Author : J.R. Blackwell, Staff Writer

Doctor Yun was a bit of a flirt, which put Charlotte at ease. She cradled her left arm in her right hand. She was in pain, but years of larger pains had made this one seem inconsequential. Four children, three planned, one a surprise, skin grafts and organ surgeries had made her very familiar with pain of the body, and she handled it with relaxed ease.

“It’s a minor fracture,” said Doctor Yun. He touched a wall in the office and a picture of her insides flickering into existence. Charlotte had been in enough hospitals to see the fracture easily.

“Well, it doesn’t look that bad.” she said. “Might as well wrap it up and send me off.”

“”It’s not a bad break in itself,” said Doctor Yun, “but the bone itself is trouble,” he tapped the wall and the picture zoomed in. “If you see there, the bone has tiny fissures. It’s brittle and weak.” he tapped the wall again and her records sprung to the surface. “How did you say it broke?”

Charlotte shrugged her thin shoulders. “I picked up my bag to go to work and it just snapped.”

“It looks like this is original, am I correct? You never had this bone replaced?”

“No, but I did get the myto-surgery done about sixty years ago.”

“That regenerates muscles, not on bones.”

“Well then, no, I’ve never had this replaced.”

“It’s time then. The bone is two hundred and twelve years old. I’m surprised it lasted this long.”

“I’ve always had strong bones. Is getting this it replaced difficult?”

“Not at all. In fact, I could have it grown for you and ready in a week. We could replace it in the office.”

“Sounds good. Let’s schedule for next week.” Charlotte tapped the air, summoning her personal schedule to appear.

Doctor Yun flicked his fingers over the wall, and her long medical record scrolled in the air. “Charlotte, I think you may need to consult a lawyer before we replace your bone.”

“A lawyer? Why?” asked Charlotte.

“When you replace this bone, you will have replaced over 90% of your original body with new material. That will legally make you a new person.”

“That’s impossible, Doctor Yun. My brain was never replaced.”

“No, but I see there were implants, some stimulated re-growth, cloning and replacement of cells. Over time, we replaced quite a bit. It wasn’t all at once, of course, but overtime, you do not have the brain that you started life with, Charlotte.”

“Wait, are you saying the law will consider me dead?”

“Since over 90% of you will have been discarded, yes. Charlotte will be dead in the eyes of the law.”

“I am a contiguous person! I remember my childhood, I don’t-“

Doctor Yun touched her knee gently. “Charlotte, it’s not a judgment. All it means is that you need to make up a will stating that you will inherit what’s yours.”

“Oh, I hardly think that’s necessary. Who would claim my things?”

“Life is long, Charlotte. People change. I had a man in here who lost everything to his first born son. Make a will, for your own peace of mind.”

“So, essentially, my broken arm is willing my estate to the rest of me?”

“Exactly.”

Charlotte cradled her arm as she stood. “Alright, broken arm. Let’s you and me go see the family lawyer about my inheritance.”