Jeff awoke feeling great. The Chronivac reverted his body to normal removing all the beer and liquor he consumed, returning him to the state he was at before the transformation began. Jeff went downstairs to find his dad still passed out on the couch, which never happened.
Jeff made himself a bowl of cereal and thought back on what a success yesterday was... The specifics of the conversations and details of tasks like the oil change he somehow performed, were hazy but the feeling of having connected with his best friend continued to give him a warm fuzzy feeling.
"What the ever-loving Fuck?" Dad groaned from the living room not sounding nearly as happy. Mike came into the kitchen where Jeff was eating and upon seeing Jeff he froze and stared. His face was plastered with confusion and regret.
Jeff slowed his eating and eventually stopped realizing he was being stared at. "You okay?"
Mike staggered to the sink and leaned on it for support, "About yesterday..."
Jeff froze, what did he remember about yesterday? "Yeah?"
"That can't happen again, at least, not till..." Mike started sternly but trailed off.
"What can't happen again?" Jeff said not sure what he expected Mike to remember but not expecting to be called out for it...
Mike turned to Jeff, his eyes pleading for understanding, "Jeff, yesterday was wonderful. I... I love you, and I loved every moment we spent together! I had more fun with you ticking off chores than I've had in years, even with my closest buddies... I don't understand how everything just clicked. "
Jeff beamed "I love you and felt the same way Dad! Yesterday was amazing!"
Mike's face contorted in emotional pain, "I don't know what came over me but you can't be drinking like that, it was completely reckless and irresponsible of me to allow and even encourage my minor son to be binge drinking. How, how aren't you sick?"
"Oh, THAT's what's bothering you..." Jeff blurted out not thinking... "I drank a lot of water... and threw up... and took a shower?" Jeff tried to think of all the ways he heard of to sober up. Mike was not convinced.
Jeff didn't think twice about the alcohol he consumed, he was an adult and was keeping his dad happy... obviously, the chronivac knew Mike needed to let loose and gave him a friend to do it with... But if dad remembers everything else they did, why doesn't he remember that Jeff was as old as he was?
"Yeah, Jeff! THAT's what's bothering me! You're only 16! Your body is still developing. Drinking that much isn't good for adults, let alone kids!" Mike grabbed his stomach and staggered before letting out a loud belch. "I need some headache medicine..." he finished weakly.
Jeff decided not to fill Mike in on the parts he wasn't already aware of which created a discomfort between them that was palpable. It removed the joy from the connection they shared yesterday... This isn't what Jeff wanted.
Jeff finished breakfast and went back to his room, there had to be a way to make Dad okay again. He reviewed the gift package to try to understand and found that this should have been expected if he read more carefully... Just as you'd expect the recipient of the gift to recall using an object if that is what the target became, if the target becomes a non-existent person, experiences will be recalled as though the original target was there. If the target becomes an existing person such as a celebrity, memories will remain of that person. This allows the creation of relationships to not require permanent history modification.
"Ugh," Jeff sighed. "So make dad remember a friend he will never be able to contact again or let him remember doing that stuff with me... This sucks!"
Mike wouldn't be opposed to Jeff tasting a drink, maybe going so far as having a beer or two over an evening if circumstances were perfect but... Mike was tormented by the memories from yesterday. He saw himself bursting into the living room with a handle, the countless times he demanded his son drink because of some character in a movie... the memory of him recommending shots and Jeff telling him to slow down or he'd be asleep before 10... and knowing he was right. This filled Mike with shame. He was an unfit parent...
"Well, that means the gift package can't help fix the problem it created... What else can this do?" Jeff began to click on packages.