you will be a completely new person, right down to you toenails. No one will ever know it's you. "Well that sounds kinda scary," David said with a worried look. "It sounds that way, but it really isn't," said Darius. "We've had several years to work out the science to get it right. Now it's fairly straightforward. "OK, so I'll look different. What kind of training are you talking about?" Darius paused and stared at David. "Did no one talk to you about the details of the program before this?" "Only the cop, and he really didn't give any details. Just a lot of pie-in-the-sky talk about how thorough the program is," replied David. Darius put a little frown on his face and said, "Well, that's unfortunate. We usually like our patients to be a little savvier about the program. But, I suppose, it can't be helped sometimes. Standing, and after looking at his watch, Darius smiled down on David. "Well, I have to meet up with another client now. We'll give you the rest of the day off today to recover from the tranquilizer. We'll crack the whip on you tomorrow." He turned and opened the door. But before he exited, he turned back to David and said, "Please David. Try to relax. All of us here are dedicated to protecting you from harm, and we all admire your courage in going through this. We know how mysterious and even frightening this all must seem, but we're here for you." Then again planting that large smile on his face, he turned and left the room. David thought to himself that Darius would make a good used-car salesman as he heard the door lock. * * * * * * David spent the rest of his day sleeping off the effects of the drug and snooping around the room and lavatory. He was brought his dinner in the early evening by a rather attractive nurse, who in spite of David turning on his charm-machine, was unable to provide any additional information to him about the program. By morning, he awoke pretty much recovered; awake and aware. Then shortly after his breakfast dishes were taken away, the door opened and in came Darius. He was accompanied by the stunted form of a doctor. Darius, still wearing his perpetual smile, called out to him, "Good morning! Are you ready for a trip down the rabbit hole?" David did not answer, but eyed the person with him. Darius noticed this immediately and said, "Oh forgive me... David, this is Doctor Kathleen Patterson." It was then that David noticed that the undersized person was a woman; a short, unattractive and rather dumpy looking woman, with closely cropped red hair, dressed in a white lab coat. She extended her hand and said with a smirk, "Hello David. It is a pleasure to meet you. I certainly think you are brave for participating in our little [pause] procedure. You are doing your family a great service." "Ah, sure doc," he said with uncertainty, releasing her cold clammy hand as soon as he could. "Please call me Kathleen," she said. I agreed. "We will get to know each other very closely over the course of your treatment here. I will be your doctor, and will handle all your physical changes. "Well," said Darius clapping his hands together, "we might as well get started. Are you ready?" "I guess so," David replied. "Then I will leave you in the capable hands of Doctor Patterson here," said Darius. He turned and left the room. Patterson said, "OK then, our first step is to get you cleaned up. So please, disrobe, and proceed to the bathroom, and draw yourself a bath. I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you. OK?" "OK," he said, thinking to himself that he was a big boy now and really didn't need any help. But he did as he was told. He entered the little bathroom, and as the water started to fill the tub, he took off his clothes, folding them neatly, and placed them on the little chair there. He slipped into the warm water with a sigh, and waited. The wait was not long. Within only a few minutes he again heard the door unlock and in came Dr. Patterson, flanked by a younger, much more attractive woman in blue nurse's scrubs. He recognized her from the previous night as the one who denied him information. He immediately covered up his privates as they entered. Patterson jokingly said, "Now now, there is no need for that; believe me. During the procedures, there is not one part of your body that will go uninspected by us. Best you get over any embarrassment sooner rather than later," and she reached into the tub and gently pulled his hands away from his groin. "There, that's better," she said with toad-like grin. "Now, David, here is what you must do first. We are going to add a little something to your bath." She could instantly see the distress he put on his face. "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt and will only prep your skin for what lies ahead. She could still see his worry. "Look, David, I know how unnerving this must be for you. After all, we're talking about changing everything about you - what could be more personal than that. But I want to assure you that we are taking every precaution to make sure you feel no discomfort. If at any time you think you need help, Nurse Debra here [and she motioned to the nurse] will provide you with pain medication or whatever you need - vicodin, morphine, or a pepperoni pizza." He tried to laugh but could only get a