* * *
Everyone was home when Emily received the news from Dr. Jensen that the following morning, Dr. Freenold would complete the Craniectomy by sealing Thomas’s skull with a prosthetic bone.
Louise was the first to respond to the news, “I know that it had to happen someday, but it seems like a set-back.”
Emily was quick to respond, “It does seem that way, doesn’t it, but closing up Thomas skull has to be done. Dr. Jensen said that the procedure should have no impact on the progress that Thomas has made so far. I signed the authorization papers last week. Now we’ll just have to pray that all goes well and remember that Thomas is in the hands of one of the top neurosurgeons in the country.”
Walter added, “You’re right and after whatever recovery is necessary, we can look forward to continued progress with his rehabilitation. Let’s not forget that we still have a long road ahead of us; this is just a rest stop along the road to recovery.”
Miriam laughed, “That’s right, Walter. You have a real flair for this. You should be writing pamphlets for the Hospital.”
“Oh, go on…you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Of course I do. I’m just kidding you.”
Emily asked, “Then are we all satisfied that this operation is a good thing and that the sooner it’s behind us, the better it will be for Thomas and all of us?”
They nodded their agreements.
“Well now that we’ve agree on that, I have to share some bad news.”
She waited until the vocal reaction to her words subsided before finishing. “There is a downside to this operation. It’s nothing serious, but visitations will revert to the rules we started with.”
Louise, answered with anger in her voice,
“You mean the damn hall and red line again?” “Unfortunately, yes, but it will only be for five days. Then we’ll be allowed to be in his room behind the blue line for another five days. “She ignored the moans. “Wait a minute, think of what that means. If we are restricted to only five days behind the blue line, the implication is that we should be able to approach his bed right after that…maybe even be able to hold his hand. At least that’s what I read into it.”
Walter agreed, “I would think so. That sure would be great.”
Emily went on. “Dr. Jensen also told me that after the ten days, the patches covering Thomas’s eyes will be removed, too, so he will be able to see us.”
“Oh, that will be so great,” Louise said. I can’t wait to look into his eyes again.”
“The Doctor plans within the next two weeks to hold a Rehabilitation Review meeting with us to lay out a preliminary schedule for the coming months. Miriam, if Mike is still in town he is certainly welcome to attend the meetings with us.”
“Thanks for thinking about him. I’m sure he would be happy to attend with us and I could use all the emotional support I can get.”
“Well, that’s all I have. We’ll just have to wait to hear from Dr. Jensen about the postoperation schedule for visits.”
CHAPTER 50
“Thanks for assisting me, Frederick.” He smiled as he said, “That scalp stitching was superb.
You are a couturier extraordinaire of TBI.”
Smiling back, Jensen remarked, “It was rather good, wasn’t it? Of course that perfect fit of the prosthetic bone that you made, did make it a lot easier to close up the scalp.”
They high-fived and continued to remove their medical gowns.
“How about joining me in my office for a well-deserved libation? I know it’s not noon yet, but I think we earned it. I’ve got some fine Johnny Blue or Crown Royal.”
“I’m very tempted, Frederick, but I have a lot of reports to fill out and I’ve got to be sharp while I do them.”
“Well, then, how about at my club for dinner. The last I checked, even top-ranking
Neurosurgeons have to eat.”
“You’re right, of course; I’d love to join you.”
“How about seven-thirty then?” “I’ll see you there.”
* * *
Dr. Freenold was watching Thomas move about.
“Can you hear me, Thomas?”
His jaw moved and his fingers started to twitch. “Doctor Freenold?”, he responded, his voice quivering slightly.
“Your operation is now complete. You’ve got your head back together again.”
His voice took on a newfound strength. “Thank God. Did everything go the way you expected?”
“It couldn’t have gone any better. I closed up your skull and Dr. Jensen stitched your scalp back into place. It was a veritable tour de force, if I must say so. Pardon the braggadocio, but everything about your case has been superlative. I’m not taking all the credit; you, of course, are the major player in this drama.
“You may suffer from minor headaches for about a week. If this happens be sure to tell the attending nurse. They know how to deal with these and will give you something to relieve the pain.
“How are you feeling now? Do you feel strong enough to go over the agenda for the next week?”
“You know I’m anxious to get this behind me. I’m for anything that will get me out of this place…no disrespect intended.”
“None taken, Thomas.” He smiled and added, “Actually, that attitude is exactly what I’m looking for. I seem to thrive on patients happy to see the end of me. Who knew?”
Dr. Freenold pulled up a chair and opened a folder. “Well then, let’s get started. Let me go over the whole schedule first and then we’ll talk about it. Okay?”
“Fire away.”
