“Your room looks great, son,” Ray says. “Are you comfortable?”
“Yeah. This bed is much more comfortable than the one at the hospital. Sum did good.”
We tell him about the voice-activated phone and home setup, and it seems to excite him to have control over something again. Ray finds the phone arm in his bag to attach to Jake's bed, andI click my phone into it, then ask Ray to video call me. I walk around the apartment so Jake can see everything, pointing out things as I go. “What do you think?”
“You did all that over the weekend?”
“Yup, with my friends and my dad. Now, what are you thinking for lunch? Have you had solid food yet?”
“I had scrambled eggs yesterday, but the rest have been soups and smoothies.”
“You can start eating softer foods now,” Will adds. “According to your records, you've been successful swallowing as long as you take your time. We can work up to more robust food later.”
“Hmm, how about egg drop soup? I can make you a smoothie this afternoon, and I’ll see what food is available for dinner.”
“That sounds good, Sum. Thanks,” Jake smiles around a yawn.
I offer the same to Will, who accepts, so I head out to the kitchen. I check on Zander, who is ready to head to work for the afternoon. He grabs his lunch from the fridge, hugs me, and greets Ray before leaving. Ray offers to cook, so I sit at the island and chat with him while he works. The soup is quick to make, and I’m soon carrying a bowl in for Jake. Will jumps up to feed him, but I offer. E bought fresh bread yesterday, so I added a slice of bread to Will’s dish.
Ray wheels his office chair inside and takes a seat beside Jake to eat his lunch. Jake is slow to chew and swallow, but he’s doing it, and that’s all that matters. Once he’s done, I grab my lunch. Ray gives me the office chair, asking Jake if he minds if he leaves to get a phone and a few other things while Will and I are here. “Go ahead, Dad,” Jake says.
Jake takes a nap, so I excuse myself to the living room. Opening the patio doors now that it’s warm, I get some schoolwork done on the couch. Ray is back after an hour with a phone for Jake and a home smart hub, and we spend the rest of the afternoon setting it up. Now Jake can use his phone and tv with voice commands and can use the internet through his tv. We also set up video calls onthe tv so he doesn’t have to worry about using his phone as much. I make smoothies for myself, Jake, and Will mid afternoon then ask to talk to Jake alone. Once Will and Ray leave, I take his hand. “So handsome, I have to go back to school tomorrow. I was thinking I could come see you after school around 4:30 to 5pm every day. How does that sound?”
“Good. How much school have you missed for me?”
“That doesn’t matter. I’ve been keeping up pretty well. My friends are gonna help me catch up on lab work this weekend.”
“Sum, I know how important school is. What if you don’t get all A's?”
If only he knew how bad my grades got. That will have to wait until he’s ready to hear my story, though. “My grades are fine. Promise.”
“Ok.”
“If you need anything, you call me with the voice control or have Will or Ray do it.”
Jake gets a strange look on his face. “I will Sum.”
“What was that look for? I know you. You’re confused about something.” Jake can’t keep stuff from me, even if he tries. I know him too well.
“Who's Will?” He asks.
Oh crap, there’s something wrong with his memory. “Will is your daytime nurse. Have you been having trouble remembering new people?”
“Maybe?” He says, unsure.
“In the hospital, did you know the doctor or nurses?”
“Sort of? I knew who they were after a while.”
“Okay. We can help you with this. Gimmie a minute. I’ll be right back, handsome.” I head out to the living room and update Will and Ray on the new problem. I suggest printing off photos of Will, Janus, and Matt, the physiotherapist, and hanging them by Jake’stv for reference. They agree, so Ray takes a photo of Will to print off in the office while Will joins me in Jake’s room.
“Jake, this is Will, your nurse.”
“Okay,” he replies.
“Hi Jake. I’m sorry I didn’t realize your short-term memory was affected, or I wouldn’t have left the room. Summer said you knew your doctor and nurse when you left the hospital?”
“Yeah, they were familiar.”
