Open Heart

Chapter 36: Dos and Don'ts

        IT WAS EXACTLY FOUR days after Samuel had woken up from his coma when he was able to go home. He wasn't able to leave the hospital before, because the doctor wanted to monitor his behavior.

What had happened was the day after Samuel had woken up from his coma, he had gotten aggressive with the nurses when they were trying to give him his medications.

This was common for someone in a situation like this.

The thing was that Samuel was frustrated with himself for not remembering anything as would anyone who woke up and their memories were suddenly gone. And the only thing a person with amnesia could rely on was other people's memory of them.

According to the neurologist, the nine days he was in the coma did his brain well. The test they ran showed that there wasn't any lingering physical damage to his brain. He did show the usual symptoms of someone with TBI which was normal in his case.

Samuel was to seek physiological help via zoom twice a week and once every two weeks in person.

Besides that, there was dealing with a lawyer considering medical expenses which thankfully Kunle volunteered to deal with. He'd be back in the States until that was dealt with. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to deal with any lawyer right now.

Before leaving the hospital the doctor had told me a list of dos and don'ts concerning Samuel. As I frequently stole a glance at Samuel, I took note of everything the doctor was telling me.

Samuel was waiting for me at the end of the hallway. His hoodie was over his head, his hands in his pockets, and his gaze on his feet. This was so unlike him. He looked diffident and alarmed.

Preparing myself for what was in store, I exhaled and put my notepad in my tote bag. I work in healthcare. I've got this. This should be a breeze.

Right?

Hesitantly, I linked my arms with Samuel, and almost instantly, I knew I had messed up.

Do portray positive actions because that's what Samuel will mirror.

It was true because, with my hesitation, Samuel backed away from me. He winced. The sudden movement must've pained him as he held his side.

Although hurt, I smiled and went in for the kill again. This time with more confidence.

Do call him by his name. Do speak in short sentences.

Okay, here we go.

"Samuel, are you hungry?"

"No. Tired."

It took every power in me not to drop my smile. It wasn't because of what he said, it was how he said it. Truthfully, it was going to take some getting used to.

Do speak encouragingly.

"That's no biggie. We'll go home," I said.

I had planned on staying at Samuel's place for however long he needed. I had also taken a few weeks off from work as well just until he was able to maneuver on his own.

It was my duty to help Samuel in his time of need even if it meant putting my life on pause for a second.

Not only didn't I trust anyone else around him in his fragile state, but it was also important that he was with someone close to him. That, someone, was me unless Samuel went back to Nigeria but that would just confuse him more.

He's been living here for so long, and only visited back home over the past few years. Come to think of it maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Exhaling once again, I forced myself to stop thinking. My mind was running a mile a minute. I didn't want Samuel to see how anxious I was.

Smiling enough to show my teeth, I opened the door to Samuel's apartment. I had woken up early this morning to clean his apartment since it had been unoccupied for almost two weeks.

"Welcome home!" I felt like I was speaking to a child but that was on the dos list.

Samuel gave me a look I couldn't decipher as he walked in. His movements were slow.

The first place he went to was the picture on the coffee table. I had asked a stranger passing by to take the picture for us.

In the picture, there was pink icing on Samuel's nose from the cupcake he was eating. He had that smile I loved so much, where his smile was so bright and wide that his melanated gums would show.

He had handed me his cupcake to hold while he supported me on his shoulders.

I too was grinning ear to ear with my eyes crossed and my tongue poking out. 

"That was from last year in Disney World. It was our first official date," I commented.

Do be specific.

I noticed this entire time that Samuel hadn't taken his hands out of his pocket. His eyes left the picture and fell on my engagement ring.

"You're really my fiancée?" He appeared unsure by the question.

"Yes. You proposed a day before our anniversary. Then you proposed again on our anniversary." As I said this, I blinked my tears away. It seemed so odd how such a beautiful night could end so terribly.

Do maintain eye contact.

This didn't last long because Samuel looked away. "Hmm," was his only response.

Don't pressure him to remember anything.

To break the uncomfortable tension, I clapped my hands together. "Would you like to take a shower before resting?"

"No. Where's my room?"

Don't be frustrated by him.

I showed him to his room. He did the same as before and looked at the pictures. When he was done, he took off his shoes and almost painfully went underneath the duvet.

A simple goodnight would've sufficed. I didn't get that. It was obvious that we weren't going to be sleeping on the same bed, so I grabbed a pillow and a few sheets. Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch for a while.

"Goodnight Samuel," I murmured.

He didn't respond.