Formerly Brandewyne
Published by Lee Books
www.judesplace.com
2855 Alta View Drive 107
San Diego, CA 92139
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN (paperback): 0-9660653-0-1
Copyright © 1998 by Lee Books
Cover design by MMG Graphics
Editorial and design assistance provided by Griffith Publishing
Caldwell, Idaho
Dedication
Dedicated to my mother, who got me interested in romance novels.
PREFACE
When I was attending college, I had to write many term papers. Well, I was determined to write them about things that interested me. I remembered reading an article about futuristic prisons. The idea was that the criminals would be cryogenically frozen for their prison terms, which would save taxpayer dollars. The idea interested me, so I did some research that turned out to be more fun than work.
After the paper was finished, the idea of cryonics stayed with me. I toyed with the possibility of someone being frozen and then cloned in the future. Naturally, a love story was formed. I’ve been told that Brandewyne is more like me than any of the characters in my other works. I admit I’ve put a lot of myself into her. Maybe it is my dream to start over and live in another century.
I hope you enjoy her story.
Jude Liebermann
Acknowledgements
I would like to express appreciation to my sister, Patricia, who took the time to look over this novel to find obvious flaws before I sent it to Griffith Publishing.
I would also like to thank Joyce Griffith, who took over from there to take my rough copy and transform it into the final printed novel.
Chapter One
Brandewyne Parker rolled over in bed. Sighing heavily, she realized she didn’t really want to get up. So what if it was Christmas? She didn’t even have a tree. She had already opened the few gifts she had received from friends. Staring up at the ceiling, she remembered that Nancy was going to give her present to her today. Well, at least that was something to get out of bed for. Doctor Nancy Thorgood was her oldest and dearest friend. As she lay there, the phone rang. Reaching over, she picked up the extension on her nightstand.
“Hello?”
“Did I wake up Sleeping Beauty?”
“Very funny, Nancy. Why are you so chipper?”
“Because it’s Christmas, Bran.”
“Oh, right.” Brandewyne rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. She heard her friend snicker.
“Oh, don’t be such a scrooge. Christmas is never a good day to sleep in, so I decided that brunch would be much nicer than lunch. Same restaurant. I’ll meet you there at nine o’clock. Is that alright?”
“Yeah, Nancy, that’s fine. See you in—” She looked over at the clock. She had to rub her eyes before she could focus—”one hour.” She couldn’t stifle the yawn.
“Now don’t go back to sleep. As soon as you hang up, get out of bed and take a shower.”
“Yes, mom.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm, but Nancy laughed it off.
“See you at nine, Brandewyne.”
“Bye.” Brandewyne stretched as she hung up the phone. God, she hated that name. No one called her by her full name, except Nancy when she was being smart. She didn’t know what possessed her parents to name her something that sounded like “brandy wine.” She liked neither drink: brandy nor wine. The few who did find out her full name never understood why she didn’t like it. They would say it was unique and “quite lovely.” It was unique alright. Nancy mostly called her Bran, and sometimes Brandy, which as a name, she preferred. Anything but Brandewyne.
Brandy rolled over onto her stomach and pushed up onto her elbows to stretch her back. She groaned as the muscles flexed. She was getting old. She really should get back into aerobics. She had gone to the gym religiously until she had turned thirty-five. Now, almost five years later, she had let herself get out of shape. It was hard to fit exercise into her busy work schedule. She hadn’t even wanted to take Christmas off, but she had been practically threatened not to come in by her boss.
Well, now it was Christmas morning, and she had an hour to make herself presentable for brunch. As she undressed, she avoided looking into the mirror. She knew what she would see if she did. She wasn’t an unattractive woman by any means, but the beginning of middle age wasn’t suiting her very well; neither were the extra pounds her body had acquired. When she had been a little younger, she had been full of life and energy. She had a pretty face; oval shaped, with sparkling light green eyes with long lashes. Her lips weren’t too full and if she were thinner, her cheekbones would be well defined. Her skin was pale but smooth, with a slight sprinkling of freckles. All this was complemented by her wavy, shoulder length reddish-blonde hair. Brandy’s face didn’t bother her. With a little effort, she could even be considered beautiful, but it was her body that was a major disappointment. After adolescence, the weight had started coming on. She had fought it for twenty years and was losing the battle. She was getting to the point where she was tiring of diets.
Whom did she have to impress? She should just give up and get good and fat. She was well on her way there now.
She took a quick shower and dressed in comfortable sweats and canvas shoes. She arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. She believed in being prompt. It was expected at all the board meetings she attended. She smiled as she thought about how her colleagues would react to how she was dressed. They were so used to seeing her conservative business suits and her hair up in a tight bun. Their jaws would drop at seeing her in grunge apparel. She looked around at the people seated at tables nearby. There was a lot of smiling and gift exchanging. Brandy sighed as she realized she had left Nancy’s present on the kitchen counter. She watched the waiter fill a water glass at the table next to hers and then turn towards her. He was an attractive young man. Brandy guessed he was in his late twenties.
“Are you ready to order, ma’am?”
Brandy looked at her watch. It had taken fifteen minutes for him to ask for her order. She would remember that when it came time for his tip. Nancy was five minutes late. How typical for a doctor to be late for an appointment, Brandy thought. “Well,” she said, “I would like an iced tea, but let’s give my friend a few minutes before I order.”
“Very well.” He nodded and walked off.
Brandy looked around the room again. This time her gaze fell on an older gentleman sitting across the room. He was staring at her. Unblinking, Brandy stared back. The man grew uncomfortable and looked away. She smirked and looked at the table.
