Lia opens up her closet, searching for a long-neglected vacuum bag somewhere in there. Digging to the back, she feels the crinkly plastic and heaves it onto her bed.
She pops the seal, and the bag slowly grows into a formless blob of wrinkly clothing, nearly forgotten since the start of her stay at the hospital. She dumps the bag out and starts to feel through the pile, attempting to remember what's there.
She thinks to herself "Damn it, what did I pack when I first checked in? I probably didn't think to pack something nice in case a guy showed up..."
She pulls out her phone and texts the only person she can think of who might be able to help - the receptionist who is already in on it. "Hey Nicole, do you work today? I have a clothing dilemma and need some help."
She replies "I don't work today but I'm free to stop by! I am like 5 minutes away so I can run over to your place! I'm leaving right now!"
About 3 and a half minutes later there's a knock on the door and Lia opens it up. Nicole walks in, glancing at the pile of clothing on the bed. "This is for your date, right? That's super exciting!"
Lia types into her phone, which says "I was more excited before opening up this bag, it seems I don't really have much to pick from."
Nicole starts digging through the pile, holding up pieces and looking back at Lia. "I think I see some potential here, how about this?" She holds up a massively wrinkled summer dress.
"Oh yeah, it's a black and white floral print - it needs a quick steam but I think it might work. I think that might be the only choice here, unless you are going super casual - it's mostly pajama pants and t-shirts in the rest of the pile."
"I think that'll have to be the one, I'll try it on quick." Lia's phone speaks as she walks over to Nicole, who hands her the dress. She walks to the bathroom and around the corner. Nicole keeps looking through the pile of clothing and peeks into her dresser, checking for any other ideas.
A few moments later Lia pops out of the bathroom in the dress. "Nice! You look great!" Nicole says as Lia spins around in place.
Lia types "It also has pockets! Yes!" She holds up a finger in the "one second" sign and quickly types out another message. "I have another thing I ordered online that I want you to give a verdict on - It's hard to tell how it looks because obviously."
She heads back into the bathroom, and reappears a few minutes later in a two piece bathing suit and the gray neck cap.
"Oh wow, that's really nice!" Nicole says as she takes a few steps closer. "What's up with the different cap thing? Color coordination?"
Lia types "It's for showering and being around water - there are vents around the bottom edge instead of one on the top, to try to keep any splashes out."
"Huh, I didn't know it came off in the first place. I hate to pry, but I'm kinda curious - I heard from the trainers about your situation but none of the details. If that cap can come off, what's it like under it?" Nicole asks.
Lia responds "When the docs went in and started cutting, they had to do some crazy stuff they had never done before, so they improvised a bit. The end result is a little inappropriate for public consumption."
She reaches up and pulls the cap off, and Nicole's eyes go wide and her jaw drops as Lia reveals her neck stump.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting that.. Did you show your boyfriend yet? I bet he would be pretty happy about that! Two for the price of one..."
"Yeah, I guess there are a few benefits from this crazy situation - also not dying was nice too..."
That evening Lia receives a text from John; "I'm heading out from home, I'll be there in about 20 minutes. I'll stop by your room and walk you out to the car."
"Sounds good, thanks!"
John makes his way to Lia's room, and hits the doorbell, now a practiced sequence of events. Lia opens up the door and lets him in.
"Wow, you look great! John says, surprised by the change in outfit.
Lia types "I found this in the stuff I packed when I checked in. Sure beats pajamas or sweatpants for a first real date."