Continuing the Story with Page Five
November 15, 2011 Leave a comment
When Joe woke up, he gazed around the room. Unlike yesterday, he was at least cognizant of his surroundings. He saw a woman sitting in the chair next to his bed, but he had no idea who the woman was.
“Good morning, Mr. Aden,” the nurse said cheerfully as she came into the room. “How are we feeling today?”
Joe just starred at her. He wasn’t sure how he was feeling today or what he was feeling today. He wasn’t sure where he was or why he was there. And, he sure didn’t know who that lady was in the chair next to him.
“Joey, are you OK?” Christa asked. “How do you feel?”
Why was everyone asking him how he felt? Why was it he couldn’t remember where he was? Joe searched for the words, and he finally muttered them out of his mouth, as he looked at the woman in the chair, “Who…are…you? Where…am…I?”
“Joey, it’s Mom. You’re in the hospital. You need to get better, remember?” Joe slowly shook his head, no. He didn’t remember her. He had no clue who she was.
Joe looked up at the board on the wall. There were letters written in black. Joe forced the words out of his mouth, “What does…that…say?”
“Joe. That’s your name. It says, Joe,” the nurse answered.
“I don’t know no Joe,” Joe replied.
Christa couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Not only didn’t Joe know her, he didn’t know himself either. He couldn’t even read his name on the board.
“When will the doctor be here?” Christa asked urgently.
“Dr. Spitzack should be coming around shortly. Maybe you could wait in the visiting room? I think maybe Joe just needs some time to rest and figure out what is going on,” the nurse said reassuringly.
Christa slowly walked out of Joe’s hospital room looking straight ahead to the door. As she was ready to open the door, she turned her head slowly back around to look at Joe. This full-grown, slightly graying 40-year-old man looked like a lost and helpless little boy. Choking back the tears, she said, “I love you, Joey. Momma loves you.”
Facts: Joe did not recognize his mother after the first shock treatment that he had. He also did not recognize or know his name.
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