Reborn

Chapter 7
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Jack awoke from a deep sleep and memories of the previous day came flooding back to him. He had already been worried that Emma might leave him following his sudden physical transformation, but he had hoped that she would take pity on him. Now that he had been forced to confess his infidelity, he was almost certain that their relationship had been irreparably damaged.

He knew that he had made a terrible mistake, but he rationalized that had he known about the tragedy that was about to befall him, he would have never cheated on Emma. He needed her now, more than ever and he wished that he had never met Louise.

When he thought about it carefully, his decision to pursue Louise no longer made sense to him. He could remember feeling attracted to her, but he no longer felt the same way. His memories of their secret tryst now felt empty and devoid of meaning. He mused that had he first met Louise now instead of several months ago, he would be physically incapable of being attracted to her.

He wondered about the timing of Emma’s decision to bring up the subject of Louise. He had been naked before her, smeared in his own shit, when she decided to broach the subject. He decided that it must have been a deliberate attempt to catch him out whilst he was at his most vulnerable. If she was willing to use that against him, he wondered what else she might be capable of.

Jack curled up on the couch and waited quietly until he heard Emma get out of bed. Then he sat up attentively and fidgeted whilst he tried to think of something to say to her. But when Emma entered the room she didn’t even look at him, instead she walked straight past him and into the kitchen.

“Emma...I’m...I’m sorry.” Jack called out.

An awkward silence permeated the room until Emma returned from the kitchen. She stood in the doorway and stared off into the distance, avoiding making direct eye contact with him.

“How many times did you fuck her?” Emma quizzed.

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as if trying to find a position that would alleviate the growing unease within him.

“Just the once, I swear,” he promised.

“Was it just Louise? Or were there others?” she asked.

“No, it was just her,” he asserted.

She shook her head in disbelief and furrowed her brow.

“I don’t even know why I’m asking, you could be lying to me right now,” she replied.

“But I’m not,” he protested.

Emma turned to look at him and a mixture of emotions flickered across her face. Her gaze was intense, filled with a combination of sadness and uncertainty.

“The trust is gone, I can’t carry on like this,” she continued.

He didn’t just fear losing her, he worried about what would happen to him after it was over. No longer able to live independently, he was concerned about the prospect of being left on his own.

“Don’t leave me now, not now” he pleaded.

“Jack, even if I wanted to stay, what kind of future would we have together?” she asked, “when I look at you I see a child, I’m not attracted to you anymore,” she explained.

He wasn’t expecting intimacy, he knew that those days were over. He wasn’t even expecting her to remain faithful to him, he just didn’t want to be left on his own to face an uncertain future without her support.

“Well...to be honest, I’m not attracted to you anymore either,” he replied.

Her eyes widened with surprise, as though she hadn’t considered the possibility before.

“You don’t find me attractive?” questioned Emma.

Realizing that his words could have been misinterpreted he quickly backtracked, his expression shifting to one of concern.

“I didn’t mean it that way. You’re still pretty, but my body has changed and I just don’t feel that stuff anymore,” Jack clarified.

Emma had been so focused on the changes to his physical appearance that she hadn’t spared any thought for the mental or hormonal changes that might have occurred.

“I know that’s not your fault but it does kind of prove my point. We don’t have a future together,” she insisted.

He didn’t expect her to forgive him, but he thought that he might still be able to persuade her to stick around until his health improved.

“I still care about you, we could still live together until I figure things out,” he suggested.

“Until you figure things out?” she queried.

When he was in the hospital he had felt like he was a laboratory rat. He was the only person ever to age in reverse, a medical marvel. He had guessed what would happen if he returned to the hospital and stayed there. There would be an endless barrage of tests, medical experts from around the world would visit him in order to study his body. He wanted his life to return to normal, he wanted to live in his own home, but he was worried about being left on his own.

“Look, I’m scared I might be losing my mind here. If I get any worse I need someone around to make sure I’ll be okay,” he explained.

“You mean if you lose your marbles, I’ll end up caring for you?” Emma challenged.

“Just for a bit, hopefully it won’t come to that,” he replied.

She sighed and covered her face with her hands as if attempting to shield herself from the world. After taking a few moments to collect herself she took her hands away from her face and took a deep breath.

“Alright, I’ll stay for a few weeks,” she acquiesced, “but only to give you time to work things out,” she added.

He felt a sudden rush of relief and the tension that existed between them seemed to abate momentarily.

“Thanks, I just...thanks,” he stammered.

“You won’t be thanking me later,” she cautioned, “we need to go out,” she went on.

“What do you mean?” he queried.

“I need a letter from my doctor so I can get more time off work,” she explained, “we need more groceries as well” she added.

He recoiled at the idea of leaving the house and being seen by people. He guessed that she would only be gone for an hour or so and decided that he would be more comfortable being left on his own for a short amount of time.

“Well I can stay here until you get back,” he suggested.

“Two minutes ago you were worried about being left on your own,” Emma retorted.

He struggled to come up with a way to explain the apparent contradiction. He knew that it would probably be safer for him to leave the house with Emma than it would be for him to remain at home on his own. But the shame of being seen in public seemed to outweigh his concerns for his own safety.

“But...I...I,” he stuttered.

“Look you can wait in the car, but I’m not leaving you here on your own,” she asserted.

As much as he didn’t want to leave the house, he got the sense that Emma wasn’t going to back down. He had only just managed to persuade her not to leave him and he didn’t want to push his luck.

“Alright,” he muttered as he shrugged his shoulders in resignation.