Brandy was surprised to see a glass of iced tea in front of her. She hadn’t heard the waiter approach or retreat. As Brandy took a sip, she felt a tinge of remorse for glaring at the man earlier. Maybe she reminded him of someone. She truly wished she didn’t have such a feeling of animosity toward men. It was hard after struggling to move up the ladder of success and being trampled on by men who weren’t as qualified as she. Her thoughts were interrupted by Nancy, who took the seat opposite hers.
“Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was a bear.”
The waiter came over and took their orders. After he left, Nancy turned to Brandy.
“You look comfortable.”
Brandy looked down at her old sweatsuit and sneakers. “Well, this isn’t exactly the Ritz. I dress for the occasion.”
“I know you do. I see what you wear at work. Very respectable.”
“Nancy?” Brandy said, muffling a threatening undertone.
“What? Bran, I just think you should make a good impression everywhere, not just at work. If you ever want to attract a man, you have to.”
Brandy rolled her eyes. They had been through this scenario plenty of times in the past.
“Who says I want to attract a man?” Her thoughts went back to the man across the room. She shrugged it off. “Who says I need a man? I’m too busy for one.”
“You make yourself too busy. Brandy, you are burning the candle at both ends. I know you feel you have to prove something at work, but try to chill a bit.”
“Of course I have to prove something. When I was younger I was chased around the desk by my bosses, and now as I’m getting older I’m just known as ‘the bitch’ because I’m tough. I think I was born in the wrong century. Maybe in the future, equality of the sexes will be a reality and not just a goal. I’m so tired of this mess. I do the work of two men and a much better job. I just wish I could get the respect for it that I deserve.”
Nancy’s reflective look made Brandy nervous.
“What?”
Nancy seemed to snap out of a reverie.
“Huh? Oh nothing. I was just thinking about work. Bran, I’m working on something at the lab. It’s not quite ready yet, but I think it will be something big. Maybe I will tell you about it after the holidays. By then I should know if it’s going anywhere.”
“What are you talking about, Nancy?”
“Don’t worry about it. You know us scientists. We’re always experimenting with something new.”
“Yeah.” Brandy smiled. She still remembered how Nancy had been during medical school. She was always getting in trouble in lab for her “experiments.”
Nancy’s next question wiped the smile off her face.
“So, you looking forward to next Friday?”
“What is there to look forward to?”
“Brandy! It’s the last day of the century and the millennium. This is huge. This won’t happen again for another thousand years, Bran. Just think, in exactly a week, it will be the year 2000.”
“Yeah, the year I turn 40, joy. Everything is downhill from there. Hell, I don’t remember the uphill climb.”
“Oh, God, you’re so morbid. You are in the best years of your life, Bran. If you would just stop thinking that work is your life. Just live a little. Drop some weight, get some sexy clothes, and find somebody.”
Brandy reached up and rubbed her face. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at her friend.
“Find some man who will think he is better than me. Will probably resent the fact that I make more money than him, and have him eventually decide he needs a younger and firmer body and leave me for his floozy secretary? No, thanks.”
Nancy looked at her with concern.
“Bran, what has made you so bitter? Scott? Hell, I’ve had my bad luck with men, but I haven’t given up on them.”
Brandy tried to pretend not to notice Nancy’s reference to Scott. That wound went deep. Brandy had always been so independent. She was determined to make it on her own and show the world what she could do. She was still a semester shy of her Bachelors in Business Administration when she bullied her way into an interview at the company to which she ended up devoting eighteen years of her life. Her soon-to-be boss had tried to brush her off at the interview, but he admired her spunk. In the end he had hired her as his assistant. She had put up with him chasing her around the desk until she was accepted in the Entrée program and promoted to junior exec. She hadn’t batted an eyelash to all the sexual harassment and the lewd jokes because she hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. She had to be accepted as “one of the guys” in order to be taken seriously. Brandy had learned to check her emotions at the front door when she went to work. The first and last time she had shown emotion and gotten upset, one of her colleagues had guessed she must be “on the rag.” She had managed to laugh it off, but she refused to show any emotion from that day on. It had roughened her edges.
She had just been promoted to junior executive when she met Scott Rogers. He had been there a few years longer and was assigned to show her the ropes. Against her better judgment, they started dating. She fell in love a month later, and they dated for two years. They had been engaged to be married. One weekend she had been sent on her first out-of-state business trip. She finished up early and flew back home. She had a key to Scott’s apartment and was going to surprise him. Brandy could almost feel the same pain now that she had experienced when she had found him in bed with a newly promoted junior executive. She had turned to run, but Scott had caught up with her at the door. She had whirled on him and pulled out of his reach.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Bran, you shouldn’t have seen that. What are you doing back early?”
“You think it’s OK, as long as I don’t catch you?” She jerked away from him as he reached for her again. She wiped her eyes.
“Oh, come on, Bran. You knew I wasn’t faithful. I’m not a monogamous type guy. You knew that when we first got started.”
“I thought you had changed.”
“Don’t be naive. One woman just isn’t enough for me.” He gripped her shoulders. “I do love you, Bran, but I need other women. It’s too boring with just one woman. You have to be a man to understand.”
She forced her work glare. “You’re a bastard. I never want to see you again.” She threw his key in his face and stormed out. From that day on, she promised herself she would never again let a man see her cry. She had never gone on another date, or even smiled at any man. So far, she had kept her promise and would most likely keep it until her death. She would keep her heart safe, even if it meant she would be alone. She felt a touch of sadness at the thought. She focused on Nancy and forced her features to soften.