half grunt. "So don't worry. You're in good hands - you're in our hands." "Thanks doc," he said, at which she motioned for Debra to come forward. "Hello David, I'm Debra Mills," she said smiling. She was quite stunning in spite of her baggy scrubs. She produced a rather large plastic carboy of a green colored liquid and proceeded to pour it into the water. Instantly the smell hit him. It was a very pleasant smell, something like, well, like gardenias. As she poured, she said," OK now David, mix this into your water until it is uniformly distributed." So he started to make gyrations with his arms and legs to disperse the stuff. As he did, the two of them stood over him and watched. He was quite embarrassed as, while making these movements, his penis kept flopping to and fro. Once done, Dr Patterson said, "Alright, good. Now this is very important. We must treat every bit of your body with this. So I want you to use the sponge there and enjoy the bath, but be sure you open up your butt crack and get the fluid in between your buttocks. And also, and this is very important, be sure to dip you head under every so often, to make sure you ears, face and eyelids get treated. OK?" David could feel himself blushing. "How many times should I dip under?" he asked sarcastically. Hesitating, she turned to Debra and inquired, "What do you think, maybe a half dozen times?" Debra answered in the affirmative, and so Patterson turned back and said, "Let's makes it 6 times. And be sure to get the water into your ears and the creases of your eyelids." Then clapping her hands together with what appeared to be great delight, she asked, "Any questions?" "I don't think so," David replied. And before he knew it, they were gone and he once again heard the door locking. It was then he noticed that they had taken his clothes. "Goddamit," he thought, "What the hell am I supposed to wear now?" So there he was, sitting in tub of sweet-smelling but green-tinged water. As he sat, he could feel himself relaxing. His muscles seemed to lose tension, and his mind wandered off as the warm water, or whatever the hell it was, almost put him to sleep. He dipped his head under several times as instructed and spread his ass apart to be sure to get the fluid there. He said to himself that he really did enjoy the smell. But then, after about fifteen minutes, he noticed that his skin began to tingle some - nothing serious, but just kind of a light prickling. He rubbed himself with the sponge to help alleviate some of the sensation, and it seemed to work. This went on for another half hour or so, until he again heard the door to his room unlocking. In came Debra. As she walked toward him she asked rhetorically, "All done? Come love, let's get you out and dried off." She reached forward and took his wrist to help him up and out of the tub. He was still embarrassed at standing naked in front of her, and she noticed his hesitation. "Come on now, I'm a nurse. In fact, I'm your nurse; you're my only patient, and there's no reason to be embarrassed." She handed him a towel and then said, "OK then, dry off, and please get into the bed." He did as he was told, still feeling a bit shy. Pulling up one of the chairs to the bed, she sat down with a little pad of paper and asked, "Alright then, how do you feel? Are you in any pain? Can you describe how you felt in the tub?" "Well," he said as she began to scribble down his response, "I feel pretty good. I mean I'm not experiencing any pain or anything. The only thing that I felt in the tub was that my skin kinda tingled a bit. So I rubbed myself with sponge. Other than that I feel fine." "And is the tingling gone now?" she asked. "Well mostly. I can still feel it a little in spots where it's still kinda wet, like my hair and my groin." "I see," she said, "Well that's completely normal. As Dr. Patterson mentioned, the bath began the treatment of your skin to facilitate our procedures. Did you dip you head under as asked?" "Yeah - six times, I counted," he said with pride. "Great," she said excitedly with a large smile. "That's wonderful. I'm sure you're going to do just fine. Now, I'm going to go get your medication, and I'll be right back. OK? Is there anything you need?" "Just something to put on," he said jokingly. She laughed as she exited the room. Then within a few minutes, she again appeared, this time with Dr. Patterson in tow. Patterson approached him first, and asked, "David, please pull down your sheet will you? Come on now, don't be shy..." And before he could, she had grabbed it and flung it down to the bottom of the bed. He lay there stark naked. "Relax now," she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. 