Waiting Is The Hardest Part
Chapter 12
Bosco and Kathy sat in the conference room with Dr. Samuels as they waited for the neurologist to get there. Bosco had called his sister-in-law after the shock of Jennifer waking up and not knowing who he was had worn off a little. She'd had Peter get Jordan and Jason and take them back to their house.
Now, they were waiting to talk to the neurologist to see where to go from here.
"Well, she did ask where Jordan was?" Kathy mentioned. "So, she must at least remember her." She looked over at Bosco and saw the worry on his face.
"Maurice, I'm sure she'll get her memories back. It just may take some time," she said, covering his hand that rested on the table with her own.
"Doc?" Bosco said, asking Dr. Samuels' opinion. Before the doctor could answer, the door swung open and in walked Dr. Evers, the neurologist, and a woman.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," he said, rushing in and closing the door behind them. "This is Dr. Moore. She's on our psychiatric service here at Albany Med," he said.
"A psychiatrist?" Bosco asked. "She's not crazy, she's sick."
"Mr. Boscorelli, Dr. Evers asked me to sit in on Dr. Boscorelli's case just in an advisory capacity. We want to evaluate her and see to what extent her memories are unclear to her. For instance, I'm told she believes her first husband, Jeff Tate, is still alive and that they are still together, is that correct?"
Every time he heard it, it was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. "Um, yeah. But, she remembers Jordan," he said. "It's just me and probably our son, Jason, that she doesn't remember," he added.
"And, how old is Jason?" she asked him.
"He just turned eight months," Bosco answered.
"Well, that's not that long ago. I'm sure the memory of having another child is not that far below the surface. Jordan has just been established in her life longer," Dr. Evers tried to explain.
"But, we're getting ahead of ourselves," Dr. Samuels' interrupted. "For all we know, she could recover her memories at any moment. We're just not sure. The question before us is whether or not to wait to see if things straighten out on their own, or if we should try to hasten the process along somehow."
"What if we brought Jordan and Jason in to see Jennifer? Would something like that tell us how far back her memories go?" Kathy asked.
"You mean like, if she saw us all together would it jog her memory?" Bosco asked her.
"It's just a thought," Kathy said, shrugging her shoulders and looking around at the doctors.
"It might be worth a try. Do you think you'd be able to explain things to Jordan and make her understand what's going on with Jennifer?" Dr. Samuels asked Bosco.
"I'll be more than happy to help explain things to Jordan with you, if you'd like," offered Dr. Evers.
"Yeah, that would be good," Bosco agreed.
"I'll call Peter and have him bring them over," Kathy said, standing up to go use the phone. After she'd left, Bosco and the doctors continued their discussion and it was decided that they would just have Bosco bring Jordan in first and not throw Jason at her right away until they saw how she reacted.
"Boscorelli," he answered, pulling the ringing cell phone from his pocket.
"Bosco, it's Lt. Swersky," came the voice from the other end.
"Hey, Lieu. What's up?" Bosco asked.
"Yokas told me you were coming down this weekend and stopping in. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be out at a conference. But, I'm leaving some papers at the desk that I need you to fill out to cover you while you're on leave," he told Bosco.
"Oh, um. I'm not gonna be able to come down there this weekend, Lieu. Jen woke up and we're doing some tests and stuff to see how things are," Bosco told him.
"She's awake! That's great news. No problem. I'll just throw the forms in the mail and send them up. Just get them back to me as quick as you can, but next week sometime is fine. So, uh, how's she feeling? I mean, have you been able to talk with her?" the Lieutenant asked him.
"Um, yeah we talked a little. She's still pretty weak and there's some, um.., well, there's some memories that are mixed up," Bosco told him, trying not to let his tone give away his feelings.
"Mixed up? Well, did the doctors tell you anything about what to expect?" Lieu asked.
"That's what some of the tests are," Bosco answered.
"You okay, Boscorelli? I mean you don't sound that good," he noted.
"Yeah, well, it's been a rough time. I guess we're all just wiped out. But, hey, I'll get the forms back to you as soon as I get them. Thanks for calling," he said, trying to sound more upbeat.
