Martine is interviewed by the Police. The "Shadowman" returns and Marty learns she has a mystery to solve...
There are still characters to introduce in subsequent parts but one question is answered rather emphatically. Do, please comment on the tale, I have plans for Martine and her world... But cannot hint about them just yet... Spoilers dear readers!

A few days of travelling between the Atrium and my room had become habit. To my intense relief I did not see that corpse again, perhaps it had been just panic and the shock of my new situation… Little did I know, I should have pulled the sheets over me and stayed there. Angela was still being the girl racer, I think she enjoyed the girlish “Eeeks!” she got out of me and to be honest I rather enjoyed it, like being on a fairground ride where you know it is safe but doesn’t feel that way.

Between them, Angela and Bronwyn helped me to find my feet and balance. I put it down to the trauma and if they thought otherwise, they kept quiet.

My inevitable meeting with Dr Bain eventually came about. The good Doctor was a dark haired man, some grey beginning to show came to my bedside quite unexpectedly. “Good morning Martine, how are you feeling today?”

“Well OK I suppose doctor but I still have trouble remembering much before I woke up here.” I admitted. Perhaps some honesty was the best policy although there was no way I was spilling everything.

“I see, I was concerned by your first tests but all of your indicators have settled down. Some memory loss is fairly common, a traumatic event is not something you really want to remember after all.” He gave an understanding smile at that. “Now, I notice that you have been out and about to the Atrium and have been getting back onto your feet. Would you just take a short walk across the room and back to the bed please.”

OK here goes nothing… “Sure Doctor, I was a little wobbly at first but I wasn’t expecting to be perfectly mobile at the start.” I swung myself to the edge of the bed and wrapping my gown about me, made sure my slippers were where I expected them to be. Taking a breath I stood up and felt the new bits jiggle into position… and walked confidently across the room. Smiling at the achievement, I realised that the new body wasn’t that bad. If I sort of “vegged out” an instinct took over and things seemed to fall into place. I found myself wondering if the real Martine had left a sort of “autopilot” to help me out. Who was she?

“That’s excellent Martine, I think you should walk a little more when you go to the Atrium. Angela will be happy to walk with you.” That cheered me up, I was enjoying my time with Angela even the times when she tried to channel Lewis Hamilton…

“OK, I have to get back on my feet sooner than later… Oh, sorry, pun not intended! So what injuries did I have Doctor?”

“You were very lucky young lady.” He pursed his lips, “the bullet missed anything vital. As I said earlier, it appeared that your brain was in complete shock as though it was being rewired. For a while we were more than a little concerned but all the scans appear to show you are a healthy young lady.”

“So hopefully no lasting damage eh?” I asked hopefully. Well apart from the new gender…

“It would appear that way, I think I can let the Police have their little chat with you now but you have nothing to worry about. It appears the shooter pleaded guilty and claimed it was a gangland “initiation” gone wrong.” He looked annoyed at the thought. “Oh I shouldn’t have told you that officially but you could have learned it from the newspapers I suppose.”

“Great, so he got away with it and that man’s death just gets logged. His family must be distraught. I think he saved me, did they know that?”

“Yes, they are mourning their loss and celebrating his life.” He looked a little sad. I suppose even Doctors are human after all. “Now it is still important to get rested. I know you want to be out and about partying or whatever you youngsters do but right now you need your rest Martine” He smiled, he actually smiled! Perhaps Dr Bain was human after all! “Now I’ll sit in with you when the Police come just to make sure they don’t overexert you, OK?”

“Sure, thanks Doctor” I stayed sat on the bedside chair and debated trying to walk to the Atrium.

