“Tom. Well, that’s the name we’re going with for the time being.”
“It’s a pleasure, Tom. Don’t you worry. You’re in very good hands,” she said confidently, motioning to Joe. “And don’t you let him tell you otherwise.”
“Right, well, Tom,” Joe cut in before Jules could say any more. It was apparent the little redhead knew her friend quite well. “Jules is a great nurse—better than some of the doctors she works with.” He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “That jackass still giving you trouble? Because I’ll go down there and give him a piece of my mind.”
Jules laughed and patted Joe’s arm soothingly. “I know you would, Joe. No need. That jackass won’t be bothering me anymore.”
Tom straightened at the sad smile that came onto her face, just as Joe’s arms fell at his sides.
“What happened?” Joe asked.
“They laid me off this morning,” she sighed.
“What!” Joe took hold of her shoulders. “I don’t understand. Why? How? You’re the best nurse they have!”
“Come on, Joe. Times are tough, you know that. Budget cuts. I was lucky they didn’t let me go sooner, what with my being the only one in that clinic with a set of ovaries.” Her eyes teared up, but with a deep breath, she blinked them back and straightened, giving Joe a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I already have two interviews lined up for next week. So really, I’ll be just fine. Now, Tom.” She turned to Tom with a cheerful smile and motioned to the door. “Why don’t we go into the living room so you can be more comfortable, and we’ll see what we can do?”
“Okay.” He followed Jules out, Joe trailing behind, and sat on the edge of the couch while she pulled a stethoscope out of her bag.
She smiled warmly. “Okay, Tom. I’ll need you to take off your shirt.”
“Sure.” He did his best not to notice Joe’s sudden fixation with the lampshade on the small wooden table. After removing his shirt, Tom laid it on the couch beside him as Jules placed the stethoscope to his chest over his heart. He took the opportunity to sneak a peek over at Joe, who was very blatantly staring at his chest. A little shiver went through Tom, and he had to remember he was in the middle of an examination.
Jules smiled widely. “Sorry, the diaphragm’s always cold at first.”
“Oh, right, of course.” Tom cleared his throat, and Jules glanced at Joe, who was studying the lampshade with great interest and an even greater blush on his cheeks. She turned her attention back to Tom and gave him a conspiratorial wink.
“Okay, Tom. Deep breath, and release slowly. Good. Again.”
He did as asked, conscious of Joe’s gaze on him every time he breathed deeply. Patiently, he sat as Jules took his blood pressure, checked his pupils, felt the now significantly reduced bump on his head, and continued her thorough examination of him. She had very warm and gentle hands, and he immediately felt at ease with her. Once she was done, she started asking him a series of simple questions. He could do math just fine, and he remembered TV shows and movies. He knew the sky was for the most part blue, depending on what state you were in. That you used a spoon to eat soup and who the president was, among various other odd facts.
“Do you remember everything that’s happened after your injury?”
“Anything that’s happened since waking up on Joe’s couch I remember just fine. Before that, I get hints of memories, fuzziness. Figures but no faces, more like shadows. I can’t recall any names or feel any familiarity.”
“What’s the verdict?” Joe asked, his tone filled with concern.
“You’re in great shape, Tom, apart from the memory loss. Obviously anything more in-depth would require the proper analysis and tests.” She put away her equipment as she spoke, her voice calm and soothing. “I’m afraid without hospitalization, it’s hard to know for sure, but from what I can gather, it’s only temporary. Tom, you’ll recover, and I’m certain your brain is starting the process as we speak, but it could take some time. Your semantic memory is fine. That’s the conscious recollection of your general knowledge. Whatever you knew how to do before, like drive, read, scramble eggs, hasn’t been affected.” She placed her hand on Tom’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.