“You’re not with anyone, Nancy. I don’t see any wedding ring on your finger.”
“True, I’m not married, but I have my prospects open. And I’m older than you.
“Only a year.
“Well, I’m already forty. I don’t feel as if it’s all downhill from here. I have a lot of life left to live. So do you.”
“The eternal optimist.”
“Maybe some of it will rub off on you.”
Brandy half smirked, half smiled as she watched the waiter bring their food. It had taken too long this time. She almost complained, but knew Nancy wouldn’t like it. This guy evidently did not want a tip.
“Let’s just enjoy our meal. Afterward, I’m taking you shopping. We have to find the perfect dress for next Friday. You are going to welcome in the new year and millennium in style.”
“If you say so, Nancy.” They enjoyed the rest of their meal in friendly silence.
The next day Brandy was in the office. She had a big board meeting to plan for Monday. She hated to miss work due to any holidays. She never liked to fall behind. Most weeks she worked Saturdays anyway. The only day she would willingly take off was Sunday. Even God needed a day of rest, so she figured she needed one, too.
As she walked to her office, she noted that a few of the other executives were also working. She had almost reached her door when a voice stopped her.
“Ah, good. You’re here.” She turned and faced her colleague, Stan Perkins. She nodded her greeting. “I was hoping to talk to you before Monday.”
“What about, Stan?”
“The board meeting. I wanted to know what you are going to say about my idea.”
She sighed as she turned to walk into her office. Stan followed. She hung her jacket on the rack and sat at her desk. Stan took one of the chairs across from her and stared at her expectantly. Stan was young for an executive. He was still in his twenties and hadn’t been at the company long. He knew if she didn’t like his idea, the company wouldn’t let it fly.
“Stan, I already told you what I thought.”
“Haven’t you given it any more thought? It could sell, Brandy.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s shoddy and years behind everyone else. That is what I intend to tell the board.”
He narrowed his eyes right back at her. “You don’t like me, do you?”
“Now what does that have to do with anything? I don’t like your idea. It’s nothing personal.”
“Yeah, right. You’re just upset that I never asked you out, so you’re trying to sabotage me.
One side of her mouth went up. “If I were one of your locker room buddies and had the same opinion, would you be complaining like this? Have you asked any of the male executives what they think of your idea?”
His eyes narrowed even more. His silence was the only answer she needed. It told her that some of his friends probably agreed with her, but that she was one of the main deciding votes. The fact that a woman could make or break his precious idea had him steamed. He hated the fact that she was his superior. And Nancy wondered why she didn’t want a man in her life. Her lip curled at the thought.
“Stan, I don’t want to be your enemy. Whether you believe it or not, my opinions on possible products for this company are completely objective. I don’t care whether it is my best friend or an enemy. I do what is best for this company. You can believe that or not; it’s up to you.”
He stood up. Brandy leaned back in her chair at his furious glare.
“This is what happens when secretaries get promoted to a man’s job.”
“Be careful, Stan.” She gave him one of her trademark “freeze water” glares.
His lips twitched. She waited for the famous B word. She wondered if he had the nerve to call her a bitch to her face.
She stood up. “Don’t you ever tell me that I don’t deserve this job. After this display of yours, it’s obvious I deserve it more than you ever could. Before you come in here and throw one of your tantrums, just remember you were still in high school after I’d already been here for ten years.” She paused to take a deep breath. “You’ll have my full report at the meeting on Monday. Now, get out of my office.”
He bit his lip, stiffly nodded and walked out of her office. She could almost hear him muttering under his breath.
Brandy took a deep breath. She had to calm down. She had succeeded in keeping Stan from knowing how upset she was. Now her challenge was to keep herself from getting upset at all. Men used that weakness against her. Tears weren’t considered professional. It took her years to learn to control her emotions. There had been a few times she had to hold in her tears until she could find a restroom to hide in. The men she worked with thought she was a cold bitch who had no emotions. It was ironic, how wrong they were. Sometimes she wished she had a less stressful job. She loved being in charge, and she made good money, but this job was aging her. The Stans of this world would never give her a break. They would always be there ready to blame her opinions and feelings on the fact she was a woman. It made her sick.
At the meeting on Monday, she objectively told her boss, Douglas McFeeters, what she thought of Stan’s idea. She kept any emotion out of her opinions. The CEO nodded every once in a while. Of all the men in this company, Brandy knew her boss was the most fair. True, he had been hard to win over at first, but he was confident she knew what she was doing. He trusted her opinion as much as his other top male executives. She really hoped that was in her favor when he would make his selection for Vice President, since Brandy was one of the contenders.
She felt Stan’s eyes on her as she told the board about his idea. True, the idea had its good points, but the bad outweighed them. When she finished, she sat down. She spared Stan a quick glance. He was glaring at her. She nodded and looked away. Two other opinions were given by executives, both men. One in favor of the idea; the other was undecided. He had given just as many pros as cons. Brandy looked around the table at the two other female executives. Both were junior executives. Brandy wondered when the ratio would be equal for men and women. She doubted she would live to see it.
After everyone had finished with their reports, Mr. McFeeters leaned forward in his chair. Brandy looked over at him as he spoke.
“Impressive work, everyone. A lot of research has been done on these reports. Weighing the pros and cons, I will have to vote against Stan Perkins’ proposal. Keep them coming though, Stan. It shows initiative. Better luck next time. Now, what’s next on the agenda?”