“First of all, we will need to repeat the cognitive tests we did previously to assure that your responses haven’t suffered from the final surgery. When we remove the patches from your eyes, there will be an additional battery of tests to check your ability to recognize shapes and colors, to test your vision range and to be sure that you are able to read. I have every confidence that these tests will go quickly although it’s not uncommon for a TBI patient to experience blurred vision at the start.
“Once those tests are out of the way, we’ll move to next phase involving motor skills. That’s when we will be bringing in a number of specialists that will concentrate on your physical functions. Normally a patient with the severity of your TBI will experience fatigue, sleep disturbances, sensitivity to light and/or sound, leg or hand tremors, ringing in the ears, loss of taste and/or smell and a gait imbalance. That said, there hasn’t been anything normal about your recovery, so we will have to wait and see how things progress.
“That being said, until we get the positive signs that I’m expecting, we must restrict visits for the next two weeks. Your family will not be allowed in your room for a few days and then they will have to stand two feet from your bed for an additional few days. The good thing is that during the second period your eye patches should be off, and you will be able to see your family again.”
“I don’t care too much for the first part, but I can’t wait to see them again.”
“I’m not promising anything, mind you, but if all goes well with your healing, we should be able to allow limited physical contact soon.”
“You mean I can hold hands and touch faces.”
“Something like that. It will be limited of course. We still must err on the side of being super cautious. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course…” he said, stopping in midsentence.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Come on, now. Thomas. I know you better than that. What’s bothering you?”
His head moved from side to side. “I just started to think about what they will see. Whether or not they will be disappointed?”
“About what?” the doctor asked.
“Just about everything. This was a serious accident. I have no idea what impact it may have on me short and long range. What if I’m different? You know, what if they
don’t see the same Thomas Mortinson that they were used to? I’ve been looking forward to the day that I can see them and hold them, but that’s me. What will they be expecting? Hell, I don’t even know what I’m going to look like. Will I have physical scars as well as emotional ones? I know that the tests show that key areas of my brain were unaffected by my accident, but there is so much more that could be damaged; some of it unseen. Stuff we haven’t touched on yet.”
Thomas caught Freenold by surprise with this sudden negativity. “You are absolutely right, of course. They have expectations just as you do. There are some mysteries yet to unfold along the roads to recovery, but there is no reason to suspect that they will unveil negative elements. That’s why we have a team of specialists in every discipline to detect and deal with anything out of the ordinary.”
“How do you know what’s ordinary for me?
You know very little about me.”
“That’s true, but that’s where you and your loved ones come in. This is a true team effort, Thomas. Don’t you think that they have been influenced by your accident in much the same way that you have? They will be at your side helping you to recall everything about your life that defines you. Don’t you realize that all they care about is that you are alive and are getting better?”
“You think?”
“I most certainly do. For years I’ve been helping TBI patients recover their personas. Of course there will be changes in you as well as in them; that’s to be expected. My god, Thomas, we all changes every day and our friends and families are constantly adjusting. That’s part of life. No one will be judging you, if anything, given the situation; they will be cutting you some slack. You would do the same if the positions were reversed. True?”
“I guess you’re right. I didn’t think about it that way, but I see your point.”
“Okay, then, let’s not talk about that anymore. I’ll schedule your testing for noon today.”
* * *
Dr. Freenold arrived on time at the Owensburg Country Club.
“I’m over here, Arnold.”
Dr. Jensen had reserved a booth away from the bar so that they could hear each other better.
The bar at the club tended to be a raucous mix of golfers either bragging or complaining about their day on the course.
Frederick had a Johnny Walker Blue label on the rocks in front of him. “What’ll you be having, Sir?”
“I’ll have a vodka martini.”
Frederick caught the attention of the waiter. “Get my friend here a vodka martini. Make it top shelf.”
Minutes later they raised their glasses for a toast. Frederick offered, “Here’s to the continued remarkable progress of our favorite patient, Thomas
Mortinson.”
Arnold added, “And to the continued successes of the team dedicated to his full recovery.”
“So how did Thomas respond to the operation?”
“Very well, for the most part. My initial post-operative cognitive testing showed only a slight diminution from the original testing. From what I can tell, the operation was a success.”
“That’s good news. I can’t think of a nicer reason for us to celebrate. Check out the menu. I recommend the steak and lobster combination; the chef is top rated.”
“I think I will do just that. Those are two of my favorites.”
When the waiter brought drink refills, he took their food orders and left them to continue their conversation.
