Josh stirred in place, making a small attempt to sit up but found a sharp aching pain sparking across his body whenever he moved. It was then he finally registered the words "Hey you. Welcome back to the land of the living." But they weren't in English but rather Spanish. It took Josh a second to realize this, the words feeling so natural and easy that the prospect of English felt odd. This strange sensation came with an equally strange familiarity.
Josh focused on who spoke to him and it didn't take the old yet new memories for Josh to recognize the giant man sitting across from him. Miguel was still in his workers uniform, his forearms still filthy from a days work, although he had managed to clean his hands before he entered the hospital. He still had the same dark curls framing his face, with the bult of it pulled back into a rugged bun. His brilliant eyes stared at you heavy with concern.
"What? Where am I?" Josh began, automatically speaking in Spanish. This oddly didn't phase Josh, and it instead brought a strange comfort. Looking at his tanned hands, forearms feathered by long dark hairs and then focusing on just how his leaner body felt... José...I am José again!
"It's okay, bro." Miguel said, getting up and placing a gentle hand on José's shoulder.
José winced, and Miguel released his grip.
"Sorry, " He said.
José couldn't help but smile.
"How did you find me? Why am I José again?"
Miguel chucked and almost seemed to blush. Pulling up the plastic hair he was previously seated on, he sat down beside José.
"Well, honestly I couldn't get the idea of my brother out of my head, even as reality shifted. I remembered you just being by little pal and, " Miguel paused and glanced away from José . "Look, when you vanished and reality began to change, I got worried is all. Then I thought, screw it! I remembered you being my bro, so you might as well be treated as my bro, regardless of how that stupid app changes us. I took a couple days off and, kinda', stalked you."
"You what?" José began, sputtering.
"Look, I saw how reality began to change. I duno, maybe the app gave me a slight insight or some shit. But I saw you were getting in some trouble in that past body and so, well I made a task on the app and hoped you'd click on it."
"What task did you even request?" Said José.
"I requested a sports trainer for my brother José. I supposed that, since you didn't currently exist, the app would need to create you. I supposed it would just use you, since you're what used to be José. By some chance, the app sent you a notification confirming you wanted the task completed for you, since technically you were involved, and you managed to clip that button before you were knocked to the ground."
"Oh god, and that worked?"
Miguel grinned and looked over you. "Must have. The security let you go as well, I told them you were a student there. Reality seemed to snap around you. I tried that once, risky I know, but it seemed to work. Not sure what you're studying though."
José suddenly recalled his experimentation as Jason. How he attempted to gain the system with an unreliable party.
"No offence, but I'm not gonna say for now." He said.
Miguel shrugged, and smiled knowingly. But then he leaned forward close to José.
"Anyway, they let you go and now we had a pancaked Latino who needed visit to the emergency room. Oh by the way, you're gonna be fine. Just some bruising. However, this part is the good part. See I look after my brother."
"And what would that be?"
"I said you needed a sports trainer, but I never specified what for! Why you could be an advanced athlete needing some expert options or simply needed a hand on your a-game. We're still in a grace period. So, are you interested in tinkering the system little bro? Why do you need a trainer again?"
Miguel gave José that cheeky grin he was, at least now, all too familiar with.