"Yeah, okay. Like I said, next week's okay to get the papers back to me. Keep in touch and call if you need anything," Swersky said.
"Will do. Thanks, Lieu," Bosco answered and severed the connection.
"Yokas!" the Lieutenant called out to Faith as she walked out of the locker room and toward roll call.
"Yeah, Lieu," she said, turning back and walking toward him.
"I just talked to Boscorelli. He's not coming down this weekend. His wife woke up and she's having some tests so he's staying up there," he told her.
"Jennifer's awake?! That's great. I wonder why he didn't call us to let us know?" Faith wondered.
"Maybe it just happened and he didn't have a chance. He did say she was having some tests. Something about some mixed up memories? He sounds worn out," he added, knowing that she'd call him later and find out what was going on. He didn't know for sure, but he knew something wasn't right.
"Maybe I'll give him a call on my meal break…," Faith said, more to herself than anyone else, as she walked back toward the roll call room.
It had taken some time, but Jordan finally seemed to understand that things weren't all perfect with her mother yet. Bosco had explained to her that because of the bump on her head, Jennifer was mixed up about a few things, and didn't remember some other stuff. Both he and the doctor had helped her to understand that Jennifer might talk about things from a long time ago and think that it was stuff that had just happened. It took a little longer to explain to her how Jennifer could not remember that Jeff had died and that she didn't remember Bosco and possibly Jason right now. Bosco wasn't sure how much they should tell her, but the doctor told him that Jennifer could very well say something about the past and totally take Jordan by surprise. With Dr. Evers' help, they were able to explain it in a way that Jordan seemed to understand.
Now, Jordan and Kathy were about to walk into Jennifer's room. Bosco would walk in holding Jason shortly.
"Ready?" Bosco said, kneeling on one knee in front of Jordan.
"Uh huh," Jordan answered timidly.
Bosco gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "It's okay Bug. Everything will work out, it just may take a little more time. At least she's awake, right?" he said, holding her at arm's length and giving her his best smile.
She nodded and Kathy took her by the hand. Kathy gave Bosco an encouraging look and the two walked into the hospital room.
"Mommy?" Jordan said quietly as she looked at her mother lying in the bed with her eyes closed. She thought she was sleeping.
Jennifer opened her eyes and turned toward the voice. "Jennifer!" she said with delight. "I'm so glad to see you. Come here so I can give you a hug," she said, holding her arms out for her daughter. Jordan quickly walked over to her mother, relieved that she was recognized.
Kathy helped her onto the bed alongside Jennifer and sat in the chair next to her. "So, how are you feeling now? Better?"
"Yeah. Just tired, but that's normal," she told her sister as she looked over her daughter. "I can't believe how much you seem to have grown," she told her, suddenly realizing how much older Jordan was than she seemed to remember.
Kathy noticed the confused look on her sister's face and started to get worried. She was relieved to hear the door open behind her and see the doctor walk in.
"Jennifer?" Kathy asked. "Are you alright?"
"I…, um…," Jennifer stammered and tears started to fill her eyes. "Jeff's…," she started and then trailed off, not wanting to upset Jordan.
Dr. Moore stepped forward just then as she noticed what was going on. "Kathy, why don't you take Jordan to get a drink. I just want to talk to Jennifer for a few minutes."
"Um, sure. Jordan, let's go get some pop," Kathy said, trying to lighten the tension in the room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Jennifer said, "My God. Jeff's dead. How could I forget that?"
"It's perfectly normal, Dr. Tate," Dr. Moore reassured her. "Things are just a little confused right now. But, it's a good sign that you're remembering things this quickly," she said, as Jennifer continued to shed tears at the new memory of her husband being killed. It was as if she'd just received the news all over again.
"Jordan's so much older than I remember. How many years have I lost?" she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She always paced when she was trying to reason things out or when she was worried about something. She tried to stand and Dr. Moore let her, but stayed close in case she got light-headed or weak. The doctor followed Jennifer over to the window and stood alongside.
"Well, let's try to figure that out. Obviously you remember your late husband being alive," she offered. "What year was that?"