Keeping a straight face, her eyes traveled back to Stan. She was able to keep the cringe out of her features as she took in his countenance. She knew she had made an enemy today. Oh well, she had made them in the past, and would most likely make more in the future.
Chapter Two
Brandy felt uncomfortable in the fancy dress. It was a bit snug and shorter than what she was accustomed to, but Nancy assured her that she looked great in it. The dress came to just above her knees and was covered with red sequins, which brought out the color in her hair. The people she worked with weren’t used to seeing her dressed this nicely. She couldn’t help feeling she was a bit too chubby to pull off the look, but the compliments she had already received made her feel better.
Nancy had suggested this was the perfect dress for Brandy to wear to the New Year’s Eve party Brandy’s company threw every year. Brandy doubted that a woman would be taken seriously wearing feminine dresses, which was why she chose conservative business suits at work and never wore high heels. As a female executive, she had a certain image she had to maintain. The party was only a few minutes old, and Brandy was already regretting wearing a flashy dress. Nancy found her sitting by herself on the terrace.
“Brandy, aren’t you having fun? This is a great party.”
“I guess I’m just not comfortable here, Nancy. I suppose it’s just not my thing.”
Nancy shook her head in bewilderment. “I’ll sit here with you, if you like,” she said.
“I don’t want you to miss the party.”
“Oh, I won’t. I’ll go back in a while.” She took a seat next to Brandy on the bench. “We can talk for a while. I have some good news from work.”
“Really? What about?”
Brandy was only half listening.
“Well, do you remember last Saturday, when I mentioned something I was working on at the lab?”
At Brandy’s nod, she continued. “Well, it looks as if it might be possible. Have you ever heard of Cryonics?”
Brandy nodded again. “I read an article on it once, but I’ve never paid much attention to the subject.”
“You should have. It’s an interesting field. Cryonics has been around for awhile, but in the last few years there have been quite a few developments. I’ve been working on something new at the lab. I thought you might be interested in hearing about it.”
“Isn’t Cryonics where the body is frozen with the hope that some future civilization will thaw it out and bring the person back to life?”
“Something like that, yes.” Nancy smiled. “It really is possible. Some years back, a dog was frozen and it was brought back to life. Some people are getting only their heads cryogenically frozen and planning on having their bodies recreated later around their brain.” Brandy returned a horrified look. “What I’ve been working on is quite a breakthrough. Haven’t you always said you were born in the wrong century? Wouldn’t you like a shot at living in the future where total equality may exist?”
Brandy shrugged. “I suppose so, but I’ve always felt that Cryonics was a bunch of bull.”
“Oh, no, it’s very real and very serious. I would really like you to come to the lab where I can fully explain it to you. Can you come by next week sometime? You will be interested in what I have to tell you.”
“Nancy, I’m not going to let you freeze me. I’ve got a few years left.”
Nancy laughed for a moment. “No, Bran, you won’t be frozen until after you die.”
“But if I live to be an old woman, what’s the use of living in the future if I’m old?”
Nancy visibly hesitated. “You won’t be old. Oh, Bran, this is all just too complicated to go into here. Come by the lab next week, and all will be explained. Like I said, this is a breakthrough. It’s never been tried before. We could complete the first step next week. Freezing is the final step, and that happens after you die. This is so exciting. Come to the lab, and you’ll understand everything.”
“I have to admit, you have my interest. No promises, just my interest.”
“That’s fine for now. How about rejoining the party?”
“I don’t think so. You go ahead. I’ll be in later.”
“Make sure you don’t miss midnight. It’s going to be quite an event.”
Brandy nodded and smiled. She was still sitting on the bench staring out at the city when she heard someone approach. She turned to face the new arrival. It was Brad Smith. He was among those being considered for the promotion she had her heart set on.
“Why Brandy, I’ve never seen you looking so—so—so womanly.”
Brandy stared him down. “How perceptive of you, Brad. Are you always this quick?”
“Nice of you to notice, Brandy. All you have to do is slim down, and you could be quite sexy.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
Brandy was amazed to see Brad looking affronted for a moment. Had he actually thought he’d given her a compliment? His face turned to stone.
“Do you have to be a bitch even away from work?” he said.
She put her hand to her chest, feigning confusion. “Here I thought we were exchanging pleasantries.”
Brad opened his mouth but then closed it. He knew she was being sarcastic. He smiled. “You’re right. You have a lovely evening, Brandy.”
She smiled at his blatant sarcasm. Nodding slightly, she turned away from him. She’d never win popularity contests, but she wouldn’t allow her colleagues to treat her like a sex object. What Nancy had told her came back to mind. The idea of living in the future appealed to her. It was nothing but a life of stress and heartache in this age. With both parents dead, she had only one person who cared anything about her—Nancy. She began looking forward to going to her lab after the holidays.
Brandy looked at her watch. It was a quarter past eleven. She didn’t want to be around for the stroke of midnight. These people would get drunk and wild. She had never liked to drink. She wasn’t going to start now. She looked through the open doors and watched her co-workers. They seemed to be having a good time. The photographer was making his rounds through the crowd. She and Nancy had already been cornered soon after arriving, but the resulting picture made her uneasy. She wasn’t in a hurry to purchase it.
Nancy was talking with Stan. Without saying good-bye to anyone, Brandy left the party, making sure Nancy didn’t see her leave. If she had, Nancy would never have let her go. Brandy wished she hadn’t come. She found her car and unlocked it. She absently wondered how many drunks were on the road at this hour. Shrugging off the grim thought, she got behind the wheel and started her new Ford Mustang.
