Chapter 3.17

June 22nd, 2023

Marcia had no sense of where she was. She knew who she was, and even where she was, but to sense it? That wasn't there.

She felt nothing but excitement. But then, her mind seemed to shift a bit, and she was afraid of Darryl's reaction. What if he backed out at the last minute? What if he decided not to marry her? Could she stand that? After all, didn't he know he was the reason she was having this done?

But that was ridiculous. He wasn't the reason she was having this surgery. She would have had this anyway. Possibly not before she was eighteen, but she would have had this surgery.

She was not Patrick. Never had been. She was Marcia, plain and simple.

Not what if he didn't like it? What if he didn't like her? What if he didn't like marriage to her?

She mulled this over for awhile, then her consciousness seemed to fade. A moment later, from her perspective, she felt a slight amount of pain. Nothing major, but it was centered in the area of surgery.

Why would she feel pain? She was supposed to be unable to.

She knew it was done because of feeling the pain. She was starting to wake up. She was a real she now. Or as close as she could possibly get.

Were the fears part of her drugged state? We're they part of her sensory deprivation? Her being trapped in her own mind?

As she continued to rise through the layers of unconsciousness, she began to sense that someone was holding her hand. No, her hands! But who? Was it her parents? Or was one held in Darryl's hand?

She tried to open her eyes, and eventually was able to drag them open. And she found she was still dreaming.

Her right hand was indeed being held by Darryl, but her left was being held by Trish. Trish!?

She faded out again, and when she woke up, Darryl was still there, but Gloria was on her left side.

"What time is it?" Marcia asked.

"Two o'clock," Darryl answered, looking at the wall.

She glanced at the wall and saw a clock. She struggled to make sense of it, and finally asked, "In the afternoon?"

"Morning," said her mom.

"Wow."

She just lay there, drifting in and out, grateful for Darryl.

-=#=-

Eventually, Marcia woke up enough to say to her fiance, “I had a dream that Trish was here.”

“I am,” came a voice from near the door.

Marcia had gained enough strength to raise her head and look at her friend. Just then, a nurse came in, and as Marcia’s head slumped back, he asked her, “Would you like to sit up a bit?”

“Can I?”

“Sure. Things are looking good. You might feel a bit of pain though, and if you do, you need to let us know, okay?”

“Okay.”

Before raising the head of the bed, the nurse checked her vitals and tried to chase Darryl and Trish away. Trish left, and Darryl started to, but looking at Marcia’s face, he saw that she wanted him to stay.

Darryl wasn’t particularly squeamish, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to see his future wife there right after her surgery.

For her part, Marcia wanted to be reassured that her ‘dream’ wasn’t true.

After the nurse left, Darryl texted the others and asked if they could give the two a chance to talk.

“It seemed pretty important to you that I stay,” he said to Marcia. “How come?”

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then looked at him intently. “When I was out, I found that I could think for a time. I couldn’t move or sense anything, but I could still think. I was nervous, and I guess my mind was going over things.”

She paused and started to release Darryl’s hand. Understanding what she needed, he stopped her and picked up the glass of ice on the table, bringing it to her mouth. She gratefully took a small cube in her mouth and let it melt. Then she continued.

“Becoming me completely has been a dream of mine for a long time. But, I guess I’ve known just how much of an outcast some people would consider me.”

“Did you think I would?”

“Not really, but it was something my mind had to mull over I guess.”

“Is that why you wanted me to stay?” Darryl asked her.

“I guess so. I’m sorry.”

He leaned in and gave her a huge hug and kiss. Without letting her out of the hug he told her, “Don’t be. I understand.”

Mike came in once Darryl texted to say they were done with their private chat. It was the first time Marcia had seen her dad since she had been finished with the surgery. When he walked in, she held out her arms and cried, "Daddy!"

He gave her a big, albeit gentle, hug and assured her how much he loved her, and how happy he was for her.

They talked for awhile, and then Mike said, "There's someone who wants to talk to you. Real bad."

He left and Marcia turned to Darryl. "Are you staying in here the whole time?"

"Don't you want me too?"

"Well, yeah!"

"We're gonna be married in a couple of months. Your Dad said I need to step up to the plate. That's what I'm doing.

Marcia tried to reach him, but couldn't, so he leaned in once again, and they started in on a long kiss, only to stop when there was a clearing of a throat at the door.

They separated to see Trish looking everywhere but at them.

Marcia laughed and beckoned her friend in.

"How are you here?" Marcia asked once Trish had sat down.

"When you told me you were getting your surgery, I had to come to see you!"

"Well, it's quite a surprise, but I’m happy to see you!" Marcia exclaimed.

They reminisced about old times, then Trish sprung a surprise on her friend. "I've applied for, and been accepted for the University of Alaska in Anchorage!"

"What!?"

