46. Amoebaesque

Synopsis - Derek has a peculiar ability - if his arm is chopped off, it regenerates. Like Claire in Heroes. Over time though, his body started deteriorating and during the op to save his life, his brain got split in half. Luckily each half grew back into a whole and was transplanted into a new body each. Now each Derek think its the real Derek and wants his stuff back.

So it's a question of identity. Who's the real Derek? Can there be a real Derek?

I think the biggest mistake post-op was letting both brain-halves regenerate and be transplanted into a new body. Why keep both? An experiment? Was one brain was a backup? All the problems that followed started from the surgeon's error. Bad doctor. I'm not sure if it would have been right to kill off one Derek before he woke up but surely the doctor has the bear the brunt of some of this identity confusion.

Each Derek has the memories, skills and personality of the original Derek. But that doesn't mean they would act, react or make the same decisions in the present time. Maybe they both prefer eggs sunny side up but that doesn't mean that both will enjoy eggs for breakfast all the time. Soon either Derek willl inevitably make his own decisions and live his own life. Let each Derek forge his own identity. It can't be defined at the get-go, just like in a new born. Only time and individual experience, and in this case, a good deal of psychological counselling, will shape and form the identity. It's true that the past will haunt them in a very real sense, but the confusion and denial/acceptance must be settled first. Everyone else around them has to choose also. Which Derek is your Derek? Good, now stick him.

I wonder if the two Derek could eventually be friends?