Jeff heard sobbing, it was distant but he could tell it was his mother. "Mom, what's wrong?" he tried to ask but it only came out as a groan.
"Jeff? Jeff, honey. Is that you?"
"Yeah," he managed. "What haben?"
"This is the moment I've been dreading. Your father... Well, he made a decision... and he left us." She immediately broke back into sobs.
Jeff's brain was buzzing and his body felt like it was filled with chunks of metal or rock. Every movement was more difficult than he remembered it being. He was in bed... his bed.
"What dad do? Hey, itssssokayy. Why.. I.. feel.. funny... mm...mom?" Jeff shook his head and tried to clear the fog from his mind and sat up. "Mom, what did dad do? Why you're upset?"
"He, I, We..." she continued sobbing for several minutes and after much more prodding from Jeff pulled herself together long enough to explain.
Jamie had been gushing about the dramatic improvements she had seen in Jeff over the last couple months, as well as going on about Jeff's new appetite and how quickly he's growing up. Jack also noticed the changes from the recesses of Jeff's subconscious but didn't realize the Chronivac was just making up for lost time... He assumed this was all his fault and would continue at this rate leaving Jeff alienated from his peers and developing beyond them at an unequaled pace. Behind Jamie's back, he set up an appointment with the lab that merged Jeff and Jack. In a rage he insisted they remove Jack from Jeff so long as he wouldn't do more "damage" than if he stayed.
"And they complied..." Jane finished.
"What does this mean?" Jeff asked, barely following.
"Well, you shouldn't hear your dad in your head anymore. Your Wednesday evenings and weekends are free again, but... there were other side effects."
"Yeah, my head is a jumble, but what do you mean?" Jeff asked.
"Well, like the original process was a trial, the removal is also new technology and first off your father had control over the 5 weeks..."
"I'm a month behind in school?"
"Well, yes and no. Your father did his best to finish the projects and turn in assignment so you wouldn't be behind, but yes you need to review the concepts to catch up... but more importantly, you were a 45 year old 100% of the time for 5 weeks... which... left an impact on you physically..."
"Well, yeah, I already said I feel like I was hit by a train and my head is bumble bees."
"No, honey, you look different... We always knew his presence had a physical impact, but the disconnection did too. Its not as severe as if he stayed till you were in your 20s but... it all happened at once."
Jeff got out of bed and awkwardly made his way to the bathroom mirror.