She tuned in an oldies station on the radio, hoping it would relax her. She was looking forward to peeling off her dress and snuggling into a warm pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt; curling up on the couch with a good book and a hot cup of cocoa. She smiled at such a nice thought, wishing that she had done that in the first place.
She had just reached the bridge when the glare from a pair of headlights pulled her out of her thoughts. She gasped as she saw a car swerve into her lane. He was going way too fast. There was nowhere for her to go. If she swerved to the right, she would go off the bridge. Hitting the brakes, she jerked the wheel to the right anyway and tried to get as close to the edge as she could without hitting the rail. Unfortunately, she struck the rail and could only sit there as the car headed straight for her. The driver hadn’t hit the brakes yet. Just before impact, she could see the driver laughing and looking at the woman seated next to him. Too late, he turned to face the road ahead of him and mirrored Brandy’s own look of horror, as the engine hurtled into her front seat. Somewhere Brandy could hear a woman screaming. As everything went black, she recognized the scream. It was her own.
Nancy was still at the party when her beeper went off. She didn’t recognize the number but immediately went to the phone. It was after midnight, and she had been looking for Brandy. She had a bad feeling about the phone call.
“Yes, this is Dr. Thorgood. You just beeped me.”
“Dr. Nancy Thorgood?”
“Yes, is something wrong? Who is this?”
“This is Gretta Brown. I’m a nurse at Memorial Hospital. Do you know a Brandewyne Parker?”
“Oh, my God. Is she OK?”
“Could you come down to the hospital, please?”
“Yes, of course. I’m on my way.
Nancy tried not to drive too fast, but she had to find out what was wrong with Brandy. It must be bad if the nurse didn’t want to go into it over the phone.
After parking her car, she ran through the parking lot and into emergency. She asked everyone where a Nurse Brown was. When she found Gretta, she was taken to the waiting room and told that Dr. Thomas would be right with her.
Two hours later, the door opened. Nancy stood up and flew across the room.
“Are you Dr. Thomas? Why the hell have you kept me waiting so long? Where is Brandy? Is she alright?”
“Dr. Thorgood?” At her nod, he continued. “I was tending my patient. I came to see you as soon as I could.”
“I’m sorry. I just haven’t received any information on Brandy. Is she alive or dead?”
“She’s alive, for the moment. Dr. Thorgood, your name was the only one mentioned in Miss Parker’s belongings. Doesn’t she have any relatives?”
“No. She is an only child and both her parents are dead. I’m all she has. I need to see her.”
The doctor nodded. “She’s in pretty bad shape and is in a coma. I really don’t know if she’ll come out of it.”
Nancy placed a hand to her mouth.
“Oh my God! What happened?”
“A drunk driver hit her head on.”
“Oh my God!”
“Come this way, please.”
Nancy followed Dr. Thomas into the Intensive Care Unit. She froze in her tracks upon seeing Brandy. Tubes were everywhere. Her face was unrecognizable. Tears filled Nancy’s eyes as she realized that Brandy wasn’t going to make it out of this one. Her eyes traveled down Brandy’s body. They stopped at her knees. The sheet fell flat after that.
“What happened to her legs?”
“They were crushed during the accident. They had to be amputated.”
“Oh my God!” Nancy felt numb. She stepped closer to the bed.
“Hello, kiddo. You know there are easier ways to get attention.” She couldn’t control the tears and turned her back to Brandy and left the room. The doctor followed her.
“I really wish I had some good news. The next few days will tell.”
Nancy couldn’t believe that Brandy would meet the same end as did her parents. “What about the drunk driver?”
“He has a concussion. The woman in the car with him died soon after the accident.”
Nancy shook her head in disbelief. How was it that the drunk driver always seems to make it out alive? The drunken man who had killed Brandy’s parents also survived. Dr. Thomas patted her arm in sympathy.
“There’s nothing more you can do for her now. Go home and get some rest. We’ll call if there is any change.” After she nodded, he turned to leave. She watched him walk away before she sank into the nearest chair.
Nancy couldn’t sleep that night. She didn’t know what she would do if Brandy died. She was her best friend. They had known each other half their lives. As morning approached, the scientist in Nancy started taking over. She wished she had obtained Brandy’s permission for the experiment. She wanted to give her friend a second chance at life.
Nancy’s mind shifted to high gear. Brandy had a donor’s card. After she died just about anything could be done to her body. It was just a matter of getting the live specimens. If she could have half an hour alone with her, could she do it? Was it ethical? Well, she wasn’t dealing with ethics right now. She was dealing with the possible death of her best friend. If Brandy somehow made it through, the live specimens could be destroyed if she went against the idea of Cryonics. But if she died, Nancy would need those specimens. Her mind made up, Nancy drove to Brandy’s apartment to retrieve her medical records. Brandy never trusted a doctor’s office not to lose them. She then drove to her lab to pick up the necessary items. She placed everything in her little black bag and put on her white coat and medical badge. Her next stop was the hospital.
Nancy stopped at the front desk and asked to see the nurse in charge.
“I’m Rachel Walker, head RN. May I help you, doctor?”
“Yes, I believe you have a patient of mine here? A Brandewyne Parker? I’m her personal physician, and I would like to examine her.”
“May I see your identification?”
Nancy pulled out her medical license and Brandy’s medical records and presented them to the nurse. She was legally a doctor of medicine, but had chosen science instead. The nurse nodded her approval.