A brief sweep on the Internet showed a few entries on news sites reporting the “accidental death” of Martin Harrison. Shot in a gangland initiation/attempted robbery, minor details of the perp and just vague mentions of an innocent second party surviving the shooting. You’re dead Honey… What… where did that thought come from? I felt tired and the world faded away…

I was sat in a café, cup of tea in front of me, debating whether to chance the calories in a chocolate cookie when I felt a presence next to me. I couldn’t move, just sit frozen in place…

“So now you know child, you are in MY world now… I can help you recover the life you lost. All you have to do is perform a little service for me and mine young lady.”

My skin seemed to crawl and I could not speak a word…

“You WILL do my bidding, I can reach you and you really don’t want to cross me girl”
With that, he was gone and I was back awake in my room.

“Hi Martine, had a bad dream again?” Angela came in as I adjusted my robe to fit better.

“I think so, just natural shock at things I suppose. I can’t let my dreams dictate my life after all.”

“Well sometimes dreams are your sub-conscious mind trying to tell you something.” She made a little frown then brightened up “of course sometimes, a dream is just a dream”.

“Yes, just nerves I suppose. You know the Police are interviewing me about the shooting and I really don’t remember much at all.”

“Don’t worry Martine, Dr Bain will be there and take care of everything so you really don’t need to worry.”

Well I was worrying. I felt as though I was beginning to remember… Who are we? I was Marty Harrison but I am starting to remember or think about being Martine more and more. Did we swap bodies and souls? Did she leave an instruction manual? More to the point, this “Shadowman” knows I was Marty and clearly has plots of his own and I don’t think they are nice ones. Looks like the Bogeyman has arrived.

The Police Officer came in with Dr Bain escorting him. A rather average build, short grey hair, blue eyes, “Miss Edwards, I’m DI Hardacre I was part of the team assigned to the shooting of Martin Harrison. Now, I’ve no doubt you are aware of the fact that he pled guilty to a manslaughter charge so really all we have to do is run through anything you may remember just to complete the file.” He took out a notebook and pen and sat at the foot of the bed allowing Dr Bain to sit next to me. Funny, I found Dr Bain’s presence actually comforting. Perhaps he was growing on me, whatever.

“Mr Hardacre, I’m afraid Miss Edwards is still rather weak from her trauma and her memory is not entirely clear”

“Not to worry, being shot, even by accident is going to leave gaps around the event..” He replied, “So Miss Edwards, please tell me what you recall of the event.”

Well, of course I really didn’t recall much, the Officer didn’t seem too disappointed at this. In fact it probably allowed the case to be closed without inconvenient questions. I remembered bumping into him, seeing a man holding a gun out. The shooter was the man the Officer showed me but I got a distinct feeling that the shooter was a patsy and somebody else was pulling the strings. Where did that come from?

The meeting ended with Dr Bain escorting DI Hardacre out of the room while thoughts tumbled through my mind. Not memories in that I didn’t see people but places. I knew where I lived, a fairly new apartment where I had a reasonable set of rooms in a fairly nice part of town. But how did I remember and where did I get the images from?

“Martine, you look like you’ve seen a ghost! Surely it wasn’t that bad?” Angela came in looking concerned.

“No it was all pretty straightforward, perhaps we have time for a coffee and a chinwag over in the Atrium?” I asked hopefully.

“Now I know you’re getting better.” That lovely smile lit up her face, “Throw in the coffee and it’s a deal girl.”

This time I tried to walk there. Big mistake! I thought I could make it all the way but this new body was still one I was getting used to. I was able to walk a while but the hips and chest still threw me a little and I was rather weak. Eventually I had to accept the ride in the wheelchair.

“No problem Martine, of course you are a little weak but you are determined to get better and that is all to the good.” Angela reassured the trembling me before reverting to type and haring off along the corridors to the WVS Café. It was no Starbucks or the like but those women were truly angels to give their time and the coffee was a reminder of home and normality.

Grabbing our drinks we made our way back to our little corner of the Atrium. A small place where we could watch all the goings on and it really caught the sun and felt so heavenly. Sat in our seats we chatted idly about this and that. Discussed the outside world and how I really didn’t feel ready to face it.

