to take her mind away from her obligation to her sister.
She pulled up in front of the center and drove into the lot. Moments later she was walking through the door. It was dinnertime and the hallways were busy with the nurses and the aides delivering meals to those who were unable to come to the community cafeteria and ambulatory patients who were slowly making their way to dinner.
Stephanie stopped at the front desk. “Hi, I got here as quickly as I could,” she said to the nurse.
“Oh, Ms. Moore.” The nurse smiled at Stephanie. “Your sister will be so glad to see you.”
“The caller said she was having a bad day,” Stephanie asked more than stated.
“I’m sure her doctor can fill you in on all the details. He’s actually in with her now.”
“Thanks.” Stephanie adjusted her purse on her shoulder and walked down the corridor toward her sister’s room. When she reached the door she could hear the doctor’s voice talking gently to Samantha.
For a moment, Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a breath of strength. She was almost afraid to go in but knew that she must.
She turned the knob on the door and walked in.
The doctor turned upon her approach. Slowly he stood up, keeping a comforting hand on Samantha’s shoulder. Stephanie could see that she’d been crying. Her heart ached.
She came fully into the room, putting her purse on the bed as she approached Sam. She knelt down in front of her and stroked her cheek.
“Sweetie, it’s me Stephanie.”
Samantha’s bottom lip trembled as if she were going to cry again.
“It’s okay. I’m here now,” she said softly then looked up at Dr. Nelson.
He gave a subtle toss of his head toward the door.
Slowly Stephanie rose. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to talk to Dr. Nelson for a minute.”
They stepped outside and closed the door.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
Dr. Nelson folded his hands in front of him. “She had a major episode today. She’s been crying almost constantly and that’s not like Sam. She refuses to eat and…she’s been trying to talk.”
“Talk!” Stephanie’s mind raced. Sam hadn’t uttered a word in nearly two decades. Not since the night of the accident. She barely seemed to pay attention to the world around her except for brief flashes. “Are you sure? What did she say?”
“We’re pretty sure she called your name. At least she tried to. And she became very agitated.”
Stephanie’s hand flew to her chest. “My God. I…”
“We were just as surprised. Tomorrow wewant to run some tests, a CAT and a PET scan to reevaluate brain function. Something is obviously going on.”
“But all the doctors said she’d never get better.”
“I’m not saying that she will either. But something is happening. We need to know what it is.”
Stephanie slowly nodded her head, trying to take it all in. “And you’ll let me know?”
“Of course.”
“So…what if there is new activity, then what?”
“If, and I say if, that is the case then we would put her on a new rehab regime that would include speech therapy, something she’s showed no need of since she’s been here.”
She didn’t want to hope. She’d given up hoping a long time ago.
“There is one thing, however.”
Stephanie returned her focus on the doctor. “What’s that?”
“If in fact there is some indication that her speech is returning, she’s going to need a lot of work.”
“Which means more money,” she translated.
“I’m afraid so. At the present time your monthly bill only takes care of room and board and basic services. If we begin to incorporate speech therapy into her daily routine…” He let the rest hang in the air.
“How much are we talking about?”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. It may or may not be necessary but I wanted you to be aware of the possibility.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll let you get to your visit. If you have any questions before you leave have the nurse page
She pulled up in front of the center and drove into the lot. Moments later she was walking through the door. It was dinnertime and the hallways were busy with the nurses and the aides delivering meals to those who were unable to come to the community cafeteria and ambulatory patients who were slowly making their way to dinner.
Stephanie stopped at the front desk. “Hi, I got here as quickly as I could,” she said to the nurse.
“Oh, Ms. Moore.” The nurse smiled at Stephanie. “Your sister will be so glad to see you.”
“The caller said she was having a bad day,” Stephanie asked more than stated.
“I’m sure her doctor can fill you in on all the details. He’s actually in with her now.”
“Thanks.” Stephanie adjusted her purse on her shoulder and walked down the corridor toward her sister’s room. When she reached the door she could hear the doctor’s voice talking gently to Samantha.
For a moment, Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a breath of strength. She was almost afraid to go in but knew that she must.
She turned the knob on the door and walked in.
The doctor turned upon her approach. Slowly he stood up, keeping a comforting hand on Samantha’s shoulder. Stephanie could see that she’d been crying. Her heart ached.
She came fully into the room, putting her purse on the bed as she approached Sam. She knelt down in front of her and stroked her cheek.
“Sweetie, it’s me Stephanie.”
Samantha’s bottom lip trembled as if she were going to cry again.
“It’s okay. I’m here now,” she said softly then looked up at Dr. Nelson.
He gave a subtle toss of his head toward the door.
Slowly Stephanie rose. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to talk to Dr. Nelson for a minute.”
They stepped outside and closed the door.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
Dr. Nelson folded his hands in front of him. “She had a major episode today. She’s been crying almost constantly and that’s not like Sam. She refuses to eat and…she’s been trying to talk.”
“Talk!” Stephanie’s mind raced. Sam hadn’t uttered a word in nearly two decades. Not since the night of the accident. She barely seemed to pay attention to the world around her except for brief flashes. “Are you sure? What did she say?”
“We’re pretty sure she called your name. At least she tried to. And she became very agitated.”
Stephanie’s hand flew to her chest. “My God. I…”
“We were just as surprised. Tomorrow wewant to run some tests, a CAT and a PET scan to reevaluate brain function. Something is obviously going on.”
“But all the doctors said she’d never get better.”
“I’m not saying that she will either. But something is happening. We need to know what it is.”
Stephanie slowly nodded her head, trying to take it all in. “And you’ll let me know?”
“Of course.”
“So…what if there is new activity, then what?”
“If, and I say if, that is the case then we would put her on a new rehab regime that would include speech therapy, something she’s showed no need of since she’s been here.”
She didn’t want to hope. She’d given up hoping a long time ago.
“There is one thing, however.”
Stephanie returned her focus on the doctor. “What’s that?”
“If in fact there is some indication that her speech is returning, she’s going to need a lot of work.”
“Which means more money,” she translated.
“I’m afraid so. At the present time your monthly bill only takes care of room and board and basic services. If we begin to incorporate speech therapy into her daily routine…” He let the rest hang in the air.
“How much are we talking about?”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. It may or may not be necessary but I wanted you to be aware of the possibility.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll let you get to your visit. If you have any questions before you leave have the nurse page
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