Remember Me.....

Syncope

"It's called Syncope." Dr Grant perched on the end of her bed, highly unprofessional but very informal and at that moment?  Informal was what she needed.  Informal, comforting, and just plain old reassuring. "Random fainting is called Syncope, and no, it's not, in itself, anything to worry about.  What is worrying is WHY you're suffering from it.  Could be stress, could be blood pressure - which seemed to be ok - could be something more serious.  What we CAN say is that I think we've found the reason for your injury." he stood up and flicked through Eve's chart before placing it back in its holder.

He walked around the bed and came to stand next to her.  Tom sat in the chair, holding her hand.  When they'd arrived back, Jack Grant was just about finished his shift, another marathon fourteen hours with little to drink and less to eat.  This case, though, Eve's case stirred his imagination and made him feel as fresh as he'd just come on shift. 

It was the kind you read about in The Lancet, saw on the documentary channels.  Not the kind that wandered into your hospital bruised and bleeding on a damp Thursday night in June.

"I think you fainted, hit your head, and when you came round, remmebered the only thing you could - your date with Tom here - as it was in your short-term memory. The details faded as the injury kicked in.  It was a one in a million chance that you hit it hard enough to affect your memory.  It was a one in SEVERAL million chances that you had arranged to meet someone who actually took the time to find out why you stood him up. 

All we need now is to find out what happened to your bag and quite possibly unlock the rest of your life- the taxi driver that brought you in said you didn't have one with you and quite frankly, I for one, believe him.  Let's face it, if he cared enough to drive halfway across London - for free - he's not gonna steal your bag."

Tom nodded and looked at Eve, "He said you got in and asked to go to King's Cross.  We were supposed to meet at the American Bar in the Savoy.  We'd met originally at King's Cross, where I took you today.  I honestly don't know if you could only remember that station or if you had a connection to it in some other way.  The fact you reacted today the way you did would indeed suggest some sort of connection." 

"Why didn't you tell me all this before we went?" she was confused.  "Surely it would have been better to forewarn me?" Eve looked at the two men, and Dr Grant shook his head.  

"Actually, no, it was me that told Tom not to.  The mind is easily swayed.  If we wanted to get an honest reaction, we had to do it cold turkey.  It's all too easy for us - all of us - to be swayed by things we THINK are true, even if they're not.  All we need is the power of suggestion.  Almost like the Mandela Effect.  Have you heard of that?"

"Yes, wasn't that the thing where a huge number of people thought Mandela had died on Robin Island when he actually hadn't?  They truly believed it, all through the power of mass recollection of something that never happened?" Eve sounded a bit more relieved.  "I see what you mean.  If you'd told me about King's Cross, I would perhaps have moulded what scant info I had to match the situation."

"Exactly." Tom smiled. "You may have a dicey memory, but there's nothing wrong with the rest of your brain!"  Eve blushed and looked at her hands.

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, in the morning, I'm going to ask for another set of scans and so on. Make sure we didn't miss anything the first time around.  Then, when we've excluded Green Monkey Disease, Bubonic Plague, and any other mind-warping diseases, we need to think about where you literally go from here.  Much as I love having a star medical mystery to occupy me and potentially get my face on the cover of The Lancet, I think it's time we tried to get you somewhere like a halfway house.  And we REALLY need to get the Police involved.  There must be SOMEONE - other than The God of Mischief here - that misses you by now?  For tonight, though, rest.  You've had a tiring day.  Tom can stay - but not too late - and we can all reconvene in the morning, ok?"