Chapter 12
Bosco and Kathy sat in the conference room with Dr. Samuels as they waited for the neurologist to get there. Bosco had called his sister-in-law after the shock of Jennifer waking up and not knowing who he was had worn off a little. She'd had Peter get Jordan and Jason and take them back to their house.
Now, they were waiting to talk to the neurologist to see where to go from here.
"Well, she did ask where Jordan was?" Kathy mentioned. "So, she must at least remember her." She looked over at Bosco and saw the worry on his face.
"Maurice, I'm sure she'll get her memories back. It just may take some time," she said, covering his hand that rested on the table with her own.
"Doc?" Bosco said, asking Dr. Samuels' opinion. Before the doctor could answer, the door swung open and in walked Dr. Evers, the neurologist, and a woman.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," he said, rushing in and closing the door behind them. "This is Dr. Moore. She's on our psychiatric service here at Albany Med," he said.
"A psychiatrist?" Bosco asked. "She's not crazy, she's sick."
"Mr. Boscorelli, Dr. Evers asked me to sit in on Dr. Boscorelli's case just in an advisory capacity. We want to evaluate her and see to what extent her memories are unclear to her. For instance, I'm told she believes her first husband, Jeff Tate, is still alive and that they are still together, is that correct?"
Every time he heard it, it was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. "Um, yeah. But, she remembers Jordan," he said. "It's just me and probably our son, Jason, that she doesn't remember," he added.
"And, how old is Jason?" she asked him.
"He just turned eight months," Bosco answered.
"Well, that's not that long ago. I'm sure the memory of having another child is not that far below the surface. Jordan has just been established in her life longer," Dr. Evers tried to explain.
"But, we're getting ahead of ourselves," Dr. Samuels' interrupted. "For all we know, she could recover her memories at any moment. We're just not sure. The question before us is whether or not to wait to see if things straighten out on their own, or if we should try to hasten the process along somehow."
"What if we brought Jordan and Jason in to see Jennifer? Would something like that tell us how far back her memories go?" Kathy asked.
"You mean like, if she saw us all together would it jog her memory?" Bosco asked her.
"It's just a thought," Kathy said, shrugging her shoulders and looking around at the doctors.
"It might be worth a try. Do you think you'd be able to explain things to Jordan and make her understand what's going on with Jennifer?" Dr. Samuels asked Bosco.
"I'll be more than happy to help explain things to Jordan with you, if you'd like," offered Dr. Evers.
"Yeah, that would be good," Bosco agreed.
"I'll call Peter and have him bring them over," Kathy said, standing up to go use the phone. After she'd left, Bosco and the doctors continued their discussion and it was decided that they would just have Bosco bring Jordan in first and not throw Jason at her right away until they saw how she reacted.
"Boscorelli," he answered, pulling the ringing cell phone from his pocket.
"Bosco, it's Lt. Swersky," came the voice from the other end.
"Hey, Lieu. What's up?" Bosco asked.
"Yokas told me you were coming down this weekend and stopping in. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be out at a conference. But, I'm leaving some papers at the desk that I need you to fill out to cover you while you're on leave," he told Bosco.
"Oh, um. I'm not gonna be able to come down there this weekend, Lieu. Jen woke up and we're doing some tests and stuff to see how things are," Bosco told him.
"She's awake! That's great news. No problem. I'll just throw the forms in the mail and send them up. Just get them back to me as quick as you can, but next week sometime is fine. So, uh, how's she feeling? I mean, have you been able to talk with her?" the Lieutenant asked him.
"Um, yeah we talked a little. She's still pretty weak and there's some, um.., well, there's some memories that are mixed up," Bosco told him, trying not to let his tone give away his feelings.
"Mixed up? Well, did the doctors tell you anything about what to expect?" Lieu asked.
"That's what some of the tests are," Bosco answered.
"You okay, Boscorelli? I mean you don't sound that good," he noted.
"Yeah, well, it's been a rough time. I guess we're all just wiped out. But, hey, I'll get the forms back to you as soon as I get them. Thanks for calling," he said, trying to sound more upbeat.
