Chapter 76

Time passed.

A Lot of Time Passed.

After endless times of almost zero awareness, the world began to intrude. The sounds coming to me varied in tone, volume, and duration. Eventually, I could distinguish between day sounds and night sounds. Then I created an entire catalog of day sounds and a corresponding record of night sounds.

Voices were another story. For days after I recognized that I was hearing voices, I couldn't begin to tell one from the other or even male from female. I spent my hours of awareness reviewing the latest attack and trying to piece the details of my last few weeks back together.

Thankfully, that didn't last. One day I distinctly heard Rebecca giving orders to someone. With every bit of my strength I tried to speak to her, but absolutely nothing happened. The attempt left me sweating, panting, and exhausted.

But ... at least it was progress.

The next thing I was aware of was being rolled and washed. The rolling thing was fine, unless you count the excruciating head pain it caused. My screams were all internal. I still wasn't making sounds. That little side trip into agony was as exhausting as trying to speak to Rebecca.

Then someone thought to medicate me before moving me around, and the excruciating part of my day was converted into stabbing pain, for only thirty minutes.

Progress is progress.

It was late at night when I opened my eyes and could finally hear, see, and speak. Wanting to try them all out at once, I blinked, spoke, and listened. "Hey," I said, softly. "Anyone there?" That covered seeing and speaking.

I heard, "OH MY GOD, HE'S AWAKE!"

Yep. She's an idiot. Whoever she is. I definitely heard, and it caused great pain, but not excruciating pain.

Lots of progress.

Whoever verified that I could definitely hear, stomped out of the room and returned with a nurse, who seemed determine to prove it for herself. "Hello? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Wow, two idiots for the price of one ticket. Who could ask for more?

"Please don't yell at me," I begged in tones so soft, she had to lean close to make it out.

"OH MY GOD! HE'S AWAKE!" What were they, twins? Was this the reality show, "See How Loud You Can Scream and How Much Pain Can You Inflict on the Sick Person," show?

The room quickly filled up with bystanders, rubberneckers, and generally useless people, all anxious to stare at the blinking boy with no hair.

How fun is that?

Apparently lots of fun.

When it became obvious these people had no clue, what-so-ever how to take care of a live person, I said, "Please call Doctor Rebecca Temple. She is my personal physician and will know what to do. Please. Now Please. Thank you." I was exhausted and prayed that the parade was over so I could rest, away from the noise of stupid people and their antics. Rebecca was going to HAVE to get me out of here.

Later, I awoke as Rebecca burst into the room. "Brian? Brian? You ARE awake. Oh my goodness, it's good to see your eyes.

"They said you were awake and uncooperative, and wanted to give you something to knock you out. I told them they were welcome to, and then we would all see each other in front of a judge, for malpractice and malicious assault." She was talking so fast, it was like she couldn't help herself.

"Rebecca," I said so softly she had to lean right against me to hear. "Please. Please get me out of this asylum. There isn't an intelligent adult in this place. Please..."

She gave me a look full of speculation, and then told the nurse she was having me moved to alternate care, immediately. The nurse looked like she swallowed something awful and absolutely refused to allow anyone to overrule her on the issue of my well-being, impressing Rebecca not at all.

Rather than argue with an underling, she smiled an evil smile, then picked up her phone and dialed. "Colleen? It's me. Brian is awake. You need to get down here with the Judge. Brian needs to be moved out of this place, right now, and I might need a judge to enforce it. So call Sandra and have her call Clyde. That ought to solve any jurisdiction problems." They talked about how Rebecca thought I was doing, then Rebecca hung up to handle getting me moved.

Rebecca made herself comfortable, just as the head nurse, or head something, stormed in and demanded Rebecca vacate the premises immediately. That went over well, if you consider the sudden onset of Hurricane Rebecca, and the even more sudden appearance of the facility director, who informed the Head of Something, lady, that they had just been telephonically served with a court order, directing them to stand down. He explained that Rebecca was my medical guardian and was having me moved a fast as an ambulance could arrive.

