This choice: You get used to your new living arrangements once you're discharged. • Go Back...Chapter #5You get used to your new living arrangements on... by: fantaghiro   You got to know Michael fairly well by the time you were discharged from the hospital. You liked him but were still a little uneasy in your relationship to him. You weren't quite sure how to treat him. You didn't know what exactly was he to you now. On the other hand, he took to you very quickly and settled in something of a father role. You guessed it would have been hard for him not too. After all, you were physically his son William. And you'd had to get used to answering to that name, as that's who you were to the rest of the world.
More and more Michael would catch himself bringing up something 'you' (William) had done. He would try to correct himself and apologize but eventually you just told him not to worry about it. "If it's easier for you to think of me as William with amnesia, I understand," you told him. "But try to remember that I'm really much more mature and have alot more experience than a 13 year old boy."
"I'll try to not treat you like a child," he promised. Fortunately his relationship with William had been very egalitarian - Michael was not an authoritarian parent, and his personality made it much easier for you to get along with him.
You also had some trouble settling in to William's home. The house was incredible - Michael was very well off and his son had wanted for nothing. But his room was full of a young teen boy's things, making you feel like you were intruding in a stranger's place. Pam brought a few of your things over - some books, music, and your laptop. But she pointed out that you needed to get used to this environment - so that you could fit in and pass as William with his friends - before you altered things very much to fit 'Steve's' tastes.
Michael gave the (truthful) justification that you'd undergone brain surgery to excuse you from school for a couple weeks, but you knew that you would have to face that before long. And unfortunately that didn't deter William's friends from wanting to see him.
Michael was good about limiting their access, though, explaining that you needed time to recover. The 'brain surgery' also justified gaps in your memory. You took advantage of the time to try to learn as much about William as you could. Michael gave you alot of info but his perspective - as a parent - was, of course, limited. You dug through William's facebook & email accounts, his past texts, various notes - but the best resource was the most awkward for you to deal with - his friends.
William was popular, knowing lots of people. But his closest friends from school were Jason, Eric, Bobby, Shauna, and Emma. You quickly picked up that there was a budding romance between Shauna and William, and you had no idea at the moment on how to deal with it. You were too embarrassed to ask Pam's advice and so decided to just play along - "after all, how serious could it get between 13 year olds?" you told yourself.
Speaking of Pam, she had been visiting almost every day. Michael was good about giving you two some time alone - though you spent it all talking, with nothing more than holding hands or a kiss on the cheek. You still felt overwhelmed by all that was happening and weren't sure how to move forward. And Pam was clearly conflicted about you, feeling strange at the idea of her husband now being a young teen. You were both certain of your love, however, and repeatedly reaffirmed your commitment to stay together.
You had been wondering about the long-term plans for seeing Pam. Finally, after your friends began asking about the woman who kept coming over to visit your dad, you asked Michael and Pam how they were going to justify her continued presence.
"Well, we've been talking about that," answered Michael, looking at Pam. She blushed, looking a little embarrassed as he continued. "I have a big place here and, ever since my wife died it's been empty and a lot to handle."   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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