After a quick back and forth with the doctors, they told you to enter a waiting room. You'd get to meet the person you were about to swap with. You asked the doctors what kind of person you'd be for the next year. They just answered "Oh, you'll see". What worried you a bit about the answer was the look on their faces. Like something was funny about all this. Well, you could still back out after meeting the other person. You hoped it wasn't too bad, because you really needed the money.
Even if they were to put you into the body of, let's say, an old man or someone with a disability, you'd only be them for a year. All expenses paid. Just think of it like a really weird vacation, you told yourself. But you couldn't help wonder how it all would work, considering how they clearly wanted all of this to be secret. Would you live the next year in a bunker somewhere, hidden away from the world? Well, guess that was information you'd get, if you decided to actually go through with the swap. You felt weirdly excited about the whole thing. No matter what, being someone else was mind-blowing.
Suddenly, the door to the waiting room you were in opened. You genuinely didn't believe your eyes at who was standing there. Your very own father. Based on the look on his face - he was equally dumbfounded. "Dad?!" You exclaimed. "John?" Your father said, looking almost horrified at this point.
One of the doctors from before entered the room now, clearly trying to contain a snicker. This was twisted. "Well, when we noticed that two of the participants were related, how could we not make this choice? This data would be invaluable to us. How often isn't families in accidents together? Imagine the use cases!" the doctor said, clearly excited about the prospect. "Well, what if we don't agree?" You asked. Your father nodded. "Yeah, I can't be my own son, that's just weird!" Your father, David, said. "Is it any weirder than swapping bodies with anyone else, really?" The doctor asked the both of you. You sure felt that way. But you needed the money. "I'll do it!" You said. Your father looked at you, shocked. "Why?" He asked. "Well, for the reason I'm here to begin with. Money problems" You answered. Your father laughed. "Well, the apple don't fall far from the tree. Your mom and I got some money problem of our own..." He said. "Well, if my son is willing, so am I. Maybe it's good, keeping it in... the family. A bit easier when we all know what is going on" He said.
"Good!" The doctor exclaimed. With that, you both sat in complete silence as you signed the papers, while the doctor explained how they were going to have this work, considering you were related. They wanted you to move in with your mother, while your father moved into a place where he'd live alone. Apparently, they wanted to know what kind of effect being your own father would have when in proximity to your own mother. When they explained they were interested in seeing if certain... urges.... were going to develop, you felt sick to your stomach. Your father's pale face made you think he was feeling equally disturbed by the idea. They assured you that if you ever started to feel any weird feelings towards your mother, they'd be more than willing to relocate you. They just wanted the data, not a scandal. That made you feel a bit better about the whole thing.
"All that's left is for us to inform people close to you that you will be gone for a year. Just tell them it's a medical experiment you can't say much about and you'll only be available through text for the year to come. Please do feel free to keep in contact with people, we want you to have a social life after the experiment as well." the doctor said. "We're also going to inform May about the whole thing, so that she is in the loop as well. If she doesn't agree to the part of living with her own son in the body of her husband, you'll both be relocated to live by your own the next year, alright?" The doctor asked. You both nodded as your father and you looked at each other. This was so surreal. You were about to swap bodies. With each other.
Just a short while later, you were led into a new room and asked to change into a gown. After that, they told you to get on a bed. They put a mask over your face and told you "When you wake up, you're going to be someone else. Try and remember that. It might be disorienting at first. But we'll be there with you". With that, they turned a knob on a canister of some sort and you felt yourself drift off. Your last thought before falling into unconsciousness was "One year, one year as dad, that's all..."