'I'm going to give you a quick examination, just to make sure we are on course, OK?" And again, before he could answer, she was bending over him, leaning down to look at the hair on the top of his head. Fingering it, rubbing it, pulling it, she made little sounds and grunts of no discernible sense. She looked in his eyes, up his nose, and in his ears. Then as she stood upright, she said, "This all looks good. Now..." and she bent over the other way and started examining his genitals. "Hey!" he said as she moved his penis around. Not even looking up, she only motioned for him to calm down with her hand. Then she said, "This looks fine also. David, would you please turn over for me?" At this point, he was getting a little annoyed, but he did as requested. Patterson then spread his butt cheeks apart and examined his anus, while muttering, "Good... good..." Finished, she ordered, "OK you can turn back now." Seeing his annoyance, and hearing his sighs, she could tell he was uncomfortable. Looking down at him she said, "I know this is uncomfortable for you. Please bear with us. It's not easy at first, but will come in time. So please, hang in there - it only will get better. Okey dokey?" Then motioning for Debra, she said, here is your first medication. So from here on out, you must take your pills rigorously. Failure to keep serum levels of enzymes at appropriate concentrations could affect the success of the procedure. These drugs will not only help with acceptance of your new looks, it will help you with the mental processes that come along with that." Then sardonically she said, "So be a good boy, and do as your doctor tells you." Debra giggled some, but the humor was lost on him. So for now, let's just take it easy for the rest of the day. Relax, enjoy some TV, and we'll be back with your dinner around 6:00. Now any questions?" "Well doc," he said, "could I get something to wear? It's more than a little disquieting to lay around naked all the time." Both women laughed. "Oh, of course," she said as if the thought never crossed her mind. "I'll have some new clothes brought right in for you." He took the pill cup from Debra, downed them with some water from the bedside stand, and quickly covered up. But by this time, they were headed out the door again. He tried to adjust to the surroundings as best he could. He turned on the TV and started watching the news about how our inane Congress had yet again failed to do anything before they went on another vacation. But soon the newscast shifted to the story of the tragic death of a San Francisco man and a burial at sea for a citizen hero. He jumped to his feet and stood inches from the TV as he watched his own mother at the side of a boat lean over the rail and sprinkle his ashes in a wide arch across the sea. "Holy shit, Mom!" he cried as tears instantly flooded from his eyes. The camera then shifted to the police honor guard which was standing at attention and saluting. In the background he recognized his friends, many of whom were weeping. "Oh shit, what have I done!" he cried out loud. And it was then he finally realized that he, David Parmenter, and everything that he had ever been, was indeed dead to the rest of the world. What had been an abstract thought in his head was sudden hammered home in cold reality. He was no more, and there was no turning back now. Come what may, he was in the hands of these people now. He only hoped that they were as benign as they professed to be. And he was not comforted by the passing thought that they could just kill him now, and no one would know the difference. But then the door opened and in walked Debra holding a pile of clothes. "Here you go sweetie," she said with a smile as she set them on the bed. "Do you want me to help you with these?" Turning and wiping the tears from his cheeks, he replied "No I think I can manage, thank you." "Are you alright?" she asked. "Yeah," he said sniffing. "But I just saw my own funeral on TV." "Oh my dear," she said as she rushed to him and hugged him and patted him sympathetically on the back. "Oh my dear, I'm so sorry. I know that must be hard for you." Then pulling back and holding each shoulder with her hands she said, "But remember, all those you just saw are safe now." "I guess you're right, but still...." and he started to tear up again. "Here, come on and get dressed. You'll feel better. Do you want me to bring you something for your anxiety?" she asked. "No, I guess not. But thank you," he answered as he began to pick up the clothes. "Well if you're sure then, I'll see you around dinner time. Don't hesitate to ring if you need anything," and she was gone again. Looking down at the pile of clothes, it was then he realized that they were women's clothes, and consisted of a pair of white cotton panties, a smooth-cupped bra, a pair of pink flowered flannel pajamas, a light tan- colored silk robe, and a pair of those goofy grey hospital booties. He was totally shocked and thought it must be a mistake. She must have grabbed the wrong pile of clothes. So he walked to the door, only to find it locked. He pounded and yelled, but after several attempts with no response, he gave up. He was stuck, but he needed to cover up somehow, so, ignoring the undergarments, he slipped on the pajamas. He was instantly struck with how really smooth they felt against his skin; he never had clothes feel like that before - smooth, soft, almost sensual. * * * * * * Dinner came and went without incident. Debra brought in a rolling tray which included a small salad, a braised chicken thigh and mixed vegetables. And of course, the usual cup of drugs. Finishing, he pressed the button of the buzzer. Debra responded quickly. "Oh by the way," he said to her jokingly, "the clothes you brought me are women's clothes. I suppose they're nice, but really not my style." She only giggled and smiled before she walked out, and