For a second I feel like I'm seeing double, the rather plain and
simple Swap Clinic around me flickering with the image of one that felt
far more lavish. The unspooling of my brain finally runs it's
course as I feel the last of myself slide out of my skull with a wet
plop, the long single strand of thoughts and experiences soon landing
rather haphazardly inside someplace else.
My eyes struggle to
focus, the warm dribble running down my chin feeling as though it was
different than mere moments ago. A soft voice calls out to me from the
haze, my throbbing head making it hard to focus on just who it was
coming from.
"How are you feeling Ms Akana?"
The soft and gentle tones reverberate inside my head, the name Akana causing a faint twinge of recognition somewhere deep inside the squishy mass I could feel myself pouring into. I barely manage to gurgle out a response before slumping forward, my body landing with a thud into a set of grasping hands.
My view of the world is shrouded by a curtain of long dark hair, the curtain of frizzy strands smelling of sea salt and lightly of artificial coconut. My dimmed vision snaps to my nose as I feel myself slow get dragged forward, the slight hazy sight of the light brown bridge leaving me going cross eyed in an attempt to get a better look.
As the door to the room opens, the young woman holding me up huffing with the effort of juggling my limp body as she shoves the door, I let out a pained groan. The sound of the hinges rings horridly in my ears and skull, a terrible throbbing and burning sensation filling my head as I feel more and more of myself shift and settle into place.
"My... head..." I whine, my drool filled mouth spluttering out the scant few words in a hoarse yet delicate voice. Demure and almost sickly sweet, the sound feels all too foreign to me as I linger on the sound for far too long.
"You have..." the soft-spoken woman huffs quietly, her words pausing between deep breaths. "... A far... less experienced... brain..." she explains, forcing another door open with her body as I'm met with the sound of soft piano music.
With a sudden surge I feel myself almost begin thrown onto a rather plush sofa, my whole body sinking into it as I collapse limply into the cushions.
"Please..." the soft voice pants, obviously a little out of breath. "Please just rest for a moment, we can dis... discharge you in an hour or so..."