“Very good, Dr. Thorgood. Your patient is in ICU. That’s down the hall, take the first left.”
“Thank you.”
Nancy pulled the curtain around Brandy’s bed. After pulling back the sheet, she looked at her friend’s battered body. Brandy already had a pessimistic view of life. This horrible blow certainly wouldn’t improve her opinion. She would never be able to walk unaided again. Who knew if enough plastic surgery could give her back her pretty face? Nancy almost wished she wouldn’t pull through. The second chance Nancy’s experiment would give Brandy would be so much better for her.
Not knowing when someone would show up, Nancy got her specimens as quickly as possible. She put them in special preservative and put everything back in her bag. Sparing one last sad look at Brandy, she left the hospital.
Chapter Three
Brandy opened her eyes. Well, at least she tried. They wouldn’t budge. She would like to rub them, but her arms were too heavy to lift. She scrunched up the muscles in her face to see if she could. They were stiff but did move. Trying again to open her eyes, she was able to open them a crack. The glare of the bright light made her shut them again. She could sense movement around her, and a shadow fell over her closed lids. Opening them again, she could barely discern the silhouette of someone hovering over her; blocking out the light. Blinking a few times, she was able to focus on a man.
“Hello.” His smile was hesitant but sincere.
She tried to smile back but felt it was only a distorted version. He looked more hopeful at her attempt.
“Can you speak?”
Brandy opened her mouth and licked her lips. She was almost disgusted at how dry her tongue was. She tried to fill her mouth with enough saliva to coat her parched tongue. She choked on a word.
“Take it easy. Go slow. Would you like to try to drink some water?”
She gave him a feeble nod. What was wrong with her? She was hardly in control of any of her muscles. He returned to her side with a small white cup. Placing his strong arm beneath her head, he lifted her head to the cup. He poured a very small amount of water into her mouth. She let it sit on her tongue. When he asked her if she wanted more, she nodded. He gave her a little more. She swished it around her mouth before swallowing it. She wished she hadn’t. It burned all the way down. She grimaced as he laid her head back down on the pillow.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded as she felt tears roll down the sides of her face. He leaned forward and wiped them away.
“Try to say something. Reply Yes or No. Do you know your name?”
She frowned at such an odd question. Wasn’t she in a hospital? Wouldn’t they know who she was? She always carried her purse with her. How did she end up in a hospital? She couldn’t remember what had put her here. She concentrated on saying the word.
“Yes.” Had she been stranded in a desert without water? Nothing else could make her throat so dry and sore. It felt as if her vocal chords had never before formed a word.
“Good. Can you say your first name?”
She frowned. Could she say a word with two syllables? The question itself was ludicrous, but she wasn’t at all sure she could.
“Braaan—” She took a break to swallow. This was too hard. She was becoming afraid. She didn’t even attempt to voice the last syllable of her name. Her nickname would just have to do.
“Bran? Is that short for Brandewyne?” At her nod, he smiled. “Very good. Now, how about your last name?”
She took a deep breath and licked her lips. She gestured at the cup in his hand. He helped her drink some more water. At least her mouth wasn’t quite as dry.
“Paaarker.”
“Parker? Much better. Now, can you tell me your birth date?”
What was this, twenty questions? She was exhausted and only wanted to go back to sleep.
“April—nineteenth—nineteen—sixty.”
“April 19, 1960?” Again she nodded.
“OK, Bran, what is the last thing you remember? Can you remember anything?”
Again she tried to remember what had happened for her to end up in a hospital.
“Hospital?”
“Are you in a hospital?” He waited for the nod then continued. “Sort of. Let’s get back to you. Can you remember anything?”
When she didn’t speak, he continued.
“Do you remember the car accident? You were driving home from a party.” She noticed he was reading this information off a chart. The memory hit her so hard it almost hurt. If she had been standing, she would have fallen. Her car had been hit head on. She had tried to get out of the way, but there had been nowhere to go. She had been wearing her seat belt, but the angle of the collision...She had heard the scream. Her scream.
Brandy snapped out of the nightmarish memory and realized she was gripping the sheet with her left hand and the man’s sleeve with her right. She hadn’t remembered moving either hand. She had been unable to move them before. He was looking down at her right hand.
“I see that you remember. Can you move your arms again?”
At the mention of her arms, she looked at her right hand. The first thing she noticed was that her ring was missing. The next was her long nails. She unclenched her hand from the sleeve and flexed her fingers upward to see them better. All her nails were well groomed and about a quarter of an inch long. The stress of her job made her chew her nails. She had never taken good care of them. She turned her hand around and looked at the palm. She gasped. The scar she had received when she fell off her bicycle when she was nine years old was gone. Brandy turned her head to look at her other hand. The nails on her left hand were just as perfect as those on her right. Turning her arm outward, she looked for the scar from falling on the water sprinkler when she was eleven. It was also gone. She stared at the man.
“My scars.”
He only looked at her inquisitively. Slowly, she moved her hands to her face. After feeling her face, she trailed her fingers down to her ears and then her hair. Picking up a loose tendril, she let it slide through her fingers until she got to the end. Her hair should have been shoulder length. The hair she was now touching must go to her waist.
Fear almost stopped her, but she took hold of the top of the sheet; which was pulled up to her neck. Tilting her head so that she could see, she noticed first that she didn’t have any clothes on. Slowly lifting the sheet, she looked down her body. Brandy had never been classically thin, and she knew that gravity had taken its toll. She remembered that her breasts and buttocks had begun to sag. She had stretch marks on her breasts and hips.
