"My name is Violet," the woman responded. "Just hold still for now; you're still coming out from under sedation, and I'd like you to be as relaxed as possible for this next bit."
"Telling someone they need to be relaxed isn't a good way to help them relax," Jon murmured. Why did his voice sound funny? Maybe it was the sedation she'd mentioned; he did feel rather groggy. Violet ignored him and continued.
"The main problem we've had with witness-relocation programs in the past," she said, "is that there's only so much we used to be able to do to change someone's appearance. In the past, we could dye their hair, have them wear glasses, maybe even do some plastic surgery to make them look a little younger, or a bit different...but at the end of the day, you'd still have, say, a thirty-something Caucasian man who worked as a systems programmer, or whatever. And when you're trying to hide an entire family, the problem is compounded; you've still got, say, a husband and wife, and the same kids of the same genders and about the same ages. Your average layperson may not make the connection, but when you're dealing with the types of people who make witness relocations necessary, well...they know what to look for."
"I don't like where this is going."
Violet nodded. "Yes, well, you're not going to. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but...we're dealing with a very resourceful and very ruthless organization. There was really no good way to keep you safe without changing around just about everything."
Jon tried to yell, but the sedation was too heavy; it came out as a muffled groan. "What did you do?"
Violet sighed and grabbed the bed frame, swiveling the whole thing around and tilting it downwards, leaving Jon facing a mirror. Jon gasped. In the mirror with Violet was a young girl, about twelve years old, of Asian descent. She screeched a sluggish, half-sedated screech.
Violet put a hand on her arm. "I really am sorry about this," she said. "But if you really knew what kind of people we were dealing with, you'd see why it has to be this way. You and your sister Zoe and twins now. You're Emi, she's Yuki. Mikey is your little sister, and we had to switch your parents' genders, as well."
Jon just stared in shock as she continued. "Your parents informed us of your close friendship with Karyn, so we made one exception and relocated both of your families to the same part of the country. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to meet her."