"Yeah, okay. Like I said, next week's okay to get the papers back to me. Keep in touch and call if you need anything," Swersky said.
"Will do. Thanks, Lieu," Bosco answered and severed the connection.
"Yokas!" the Lieutenant called out to Faith as she walked out of the locker room and toward roll call.
"Yeah, Lieu," she said, turning back and walking toward him.
"I just talked to Boscorelli. He's not coming down this weekend. His wife woke up and she's having some tests so he's staying up there," he told her.
"Jennifer's awake?! That's great. I wonder why he didn't call us to let us know?" Faith wondered.
"Maybe it just happened and he didn't have a chance. He did say she was having some tests. Something about some mixed up memories? He sounds worn out," he added, knowing that she'd call him later and find out what was going on. He didn't know for sure, but he knew something wasn't right.
"Maybe I'll give him a call on my meal break…," Faith said, more to herself than anyone else, as she walked back toward the roll call room.
It had taken some time, but Jordan finally seemed to understand that things weren't all perfect with her mother yet. Bosco had explained to her that because of the bump on her head, Jennifer was mixed up about a few things, and didn't remember some other stuff. Both he and the doctor had helped her to understand that Jennifer might talk about things from a long time ago and think that it was stuff that had just happened. It took a little longer to explain to her how Jennifer could not remember that Jeff had died and that she didn't remember Bosco and possibly Jason right now. Bosco wasn't sure how much they should tell her, but the doctor told him that Jennifer could very well say something about the past and totally take Jordan by surprise. With Dr. Evers' help, they were able to explain it in a way that Jordan seemed to understand.
Now, Jordan and Kathy were about to walk into Jennifer's room. Bosco would walk in holding Jason shortly.
"Ready?" Bosco said, kneeling on one knee in front of Jordan.
"Uh huh," Jordan answered timidly.
Bosco gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "It's okay Bug. Everything will work out, it just may take a little more time. At least she's awake, right?" he said, holding her at arm's length and giving her his best smile.
She nodded and Kathy took her by the hand. Kathy gave Bosco an encouraging look and the two walked into the hospital room.
"Mommy?" Jordan said quietly as she looked at her mother lying in the bed with her eyes closed. She thought she was sleeping.
Jennifer opened her eyes and turned toward the voice. "Jennifer!" she said with delight. "I'm so glad to see you. Come here so I can give you a hug," she said, holding her arms out for her daughter. Jordan quickly walked over to her mother, relieved that she was recognized.
Kathy helped her onto the bed alongside Jennifer and sat in the chair next to her. "So, how are you feeling now? Better?"
"Yeah. Just tired, but that's normal," she told her sister as she looked over her daughter. "I can't believe how much you seem to have grown," she told her, suddenly realizing how much older Jordan was than she seemed to remember.
Kathy noticed the confused look on her sister's face and started to get worried. She was relieved to hear the door open behind her and see the doctor walk in.
"Jennifer?" Kathy asked. "Are you alright?"
"I…, um…," Jennifer stammered and tears started to fill her eyes. "Jeff's…," she started and then trailed off, not wanting to upset Jordan.
Dr. Moore stepped forward just then as she noticed what was going on. "Kathy, why don't you take Jordan to get a drink. I just want to talk to Jennifer for a few minutes."
"Um, sure. Jordan, let's go get some pop," Kathy said, trying to lighten the tension in the room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Jennifer said, "My God. Jeff's dead. How could I forget that?"
"It's perfectly normal, Dr. Tate," Dr. Moore reassured her. "Things are just a little confused right now. But, it's a good sign that you're remembering things this quickly," she said, as Jennifer continued to shed tears at the new memory of her husband being killed. It was as if she'd just received the news all over again.
"Jordan's so much older than I remember. How many years have I lost?" she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She always paced when she was trying to reason things out or when she was worried about something. She tried to stand and Dr. Moore let her, but stayed close in case she got light-headed or weak. The doctor followed Jennifer over to the window and stood alongside.
"Well, let's try to figure that out. Obviously you remember your late husband being alive," she offered. "What year was that?"
