Chapter 14

"Hold still ... just a little longer ... that won't work. Move your head over just a touch ... keep going, let me move you, don't try and help ... Relax ... relax ... relax ... let's try that.

"Ok, that was better. Now let's get you on your stomach for some back of the skull shots ... forehead down a little more ... there's a good boy ... hold it ... hold it ... hold itttttttt ... Good!"

Between a radiologist that thought sixteen was the same age as six, and the interminable number of X-rays, cat and pet scans, and other scans, I spent three hours getting photographed. By the time I finally got to put my clothes back on and see Doctor Phaisal, I was hungry, grumpy, frustrated, and short tempered.

And he knew it.

"Kevin, I know this is not fun, neither is the news I'm going to share with you, so if you think you're in a bad mood now, wait a couple of minutes." That got all of my attention.

"The bullet not only punched a hole in your skull, but it shot tiny slivers of your skull deep into the brain tissue, to places we can't see very well, and can't open up without killing you. There are a bunch of tiny injuries that were caused by bits of skull being blown in when you got shot. Bullets don't just hurt you where they hit. If the lead breaks off bits and pieces of skin and bone, they travel wherever they like and leave residue behind that can cause all sorts of mayhem.

"Gunshot wounds typically involve a large degree of nearby tissue disruption and destruction due to the physical effects of the projectile. Non-fatal gunshot wounds can result in serious disability, which is where we are with your injuries.

"When a bullet enters the head, everything starts to expand. If the brain doesn't have any place to expand, there can be even more damage. The entry hole is one source of pressure relief, for your brain. An exit hole can be another. Every other form of expansion causes serious problems.

"Your injury is much more complicated because of the number of tiny fragments of bone and bullet that went wherever they went, and did whatever they did. A source of your pain is because of those fragments, and how they press and poke inside your head.

"It is literally impossible to go in and clean it all out without killing you. The only option left is to leave things as they are and hope...

"Here are some pamphlets that will help you understand what's happening when things start to change for the worse, if they do. When you notice any new symptom, call me immediately and we can get you in here and figure out what is going on, and what if anything, we can do to make it less problematic.

"I'm sorry, Kevin. We're out of treatment options." He gathered up his papers and left me contemplating my future – if there even was one.

I wasn't ready to talk on the ride to lunch, and the girls saw that immediately. Constance drove, and Carole sat up front with her, giving directions to her dining choice. It turned out to be a wonderful old tavern, that served very solid, well prepared food, that appealed to many folks, but wasn't very fancy, which didn't appeal to the yuppie crowd. Carole gave the waiter her name and we were seated in the far back, with a lot of privacy, in a high sided booth.

It was perfect for my mood.

Carole said, "I knew you'd be happy if I found us some space, without having people all around us. My father used to bring me here, when I was at George Washington University Nursing School..."

Constance's head snapped up. "I LOVE G.W. I went to undergrad there, before Yale. It was the best place to go to pre-law I could ever have found."

They chatted about their college days while I contemplated my remaining days. I wasn't maudlin - just sad. They knew it and gave me time to think it all through. We all ordered something different, then shared with everything three ways. It made lunch an adventure, which was just what I needed.

When we were done, Constance dropped Carole back at her car, and we headed for Chevy Chase. The drive back was quiet, but not especially depressing. I just needed to make some decisions, put some things in place for when I die, and make sure I take care of all the folks that took care of me.

Once we were back inside the Kirby's carriage house, we tossed off our clothes, put on warm up suits, and cuddled in front of the gas fire. It was there that Tabitha found us a little while later. "Hey ... how did it go at the surgeon today?"

I greeted her with a kiss and so did Constance, then she arranged herself on my other side, snuggling with us under the fleece. "Kevin got the bad news we prepared him for," Constance said. "I have to go call my boss, or get fired for withholding things from him. You'd think Kevin was the first child, not the kid who got shot attacking an assassin.