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"Memory isn't just a physical part of you," Brenda said. "I know where scientists say it's stored in your brain, but that doesn't explain a lot of things." Alex had just awakened from the trance, or hypnosis, or whatever Brenda did to him. "Scientists don't know where your soul is, for example. If they admit it exists, they can't tell you where it is. So brain damage, and I'm not sure if you actually have any or how much, doesn't necessarily destroy your memory." "No brain damage?" "An anoxic encephalopathy, probably what they diagnosed, isn't necessarily damaging," Brenda said. "No one knows why some people survive it with no damage, but some do. And doctors don't like being questioned or challenged. They expected you to have brain damage, probably irreversible, and you got dumped into a warehouse for hopeless cases." "When I got back on my feet, the first thing I did was start using my computer," Alex said. "I knew somehow I needed what was in there. It's taken a while to remember most things though." "How long did you work with computers before?" "I don't know, what Jess, twenty years. More?" "More than that. You were at B&H for years before I was there. You went there just after you left the Air Force, so a good thirty years." "That's why it came back so quickly," Brenda said. "Almost like riding a bicycle, driving a car. It was a somewhat different aspect of your life. How are you coming with other things?" "I get used to most things pretty quickly. I can drive, shoot pretty well." "You did pretty well with your tractors." Jessica said. "It didn't take long at all." "I suspect your recovery will accelerate," said Brenda. "I can't detect any damage aside from broken connections, caused by the drugs. You'll probably be back near normal eventually. How do you feel physically?" "I could barely stand when I left the hospital. I'm nowhere near where I was, but I think I may get there." "Physical conditioning is important. A healthy body is essential to a healthy mind. This is something you might want to try. It's up to you." She turned to the bar, picked up one of several small bottles containing a clear brown liquid that looked like tea. They had what looked like pharmacy labels on them. "Ayahuasca," she said. "South American indigenous people have used it for - we don't know long, they were using when the Europeans arrived. In any case, it wasn't invented by modern medicine so it's unacceptable. In fact it's illegal in this country except for religious use. Not that most police would know about it. The bottles have pharmacy labels with your name, so even if you are detained and searched by police, they look legitimate. I have connections. "Use it only when you're at home and not planning to go anywhere, especially driving. You may feel nauseous - this is recipe that's been improved over many years - or hallucinate. But it won't be anything like what the drugs the hospital used on you. It may enhance your memory recovery." "Thanks," Alex said. "I'll give it a try. How often?" "About once a week. As well as you're doing already, you may or may not notice the improvement. But it can't do any harm." "Thanks," said Jessica. "I know there's way to put a price on it, but what can we pay you?" "Nothing, being able to help is enough. I'm pretty well off, and money has never been that important to me." "We're doing pretty well too," Alex said. "Is there anything money can to to help some of the people you run into in your work? Our people?" "There is always a need there. We're proud, as all native American peoples are, and don't beg. But the hospitals in the nation accept donations. I'll show you on their website, and you can give that way. I can guarantee you it will be used to help people who need it." "Sounds good. "So you you feel about some lunch?" asked Jessica. "Sounds good to me." "You can ride with me," Brenda said. "I know a good place."
Ronnie's Catfish was a short distance from the hotel, just off Highway 1. The area was in the early stages of development and the parking area was not crowded even though just after noon. Brenda parked in a reserved space near the entrance. "Connections?" Jessica asked. Brenda smiled. "I have a few, probably more than I deserve. Ron's an old friend of the family. When I'm not in Oklahoma I'm usually here in Jonesboro, and I always check in with him. There aren't as many of these restaurants as there once were, at least in the larger towns. "Ron owns a small fish farm south of town. Raises his own catfish and crawfish. It's hard to get a table here on weekends, but weekdays aren't too bad." Ron was a sixtyish man with an easy and natural smile. He greeted Brenda with a hug. "Good to see you, Bren. Who's your friends?" Brenda introduced them and Ron showed them to a small room with a "CLOSED" sign hanging on a velvet rope. There was enough room to walk around one end of the barrier, and they entered. "Y'all have a seat," Ron said, "and I'll get you some service." "No hurry," Brenda replied. "We have the rest of the day off." "Good, good. Maybe we can sit and talk a spell. It's been a while." "We'd like that."
The waiter cleared the table and offered dessert, which all declined. Ron joined them a few minutes later. "How've you been?" he asked Brenda. "It's been a while." "Yeah, I've been in a bit of a time crunch lately. I've been wanting to get by and have you meet Jessica and Alex." "Why do I get the idea you've got something to tell me?" Ron asked. Brenda smiled. "Don't I always? This isn't so good though. "Alex is a cousin, of some sort I guess, on Mom's side of the family. I never can keep it straight. I don't suppose you know any of the Futrells in the area?" "I know the name," Ron said. "It's not a common one, the only one I know is an electrician that does some work for me." "That would be one of Alex's relatives. Most of them are, from back to the Civil War. One of them, I believe it was his mother's great-uncle, was a governor. Probably as close as we come to being famous." "Most of us don't get that close, I suppose. Good to meet you Alex, Jessica." "Alex is recovering from a rather nasty experience with a local hospital." Brenda said. "I'm only in town for a few days a couple of times a month, until lately. What sort of talk to you hear about the local situation, with doctors and hospitals?" "Nothing good. But that's everything these days. Mainly just a general decline overall. I'd guess twenty years ago I'd have said there wasn't much in the way of negative feelings, ten years, maybe I was beginning to see signs. But the same goes for business generally, politics, and this whole Covid thing brought out the ugliness in a lot of people." "I know St. Bernards has been here forever, over a hundred years," said Brenda. "NEA is fairly recent, but it's part of the big Memphis hospital. Do you know anything about Arkansas Continued Care? The new one?" "Nothing much. I only noticed it a year or two ago. Saw the old Methodist hospital had a new sign up. It'd been closed for, how long was it?" Brenda looked at Jessica. "Only a couple of years the last time," Jessica said. "NEA used it while they were building their new one. But before that, I'd say close to ten years." "I see. I don't guess I've heard of anyone I know being in there." "Pray that you don't," said Jessica. "It's only technically a hospital. If you do know of someone you care about being sent there, keep a close eye on them." "Is it a rehabilitation hospital?" "Supposedly. The long-term acute care business, as it's called, is quite a racket. Kind of like nursing homes, mental hospitals often are. They're incentivized to keep people in there for money. So having them recover isn't good for their business model." "Yeah," Ron said, "everything's gotten so rotten these days. Medicine is just business, and people who want money and don't care how they get it... what do you do?" |
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