Chapter 20

The woman at the desk was wearing scrubs. Filling in for the receptionist? Maybe, small clinic.

The clinic was away from the two or three medical industry centers in Jonesboro. St. Bernards and its ecosystem dominated a square mile or two of the old downtown area, and the other main one was centered around ACCH. Several small clusters of clinics were located around the city, mostly specialists of various sorts, not finding it or necessary or even advantageous to be in the hospital districts. Dr. McFarland's clinic occupied the corner of an old shopping center near the bypass. It was old and housed, among other things, a couple of what looked like non-mainstream practicioners. There was a chiropractor, and a couple seemed to have something to do with diet and natural healing.

"We have a meeting with Dr. McFarland." Jessica told her. Her name tag indicated she was Jane.

Looks nice. Neat, clean uniform. Well groomed, healthy-looking. What'm I thinking about? Nurses overweight and dirty-looking? Never was around them much before. And I was knocked out near the whole time.

"Hi Jessica!"

An attractive young lady in scrubs that matched Jane's emerged from a door behind the reception area. They were neat and clean-looking too. So was she. And very pretty. Blonde. Looked nice.

Can't tell what someone's like from their looks though. Near as pretty as Jessica. Should I be thinkin' about stuff like that?

"Kasey!"

Friend from nursing school, so they'd be about the same age.

"Come on back," Kasey said. "Jane, I'll take them back. Dr. McFarland is expecting us."

They followed her down a hallway, past the usual rooms with examination tables and equipment, into a meeting room. Table that could accommodate ten to twelve, about that many chairs.

That's the doc I guess. Fifties. Early or late?

"Jessica, Alex, this is Dr. McFarland."

Dr. McFarland stood up and shook hands with them.

"Have a seat," he said. Jessica had a folder and laid it on the table.

"Kasey, if you don't have anything scheduled, and if Jessica and Alex don't mind," Dr. McFarland said, "I'd like for you to stay."

Kasey joined the doctor across the table.

"Alex," Dr. McFarland said, "from what Kasey tells me you've had an interesting experience to say the least."

Jessica slid the folder across the table.

"I emailed Kasey the basics." she said. "There's some more details in here. Not including what I've uncovered in the past few days."

Dr. McFarland opened the folder. There were several pages. Jessica had written them up, printed them.

"I'll get us something to drink." Kasey said. "Coffee Doctor?"

He glanced at a cup on the table.

"Yes please."

"Jess, Alex?"

"Sprite if you have some." Jessica said. "Alex?"

"That's good."

Dr. McFarland read, slowly and deliberately. Not skimming.

Kasey returned with the drinks.

Dr. McFarland closed the folder. Looked at Alex.

"How do you feel?" he asked. "Overall, physically and mentally."

"Physically, pretty good I suppose." Alex said. "No pain, fatigue, anything like that. When they got me home it took a few days to get me out of the wheelchair, another week or so using a walker. That was about six months ago. About a month ago I tried to do a pushup for the first time..."

Damn! Nerves goin' to lunch. Somewhere. Betwen the brain and the mouth.

"He has speech problems sometimes." he heard Jessica say. "Just a minute."

OK, got it. I think.

"Anyway, it took me two or three days do do one. That's how weak I was. I'm up to fifteen now."

"He was doing a hundred before." Jessica said. "For several years."

"Looking at the timeline, you were in the hospital for a hundred and sixty two days." Dr. McFarland said. "That would weaken you considerably. And you were never out of the bed? Until those last few weeks?"

"Right."

"That... never mind. It looks like there was a lot of... something, going on. We'll look at that later. How is your brain, as far as you can tell?"

"Still having weird dreams. Like I had in the hospital. Sometimes the dream hangs around after I'm awake. Seeing both, like the dream overlaid on reality. Somehow. If that makes any sense.

"What medications are you taking?"

"None except my blood pressure meds. I guess. Jess?"

"That's the only medication he takes." Jessica said. "Along with an aspirin and some vitamins, an over-50 multi. some extra C, D, and zinc."

"So nothing since you left the hospital, what, almost a year ago?"

"They sent a list of about a dozen." Jessica said. "A couple of them were psycho meds, we never even had those filled. Just the blood pressure and metaformin. His blood sugar was normal in a couple of weeks, so we dropped that. Blood pressure is normal too, but his doctor said it won't hurt to continue it."

"The dreams, this far along, are interesting." Dr. McFarland said. "What you describe is a common effect of some psychopharmaceutical. But this long... I don't know. Anything else?"

"Mostly equilibrium problems. I have to have my cane at all times, if there's nothing to lean on. And my speech.

"That would probably be something a neurologist would have to look at," Dr. McFarland said, "but I'll have to have check with someone. As for the rest..."