Trapped In Life

Starting Over (Part 4) - Discharge

The next morning after breakfast was taken away I laid on my side looking out the window. Dr. Reeves entered saying “Well, Miss Dupre, it looks like the infection is finally responding to the antibiotic. I want to take a look at it and…”

He stopped suddenly as I turned to look at him. I wasn’t sure why. There was a look on his face I couldn’t actually read. I felt like I needed to say something so I said “Is something wrong Dr. Reeves?”

He took a deep breath then cleared his throat before he said “No, I want to take a look at the wound. We will clean it and bandage it back up. If you continue to progress, you could go home tomorrow.”

I knew from his expression there was more. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was there between us. I wondered again if there was a relationship I was missing information about. I couldn’t ask when there was a nurse in the room. However, right now the door was open even though we were alone.

As I turned to face him and sit up, he went to collect a tray with all he needed to change my bandage. He went to work with the clinical professionalism which made me wonder how hard it was to be so stiff. Once the bandage was off, he irrigated it while he cleaning it. “Well it isn’t as red, there isn’t any puss. I’m not seeing any irritation around the sutures. It appears to be closing finally. This is all good for you to be going home tomorrow,” he said focusing on the wound. He finished covering it with the medicine and bandage before wrapping around my head again to hold the bandage in place. “I’m going to talk to your director. You won’t be able to work till it is healed. Do you have any other concerns?”

I looked at him then the door before I said “Could you close the door please?”

He walked over to the door to close it. He walked back over to stand beside me. “Ok, what is wrong?” he said.

I took a deep breath as I said “My memory of the events since I woke up seems to be fine. Yet, my memory before that time is missing. Why is that?”

“Memory is a strange part of the mind. Your short-term memory of the last week or so is fine, but your long-term memory up to the accident is gone. It may be how the brain was injured,” he said looking seriously at me. “There is a lot about the mind we don’t know.”

“Will I ever regain those memories?”

“I can’t answer that,” he said as he made a note in my chart. “It could be in five minutes. It could be never.”

“Dr. Reeves,” I said looking at him seriously because I need to know this answer before I keep seeing him as my doctor. “We knew each other before this. You treated me, correct? Were you my regular doctor?”

He became guarded before he answered. Suddenly, I knew my answer was only going to be part of the truth as he said “You have been my patient for a few years now, Kait.”

“Dr. Reeves, would you tell me if it was more than a doctor-patient relationship?”

He took a breath before he said “You remember something?”

“No, I’ve been reading your body language and mannerisms. I’m not remembering anything, but I don’t wish to hurt anyone.”

“We had begun to date,” he said quietly. “You were going to get a different doctor so it didn’t look bad for me professionally. Then the accident happened. I had to be here for you. You need the best care, even if we can’t be together.”

“I’m sorry Dr…”

“Dustan, please,” he said not raising his voice. “Call me Dustan, Kait.”

“Dustan, I’m sorry I don’t remember. I’m sorry I can’t feel whatever I was feeling before the accident. I don’t know if I ever will. This is unfair to both of us. I’m sorry,” I said wishing I knew exactly what Kaitlyn felt for him. What I did know was I didn't care for him. To me, he was my doctor. Nice and as handsome as he was, I did not feel for him in that way.

He took my hands in his and nodded as he said “I know Kait. I understand. If we were meant to be together, it will happen. If not, we will both be able to move on from here. It isn’t fair to you either. You’ve lost far more than me. I wish I could give you all of your memory back. I just can’t do that.”

“It is ok, Dustan,” I said softly. I knew I couldn’t remember what he and Kait had. I would never remember Kait’s life. The poor doctor was going to have to find someone else. “We can only move forward from here. I’m sorry that we both lost something I can’t even remember.”

Suddenly, he changed to the professional again. “I knew this was coming honestly,” he said putting my chart at the end of the bed. “You have never been stupid. I knew you would see something in my mannerisms. It’s hard to treat a patient you had feelings for who doesn’t remember you.”

“Do I need to find another doctor, Dustan?”

“No, I can do it. I just want to see you get better regardless of if we have a relationship or not.”

“Thank you for the truth Dustan,” I said smiling understandingly at him. “I’m sorry again.”

He nodded smiling before he said “I’ll check in on you later to make sure you are still responding to the antibiotic. Get some rest Kait.” With that, he turned to the door.

“See you later Doctor,” I said as he left the room.

The next morning around 11 a.m., Dt. Reeves signed off on my discharge papers. “I’ve got a nurse scheduled to change the bandage every day starting tomorrow. This is the antibiotic you will need to continue. We don’t want you to have a relapse with the infection. If you feel anything out of sorts, you let the nurse know or you call. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dr. Reeves,” I said nodding to him. I didn’t know who was going to be meeting me to take me home. I wouldn’t know him regardless. “Do you know who is picking me up to take me home?”

“Oh, I believe Levenia is coming to get you,” he said. “She was who I called.” I looked down at my hospital gown frowning. This caused a laugh from Dr. Reeves. He came over to the cabinet in the window corner opening it to show a change of clothing and a small bag with shoes and what I guessed were undergarments. “They thought you were going home earlier than this and sent clothing for you.”

I sighed again. “Thanks again,” I said “You’ve been great. The whole hospital has been. May I ask something?”

“Sure, what do you need to know?”

“Did you put a “no visit order” over me?”

“No, I didn’t. The night of the accident there were five or six from the set here. They stayed most of the weekend. Your director and co-star were the only two left by the Monday you woke up. I told them you were resting and they should too. Both have been coming back off and on since,” Dr. Reeves said a bit of disappointment in his voice. “I think the studio called them in for meetings the last three days. They are trying to film around you to give you time to heal.”

“I can understand that. Life goes on outside the hospital.”

There was a knock at the door. There was a woman in a uniform. I recognized she was a driver. “Miss Dupre?”

Dr. Reeves walked to the door as he said “She needs to get dressed then she is ready to go.” He looked at me before he continued “Kait, do you need help getting dressed?”

“It would be nice,” I said with a forced smile.

“I’ll get Nurse Jenny to help you.”

“Thank you again, Doctor.”

“I’ll be waiting,” the driver said as the nurse came in to help me get dressed.