Not now. As she stared at this youthful body, her jaw fell open. This body was slender with pert breasts free of stretch marks or fault of any kind. Her legs were long and shapely. Brandy let the sheet fall back in place. She let her heavy hands and head fall back to the bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she looked back at the man. He had stood silently as she appraised herself. He looked at her awaiting her next question.
“Am I dead?”
“No, Miss Parker, you are very much alive.”
Brandy sighed but didn’t feel confident of his answer. She licked her lips.
“Mirror?”
“Of course.” He was gone only a moment. Upon returning, he handed her a mirror about six inches wide. She grasped it with trembling fingers, almost afraid of what she would see. Saying a silent prayer, she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror.
She would have smiled if she had not been so shocked. It was her face. Thank God, it was her, but a younger version. At 39 her face had aged well, but now she was looking at how she was in high school. A time before she was so pessimistic about life and men. A time when she had enjoyed living. She watched a single tear form and then roll down one rosy cheek. She lifted one hand and wiped it away. She again looked at that perfect hand.
“Miss Parker, I can’t explain to you what has happened until you are stronger. If you’re up to it, I can call in my assistant to take you to physical therapy.”
Without looking away from her hand, she nodded.
“Clothes?”
“Yes, there is a robe beside your bed. In the bathroom there are clothes for you to wear. My assistant will help you up and get you dressed. I will be by after your therapy. Welcome back. I hope you like it here.”
She looked at him with another feeble smile. What an odd thing for him to say. He hoped she liked it where? He smiled back and left the room.
About ten minutes later, the door opened. Brandy lifted her head to see a young woman walk in pushing a wheelchair. Brandy guessed she was in her mid twenties. Her clothing could not be seen due to the lab coat she wore. When their gaze met, the other woman smiled.
“Hi! We’re all so relieved you finally woke up. Are you feeling alright?”
Brandy managed a weak nod. She watched as the woman pushed the wheelchair next to the foot of the bed and then walked into the bathroom and came out with clothing—a green pullover shirt and green pants with a drawstring waist. The outfit resembled what doctors wore in surgery.
“My name is Sue. I’ll be in charge of your physical therapy. I’m sure you’re excited about getting into shape.”
She stood next to Brandy. Placing the clothing on the end table, she placed her hands on the bed.
“Now, I’m going to help you sit up, OK?”
Again Brandy nodded. Sue wrapped an arm around the back of her neck. “Now help if you can.” Brandy took a deep breath and tried to push herself up as Sue pulled. She realized she hadn’t helped as she grabbed the sheet to keep it from falling to her waist. Sue kept hold of her shoulder, and she picked up the green shirt with her other hand.
“Can you lift your arms for me?”
Deciding that modesty was stupid right now, she lifted her arms. She gazed down as the sheet fell. Brandy couldn’t help but stare at the perfect breasts. Her view was cut off when the green shirt was pulled down over her head.
“Alright, now we have to get your legs over the side of the bed.” Sue pulled the sheet completely off Brandy’s body. Brandy looked down at her legs. Since she was sitting up, she could see her legs much better. Beside the fact there was a light sprinkling of hair on them, they were thin and shapely. She looked in puzzlement at her legs. The hair resembled the texture and color of the hair on her arms. It looked as if her legs had never been shaved.
Sue reached forward and took hold of Brandy’s knees. Pulling toward herself, Sue managed to slide Brandy’s legs over the side. Brandy watched as she slid the pants up her legs. When they got to her thighs, Sue looked back at her face.
“Now, the hard part. I have to stand you up in order to pull these up. Help as much as you can.”
Brandy nodded as Sue came closer and wrapped her arms around her chest. Sue pulled as Brandy attempted to push off the bed with her arms. Her legs felt like rubber as her feet touched the cold floor.
“Now, lean into me.
Brandy placed her arms over Sue’s shoulders as Sue lifted the pants to her waist. Sue then shifted Brandy’s body and then lowered her into the wheelchair.
The whole episode took less than five minutes. Brandy looked up at Sue as the other woman smiled radiantly.
“Now, that was easy, wasn’t it?”
Brandy gave her a hesitant nod. Sue was pretty, with dark brown hair that was pulled into a bun and brown eyes. She had the kind of complexion that always looked as if she had a tan. Brandy would kill for a complexion like that. She had always hated how pale she was. Any time she would lie in the sun to get a tan, she would always get a burn instead. Sue’s smile was infectious and Brandy returned it. Sue knelt and picked up a pair of slippers that were beside the bed and placed them on Brandy’s feet.
“I’m sure you’re looking forward to therapy. The sooner we work those lazy muscles, the sooner you’ll be walking.”
Sue pushed her out of the room and down a short hallway. Brandy looked at the surroundings. There were about eight other doors. This was a small hospital. Was she in some kind of clinic? Sue opened the third door on the left. When Brandy looked inside, she was surprised to see a small gym with various types of nautilus equipment, a treadmill and an exercise bike. There were mats in one corner and a whirlpool in another. A nice gym for such a small clinic.
Sue pushed her over to the corner with the mats in it. The mats were on a stage in the corner, about two feet higher than the rest of the floor. Sue pulled Brandy out of the chair and settled her on one of the mats. Once Brandy was lying on her back, Sue leaned one knee against the stage and began stretching Brandy’s legs. She winced as she felt needle sharp pains shoot through her legs. Sue caught the look.
“What are you feeling?”
Brandy closed her eyes for a minute.
“Feels like…legs are asleep...but now...waking up.”
