Forget-Me-Not: Chapter Six
Forget-Me-Not: Chapter Six
Over the next few days, Cole continued to show positive signs of improvement.
The doctors wanted to do a few cognitive tests to make sure his brain was working properly before they would clear him to be taken home, however.
Mina was encouraged to be there to help Cole along with some of the things that he inherently no longer recalled that he needed to, like his medical history. It was also supposed to help with him filling in some of the blanks for his own sake; his medical records had already been faxed over from their family physician back home.
The test was standardized, though, and even while it wasn’t strictly necessary, Claudia insisted on sitting in on the session, as well.
Mina resigned herself to this, and patiently allowed Claudia to relay any and all medical information that she deemed relevant, including any great aunt, twice removed, who might ever have had so much as a kidney infection.
Cole also listened patiently, with a small smile on his face as he gazed at his mother. His face was still discolored and puffy with bruising, but his eyes had finally lost their bloodshot cast and had returned to their usual striking blue.
“Alright, I think we have enough for now, thank you, Mrs. Blacksteele.” Dr. Nobles interrupted Claudia at last in that smooth fashion of his.
“Now, Mr. Blacksteele, I just want to go over a few things with you. Please, in your own words, answer as best you can.”
“Alright.” Cole agreed, though now and then, Mina noticed that he still struggled to swallow.
“Do you drink often, Mr. Blacksteele?”
“Uhm, I drink a bit.” He said, flashing Mina a smile that in turn made her smile.
His eyes hadn’t sparkled with mischief like that in a long time.
“Indeed, Mr. Blacksteele.” The doctor smiled indulgently as he jotted something down on his chart. “But no drinking for you for at least the next three months, though if you could abstain for six that would be ideal. Your brain and your body needs to heal and rest, you understand. It’s important that you don’t push yourself too hard, in any way.
“Now, do you smoke?”
“No!” Claudia answered at once with a scoff of disdain.
“Neither of my sons smoke.”
Mina bit her lip. She had to tell the truth; Cole’s health was on the line here. “Actually...Cole, honey, you do smoke now and then. Cigarettes, Cuban cigars...”
Claudia’s eyes widened and the doctor cleared his throat.
“Cole, does this ring true to you?”
Cole’s blue eyes flicked back and forth between his mother and Mina. “Sorry, Mom.” He murmured. “I do smoke sometimes, yeah. I’ve smoked on and off since high school...I think...”
“Very good. I mean, not smoking, per se. Smoking is assuredly detrimental to your health, but it’s a good sign that you can remember these kinds of long-standing things. It means that not all is lost.” Dr. Nobles smiled reassuringly at Colter, adjusted his spectacles, then made a few more notes. “Nevertheless, you should definitely refrain from smoking, for as long as possible, same as with drinking.”
“Of course.” Colter relented easily.
“Does this mean he’ll be able to recover his memories soon?” Mina questioned anxiously. “I mean, if he can remember certain things...”
“I’m sorry, but nothing is certain. While some amnesia patients do retain an overall sense of self; a general inkling of who they are and what they might prefer, there is no way to achieve the lost memories. Only time will tell what facts he may or may not have fully retained.”
“Do you mean that his business degree...was all for nothing?” His mother asked, as if was this the worst tragedy that could befall him, or possibly anyone.
“As I said, ma’am, there’s no way to know for sure yet-”
“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me, sonny boy!” Claudia puffed up at once.
“Pardon me, Mrs. Blacksteele.
“Now, if we may commence with the cognitive test.”
“Oh.” Claudia straightened her cream-colored blazer with a sniff. “Yes. Do go on, doctor.”
“Yes, so this is known as the Mini-Mental State Exam.” Dr. Nobles explained, speaking primarily to Colter now. “Let’s begin with some simple questions. Do you know what year it is?”
Colter blinked slowly, considering. “Uhm...2008?”
Mina’s heart tightened.
“2018, I’m afraid.”
“Oh. Wow. Shit, so I’m, like, 44. Funny, I feel more like 28.”
“Well, isn’t that nice? Now, what about the month?”
“Uhhhh...no idea.”
“How about what the general season might be? Any sense of that?”
Cole immediately glanced towards the window.
Dr. Nobles chuckled. “It’s okay to cheat, but that dismal gray sky isn’t going to tell you much, Mr. Blacksteele.”
“Spring?”
“Late autumn.” Dr. Nobles corrected him, crossing off the questions on his chart.
“Oh. Oops.”
“That’s alright, son. But based on the answers you already gave the nurses, you do recall your birthday, yes?”
“Yeah, January 27th, 1974.”
“Very good.”
Mina brightened up in her seat with hopefulness.
“Do you know what day it is?”
“Uhm, I overheard the nurses talking and it’s...Friday?”
“Very good. And do you know where you are right now?”
“Uhm, Boulder, Colorado, right?”
“Denver.”
“Oh, right. Denver. Sorry.”
“That’s okay, don’t apologize. Do you happen to know the name of the hospital?”
“Uhm, no. Our Lady of the Angels?”
“Uhm, no. Wrong again, but good guess. Saint Joseph Hospital is who will be billing you, however.” Dr. Nobles supplied with a droll little smirk. “Care to take a guess at what floor you’re on?”
“Uhhh, fifth floor, top floor.”
“Indeed, you are very astute.”
“Well, I can see the sign across the hall.”
Dr. Nobles chuckled. “Ahh, yes, I see. Nevertheless, I’ll award you a point for at least having clear vision and a sense of spatial awareness.”
Cole smiled and Mina smiled to see it. Everyone could use a little bolstering now and then; even big, bad Colter Blacksteele.
Dr. Nobles was sweet for knowing that; but she supposed that this was hardly his first rodeo.
“I’m going to name three unrelated objects; I want you to repeat them back to me, okay?”
Colter shrugged and winced when he accidentally jostled his broken arm. “Sure. Shoot.”
“A lamp, rainbow trout, and a hockey stick.”
“Lamp, rainbow trout, hockey stick.”
“Thank you. Now, if you may, please count back from 100 by 7s. Or, if you prefer, please spell ‘WORLD’ backwards.”
Cole had always been a numbers guy and he didn’t even have to think about it. “93, 86, 79, 72, 66...”
“Thank you, that’s enough. Very good. Now, do you remember the three things I mentioned earlier?”
“Lamp, rainbow trout, and a...a hockey stick.”
“Very good!” Mina resisted the urge to clap.
Cole smiled at her, though, and she beamed.
The doctor asked a few more questions, including having Cole repeat back the phrase, “No ifs, ands, or buts”.
Then Dr. Nobles gave Cole a piece of a paper and a pencil and had him write and draw a few things. He was satisfied with the results and informed him that he had passed and was thereby cleared to be released.
Mina could finally take him home!
###
Of course, there were many other things to be considered; including his schedule of antibiotics and painkillers, and Mina was warned privately that he was likely to suffer PTSD nightmares from the accident, as well as suffering from light and noise sensitivity, and overall disorientation.
Their master bedroom was on the second floor, but they would be moving into a ground floor bedroom for the time being. They were also going to have to install a bench in the shower of the attached bath for him.
The last thing Dr. Nobles recommended was giving Cole his favorite smart device back right away and having him look at pictures of the people in his life.
It all added up to a lot to think about for Mina.
Claudia clearly wanted to take over, but Cole seemed to want Mina to be the one to handle everything, which made her both relieved, as well as happy on a purely petty level.