“Why not? You’re making an excellent recovery, Dr Bain is pleased with your progress and although I shouldn’t let it slip, I think you may be released as an out-patient in a few days. You’ll still have to come back for check ups, that strange scan Dr Bain found is odd. Almost as though there are two of you.” Angela finally concluded.

I didn’t catch all of it as I had faded out into…

It was as though the world had just faded out and there were just the two of us in the room…

I looked not at Angela but at ME! A little worse for wear, well a dead one of me and skin was grey and beginning to go bad.

“Marty, I know some of what happened to you but there are rules about these things.” The creature said.

“WHAT ARE YOU! Keep away from me!” I cried in shock and horror but found I could not move!

“Marty, it’s OK, calm down.” The thing in my body spoke slowly.

“Calm down! What do you mean calm down! I’m really dead and this is just a nightmare” I screamed.

“No, your body died but YOU have been given an opportunity few are offered” The corpse slurred.

“But I’m dead!”

“No, only the body. Your spirit was inadvertently swapped and you have another life to live. I am not allowed to give you more information but you have been threatened more than once and THAT is why you can still see me. Sorry about the appearance but I only get to work with what I’ve got.”

“No way. This cannot be real” I felt a little calmer… Odd but unlike the Shadowman I felt no real threat just confusion.

“Martine Edwards, THAT is your name and the life you now have. I’ve left you the skills you need to live in the world but all the decisions will be yours. Live a good life Martine. Live for us both.”

“There’s something else isn’t there?” Strange I was questioning a corpse me and thought nothing odd.

“I’m afraid so. Martine you are on the clock so to speak. You have only until I’ve gone to solve your, well our, murder and I’m not getting to look better. Know that I will never hurt you but I cannot do much more than I have.”

“Then what?” I asked feeling the confusion rise. “I still die?”

“Remember that Macaulay poem you enjoyed? To every man upon this earth death cometh soon or late…” The dead Marty reminded me.

THAT went a long way to convincing me! I loved that poem. If I were dead it looked like I was Martine now! But the killer was already convicted… No, who gave the order and why, that was the thing. The holder of the gun may face justice but somebody is pulling the strings.

“Have to go now Martine, stay safe” the corpse me gave a sort of smile…

Not too good that, but then I remembered a D&D phrase…

REVENANT, a spirit taken too soon and returned to visit justice on their killers… I suppose that accounted for the appearance of my old body, at least in dream form.

Now I had a task to complete but how would I go about it?

Blinking, I looked into Angela’s eyes… “Sorry, I must have let the walk tire me out too much. I didn’t drool did I?”

“No, you looked so peaceful and the light is back in your eyes.” Angela pursed her lips, “I think your memory is coming back a little?”

“Some of it I think, I remember the apartment. Perhaps you could visit? I suppose there is some Hospital rule about that sort of thing.”

“Well more of a guideline but as an outpatient I can make the occasional visit to assess how you are getting on.”

“That seems strange, I’m sorry Angela, I didn’t think that sort of thing was allowed.” I looked confused.

“No, but I think we are becoming friends too. This hospital and Dr Bain operates slightly differently and frankly I rather like it.” Angela reassured me.

Curious, I suppose different hospitals worked in different ways. But I didn’t think I would complain. Angela was a woman I felt safe with and already I trusted her implicitly. Dr Bain, well HE simply was one of those anomalies in life you learn to work around but beneath all of that he was a good doctor.

“I think I may be ready for the world soon Angela. I wonder, is it ready for me?” I giggled. I still had to face the rest of the world and those things girls take for granted but I had a task, a mystery to solve and a new life to live…

“Time to get back to my room I think, I’ll try and walk a little then place myself in your hands for the drive back!” I looked into her eyes as I saw them light up at the thought that I was willingly placing my life in the hands of this frustrated racing driver. I thought when I recover, I’ll buy her a Scalextric set instead of chocolate and flowers!