he was once again alone in his room. Later as he watched the current episode of Fringe, he began to notice the tell-tale signs of getting sleepy. On several occasions, he nodded-off, only to awaken with a jerk of his head. As much as he tried and tried to stay awake, he eventually had to succumb to the drugs. Turning off the TV, he covered himself with the quilt and drifted off to sleep. Little did he suspect that he was being watched. In the small room adjacent to David's, Dr. Patterson watched as he slept. Pressing a button on the console in front of her, she could hear the subliminal messages being fed into his brain as he slept. "My name is Sandra Lorraine Taylor. My name is Sandra Lorraine Taylor. My name is...." She smiled, turned, and went on about her business knowing that his conditioning was likewise proceeding as planned. He awoke a little after 8:00 the following morning, with a head that felt enlarged and throbbing. As he sat up in the bed, he instantly noticed that his head felt cold. Reaching up, he gasped to feel that he had no hair. None - not a stitch! Looking back at the pillow he saw where it had gone - it was there - a pile of dark brown hair that had once been his. He stood up from the bed, and rushed into the bathroom to look in the mirror. What greeted him was the personification of Mr. Clean. No hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes for that matter. Pulling off his pajamas, he saw a similar condition for his chest, arms and legs. Shoving his hand down his pajamas, it encountered the same unadorned landscape. He could feel the loose hairs falling through the legs of pajamas and landing on top of his feet. Sprinting back to the bed, he frantically pushed the buzzer. Within seconds, his two gatekeepers entered. "Doc, I've lost all my hair!" he exclaimed in excitement. "What the hell? I look like a freak!" Patterson, taking him by the shoulders, guided him back to the bed. "Take it easy, David," she said. "There's nothing to get excited about. This is exactly what we wanted to happen. As with your skin conditioning, it is important to remove any body hair that could possibly interfere with the procedure. This is critically necessity to insure the best possible results." Patterson could see both the confusion and angst on David's face. "Look David, today we begin your transformation. After breakfast," and turning to Nurse Debra motioned for her to go and get it, "we will sit down and discuss the procedures of the program. All your questions will be answered then. So please, again, try to relax and in a little bit we'll all be on the same page. OK?" she asked with a crooked reptilian smile. Nurse Debra returned to the room with his rolling breakfast tray. "I guess so," I said begrudgingly. "But will it grow back?" "Of course it will dear," she said. "In fact, it will probably grow back at a much accelerated rate, and will come in much fuller and thicker. I would hazard a guess that you'll be back to normal in, oh, a week or so. So please calm yourself. It is important for you not to get so shook up. This may all seem odd or unnecessary, but believe me, it will all work out better for you if follow our instructions. And right now, those instructions are to relax. We'll be back in a few minutes, and we'll run over to the conference room. OK?" "Sure, I guess," he said uncomfortably while lying back down in the bed. But Patterson reached forward and pulled him back up. Motioning to the pile of hair on the pillow and bed sheets, she said, "Debra, let's get this mess cleaned up, shall we?" "Of course Doctor," she obligingly said. "Here...," Patterson said as she pulled him up, "don't sit in that mess. He sat in one of the cheap chairs eating his breakfast as Debra and an orderly worked to clean up the hairy mess on the bed, and change the bed sheets. Finishing their work, she was about to leave when she turned and said, "David, be sure to take your meds. They're really important. OK?" He nodded in agreement as he picked up the little pill cup, and leaning back he tossed the multi-colored objects into his mouth, and downed them with a sip of his orange juice. * * * * * * Following his breakfast, David went into the lavatory to clean up a bit. As he washed his face, he was both creeped-out and fascinated by what was looking back at him from the mirror. Rubbing the top of his head, he felt naked and vulnerable. "This is fucking weird," he said to himself. But soon thereafter, accompanied by Nurse Debra, he was walking down the long hall that lay outside his room. She had brought him a little pink stocking cap to cover his baldness. And now, dressed in his flowered pajamas, silken robe, and pink cap, he walked to his meeting. He felt really stupid. The long hallway, lined with doors on either side, reminded him of the hallways at college. Ahead he could see that it dead-ended into another hall which crossed at right angles. But before he got that far, Debra moved to the left and opened one of the doors labeled "Conference". As he followed her into the room, he noticed that his head suddenly felt woozy. Seeing this, Debra grabbed his arm to steady him, and assisted him to a chair. The room was typical of a small conference room; narrow with most of the space taken up by a large central