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"Probably what's called a fever dream. Dunno, don't guess I ever had one. Definitely nightmarish. Tied to the bed, hands and feet. Can't move. Someone yelling, another room. Cages, they put around the beds, but not mine. In a room I had been in before. Maybe I was in one then. The nurses talking, about me or not I can't tell. "I was in and out, first few days. Mostly out, and when I woke up it seemed like part of me was still in the dream world. Or part of it came into the real world. Sometimes like there were two of me for a while, me and the one in the dream." "You're describing hallucinations." Jessica said. "Obviously you know that, but there's no reason you should have. Except for the drugs." "Seems that way to me. Why were they giving me drugs? Of any kind? Except antibiotics or things to fix my body. Nothing wrong with my mind." "These drugs, the ones I've found so far, can cause hallucinations. No psychotropic drug is without side effects, and they're usually bad. But what you're describing suggests either excessive doses, or interactions with other drugs. Or both. "From what you've told me I probably know the answer, but were you ever given an examination? The doctor asking you questions, doing tests, like perceptions, reactions to things?" "I never saw the doctor." Alex said. "To this day I have no idea who it was." "I've seen a few references to interactions. You sitting up, eating, talking. Laughing is mentioned often. You don't remember any of that?" "The first time I remember eating was a couple of days after I woke up. They were using the feeding tube. Several days, actually. Don't remember exactly. Don't remember laughing the entire time I was there." "The only doctor name I see so far is Copeland. Just the last name on most, handwritten usually, but I finally found a full name. Jeffery Copeland. I'm going to see what I can find on him. "But you never saw a doctor, any doctor, the whole time?" "Just the nurses, and that big crazy guy. Don't know if he was a nurse or not." "That's pretty strange." Jessica said. "I only worked in one hospital, but it was standard procedure for the attending physician, that's the doctor responsible for a particular patient, to see the patient at least once a day, and more if the situation warrants. And that's the way it is everywhere, as far as I know. And in order to be reimbursed by the insurance company they have to do it. Or say they did it. If you ever looked at a hospital bill, you probably didn't for the other time you were in, there's a bill, more if you're in there for a long time, showing those visits. And the amount reimbursed. It'll be a hundred or more, more like two or more these days. That's for the doctor coming by your room, looking at your chart, asking how you feel. Talking to nurse if one is there. It's an easy couple hundred bucks for ten minutes of work. "Yet you were there, what was it, three weeks after they let you wake up. And you never saw the doctor." "Any doctor at all. Just some nurses who weren't even qualified to be doing that." "I don't like where I think this is going." Jessica said. "Where is that?" "I don't know. I've got some work to do. Tomorrow I'm going to call some people, get some information flowing. "Meanwhile, we've got time for a walk before dark. You ready?"
Alex got his cane and they made the customary trek, around to the back yard and a couple of laps. "Look," Jessica said as they passed one. "Buds. We'll have leaves before you know it." "Yeah. My first spring. Seeing as I don't remember any others." "You don't remember the seasons changing?" "Not really." Jessica was silent. What do you say? "I should have had you get some cigars." "You remember those?" "Having that one with Doug, I don't know if I remember. I guess it triggered something, maybe." "That's encouraging. I'm going into town tomorrow. How about a nightcap?" |
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