A Change of Heart

7.

I wake up staring at the ceiling. There is some sort of beeping noise and I'm attached to the wall by tubes. There are bright lights everywhere. Where am I? Why am I here? Oh god. My chest and head are killing me. This pounding in my head is making me want to throw up...

"She's awake!" Someone on my right screeched. I look over and there's this middle-aged Caucasian woman with tear stained cheeks looking at me. She looks really relieved and then realized she was gripping my hand. "Honey, can you see me?"

Well, I can definitely see her, but there's more to what I can see. A family of three was standing behind her and another middle-aged Caucasian man was gripping onto the woman that was holding onto me. Wait, that's my family and Violet's family in this small little hospital room I am in... Where's Violet?

"Doctor, she's awake! Come quick!" The doctor runs towards me and checks all my vitals. I am fixated on the weird dream I just had. Why was I dreaming as I am Violet and how come I have some of her memories...

"Carol, how does your heart feel?" The doctor asks as he examines my chest area. From somewhere behind the doctor, someone bursts into tears and runs out of the room. Violet's family files out of the room chasing after Violet's mom.

"It feels great...why are you asking about my heart? Why do I have memories where I am Violet and why do I remember things that are from her perspective?" I am very confused and I need answers right now. The doctor looks taken aback but he pauses before responding to my question.

"I don't know how to say this in the most subtle way, but your best friend Violet was badly injured in a car accident. It was unfortunate as we had thought she was fine when she left the hospital. She passed away not long after and she was an organ donor. You were in need of a heart due to carbon monoxide poisoning and she had the perfect heart for you."

I have Violet's heart...? I have Violet's heart?  These words kept ringing in my head.

"You will experience the behaviours and emotions acquired by the recipient from the original donor due to the combinatorial memories stored in the neurons of the organ donated. Heart transplants are said to be the most susceptible to cell memory where organ transplants recipients experienced a change of heart."