Chapter 12:
A day later than planned but enjoy Chapter 12!
'Do you know who this is, Ethan?'
Ethan whined, closing his eyes. What were they going to do? Prop them open? Some old film flashed into his mind until he forced it away.
'Ethan?'
He knew that voice, and it was the only one he wanted to hear.
'Ethan?'
But it wasn't going to be Cal. Cal was on the other side of the world.
'He might not recognise you just yet,' Guy said, softly. Ethan had decided he truly and utterly hated Guy Self, and opened his eyes for the simple reason that he wanted to spite him.
'Cal.' He said, coldly. He expected to see another paper image. The last 36 hours had been full of the things, as well-meaning nurse after well-meaning nurse had shown him images of colleagues, friends, people he'd been at uni with, all in an effort to get his swollen and screwed up braincells to rub together and produce a spark. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt so angry about everything. He knew it wasn't how he usually felt.
Ha. Least he knew something.
Wearily, he cracked open an eye, expecting to see another slightly blurred picture of Cal. They'd put his contact lenses in for him that morning, a painful and irritating process that he'd come close to spitting at a nurse during. Ethan blinked. It took him seconds to process it.
'Cal.'
He repeated the word a few times, trying to produce the words to say: yes! You're real. It's not a photo. How did you get here?
But that didn't come. He couldn't seem to even get any expression into the words. Cal nodded, however, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. 'That's it, Nibbles. It's me. Got the first plane back. You've done a stellar job at keeping quiet and staying in bed.'
Ethan smiled, although the muscles felt slack and tight at the same time. 'Cal.'
'Who is Cal, Ethan?' Guy urged. Ethan had tried to roll his eyes several times that day, and each time left him feeling sick and dizzy and stupid.
'Br-brrrrr,' his tongue got stuck on the "r" sound, and he shook his head hard to unstick it, causing a machine to angrily chirp at him. 'Other. Br. Other.'
Guy corrected him, blending the sounds. 'Yes. Your brother.'
'Stella Artois,' Ethan said, pronouncing the brand name flawlessly, to his immense confusion. Guy's face showed a similar expression, although Cal chuckled out loud.
'There we go, Eth. It's alright, Mr Self, it's my usual drink. You remembered well, Ethan.'
'What else do you remember about Caleb, Ethan?'
'About me. About Cal.' Cal rephrased. Guy didn't look pleased at the interruption.
'Doctor.' Ethan was distracted then, and he turned to look at the glass of water on the cabinet. He couldn't be bothered to speak. No rush. He'd stare at it in the hope someone would work it out. He had all day.
Cal got it quickly, helping guide the end of the straw into Ethan's mouth. Ethan had mastered the skill the evening before, and although he still stopped and started and dribbled some of the water, he was proud of himself.
'I am a doctor. Better one than you.'
'No. Late.'
'You remember too much, Eth! Not always. Where do I work.'
'H-h-h-h-h-here. Hospital. Holy City.'
'Holby City. I'd argue that the big man upstairs wouldn't call this city heavenly,' Cal noticed Ethan blinking, and gently guided an eyelash from the corner of his brother's eye. He sat next to him on the bed, and Ethan moved deliberately to lean against Cal.
'Emergency Department,' Ethan said. It didn't sound particularly like his accent. Cal's eyes widened a little.
'Say it again.'
'Holby City Emergency Department.' Ethan said. He repeated it as one piece of information, automatically. Guy and Cal stared at him.
'I just need the loo, Ethan,' Cal said, 'You can behave yourself until I get back?'
Ethan closed his eyes, as Cal gently got up, and made for the door. He ignored Guy anyway, so the consultant didn't need to make up an excuse.
Outside the room, the two men shared a glance with each other.
'Did you hear that, too?' Cal asked. He was still a little stunned. 'It's not his accent.'
'No. Connie's.'
Cal racked his brain, drawing upon memories he'd not bothered to reflect on since graduating. He'd done the standard neurology rotation, but it wasn't an interest, so he hadn't put much more effort in than the booklet letting him know his minimum placement requirements had demanded him too. 'Is that normal? The accent?'
Guy frowned. 'Memory's still incredibly complex. Every single case is different, as I'm sure you know. But it's a positive sign. He's trying to recall information, and put it into context, although in order to do that he's relying on the context surrounding where he initially learned that information, or where it's significant. The er- drinking example. He can say it fluently because it's a brand name and it's somehow embedded. He doesn't have to particularly think through what he's saying, or put it into much context.'
Cal nodded. His mind was racing. 'So some things he remembers much more easily because he doesn't need to extract them and recontextualise them? And others are harder because he doesn't have a concrete memory of learning them?'
'Exactly. If this state is permanent, he can potentially relearn what he's previous learnt more quickly. But he won't know how to drive, unless he recalls his first lessons and actively can remember being told which pedal is which, for example. Some things he'll know from experiences. It's complex,' Guy was becoming Mr Self, now. Discussing a case. 'I don't know, for example, if he knows not to touch a hot kettle. He may have some memory in the back of his head telling him that it hurts. That's what would stop him. Not having the foresight to tell him that heat hurts skin.'
Dr Knight's own head felt a little stuffed after that. There was so much to find out. So much that he and his own brain took for granted. 'He may well begin to break down barriers increasingly more quickly. I've seen several similar cases. Patients' brains begin to be able to recognise the process of remembering, and then that becomes automatic and unconscious. I'm not completely ruling out a full recovery as long as he's cooperative and the swelling starts to reduce in the next few days.'
'It will.' Cal gritted his jaw, and turned around to go back in. 'It had better.'