table lined with chairs. The windows at the far end were covered by Levelor blinds which were closed. "Doctor Patterson will be right here," said Debra as she started to pull out the chair next to his. Just as she sat down, Patterson entered and closed the door behind her. Taking the seat opposite David at the table, she began, "Ok David, I think it's time we give you the full details of what we do here." As Darius mentioned, we usually like to do this before a client joins us here at the facility, but in your case we didn't have time. It was imperative that you give everyone the impression of having been killed in the shooting. So please forgive us by only now getting you the details of the program." David understood the urgency in his "disappearance" and so only said, "Uh OK, I understand. But where exactly is "here"?" he asked. Patterson stared at him for a moment, and then responded, "I wish I could tell you, but that, in and of itself, could in the future lead to serious security issues. What we can tell you is that you are in a secure facility in suburban Southern California - close to San Diego. You will be here for approximate one month until our procedures have been completed, and then you will be transferred to your new location to begin your new life." David nodded in acknowledgment. She began again, "So, let me begin by re-iterating that me and the whole Staff here admire you for your courage and your willingness to allow us to help you. You really will be safe, and you will never be bothered by those thugs again." David replied, "Thank you." "Now of course, we know of your background and your deep involvement with science and technology. And so we are hoping that, on an intellectual level, you will be amazed and appreciative of what we have been able to accomplish - the science behind it all - you know." "I'm sure one the most pressing questions you may have is the physical transformation you will go through. This is to be expected and is only natural. After all, our job is to completely change you so that even you won't recognize yourself when you look in the mirror. "You've done a pretty good job so far," thought David. "Now to be sure, this is a major problem for all "normal" witness- protection programs - you can move someone to a new location, give them a new name and new job, and even do some plastic surgery, but they will always mostly look, sound and act like the original, yes? So what we have been able to do is to completely mask any signs of your former, well, your former self." She paused as David's mouth began to hang open. "OK, I get it," David said, "you're talking about a disguise, right?" "Exactly," she responded. "But our procedures are so complete that no one, not a doctor, not even you mother, could tell who you once were. In other words, your transformation will be so complete that no one could, or would, believe you if you even told them who you were." "That sounds pretty incredible all right," he said unconsciously fighting the effects of the drugs he had been given, "and just how do you do it?" "Ahh, now we come to the details," she replied. "We have developed a completely new technology which melds genetics and biochemistry, advances in sensory science, and advance polymers into a completely integrated system. In essence, we have created a new science - that of genetically engineered bio-polymers." And again she waited, but David did not respond - he was beginning to become sleepy again. "So what the hell does that mean?" he asked. "I'm a computer geek, not a biologist." "Basically, we have developed a new type of body suit. The suit, which we design to best accommodate your new life, is genetically fabricated and impregnated with both biological and nano-mechanical systems designed to disguise you in every way. Once you are installed in the suit, it will begin to bond with your body, and will eventually be harmlessly absorbed as it remakes you into the new, well..., you." David, shocked into being more awake by all this, was flabbergasted. "Oh come on," he said in disbelief. "That's bullshit. That kind of technology doesn't exist." "It didn't," she responded, "not until now. Now we can, essentially, mold you into anyone we wish. Tall - short, thin - fat, anyone. Of course the point is that we do this to prevent you from ever being found by those who would do you harm. So generally, we try to develop your new self in ways that would be the farthest thing from your former life." Fighting the increasing buzz in his head, David asked, "OK that all sounds really weird, but I don't want to be cocooned inside a rubber suit for the rest of my life. No way!" "I wouldn't either," she said. "But you don't quite understand the technology. Once you are inside the suit, it bonds with you, it becomes you. You will feel touch, heat, cold, pain, moisture exactly like it is your own skin. You will even get goose bumps. Now in order to facilitate this bonding, a certain amount of neurological absorption needs to occur at the skin to body suit boundary so that your skin processes the stimuli from the suit into your nervous system. It's really nothing to worry about. Once you get the skin installed on your body, you soon won't know the difference. But in order for this to happen correctly, we need