"I'm moving to Anchorage! In fact, my car is packed and I'm gonna have it put in a container and shipped up."

Marcia gave a concerned look at her friend. "Chet's married now."

"I know. I'm not gonna try to get him. I've got to get away from Washington, D.C., though. A lot has happened."

Marcia sensed that her friend was leaving a lot unsaid, and told Trish so.

Trish paused, and glanced at Darryl.

"I can leave," he told her.

The girl took a big breath and said, "No. If there's one thing I've learned, it's to not keep secrets from people this important to me. I don't expect Marcia to keep this a secret from you. Married people shouldn't do that."

Marcia considered how different that was from the Trish that left Alaska without telling Chet.

"I got pregnant," Trish told them.

This was a surprise to Marcia. "Did you…?"

"I plan on having the baby, if that's what you're asking."

"How are you gonna go to school?" Darryl asked.

"I'm hoping I can find a reasonably priced babysitter."

"So you plan on keeping it?"

"Definitely."

"Where's the father?"

"In jail," Trish told them.

"Why?" Darryl asked.

"When I told him, he beat me up."

"What!?" Marcia exploded.

"I was supposed to be on the pill, but I'd run out and hadn't refilled them. He always used a condom, so I didn't think much of it."

"He didn't want to be a father?"

"He demanded I get an abortion, and I refused." There were tears forming in her eyes.

"So you want to get as far away from him as you can."

Trish nodded, but then said, "I thought he loved me, but then he turned on me. Yeah, he loved me all right. As long as I obeyed him."

-=#=-

It was another week before Marcia was certified to fly home. The doctor told her of a doctor in Anchorage who would be able to see her. In fact, he'd already made an appointment for the afternoon they got back. "I know that's a bit of presumption on my part, but this is the only doctor I know and trust in that area. I'm not gonna be able to see 'ya, so I want someone to look after you that I know."

"I'll make sure she gets there," said Darryl.

The doctor laughed. "Good enough."

When they got to the airport, Marcia was told in no uncertain terms to use a wheelchair by an airline steward who showed up.

She glared at her father, but he told her, "Don't look at me."

So she turned her glare on her fiance, who simply held her gaze. He wasn't gonna back down, so she decided to accept it.

In retrospect, as they made their way through the airport, she realized the walk would have been exhausting. She didn't tell that to Darryl, though. But she could read on his face that he knew it.

Trish was accompanying them on their trip to Anchorage, and Mike and Gloria had told her she could stay with them, as long as she knew the house rules and agreed to abide by them. She readily agreed. The airline had an early breakfast for them. Marcia was still not eating much, so she shared some of Darryl's food. She hadn't told him that's what she planned, but he was happy to oblige. He's gotten a rather large plate of biscuits and gravy anyway.

They made their way to the gate and those not in a wheelchair sat down to wait.

A few minutes later, Marcia decided she'd better use the restroom as trying to get to the tiny cubicle on the plane might not be the easiest thing. There was a unisex one not far away, and Gloria stood to help her. Marcia gave a regretful look at Darryl, but Gloria caught it and said, "Oh no you don't. Besides, this isn't something sexy or anything like that."

Marcia sighed and said, "I know, Mom. I wasn't thinking of that!"

"Uh huh," Gloria said as she pushed her daughter to the restroom. "You just don't want me to get the upper hand in any of your teasing."

"Well, there is that," Marcia laughed as they entered the restroom.

-=#=-

The flight was relatively uneventful. Marcia was careful what she drank on the way, to avoid having to get up.

When they arrived in Seattle, they were able to go immediately to Alaska Airlines, which was very close to American. They stopped and got lunch, as the time was only an hour ahead of their own time in Palmer.

Once again, Marcia was careful to make sure to use the restroom before they boarded the flight, and again it was an uneventful flight. Gloria was sitting across the aisle from her daughter, and Marcia saw that her hands were tensing on the armrests of her chair.

Mike noticed as well, and he took his wife's hand, and held it firmly. "We'll be okay, Hon," he told her.

"I know," she responded. "It was on this very flight number."

Trish was sitting just ahead of Gloria and looked back at her. "Can I help, Mom?"

Gloria smiled at that. It had been Trish's habit to call her 'Mom' when she was dating Chet. Whether she had slipped or intended to get her thinking about something other than hijacking, it worked. Gloria reached ahead to Trish and took the hand the girl was offering. "Thank you Sweetheart, but I'll be fine."

Even so, Gloria was glad when they started their descent into Anchorage.

Once they landed, they headed for the baggage claim, Marcia once again in a wheelchair. Anchorage International wasn't a large airport, but big enough that she was glad for the chair.

When they reached the claim area, Chet and Mage were already waiting with their kids.

Chet and Trish knew the other was going to be there, but it hadn't fully sunk into either of their brains, and their eyes locked.