"I'm sorry Nightingale." Dr. William Young said, as he pushed his glasses back to their rightful position.

I felt my heart climbing into my throat. I tried to swallow, but it seems to just be growing larger. I never needed doctors, actually, I hate them. It's so ironic that my lifelong friend had to decide to become a doctor. I could hear Will's voice in the back of my mind.

"You have AIDS; I just don't understand N.D.; you have had no transfusions, I know how you feel about doctors, but if you had only came to me sooner we could have slowed down the progression of the virus." Dr. Young sat on his chair as he looked through the charts. He looked up from the charts and said, "N.D., you have to be honest with me, have you been seeing someone on the side?" Will looked straight into Nightingale Doldy's crystal, blue eyes. Nightingale was a tall man that women found attractive. His hair was dark, but now streaked with silver showing the signs of an experienced life.

I looked over at Will; I could see his eyes interrogating me behind his glass lenses, "What do you mean, Will? Taylin is my life! You know that; I would never betray her! I think you better run your tests again!"

"I had them do the test twice N.D., just to make sure there were no mistakes. You have AIDS."

"No! Your wrong Will!" I felt as if the walls were beginning to close in on me. I wanted to push Will's words from my mind, but he kept talking.

"No N.D.; we did the test again. We are so close to finding a cure, but the virus has done so much damage to your immune system. We are experimenting with a new drug that seems to be able to stop the growth of the virus and it prevents the opportunistic illnesses that weaken your system. We need to continue testing it, we must find out if it restores the normal function to the immune system." Dr. Young looked over at his friend, "N.D.? I have been working on something, and no body knows what I have been doing."

I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what Will was going to tell me, but I could not keep myself from hearing the words.

"I can download your mind into the lab computer. We are so close to finding a cure for AIDS, all you have to do is wait for a donor body, and I can upload your mind back into their body. You can make arrangements so that I can have your estate and funds diverted into an account for the donor."

"Why can't you freeze my body and just put my mind back when you find the cure? I don't want another body!"

Dr. Young shook his head, "Age seems to be a factor, there are too many side affects. A younger body handles the procedure better."

"I can't think; this is all too outrageous." I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this was a nightmare, "Will, I need to think about this."

"You don't have much time N.D., just don't wait too, long."

The car seemed to know it's own way home. The other cars looked like blurs of colors outside the window. It seemed an eternity, but I found myself sitting in the driveway of my house. I mindlessly took the keys from the ignition and wandered slowly toward the door. What will I tell Taylin?

I walked inside; I could smell the faint scent of her perfume. She was ascending down the spiral staircase. I admired her movements as she gracefully took each step. Her long, sable hair was falling around her shoulders. Tonight she had, thin, strips of ivory ribbon braided into it. She kissed me lightly on the cheek. I looked into her mysterious, violet eyes.

"What's wrong dear? You don't look well. Are you tired again?" Taylin settled down into the sofa; her cat jumped onto her lap. The cat purred as Taylin whispered to her beloved pet. The cat's fur was the same luxuriant, color as Taylin's hair. Taylin peered up at me, "I thought you were going to see Will today?"

"I did; I don't know how to tell you Taylin. I don't know how this could have happened. Will told me I have AIDS." My legs felt weak; I slowly sat on the sofa. I was afraid to look at Taylin. "Will has been experimenting, he said they are so close to a cure. This sounds crazy Taylin, but he said he can put my mind in the lab computer and when they are sure they have a cure, he can put my mind back into a donor's body." I laughed. This was beginning to sound more crazy, the more I thought about it. I looked over at Taylin. "William said all I need to do is arrange it at the bank, so he can divert my estate into an account for the donor."

Taylin looked worried. "What will happen to me Nightingale?"

I looked into her captivating, violet eyes.

"Nightingale! What will happen to me if you hand all of our money over to a stranger?"

I hadn't thought about that, "I can talk to Will and arrange that the estate will only be diverted if the experiment works."

Taylin pressed her slender body against mine, and she purred, "You always think of me, don't you dear?" She laid her head against my shoulder, and I felt her soft body against mine. I laid back against the sofa, and fell asleep with her in my arms.

I woke up the next morning; I was careful not to wake Taylin, watching her for a moment as she slept on the sofa. I quietly walked out the door.

