A dark caption.

Donald Acton got up from the operating table and immediately felt his neck, even before his feet hit the ground. That collar felt tight, slightly uncomfortable, but he knew better than to ask if they could do a thing about it.

He looked around, seeing the medical team cleaning up and finishing up with the non-surgery things that go into an operation like this and while it was interesting for a moment or so, he felt his neck again and stood up fully, checking the balance of his heels. It felt strange wearing those but that was more due to inexperience than a lack of desire to.

"Mr. Acton," a tall woman in surgical garb said to him as he looked around. "I see you are alert and awake."

"Is that normal?" He asked her.

"No, but this is hardly a normal procedure. However, since you are up, it does save us the trouble of having to wheel you discreetly into a recovery room for you to wake up. The collar around your neck should finish it's work in an hour or so and we'll remove it in two days once we're sure it won't be needed for any other purpose. You are free to go, though through the way we showed you. Do you remember which way?"

"Down this hallway, and down the elevator to the basement floor, four doors down to the right."

"Exactly. We'll see you in two days."

"Bye." He said as he walked away.

He was impressed by the work. He had come in a middle-aged man and left with the body of a younger woman below his neck, specifically a neighbor in his apartment building. She was a quiet, attractive, introverted woman and he knew there would be little notice if she wasn't seen around anymore. He did know, though, that at least one person would notice. She had come to the door of her apartment dressed like this when he had knocked, and he guessed she had been getting ready to go on a date.

He checked his phone. Well, he thought with a smile, maybe he could still make it to her dinner...