Head of Something didn't like that very well, and aggressively tried to prevent it. It amazed me how fast Head of Something became head of nothing, when the director fired her for putting the hospital at risk of a lawsuit by ignoring the lawful order of the court. A security guard escorted her off the property. It was like the old E.F. Hutton commercials: 'When Judge Thorson spoke, people listened!'

The issue of who's on first now settled, the director looked at Rebecca and asked, "How can this facility assist you in getting young Brian moved?" Having been given a choice between Head of Something, with the big mouth, and Judge Thorson and his drawer full of court orders, Director of Facility chose to cooperate with the Judge.

Excellent problem solving skills.

It was not long before Colleen arrived with her copy of the court order. She was followed by Mr. and Mrs. Bell, Judge and Mrs. Thorson, and two burly men pushing a stretcher. When I asked about the sudden arrival of the twin towers, Colleen said, "They were hanging around the hospital cafeteria with a spare ambulance. When I asked if they were available for an hour or so, they said 'yes, ' and I hired them on the spot."

Also excellent problem solving skills.

Mr. and Mrs. Bell and Sandra pressed in close, all talking at once. Colleen squeezed between them for a kiss, giving Millie and Sandra the same idea, so they each pressed in for a smooch.

Colleen stepped back to direct traffic, and before you knew it, we were out of there - headed ... hmmm ... somewhere else.

Once in the ambulance, I asked Rebecca, "How long have I been out?"

She smiled radiantly, and said, "You've been sleeping for a little while. The surgeons said you would probably sleep the sleep of the dead, then all at once, wake up and feel normal. You don't remember, but the government sent two amazing surgeons from the National Institute of Health, who were experimenting with an arterial strengthening process, at the time of your incident.

They tried out their new drug therapy on your brain arteries, and they began to respond almost immediately. The drugs energize the walls of your arteries, and that sped up regeneration of the damaged tissue. It's completely experimental, only in the early stages of clinical trials, and since you had nothing to lose, they agreed to use you in the first human trial.

We have so much to tell you. As soon as we get you home, we'll start at the beginning and catch you up."

Speaking softly to avoid the pounding in my head, I said, "I can't wait to take a shower and move around a little." Her smile got even brighter.

Looking out the back windows of the ambulance, I could see Mr. Bell following us in his Suburban. I was facing backward, and the ambulance attendants had elevated my head, so I could also see Colleen was following him in her Audi. One more time, my family was gathering around me. It felt right and good. It even felt a little warm and fuzzy.

I was puzzled when we arrived at Mr. Bell's house. Rebecca saw my look and said, "We all talked and decided to bring you here for a few days of round the clock home nursing, to make sure you're all healed, Brian. When the surgeons said you'd need time to convalesce, we talked, and Mr. Bell said the best place for you to do that would be at their house.

I called around and got everything rented we'd need, and it's been set up for over a week, waiting for you.

"We are so thrilled to see you awake. You have no idea." The ambulance stopped, and the burly guys hauled my stretcher out and rolled me inside. A downstairs room was set up for me with a hospital bed and other medical paraphernalia.

I was determined to be on my feet as soon as humanly possible and tried to stand up and walk to the bed. Of course, none of that happened. I tried to sit up and found I hadn't regained the strength. My attempt amounted to little more than raising my head and lifting my shoulders into a more sitting position, but the moment I tried to use my legs, it was over. I dropped back to the bed, and let the men do the work.

It wasn't long, and we were alone. The ambulance was gone, and I was lying peacefully in bed, with my head elevated, looking at my family. Sandra showed up, and said the Judge would be along in just a little while.

Colleen came in from the other room and reported that she had just passed on the information that I was awake to Judge Jones' clerk, the Attorney General's office, as well as the Director at DHS. Oddly enough, it seemed they all expected a report on my health.

Colleen looked at her father and said, "The Director's office said they had dispatched a security team to the hospital, because they receive a report of abusive behavior by unapproved visitors. When I told them it was us moving Brian home, the man said they had discovered that when they received a courtesy copy of Judge Thorson's order. Thank you, Sandra. That was good thinking." Colleen smiled at her mother's best friend.