to be sure that nothing interferes with this bonding. This is why we needed to remove all your hair - every bit of it. Understand?" "I think so," he said in his growing haze. But by this time, he was semi-comatose. He felt heavy, like there were weights attached to his legs and arms, as well as a growing heaviness within his head. Debra watched as he continually snapped his head back up to attention as he fought the drugs. Eventually he passed out completely. Patterson rose and walked around the table to him. She leaned forward and ran her fingers across his bare head with a look of sympathy on her face. "Poor guy," she said. But then, she snapped back to reality and turning to Nurse Debra said, "Ok let's get him to dentistry." * * * * * * David awoke that afternoon back in his bed in excruciating pain. His face felt like someone had hit him in the face with a baseball bat. Touching his face, he could tell that it was swollen-up to where it must look like a boxer who lost a rough fight. Then moving his hands down, he could feel that his entire neck was wrapped in gauze. He clutched at the button to call the nurse, but even this was an effort. Within about a minute, in came Nurse Debra. He reached up to her as she took his hand in hers and tried to speak, but instantly felt a surge of pain roll through his neck as he did. The best he could muster was a faint whisper, "What's happened to me? My face hurts like shit!" "It's OK. But don't try to speak," she said while sitting on the edge of the bed and replacing his hands in front of him. "While you were out, we had your dentistry work done. I know it must be painful, so let me get you something." And she tapped his hands lightly, before leaving once again. "Dentistry!" he thought in his haze. "Dentistry - they're even changing my teeth!" The door opened and Debra walked back in with a loaded syringe in hand. "Here, let me help. Please roll over and pull your jammies down." With her assistance, he did as he was asked. She had soon emptied the content of the syringe into his hip. Within seconds he could feel the pain in his face ameliorating. As she sat gently tapping and rubbing his hand, the door opened again and in walked Patterson. "How are you feeling today, David?" she asked with her toad-like smile. "Wait - don't try to speak..." "Like shit," he murmured softly. She gave a little laugh. "Well if it's any consolation, the worst is over. The rest of the procedure is mostly painless - mostly. At least that's what the others have told us." She leaned over him and gently pushed and prodded his face, and turned his head side to side. "Open please," she asked. David opened his mouth with pain, and she bent further down examining his new teeth. "Good," she said while straightening up. "So, you now have a completely new set of choppers. They are all new porcelain implants which bear no resemblance to your previous teeth whatsoever. By the way, the dentist informed me that you need to work on your oral hygiene. You had several cavities." She gave another little laugh, but again the humor was lost of David. "Well OK then," she said. "Debra has given you some pain killers, yes?" and she looked to the nurse who nodded in agreement. "Good, then rest- up the remainder of today, and tomorrow we will introduce you to you new skin. OK then?" and she abruptly turned and rapidly started to disappear out the door. But she stopped at the last minute and turning to them said, "Oh and be sure to take another bath tonight. It will help tomorrow." Debra, again sitting next to him said, "David, I know this is all crazy. But in the long run, just think, you'll be able to live a normal life again. It'll all be worth it." And she bent forward and gave him a little kiss on top of his eggshell head before standing and leaving. She turned at the door and looked back at him with a smile, saying, "It'll be alright." After his gardenia bath that night, as David lay back into the pillow to try to sleep, he couldn't help but think about what had just happened. It seemed to him that little by little, they were killing off all that he once was. First his hair, now his teeth; what's next? And this suit business... What was that all about? Do they really expect that a body suit will fool anybody? This all seemed rather absurd to him. Had he made a colossal mistake in trusting these people? He felt a pang in his heart when he thought that he could be home right then looking out over the east bay. Now he was lying somewhere, he wasn't even sure where, looking like some weird kind of asexual manikin. But then his mind flashed back to his dead friend, and his grieving mother and friends. No, they had gone through enough already, and he would not subject them to more hurt. He was committed and there was no turning back now; he would stay the course. Finally, at about midnight, he rang for Nurse Debra, and requested a sleeping aid; he just couldn't stop his mind from rolling over and over all that had happened, and especially, all that was to come. She quickly obliged, and soon he drifted off into an uneasy semi-sleep, completely unconscious of the subliminal messages being conveyed into his brain, "I am Sandra Lorraine Taylor ... I am Sandra Lorraine Taylor ..." Tomorrow would be a big day. TO BE CONTINUED...