“There is one small thing that came up while Thomas and I were reviewing his schedule. Out of nowhere he expressed a concern that his family might be disappointed in the Thomas that emerges from this incident. He’s worried that the accident and operation may have lasting effects on him physically and mentally. Of course, he’s right. There is no way that he and his loved ones could go through the severity of a GCS 5 and all that it entails and not suffer some noticeable changes. The point that Thomas fails to see is that changes are to be expected. That doesn’t mean that the changes that do occur are so significant that they won’t be compensated for. If I recall correctly, your report of the first blue-line visit said that Thomas apologized for being in the accident.”
“Yes, he did, and his father quickly assured him that he in no way was responsible for what happened…that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He seemed to be satisfied with that assurance.”
“Yes, but it’s something that we must be on the lookout for. When a TBI patient opens up avenues for negative thinking, it can quickly turn to depression and hamper any continued progress toward a full recovery. I think we talked it through, but it’s something we need to keep an eye on, in case it returns. I hope he will work his way through it. I’d rather not administer antidepressants, with the healing from the Crainiectomy still going on.
“I’ll make a note of that and make sure that everyone on my team is aware of that possibility. We’ll do everything possible to keep things upbeat.”
The food arrived, and they did their best to keep the conversation light for the rest of the meal; if you consider the presidential race to be light conversation.
CHAPTER 51
Peter Westlake was ushered into Walter’s office by a female police officer. It was one of the more attractive town offices, having been decorated at cost by an interior decorator friend of the Peyton family.
“Peter, it’s good to see you. How are things down at City Hall?”
“As good as can be expected given the circumstances and certainly a lot better than a month ago. That’s part of the reason for my visit, but before I start how are things coming along with
Thomas?”
“A lot better than the doctors originally thought. He’s finished with the surgical procedures and we’ll be concentrating on his physical rehabilitation.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
“Well, have a seat and tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I’m chairing a sub-committee vetting candidates Mayor and your name is at the top of the list.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very. Please hold any questions until you hear me out. To begin with, you have an outstanding record as Sheriff, but the thing that impressed us the most was the way you handled your department during the crisis. We had a lot of complaints about other public servants over the past six weeks, but not one about you or your department. That says something about your leadership skills. The town needs that kind of leadership now. My fellow committee members and the Council as a whole are unanimous in your endorsement for the next Mayor of Owensburg.
“Now before you say anything, let me tell you about changes we made in the position. The Council made several changes that make the Mayor’s job more attractive. For one, it is no longer an elective office. The Mayor will report directly to the Council. We realized also that the position will have many demands placed on it due to the accident out at Tiecher Park. To ease the burden, a new position, that of Vice-Mayor has been approved.
The Mayor will choose his Vice-Mayor.
“I know that you have strong ties to the Sheriff’s office, but as Mayor, you will have oversight, so it will still under your purview. Now as for administrative issues, your salary will be bumped thirty thousand dollars a year to start. All accrued benefits and employment records will be transferred to the new job.”
“Walt, I’m not going to sugar coat this offer; it is what it is. It will be hard work, but we are confident that you are the man for the job.”
Peter stopped talking and sat back in his chair to await Walter’s response.
“Peter, first let me first say that I am honored to be offered the job as Mayor and I am flattered by your assessment of my qualifications. These are difficult times for Owensburg and all of its residents have an obligation to support the town leadership as they go about restoring order. I will consider your offer very seriously, but I need time to discuss this with Emily. I will give you my answer t
omorrow morning.”
“That’s all I can ask for. In the interim, if you have any questions, here is my private cell phone number. Don’t hesitate to call about anything that concerns you.” He handed Walter his business card, shook hands and left the office.
* * *
“What do you think? I told him I would give him an answer by tomorrow morning.”
Walter had just gone over the details of Peter Westlake’s offer. He couldn’t tell from her expression, whether or not Emily liked it.
“It looks like a wonderful opportunity. After all you didn’t plan on being Sheriff forever. This is like a gift from heaven, but of course it’s your decision.”
“So, you think I should accept the offer?”
“Absolutely. You’re a good leader and administrator. The town needs you right now.”
‘But, what about Thomas?”
“What about Thomas? A different job isn’t going to affect your participation in his recovery.
He has a team supporting him, remember?”
“You’re right and the extra salary will help with those expenses not covered by insurance.
Okay, then give the new Mayor a hug.”
They hugged for several minutes and then Emily suggested that he call Peter right away to get things moving. He grabbed the phone and dialed the private number Peter gave him.
After two rings, Peter answered. “This is
Peter Westlake, how can I help you?”
“Peter, Walter here. I’ve decided to accept your offer.”
“That’s great. You won’t regret making that decision. You are just what the town needs right now. Is tomorrow at noon too soon to swear you in?
I’m sure that I can round up the Council and the
Press by then. Bring the family and weather permitting we’ll conduct the ceremony on the City Hall steps.
Tenderly Beats the Lonely Heart Page 16