I found myself sitting in the lab again; the room was swimming around me. It was cold and I began to shiver. I closed my eyes, but all those little, beeping noises kept reminding that I was in the lab. They began to pound in my ears. I heard the door open and opened my eyes. Will was observing me. "This is completely experimental N.D.; you know that?"

"I know Will, but what choice do I have? The only thing I ask is that you don't divert any of the funds unless the experiment works. Taylin must be taken care of."

William smiled at his friend, "I understand N.D."

After signing all the paperwork, William prepared me for what would happen. He promised he would make it as painless as possible. He gave me something to relax, and I laid back and closed my eyes, the beeping noises seemed to fade into the walls. The world went black.

Dr. Young went home that night wondering if he would ever see his friend again. He noticed Sterling's truck was still in the driveway. Sterling Bolt was the ground's keeper; he was going to clean the pool today.

Dr. Young walked over to the pool; there was Sterling, face down in the pool. Dr. Young pulled him from the pool, it looked as if he had hit his head and fell in. He tried to resuscitate Sterling, and he began thinking. Sterling has no family. Dr. Young looked down at the young man. He was in good physical condition, strong and muscular from hard work. His body tanned in the sun, his hair sun-bleached, blonde.

Sterling began to breathe on his own.

It could work; Dr. Young thought. I can take his body to the lab, and place him in the cryogenic chamber. Dr. Young knew time was crucial.

It had been difficult to lift Sterling's wet body, but Dr. Young managed to get him into the truck, once he got back to the lab it was easy to wheel him in and place him into the chamber. Young thought to himself, I just hope this works. Dr. Young slowly walked back to his office and sat down at his desk; he began looking over his notes. There was no room for mistakes.

Dr. Young was startled awake when the door suddenly flew open. "We have it!"

Young jumped up. He was trying to shake the sleep from his body. He picked up his glasses from the desk and put them on, pushing them to their rightful position. "What? What are you shouting about?"

"It works; the cure, it works!"

Dr. Young bolted out of the office and into his lab; he had to work quickly. He prepared Sterling Bolt's body. His friend will have a long life if this works. He prepared the body to receive Nightingale's mind. The transfer was quite time consuming, and when it was over Dr. Young sat next to Sterling's body, waiting. . . .

Dr. Young was awakened by Sterling's confused voice. "William? I thought we were going to try the experiment?" Dr. Young looked into his grounds keeper's face. A big grin spread across his face.

"William! What are you smiling about? I want to get this over with."

"It's over N.D.; it worked!" Dr. Young stood up and just grinned at his friend.

Dr. Young described how he had found the ground's keeper in the pool.

"Well, that explains this terrible headache I have." Nightingale rubbed the huge knot on his head.

William laughed at his friend, "Your ten years younger, and in good health and all you can do is complain about a little headache!" Dr. Young shook his head back and forth and continued to laugh.

"I have to get home to Taylin, Will, she doesn't know."

Dr. Young smiled at his friend, "Go home to your wife; I will make the arrangements and have your estates transferred to an account for Sterling Bolt." He tossed Sterling's keys to Nightingale.

I couldn't get home fast enough, I could only think of Taylin's beautiful eyes. I wanted to hold her in my arms; taste her lips. I drove up into the driveway. I ran to the door; I reached into my pockets and realized these aren't my pants. I didn't have my keys. I would have to ring the doorbell; I reached forward and the door opened before I could ring the bell. Taylin had her arms around me before I could say anything. Her lips were pressed against mine. She had never kissed me like this before. I looked into her eyes, and I saw an amethyst fire burning deep inside them. I picked her up and carried her to the sofa, and she clung tightly to me. She was wild with passion. Taylin had never made love to me like this. I could smell her perfume; her body was so soft and she was intoxicating.

I sobered quickly as I heard her purr, "Do you know what that fool did? She laughed softly. "He thinks he is going to put his mind in another man's body!"

I sat up and looked at her, she was still laughing. Her cat jumped onto her lap, "All of his money is mine, unless of course, this actually works!" She was still laughing softly and glanced over at me, she smiled and said; "We know that will never happen."

I was startled when I heard the phone ring; Taylin jumped up to answer it. I could hear her voice purring. I watched her as she moved slowly back into the room." That was Will, he said they have an immunization for the AIDS virus. He wants me to go to the lab." She smiled, "Poor Nightingale, if he had only waited one more day, they found the cure that could have saved him."