“That’s terrific. You’ll be up in no time.”
Brandy closed her eyes as Sue continued working on her legs. Eventually the pain lessened and turned into a dull throb. At least she could feel where Sue touched. When she first woke up, she thought that she was paralyzed.
“Was I in,” the words were coming easier, but it still took a lot out of her to talk, “…a coma for...a long time?”
Sue bit her lower lip in thought. “Yes, you were...Bran, I’m not authorized to tell you anything about what happened to you. After you’re stronger, the doctor will explain it to you.”
Brandy assumed she meant the man who had spoken to her earlier. She nodded as Sue moved to the next leg. She went through the same needle sharp pains as she had experienced with her left leg. After Sue had worked on both legs and arms, she bent both of Brandy’s legs and leaned against them as she reached for her arms.
“Now, I want you to try a sit up. I will help.”
Brandy tried to contract her stomach muscles. Sue pulled as she tried to move upward. With more help than exertion, she was sitting up. Sue had her do it over and over again.
Brandy was drenched in sweat by the time Sue propped her against the wall. She watched as Sue walked over to the weight bench and picked up two one-pound weights. She put one in each of Brandy’s hands.
“Just this one last exercise and I’ll take you back to your room. Your two hours are almost up.
Only two hours? She felt as if she had been tortured for twelve hours. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Her muscles screamed outrage as she forced them to contract. She was actually able to lift the weights. She opened her eyes and watched as her arms moved back to the mats. She smiled at Sue in triumph.
“What did I tell you? I’ll bet you’ll be walking in a week.”
Brandy lifted the light weights again. In the back of her mind she realized this should be easy, but if she had been in a coma for a long time, her muscles must have atrophied. Sue made her do five reps; she then took the weights from her and helped her back into the wheelchair.
Chapter Four
Brandy leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. After making sure she was comfortable, Sue had left to get some clean clothes. After such a hard workout, the hot water was soothing to Brandy’s worn out muscles. Her long hair floated on the water around her. Looking up at the ceiling, she sighed as she closed her eyes.
When she heard movement, she assumed that Sue had returned. Turning her head, she opened her eyes to see a man walk into the bathroom. Sue had left the door open, and he walked up to the side of the tub.
“There you are.” He stopped as he took in her appearance. She didn’t know what to do. She was too shocked to say anything. Luckily, her hair covered just about everything. This was the same man she had first seen upon waking. If he was her doctor, he had probably seen her nude plenty of times, but it was different now that she was awake. “Sue said you would need these. I’ll just put them right here. I’ll be in your room when you’re ready to get out.”
He placed the clothes next to the sink. She held her breath as he reached into the tub near her feet. Her eyes widened as he pulled the plug and the water began to lower. He then reached for a towel and laid it next to her on the tub. With one last look at her, he left the room.
Brandy took a deep breath. She scooped up some water with her hands and splashed her face with it. What had happened to Sue? Was he supposed to help her out of the tub? Help her get dressed? What happened to privacy? She felt anger growing in her. As the tub emptied, she reached up and grabbed the towel. Did he mean for her to wrap the towel around her body and then call for him?
To hell with that! Brandy bit her lower lip as she grabbed the handhold on the side of the tub. She slowly managed to pull and slide herself over the edge of the tub. Her tired muscles screamed in agony. On her knees on the floor, she wrapped the towel around herself. As she looked around the door, she could see the man looking through her chart. She wondered if he was her doctor. He had never told her, and Sue hadn’t mentioned anything about him. As Brandy began to dry her body, her thoughts turned back to him. He was attractive and must be in his early thirties.
“How are you doing in there, Miss Parker?”
“Fine.”
“Are you ready to get out now?”
“No!” On her hands and knees, she made her way to the sink and snatched the clothes he had placed there. Putting on the shirt was easy, but the pants were tough. After getting them to her knees, she rolled onto her back and squirmed her way into them.
Breathing heavily, she tried to regain enough strength to roll back onto her stomach. That was when she noticed movement next to the door. She turned her head and saw the man. Brandy made a small noise in her throat. How long had he been standing there? She was mortified. His smile made it worse. She glared at him and then looked away.
“Now, that’s really impressive, Miss Parker. You set your mind to something, and it gets accomplished, doesn’t it?”
When she didn’t respond, he walked over to her and knelt down beside her. She still refused to look at him. As he reached for her, he chuckled under his breath. She gasped as he put his arms beneath her neck and knees to lift her from the floor.
“Wait a minute!” she said.
“Miss Parker, you are too tired to make it all the way into your room, and I don’t have the time to wait. This will be much easier and faster for both of us.” Her face was within inches of his as she was forced to wrap her arms around his neck. She tried to ignore his cologne. She closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of his chest seep into her body. She absently wondered how much she weighed now.
She opened her eyes as he placed her on her bed. She watched as he walked back into the bathroom. He picked up her discarded towel and threw it in the laundry bag. He then picked up a clean towel and a brush and walked back into the room. He placed both objects on the bed beside her. Brandy picked up the towel and began to dry her hair with it. “Thanks.”
He nodded as he pulled a chair close to the bed. Leaning back in it, he crossed one leg over the other knee. She still wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“I’m Dr. Brentwood, but you can call me Grey.”
She finally looked at him. “Are you my doctor?” She slowly became aware that she didn’t have any strength left in her hands. She couldn’t keep them up long enough to dry her hair.
“One of them. I’m actually new here. I just completed my residency at the local hospital, but I wanted to transfer here.”