"Why would Roman tell you I got my appendix out?" Penelope asked desperately. "I don't know him! How did he even get your number? Did he somehow unlock my phone to call you?"
Percy's voice was dubious. "Uh…we have each other's numbers. Duh. Did you get your appendix out or hit your head? Are you messing with me right now?"
Her brother was in on this too? So was it a practical joke or a dream or what? What on earth was happening right now?!
"I don't know what's going on and it's freaking me out," she said quietly. "Can you come talk to me in person? I need to see a familiar face."
He went silent a moment before replying. "Yeah. I'll be there in about half an hour. See you soon, Penny."
Penelope hung up and looked at the nurse and her so-called husband. "He's coming. Then this will all be straightened out."
Roman remained unconvinced. He seemed both worried and hurt based on his expression but she couldn't feel sorry for him. She didn't even know him. So why was he acting like he knew her?
The next thirty minutes were spent in awkward silence aside from the time where the nurse was explaining the necessary post-operative care. Roman hung on her every word, committing it to memory as if he was extremely worried about the patient.
Penelope felt stifled by this stranger's obvious concern and wanted to escape but couldn't even get out of bed. When Percy finally showed up, her eyes filled with tears out of relief.
He looked exactly as she remembered, with the same bright red hair and yellowish hazel eyes that she had. People often remarked that they looked like twins when he was actually six years younger.
Percy wore one of his signature geeky graphic tees with cargo shorts and knockoff Vans and his thick, black-framed glasses were partially obscured by the slightly curly hair flopping over his forehead. The familiarity made the tears spill over.
"Percy," Penelope sobbed. "I'm so glad to see you! Tell them I'm not crazy. I really don't know this person. I want to go home!"
He exchanged a glance with Roman, whose stricken expression had only gotten worse and gently suggested that everyone else clear out while he talked to her. Roman clearly didn't want to go but did as the young man said.
Percy sat down on the edge of the hospital bed with a concerned look on his face. "Tell me what you think happened, Penny."
She started from the beginning. "I fell down the stairs on the way home from work on Monday night and woke up here. My phone was different, this random guy claimed to be my husband, and they're refuting all my information about where we grew up and went to school.
"I don't know what to do and it's totally freaking me out. You don't actually know this man, do you? Tell me you were just joking around with me. Please. I don't know what's going on and it's freaking me out."
His expression grew thoughtful. "Tell me what you told them."
"We grew up in a condo in South Pasadena on Huntington Drive. I went to elementary, middle, and high school there and dropped out of college in San Francisco two years in because Dad got diagnosed with cancer," Penelope said stoutly. "But they said I grew up in Brentwood and graduated with a graphic design degree from a school in L.A."
Percy frowned. "…Penny, we stopped living in that condo when I was two."
"What? No way! We could never afford to live in Brentwood on two professors' salaries."
He shifted slightly and leaned back on his hands, looking at her seriously. "Mom got her big break on that dig in Athens and ended up writing a bestselling book, becoming a famous lecturer worldwide. Remember?"
Penelope was confused. She remembered her mother going on a dig in Athens when she was about seven and coming back empty-handed, much to her disappointment.
"She didn't find anything on that dig," she insisted.
Rather than looking concerned, Percy seemed intrigued and ended up asking a completely random question. "Do you remember what happened with our cousin Josh at the family reunion when you were thirteen?"
"Uh…yeah. You and Josh decided it would be a great idea to climb up the waterfall without any shoes. Marie and I went after you and then we all got stuck up there so after Uncle Ben failed to get us down, they had to call search and rescue."
"What about Dad's cancer treatment?" Percy asked.
Penelope sighed, weighed down by the memories. "He got diagnosed six years ago with terminal cancer. We all thought he wouldn't live another two years but ended up living nearly five. Mom fell apart and I've been saddled with the debt ever since."
"…Penny, Dad is alive. Roman's hospital got him a referral to the best cancer research hospital in the country after that diagnosis and he was declared cancer-free three years ago. He and Mom are on a research trip to Italy right now because their spring breaks lined up."
She blinked at him in shock. Alive. Her dad was still alive? How could that even be possible?
Percy continued badgering her with a Q&A session comparing various childhood memories for another fifteen minutes. He wasn't looking at her like she was crazy but he did have an intense look on his face the further along they got.
His eyes lit up in the way they always did when he went into Mad Scientist Mode. He was studying astrophysics and had always been the biggest nerd she ever knew. He loved anything and everything to do with science.
"Penny, this is going to sound crazy but I think you're from a parallel world. Discounting the idea that you've gone completely nuts, it's the only thing that makes sense!"