The world shaper

4

“Come in!”

She carefully twisted the door knob, as she would fear of entering. If it was possible she would avoid hospitals. The smell of sterile and long halls lit with fluorescent lamps made her feel anxious. She found the doctor’s offices even less pleasant. She felt so small and ignorant there.

She entered extensive office that had another door on the left. There was an office desk in the middle and it was overwhelmed with folders, papers, computer, printer and all sorts of cables. Behind the desk on the swivel chair sat tiny woman with thick glasses. She had her curly blonde hair covered with white nurse’s cap. She wore green robe. She spoke with deep voice that one could never expect from her:

“Can I help you?”

“I came with older man,” Anna begun and the nurse observed her silently.

“I hit him with the door.”

The nurse remained expressionless.

“Dr. Brumm is examining him right now. You may enter.”

She smiled awkwardly and entered the doctor’s office room. This room was a bit smaller, but a lot brighter than the office and there wasn’t such mess. There was a large desk by the window on which there was a computer and some papers. By the desk there was a bed on which sat the old man.

The man in white robe stood beside the old man. He was pretty huge, but it made him kind. He had short trimmed grey beard that had some dark hairs between. However his hair was completely white. He had glasses with thin bronze frame. In his robe’s pocket he had a pen and something that could be a notepad.

The doctor put the stethoscope away and looked at her.

“Hello!”

“Hi. I have brought the gentleman.”

“Aha, I see. The boy that brought him here said he had suffered a head trauma. He said that there is a possibility of a concussion. I have just started to examine him. Please, take a seat,” he pointed to the chair by the wall.

She sat down and watched the doctor who was again tending the old man.

 “Follow my finger.”

Old man’s eyes where lively moving according to doctor’s finger.

“Aha,” he said and wrote something in his notepad.

He took a flashlight from his pocket and lit into old man’s eyes then he put the flashlight away. He observed the reaction.

“Your pupils are constricting and dilating correctly according to the light. I think you don’t have a concussion.”

He continued the examination.

“Squeeze my hand… Your squeeze is strong enough,” he continued. “And now, can you tell me your name.”

The old man looked at him, cleared his throat and started:

“My name is… My name… My last name is… You know what, I can’t remember.”

The doctor turned to Anna.

“Don’t look at me. I met him a couple of minutes ago.”

The doctor pondered for a while then he quietly asked:

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Anna nodded and followed him back to the office, where nurse sat at the desk and talked over the phone. The doctor looked at her direction, but she completely ignored them so he started to speak:

 “Your friend…”

“I have to admit that this man is not my friend!”

“Whatever! The gentleman has a temporary amnesia. It’s a memory loss.”

“I know what amnesia means. What can I do?”

He looked at the floor and nervously wiggled his hands.

“Our hospital has limited capabilities and taking the fact that your friend is physically all right…”

“I told you already that he is not my friend. I don’t even know him at all.”

“I understand. But as I could make out of your story, you are responsible for his unpleasant condition.”

Anna couldn’t argue that

“What can I do?”

 “He will need a lot of rest. His memory will come back eventually. You shouldn’t force him to remember.”

“How much time are we talking about? Can you tell me at least approximately?”

“Human brain is a very sophisticated organ. These things can take a while. He can remember tomorrow or in a month.”

“A month? How will I explain it to my husband?”

“You can tell him a truth.”

“You obviously don’t know Simon.”

“No, I don’t… I have to warn you again that you shouldn’t force him to remember. In that he could push his memories even deeper and it would take even more time for him to remember.”

She swallowed her spit and her mouth turned dry in a moment.