“Unavailable.”
“That is fair.”
She explained the episode again, this time to Noah.
Not punishment.
Not erased progress.
A severe overload response in a brain still healing from trauma.
She emphasized warning signs: rising headache, slowed language, visual sensitivity, irritability, repetitive thoughts, difficulty choosing, tremor, emotional flooding, and sudden fatigue.
Noah listened.
“What should I do next time?”
“Leave the situation sooner.”
“What if it follows me home?”
“Reduce stimulation. Use medication as prescribed. Contact your care team. Do not assume sleep alone will correct everything.”
He looked toward me.
I did not hide my guilt.
Dr. Whitcomb saw.
“Neither of you is expected to diagnose neurological events at home without guidance,” she said. “Now you have more guidance.”
“Does this delay reducing appointments?” Noah asked.
“Yes.”
He looked disappointed.
“One additional weekly review,” she said. “Then we reassess.”
“I was almost promoted.”
“Recovery is not a corporate ladder.”
“It has performance reviews.”
She smiled faintly.
“The scans planned for next week are no longer necessary. Yesterday’s imaging covered them.”
“That is something.”
“It is.”
She recommended a formal pacing plan with Priya and a separate stress-management plan with a rehabilitation psychologist. She also recommended no contact with Diane unless Noah initiated it in a controlled setting.
“I won’t,” he said.
“Not ever?”
