Chapter #7Your friend Sean Smith. by: Wassel   "...It's your friend, Sean. He's dead."
On hearing this you felt like you'd just been punched in the gut. Sean having been one of your closest friends since moving here last year. Having initially sat next to you English, and had soon become a fully fledged member of your small but tight-knit group. Being super friendly and enthusiastic, with a willingness to do just about anything for anyone, including you. Which was one of the main reasons that you liked him, cause he always had your back (despite being younger and much scrawnier than you were). Getting the impression that he looked up to you like a big brother of sorts, seeing how he didn't have any siblings of his own. Now though he was gone, and you felt completely devastated. Never imagining that you'd lose one of your friends so young.
Although the doctors tried their best to comfort you, their attempts were futile. Instead you just sit there feeling absolutely crushed as they explained exactly how it had happened. How the impact of the truck that hit you had caused too much internal damage to his body for them to be able to save his life. Having apparently died long before they'd even had a chance to operate.
Not that you were really taking any of this information in. Still reeling from the news that your friend, who didn't have one single malicious bone in his body was now dead. The two doctors giving you a few last few words of sympathy before rushing off to fetch your parents. The rest of your family having thankfully come out of the accident unscathed.
Left alone then to wallow in your grief, your thoughts turned to all the things that you'd done together this past year. Sean having been much closer with you than any other of your friends. Randall and Danny especially, who sometimes liked to walk all over him due to his eagerness to please. But even still, the two of them and your other friend, Chris, had all accepted him pretty quickly. With the five of you constantly hanging out together at school, the mall, each others houses. Or even just the two of you playing Xbox together (his house not being all that far away from yours). Having even been trying to hook him up with Nicola Brentwood, a girl in your year that he had a crush on, unbeknownst to the others. Being his unofficial wing-man of sorts. Even if your own track record with hooking up with girls wasn't exactly stellar.
That would never happen now though. None of it would, ever again. And that sucked. That really, really sucked.
In the days that followed your release from the hospital, your parents and siblings supported you as best they could. Repeatedly telling you that "things will get better" even though it really didn't feel like they would. As for Sean's own family (his mother and father), they were clearly devastated by what had happened. Losing their only child. With nobody even setting eyes on Mrs. Smith until the funeral three days later. Where she was incredibly reserved and quiet and clearly not herself. Not that you could really blame her to be honest. Not knowing her super well, but she always seemed like a super nice lady whenever you were round at Sean's house. Frequently interrupting your gaming sessions or your movie watching to see if either of you wanted anything to eat or drink. Very much doting on her son. His dad meanwhile, you knew even less. Being a pilot who spent a lot of his time away from home. Only returning intermittently. But still, even he seemed like a pretty stand up guy and always had time for you as well.
After the funeral, you obviously didn't see much of either of them. Having no need now to call round to their house now that Sean was gone. Instead consoling yourself by spending time with your other friends, who were all equally cut up. As for everyone else, it only took a few days for everyone to go back to business as usual. Moving on as they always did. Your parents even urging you after only a week of moping around that you should try to do the same too. That "Sean wouldn't have wanted your life to stop just because he's gone now." Which, as painful as it was, you had to agree. Sean was too positive a guy for that. There hardly ever being a time when he didn't have a big smile on his blonde headed, blue eyed face.
And so, taking this advice, you figured you could start by collecting up all the stuff he'd either lent you or left behind while he was over. Games, movies, clothes. As well as one or two books. Imagining that his parents might want some of it for sentimental value. The clothes and the books anyway...
Piling it all into a bag, you told your parents where you were going (the both of them thinking it a good idea), hoped on your bike and then cycled the ten minute journey to your friends house. The fact that the two of you lived so much closer than anyone else having assisted in you becoming fast friends. Even if Randall was technically your 'best friend'. Having known him the longest.
Once you'd arrived outside the Smith household, you propped your bike against the wall, walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Watching as it was opened moments later by Sean's mom, Lydia.
"Uh... Hey, Mrs. Smith," you greeted her. "Sorry to bother you but I brought some of Sean's things over that I thought you might like. He, uh... He left them at my house a while back." Finding this slightly awkward admittedly. Given the circumstance.
She didn't immediately respond however. Instead just stood there staring at you. Appearing more than a little stunned. Just as she had done at the funeral. Mrs. Smith being a pretty enough lady (for a mom), with the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her son. Only hers was in a bob that didn't quite reach her shoulders. Possessing a similar slim physique as well, due to being a part time yoga instructor. Which of course Randall was forever making dirty jokes about. Most of which involved the positions in which she could stretch her body. Sean having always managed to either ignore these or take it in good humor. Never being one for getting angry.
In the end you had to prompt her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable at the way she was still staring rather vacantly at you. "Uhm... Mrs. Smith?"
This finally seeming to do the trick. "So-sorry, Tim. I was... I was miles away I'm afraid," she apologized. Snapping out of her trance and looking at the bag you were presenting her with. Asking, "Do... Do you want to come in?"
"Sure," you replied with a smile. Not wanting to be rude. "Thanks."
"No thank you. Thanks for bringing this stuff back. A lot of people wouldn't have bothered," she said as the two of you headed inside. The sadness being more than evident in her voice. And yet... there was something else there too. Something mixed in with it that you couldn't quite place... But what?
"Well as I said, it was just taking up space in my room and I thought you and Mr. Smith might want it," you explained as you were led through to the living room. "It didn't feel right to throw it out."
Again she didn't reply. And instead just continued to stare into the bag of her son's things you'd given her. Seemingly lost in thought once more.
Taking it upon yourself to ask then, "Is... Is Mr. Smith in?" Not seeing any immediate sign of him. Not to mention the fact there was only one car in the drive.
This question being answered with a confused, "Huh?" Looking up for a moment as if she clearly hadn't been listening.
"Mr. Smith?" you repeated.
"Oh... Oh, no. No, he's out. Sorry."
"Well, uh... Maybe I should get going then." you told her. Finding this all very uncomfortable and not being entirely sure what to say either. "I didn't want to disturb you. Just wanted to drop that stuff off." Wondering if perhaps your presence was making things worse. A reminder of the son she'd lost. Having obviously not meant for this to happen, but it kind of seemed like it had.
"No. Tim... Wait. Don't go," she stopped you, just as you were about to turn round. "There's.... There's something I really need to tell you."
Okay... you thought. Really hoping that she wasn't going to suddenly burst into tears or anything. Not being entirely sure you'd know how to deal with that.
"It's... It's about the accident," she began, placing the bag down on the coffee table. Looking incredibly nervous now. "And... And what happened to Sean." Noticing her lip trembling slightly as she spoke. Making you all the more curious as to what exactly she was going to say. The look on her face indicating that it was something pretty big indeed.
Before she could get any further, she let out a sigh and turned away. "I'm... Well, I'm not really sure how to say this but... he's... he's not dead."
Doing somewhat of a double take then as you thought, Not dead... Wait... What?! Certainly not expecting her to say anything quite like this.
"The doctors, they did something," she continued to explain. Still with her back to you. "An operation. A brain transplant operation..." This part for some reason sounding strangely familiar. Like you'd actually heard it somewhere before... "They put his brain into someone else's body, but made us swear not to tell anyone about it." Turning back around then to face you as her soft blue eyes practically pleaded with you. "I know it sounds crazy but its the truth. Sean is still alive and he's..."
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