Chapter 15 - Mid-Year Crisis

— FIVE MINUTES LATER —

“Yeesh what took so long?” Dan asked as Jessica opened the door, the car’s left side dipping towards the earth as the former fitness trainer’s enormous behind sunk into the passenger seat. Watching as the woman settled into the vehicle, Dan could immediately tell something was off. Jessica’s face was bright red and her entire body was peppered with sweat. Her breathing was particularly labored, and her body language lacked the same enthusiasm as it had prior to the appointment.

“Oh ya know, just your typical medical run of the mill.”

“You sure about that? Your appointment was twice as long as the last and you look and sound like you ran out of there? Was everything ok in there?”

“Yes it was fine,” Jessica said dismissively as she worked to pull her seatbelt across her expansive body, her sweaty fingers fumbling over the buckle. “Can you just drive. I’m starving.”

Dan looked over the flustered woman with concern.

“Jess, something definitely happened in there. Is it your health? Is that it?”

Jessica huffed loudly as she stared out the windshield. She was overwhelmed not just by her declining health, but also by the unexpected sexual encounter with her doctor and the revelation that he had been the one responsible for her being transplanted into a much different body than her own.

“What if I stayed in this body? Like… I permanently become April Milton?”

Dan was incredulous. “I’m sorry, but what? Did you smoke crack while you were gone?”

Jessica turned towards him, tears forming along her eyes.

“I mean, I’m happy in this body… and I’m not really looking forward to swapping back. Maybe this can be a forever thing, you know?”

The man sat motionless in the drivers seat, “Are you insane? Jess, where is this coming from?”

“I’ve just been thinking. I like being in April’s body, you like me, well you like me at least when I’m in April’s body. Why can’t I just assume the role as April? You said it yourself, I’ve basically become just like her anyways.”

Dan was perplexed as he listened to the woman’s frantic words. “This is more than ‘just thinking.’ Something is up Jess.”

Jessica panicked as the emotional hurricane raged within. Staying in April’s body just felt right, but she needed Dan to be on board. Running out of excuses, the woman searched for anything that could possibly get the man to see her side of things.

“They’re concerned about my health, especially since I’m only supposed to be in this body for six more months. Like, I’m fine for now, but they’re worried it’ll get worse.”

“What’s wrong with your health?” Dan said with an tone mixed between concern and anger. Suddenly the excitement he had felt from growing April’s body was gone, and all that was left was the fear that he had done something horrible.

“Seriously? Have you seen me lately? I’m a fucking whale with a blubber gut, swollen feet, and cankles. I have chub rub all over, my back hurts CONSTANTLY, and my appetite has become so expensive I’m relying on you to supplement my eating habits. What part of any of that sounds ‘healthy’ to you?”

Silence filled the vehicles cabin following the 322-pound woman’s rant. Sighing to himself, Dan stared out the front windshield, his gave fixated on nothing in particular as he reassessed everything in real time.

Watching the man’s exhausted expression, Jessica felt a pang of guilt from her outburst.

“Look… they said my blood pressure and cholesterol are a little high. That’s it. They said I need to slow down my gaining or things could get worse, but seriously that’s it.”

Dan continued to stare through the windshield of his car, his still expression conveying no insight into the inner workings of his mind.

“Maybe they’re right.”

Jessica blinked as she shook her head in shock. “I’m sorry but what?”

Turning back towards the oversized woman crammed into the passenger seat of his SUV, Dan retained the same solemn look as he processed his thoughts.

“I’ve always been pro-gaining, but only if it didn’t risk April’s life. April loved getting fatter, but I have no idea how her opinion might change if getting fat actually imperiled her life. I couldn’t forgive myself if I got her killed.”

Jessica groaned.

“Oh *** Dan. They said my blood pressure was high, not that I had terminal cancer. Don’t act all high and mightily now that your own little experiment isn’t panning out absolutely perfectly.”

Dan considered the stinging words… “Look, I know I’m not innocent here, but seriously. I don’t want us to assume a risk to Amber’s life without knowing if she would take the same risk. I think we need to hold off on the feeding sessions for now and maybe you should consider losing some weight.”

Jessica felt the rage boiling within, her plump fist pounding into the SUV’s side door as she could contain her annoyance no more.

“Dan, look at me! Do I look like I am in any sort of condition to stop gaining weight? I’m a fucking pig with no self control! I weigh more than 320 pounds and yet I’m still gaining weight faster each day! This body wasn’t in any condition to workout 100 pounds ago, there’s no way it’s happening now!”

As she cut herself off, Jessica’s labored breathing was the only sound in the otherwise silent cabin. She knew he was right, yet she couldn’t bear the thought of trying to turn things around. It had been impossible to eat healthy or exercise when she first entered April’s body in the early 200s. With an additional hundred pounds of excess flesh clinging to her soft expanse, the very idea of working out made her bones ache.

“Let’s say the researchers would even be open to allowing you to stay in this body,” Dan finally spoke. “We don’t know what April wants and we have no way of getting in touch with her.”

“Well I’ll tell you what we do know - I’m not going to be able to stop getting fatter,” Jessica said bluntly, anger lingering in her tone.

Another moment of silence filled the vehicle. Dan knew full well that Jessica was right, but the fact did little to make the situation any less unsettling.

“Look… I know this idea is insane, but I’ll work on locating April – on one condition. I need you to at the very least try and improve your health in the meantime. I know you hate the idea of even eating a vegetable or going for a walk, but this is the only way it can even possibly work.”

Jessica sighed as she fell back into her seat. She could feel her rotund body already growing more lethargic at the very idea of going for a walk, yet the only chance she had at keeping her current lifestyle was to give it up, albeit for only a short while.

“Fine…” Jessica finally replied. “But can we get some McDonalds first? I’m absolutely starving.”

Sighing, Dan turned the keys to the ignition and began pulling out of the parking lot.

“Sure.”