Jake walked in after work that evening with shock written all over his face. He’d gone over it a million times on his drive home. How the HELL are there results so quickly?, he asked himself over and over again. It was impossible, or so he thought. The stem cell tissue he developed was assimilating to the patient’s brains faster than he’d planned. But, the fact of the matter was that it was assimilating. It was becoming brain matter. It was doing exactly what he wanted it to do. He’d visit with the rest of the people that had received the procedure- whether it be with the stem cell tissue or the false tissue- the next day. He was anxious to get home to tell everyone what had happened.
And he got the chance the moment he walked in the door. “WHAT A FUCKING DAY!” he said as he shut the door. “Five of my patients got the surgery today and I saw two of them before I left the hospital. And, holy fuck!”
David looked at his son as he held his granddaughter. “What happened?”
“The two I saw were supposed to receive the stem cells. They had a couple of hours to recover because I had to take the surgeon to lunch. I made a deal with him and I’m a man of my word. Anyway, when we get back, he goes back into surgery and I go to Neurology to check on my patients. Remember that young woman that was having strokes and all that fun shit?”
“Yeah, I remember you tell us about her. What happened?”
“I called her by her name and she asked me point blank, ‘WHY?’. She remembers Iran and she remembers being in the hospital here. She doesn’t remember WHY she’s in the hospital, but she remembers flirting with me and me showing her a picture of Miri. She even remembers her name.” Jake had made his way over to the couch to sit down.
“She’s showing improvement so quickly?”
“That’s what has ME befuddled. It’s not supposed to be so fast.”
“Isn’t the point that it’s happening?”
Jake nodded. “Yeah, very true. I’m just amazed.”
“I see that, son. Do you want Miri so that you can chill out?”
Jake laughed. “Yes, please.” He reached over and took his daughter from his father. “Hey, baby girl. Daddy’s had one CRAZY DAY. But, never mind all of that. What have you done today, pretty girl?”
“She’s been working more on that walking stuff and she told Auntie Maddie something that she forgot with one of her clients earlier. I swear, son, Miri babbled SOMETHING and Maddie remembered something she needed to say to the woman she’d just given a massage”, David said with a shake of his head.
Jake laughed and looked at his little girl. “Are you gonna follow Gramma and Auntie Maddie into massage?” All Miri did was babble and giggle.
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Jake repeated the story for everyone else that night at dinner. Brie was finally back in the kitchen and made Jake his tacos that he’d wanted when he got home from Washington. It was to celebrate his triumph in Washington and the strides his research was making.
Everyone sat and had a good time. Jake lost count of the times he told the story about Yvette, not giving her name, of course. He went to bed with the same emotional high he’d been on all day. Delilah had to get creative to get him to sleep that night. She wore him out- and he slept- but she couldn’t kill his mood. Not that she wanted to.
The next morning went much like the one before. He got up, took a shower, bathed Miri and went in for breakfast. After getting to the hospital, he started checking on his patients. He started with the ones that he hadn’t been able to see, but had under video observation. He watched the video, then went to talk to the patient. Tom was being nice and not mixing up the patients from the different groups. He was going to procedure on the stem cell group first; and he would follow up with the control group. He was on pins and needles to see how everything would work out.
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Doing five surgeries a day for fifty patients total took ten days. But, Tom and Jake were up to the challenge. For a day of surgery that Tom did, Jake would take him to lunch because he knew that there would be significant change in the stem cell recipients when he got back to the hospital.
He ran the necessary tests to check the progress of his patients. Some were even recovering from their injuries that hadn’t gotten the stem cells. Of the fifty people participating in the study, all of the stem cell recipients were making progress and 10 of the control group were making progress as well. The success was amazing.
By the end of the study, the first two receive that stem cells had made nearly 180 degree turn around. Gunnery Sergeant Macadam was up walking around with no problems. He was speaking clearly, his vision was 20/20 and his hearing was 100%. Jake was impressed. “Looking good, Gunny!” he said the man’s final he observed a PT test before he could be released.
“Thanks, Dr. D. I’m amazed at how well I’m doing. What did you do to me?” he asked as he ran. His breathing was nice and even.
“I gave you an experimental treatment for traumatic brain injury.”
“That obviously worked. When are you going to get to take a vacation?”
“After the FDA decides to approve my treatment and I can see that a very good friend of mine from high school receives this treatment.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Take my wife on our honeymoon and work on expanding my family. Now, pick up the pace, Gunny. Let’s see you double time it.”
“Who do you think you are, my DI?”
“No, I’m your doctor. I can get the DI tone in my voice if that will make you move faster.”
He laughed as he picked up the pace. “No, we’re good, Doc.” He took off as Jake turned up the speed on the treadmill with a laugh.
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He had a similar conversation when he went to check on Corporal Jennings. When he walked into her room, she smiled brightly at him. “How are you today, Dr. D?”
“I’m good, Corporal. How about yourself?”
“Better and better. I’m still trying to remember the incident that landed me here, but I can’t.”
“I hate to break it to you, Corporal, but you may never remember the incident.”
“Do YOU know what landed me here?”
“I have a general idea from your service file, but there’s not a lot there. Apparently, you were involved in things that are above my clearance and pay rate, and I’m a personal friend of the President’s and he gave me Top Secret clearance.”
“Nice. Not only do I not know, but my doctor doesn’t know.”
He shrugged. “Sorry. But, other than that, do you feel like you’re ready to go home?”
“Yeah, actually. Is there anyone you can suggest to me that might be able to help with my memory?”
“Actually, me personally, no; though I AM working on those connection. My mother, however, might know of a good hypnotherapist that can help you with that endeavor. I’ll talk to her tonight and get back with you tomorrow. Is that ok?”
“Sure, as long as I’m finally going home tomorrow.”
“You are, Corporal. I’m going to start the paperwork as soon as I head back to my office.”
“Sounds good, Doctor.”
“Alright. I’ll see you first thing in the morning, Yvette.”
“I wish you’d stop that, Doc.”
He laughed. “Not on your life, Corporal.”
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