Mischief Maker:DreamBrother
Disclaimer:Can't find any proof of ownership so I guess Numb3rs isn't mine… Tragic, isn't it?
Author's Note:The lecture chapter. Ah! However, it's a necessary evil. All info taken from an article called "Forget everything you know about Amnesia" on InteliHealt. Kinda like a medical mythbuster article.
As always, thanks to Shaolingrrl for being the beta on this.
Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been?
Chapter Two
"We are defined by our memories and by our past. So who are we if we have no memory and no past?
Alan and Charlie sat in silence in Dr. Bourne's office. They had thought the worst was over when the first visit to this office had the good doctor explaining to them that while Don had not yet regained consciousness, his injuries were minor and the odds were on his side that he would, eventually, fully recover. Now, they were back in the office, Don was conscious, but… he wasn't Don.
Dr. Bourne's office was small but homey. Charlie would have found the place to be a quite comfortable work area had present circumstances not driven every feeling save worry and apprehension from his mind. The doctor owned enough medical textbooks to rival the mounds of math textbooks that cluttered Charlie's CalSci office, but the titles were of no concern to him. Trying to keep his mind occupied and away from dark thoughts, Charlie watched the little home-made suncatcher that hung near the room's tiny window, close enough that the sun's light shone through the pieces of blue glass that hung from the ornament, scattering beams of blue light across the whole office that constantly moved as the glass revolved on the string. Sitting to his right, his father's line of sight intersected with the sole picture frame on the doctor's desk; whether Alan actually saw the photo of Dr. Bourne and a smiling woman with an arm around a boy and a girl, twins most likely, was another matter entirely.
The two Eppes men looked up as one as they heard the door to the office open and Dr. Bourne enter.
"No offense, but I was kinda hoping I'd seen the last of you two in here," said the doctor in greeting as he smiled a bit nervously.
"None taken," replied Alan, allowing a small smile in return.
"Let's get down to it, shall we?" asked the doctor as he sat down and placed a folder on the desk in front of him. After receiving nods from his patient's family and adopting a tone reserved for mini-lectures, he began:
"Don is suffering from what we call 'Retrograde Amnesia,' which means he has no memory of any events prior to his injury. It could be worse," added the doctor with an almost earnest look, "he could be suffering from anterograde amnesia which would have meant he would not have been able to form any long term memories. Plenty of movies out there where the characters have anterograde amnesia, it's tough."
"Now, amnesia is caused by damage to the hippocampus region in the medial temporal lobe in the brain. Usually, it's caused by disease, such as Alzheimer's, but in Don's case, the head trauma. There are cases when such trauma is accompanied by symptoms such as skull fracture, bleeding of the brain, or swelling," Bourne raised a finger to stop Alan and Charlie from interrupting. "Don't worry, we checked, Don's all fine in that area. He's experiencing self-limited symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and headaches to end all headaches. Retrograde amnesia tends to improve over time, and once these symptoms go away, I think Don should regain his memory pretty quickly."
"How bad is Don's memory, exactly?" asked Charlie as the doctor paused to take a breath.
"I was getting to that. In the matters of the brain, especially memory disorders, there is no… 'Patient Zero' to base all our theories on or extrapolate from. There's a lot more literature on anterograde amnesia, but once again, we're happy Don doesn't have that. Each case is different, it varies from person to person, there are too many unknown variables." Bourne noticed an odd expression cross the younger Eppes' features, which, if he had to put a name to it, might be inspiration, but shrugged it off and continued. "Retrograde amnesia is often temporally graded, meaning that remote memories are more easily accessible than events occurring just prior to the trauma, so it's more likely that Don will remember events from his childhood and adolescence sooner than he remembers his adult life. The time just prior to his injury, could be the day or a whole week, he might never remember."
"Now, as to how much Don remembers: It's very rare for a person to lose their identity, so Don knows who he is, when he was born and all that. However, I've talked to him; he doesn't remember much else than what I've just told you. He doesn't even remember having a family, although the logical part of his brain tells him he must have had parents somewhere along the line."
"So what's the game plan?" asked Alan. Enough talking, let's get fixing, thought Alan.
"We, and by we I mean you two, jog his memory. Pictures would be a great asset, spanning over all the time he has lost. It would also be a great way to gain his trust; you're strangers to him at the moment. And on the subject of strangers, limit his visitors. Too many unknown faces popping up can be stressful, even if his friends know his condition and don't expect him to know them. Often, an amnesia patient will feel stressed, embarrassed or over-whelmed by their lack of knowledge concerning important information or people, so it's vital that Don is left to remember at his own pace. Music helps… significant objects, mementos, all very good things. I'll be giving you some pamphlets which go into a bit more detail about what an amnesiac patient will know and what he might have forgotten. And obviously, I'll be giving you my contact details for when you have any questions or concerns. Anything else?"
"Yes. When can Don come home?" asked Alan.
"In a few days. He has a concussion, so we want to keep a careful eye on him, make sure he doesn't get worse. When the worst of the worst clears up, you can smuggle him away," smiled the doctor. "But on one condition: you two go home now and get some rest; you're going to need it. Like I said, Don's experiencing fatigue and headaches, and with the mild painkillers I gave him before I came here, he's out for the count. You can come see him in the morning, get re-acquainted," replied Dr. Bourne.
"Can we see him before we leave? Just take a quick peek?" asked Charlie.
After a moment's pause, Bourne answered, "Sure, won't hurt anyone. But make sure your definition of 'quick' doesn't mean staying over. Come, I'll take you to him."
Alan and Charlie mimicked Dr. Bourne in standing up and followed him out of his office.
Coming to a stand outside of Don's room, Dr. Bourne turned to them and said, "Ten minutes and then I expect you two to be on your way home. I'll see you in the morning, gentlemen?"
After nods of acquiescence which saw Dr. Bourne walking down the hallway after a quick chat with a nurse, Alan opened the door to his son's hospital room and walked inside to stand next to his bed.
Charlie stood in the doorway, content to just look in. Having his brother look at him as though he was a complete and total stranger had unnerved him more than he cared to admit and although he knew Don was fast asleep, Charlie didn't want to risk another such encounter at the moment.
Alan sighed as he ran his fingers through his eldest son's dark hair with the lightest of touches, careful to avoid the piece of gauze on Don's forehead. Turning to the son who did recognize his father for who he was, Alan said:
"Look at the bright side: He won't remember to call you Chuck for a few days at least."
TBC
Next chapter should be up in a few days. I can't seem to stop rambling in it. It's almost double the size of this chapter already. Thanks to all those who reviewed, much appreciated.
And being me, I recommend watching the movie, Memento, it is excellent. The lead has anterograde amnesia, so it's very different, but awesomely done. Not a big fan of the Bourne series but hey, had to name the doctor something. See you next chapter.