James.
‘And she was alarmed to find how high it was.’
‘ How high?’ asked Deborah.
‘Um, two hundred something over one-thirty. Through the roof, really. And there’s a further cause for concern: he had no idea when he’d last taken his medication, and Vesna says he doesn’t seem to know he was even supposed to be taking it. Dad told her he doesn’t take any pills, didn’t need them.’
His siblings all spoke at once.
‘Doesn’t need them?’
‘Uh-oh.’
‘Oh no! Daddy!’
‘Yes. It’s genuinely alarming. Vesna’s spoken to his GP about it.’
‘About what, though?’ asked James.
‘Is his blood pressure still high?’ asked Meredith.
‘Is it… ’ Deborah began, and closed her eyes momentarily. ‘Could it be Alzheimer’s?’
‘His blood pressure’s down for now, Vesna’s seen to that. As to the Alzheimer’s, it’s hard to say. Apparently we need to get a proper assessment done. But Vesna thinks he may have been suffering…’ Robert consulted his notes, ‘TIAs: Transient Ischaemic Attacks. Like tiny mini-strokes, apparently.’
James had a sudden bizarre image of his father’s head as a minigolf course, all the little obstacles and bridges, and little balls being tapped into the little holes. ‘Mini- strokes ?’ he said.
‘ Could be, that’s all. He needs this assessment. But apparently, yes, someone can be having these mini-strokes, TIAs, so tiny you could even be in the same room with the person at the time and not noticeanything. But each one does a bit more damage.’
‘Damage? To what?’ asked Meredith, looking bewildered.
‘To the brain.’
‘To the brain ? Is Vesna saying Daddy has brain damage ?’
‘It’s possible, Merry. I’m sorry. But it’s not definite. We won’t really know till we get this assessment done.’
‘Where? What does it involve, do you know, Robert?’ asked James.
‘And also, how long will it take to get an appointment, and how long does the assessment itself take?’ asked Deborah. ‘We need to know all that, and my schedule is just insane at the moment. No, not at the moment, for the foreseeable future.’
‘And I’m off overseas with Silver a couple of days after the party,’ added James. ‘For three weeks.’
‘You lucky thing, James!’ said Meredith. ‘You’re always going away.’
‘Okay, everybody, a little more shoosh please,’ Robert said, holding up one hand. ‘There are specific clinics, apparently, for aged care assessment. Dad’s GP is arranging a referral to the one for his area, and I’ll make sure it’s for a time I’m able to go with him.’
‘Well, that’s such a help, Robert, it really is,’ said Deborah, her thanks sounding only slightly forced. ‘And I do appreciate Vesna’s input; we all do.’
Robert looked pleased. ‘That’s all from me at this point, then,’ he said, putting his notepad back in his briefcase and sitting back down on the couch. James shifted in his chair a couple of times, stretching his arms, and Deborah looked across at him curiously.
‘James? Something?’
‘Yes, actually. Um, Silver asked me to say something to you all.’
They waited.
‘She just wants you to know that she’s, um, concerned for Dad – he is her father-in-law, after all – and she wants you – wants us – to know that whatever happens over the next few years, youknow, if Dad eventually has to move out of his own home or anything, that she’s, well, that she wants to offer her support. Financially. You know.’
Deborah looked away, the enquiring smile gone from her face. Robert and Meredith shifted slightly closer to each other.
‘How kind,’ said Deborah in a cool tone. James looked at her uneasily.
‘It is,’ burst out Meredith. ‘It’s really, really kind of her. Because you know I would do anything for Daddy but I just haven’t got a cent.’
‘But we don’t need anyone else’s help, not like that,’ Deborah went on forcefully. ‘We all know Silver’s got
‘And she was alarmed to find how high it was.’
‘ How high?’ asked Deborah.
‘Um, two hundred something over one-thirty. Through the roof, really. And there’s a further cause for concern: he had no idea when he’d last taken his medication, and Vesna says he doesn’t seem to know he was even supposed to be taking it. Dad told her he doesn’t take any pills, didn’t need them.’
His siblings all spoke at once.
‘Doesn’t need them?’
‘Uh-oh.’
‘Oh no! Daddy!’
‘Yes. It’s genuinely alarming. Vesna’s spoken to his GP about it.’
‘About what, though?’ asked James.
‘Is his blood pressure still high?’ asked Meredith.
‘Is it… ’ Deborah began, and closed her eyes momentarily. ‘Could it be Alzheimer’s?’
‘His blood pressure’s down for now, Vesna’s seen to that. As to the Alzheimer’s, it’s hard to say. Apparently we need to get a proper assessment done. But Vesna thinks he may have been suffering…’ Robert consulted his notes, ‘TIAs: Transient Ischaemic Attacks. Like tiny mini-strokes, apparently.’
James had a sudden bizarre image of his father’s head as a minigolf course, all the little obstacles and bridges, and little balls being tapped into the little holes. ‘Mini- strokes ?’ he said.
‘ Could be, that’s all. He needs this assessment. But apparently, yes, someone can be having these mini-strokes, TIAs, so tiny you could even be in the same room with the person at the time and not noticeanything. But each one does a bit more damage.’
‘Damage? To what?’ asked Meredith, looking bewildered.
‘To the brain.’
‘To the brain ? Is Vesna saying Daddy has brain damage ?’
‘It’s possible, Merry. I’m sorry. But it’s not definite. We won’t really know till we get this assessment done.’
‘Where? What does it involve, do you know, Robert?’ asked James.
‘And also, how long will it take to get an appointment, and how long does the assessment itself take?’ asked Deborah. ‘We need to know all that, and my schedule is just insane at the moment. No, not at the moment, for the foreseeable future.’
‘And I’m off overseas with Silver a couple of days after the party,’ added James. ‘For three weeks.’
‘You lucky thing, James!’ said Meredith. ‘You’re always going away.’
‘Okay, everybody, a little more shoosh please,’ Robert said, holding up one hand. ‘There are specific clinics, apparently, for aged care assessment. Dad’s GP is arranging a referral to the one for his area, and I’ll make sure it’s for a time I’m able to go with him.’
‘Well, that’s such a help, Robert, it really is,’ said Deborah, her thanks sounding only slightly forced. ‘And I do appreciate Vesna’s input; we all do.’
Robert looked pleased. ‘That’s all from me at this point, then,’ he said, putting his notepad back in his briefcase and sitting back down on the couch. James shifted in his chair a couple of times, stretching his arms, and Deborah looked across at him curiously.
‘James? Something?’
‘Yes, actually. Um, Silver asked me to say something to you all.’
They waited.
‘She just wants you to know that she’s, um, concerned for Dad – he is her father-in-law, after all – and she wants you – wants us – to know that whatever happens over the next few years, youknow, if Dad eventually has to move out of his own home or anything, that she’s, well, that she wants to offer her support. Financially. You know.’
Deborah looked away, the enquiring smile gone from her face. Robert and Meredith shifted slightly closer to each other.
‘How kind,’ said Deborah in a cool tone. James looked at her uneasily.
‘It is,’ burst out Meredith. ‘It’s really, really kind of her. Because you know I would do anything for Daddy but I just haven’t got a cent.’
‘But we don’t need anyone else’s help, not like that,’ Deborah went on forcefully. ‘We all know Silver’s got
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