I sat there watching her, and it was as if I didn't know her at all. "Taylin? I need to go to the bank, why don't you ride with me? I can take you to the lab." She smiled at me; I could see the light dancing in her sparkling, amethyst eyes. How could I have been so blind? Taylin was right about one thing; I had been a fool.

I parked the truck in front of the bank. "This may take a little while; you might want to come inside with me."

We walked up to the teller, he smiled and said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes. I inherited a very large estate; I need to sign the papers."

Taylin looked slightly pale; I smiled at her. I quickly signed the papers.

"Thank you, Mr. Bolt, if we can be of any assistance to you just let us know."

"Thank you." I put my arm around Taylin and lead her to the car.

I noticed that Taylin was very quiet, "Don't you feel well dear?" I looked over at her.

Taylin watched Sterling. She thought his handwriting was so similar to Nightingale's. When he put his arm around me, why did he feel like Nightingale? Could this be true? What if the experiment worked? No! This is crazy. Sterling has no family; he told me so. Nightingale never guessed that Sterling and me . . . I can explain. I can tell him that I believed I would never see him again. He will believe it; he always believes me.

Her thoughts were broken when the car came to a stop.

"We are here." Sterling smiled at her. They walked into Will's office. Will led Taylin to the lab, "I will be right back Taylin; this will only take a minute." Dr. Young closed the door and stepped out into the hall. He felt someone grab his shoulder.

"Will, something has happened."

"What's wrong N.D.?"

"She has been having an affair, with Sterling!"

"I'm not sure what to say N.D.." Dr. Young, watched his friend, "What are you going to do?"

"Will? The mind switch. Would you be willing to do it on Taylin?"

Dr. Young stood there watching his friend, he reached up and pushed his glasses back to their rightful position. Nightingale had loved her with everything he had, certainly he deserved some kind of justice. "I will get her prepared, but you have to find a body for her."

Nightingale considered his friends words, and a smile crept over his face. "I have to go! I will be back soon!" He ran down the hall and out the door.

Dr. Young went inside the lab. Taylin's violet eyes were huge. "Don't worry Taylin; I know how you hate needles. I will do this as quickly as possible." It wasn't long that Taylin was asleep. William quickly downloaded the pieces of her mind into the computer. As he watched he thought to himself. It's such a waste of a beautiful body. He decided he would put her body into the cryogenic chamber; it's always nice to have spare parts.

The door opened and Nightingale walked in. "Well? What do you think?"

Dr. Young looked at Nightingale, "They are about the same age, it should work."

I watched Will as he prepared the body to receive Taylin's mind, the transfer went as he expected. I watched as her beautiful, lifeless body was put into the chamber for a long sleep. I carefully picked up Taylin in my arms and carried her to the truck.

"I must run my friend; Taylin has an appointment to have her nails manicured. I want to buy her a diamond bracelet."

Nightingale walked out the door and I thought, I hope Taylin likes her new life.

Nightingale was walking out of the jewelers. He was looking down at the velvet case in his hand and gently bumped into someone. He looked up into a pair of dark, blue eyes. "I'm sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going."

The young woman smiled at him. Her hair was a dark, auburn with tints of purple, that shined and glistened under the sun.

"I don't believe I have seen you around here. Are you new to our town?"

"Yes, I am. I am the new professor at the college."

Nightingale took her hand in his, "My name is Sterling Bolt."

The young woman looked up into his green eyes and responded, "I am Dr. Wagner, my friends call me Anna."

"I have some bad news to break to someone; I am hoping this small gift makes up for it. Anna? Would you have dinner with me? That is the least I can do for being so clumsy."

Anna smiled and nodded her head.

Taylin woke up; she shook her head. My head hurts she thought to herself. She didn't want to move. She tried to focus as she thought to herself; I must come up with an explanation for Nightingale. Taylin stretched out her body and purred to herself. Taylin looked around the room; she was lying on a huge, ivory colored satin pillow. Taylin slowly looked up; there was Nightingale in the arms of a beautiful redhead.

The young woman looked over at her, and in a soft, husky voice she said, "Oh! You finally woke up, you're so lucky to have someone that loves you so much."

Taylin opened her eyes wide, and glared at the woman.

"What a beautiful collar that is, and what beautiful violet eyes you have. I have never seen a cat with eyes that color."