case available?"
"Let me check." The older nurse returned to the files on her desk. She shuffled through them and stopped. "Dr. Gold is on his rounds now. It appears that he hasn't seen Jane Doe yet."
Tom thanked the nurse and went directly down the hallway to Room 532. He could see that just of ahead of him the doctor was already entering the room with several associates. He waited outside.
When Dr. Gold reentered the corridor with his staff, Tom addressed him.
"Dr. Gold, Detective Cassell. Can you give me an update of Jane Doe?"
“Detective Cassell, you are aware privacy issues prohibit me for saying much. I can say that the road to recovery will take several months. May be longer. There will probably be some psychological issues that will have to be addressed. She may suffer memory problems. Memory loss is a very complex issue; each patient has a different outcome. Her vital signs show improvement."
"Is she still unconscious?"
"Yes. That is the brains way of giving the body time to heal. It is hoped that it won't be much longer. If it takes too long, it could lead to a vegetated state."
“Is it true an unconscious person can hear when someone talks to them?"
"They say you should always assume the person who is unconscious can hear. Hearing is usually the last sensory faculty to deteriorate. Now, if you will excuse me."
"Certainly. Thanks doc."
Tom checked his watch. Time to get to work.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tom and his partner had a shift change that was not uncommon with CPD. Fortunately, going from the First Shift to the Second Shift wasn't too hard of a transition. He felt that shift change came at a good time. The change would allow him to go the hospital in the morning before his afternoon-evening shift began.
Tuesday morning Tom radio-alarm woke him up at 6:00 playing smooth jazz. He contemplated turning over a getting a few more hours of sleep, then remembered he had to make a stop before going to see Jane Doe.
He drove down Sheridan rode to Pete's Book Rack. When he entered he could see the owner, Pete setting up a display table with the new releases.
"Hi Pete."
Pete turned and recognized a familiar face.
"Hi Tom. What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a book for someone. I'm not sure what kind"
"Well, what is your friend interested in?"
"That's hard to say. I guess I need something generic."
"Here are the new releases. Some look interesting."
"I was thinking more of a classic. Figure that would be a safe way to go."
"How about this?" He handed him a copy of LETTERS FROM THE EARTH by Mark Twain.
Tom read the book jacket. "Well, one can always count on Mark Twain for an interesting tale. I'll take it."
"Glad I could help you. Don't get many customers now days. Seems everyone get their books electronically. Then, those big bookstores are getting the authors to have book signings. Stores like mine are going to be a thing of the past."
"I'd hate to see that happen. To quote Eliot, 'Books are the quietest and most constant of friends.'"
"You got that right. That will be $15.00."
Tom paid and left the store. He arrived at Jane Doe's room just after nine.
He sat down and opened the book. He began reading: "The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable..."
A half hour later his throat was dry and he was thirsty. He closed the book.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tom arrived every morning at Jane's bedside. It had been two weeks, and Tom worried that Jane Doe wasn't going to regain consciousness. Tom had finished LETTERS FROM THE EARTH and brought the December issue of the SMITHSONIAN Magazine for his new reading.
As he approached the nurses’ station, he saw that the activity was more
"Let me check." The older nurse returned to the files on her desk. She shuffled through them and stopped. "Dr. Gold is on his rounds now. It appears that he hasn't seen Jane Doe yet."
Tom thanked the nurse and went directly down the hallway to Room 532. He could see that just of ahead of him the doctor was already entering the room with several associates. He waited outside.
When Dr. Gold reentered the corridor with his staff, Tom addressed him.
"Dr. Gold, Detective Cassell. Can you give me an update of Jane Doe?"
“Detective Cassell, you are aware privacy issues prohibit me for saying much. I can say that the road to recovery will take several months. May be longer. There will probably be some psychological issues that will have to be addressed. She may suffer memory problems. Memory loss is a very complex issue; each patient has a different outcome. Her vital signs show improvement."
"Is she still unconscious?"
"Yes. That is the brains way of giving the body time to heal. It is hoped that it won't be much longer. If it takes too long, it could lead to a vegetated state."
“Is it true an unconscious person can hear when someone talks to them?"
"They say you should always assume the person who is unconscious can hear. Hearing is usually the last sensory faculty to deteriorate. Now, if you will excuse me."
"Certainly. Thanks doc."
Tom checked his watch. Time to get to work.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tom and his partner had a shift change that was not uncommon with CPD. Fortunately, going from the First Shift to the Second Shift wasn't too hard of a transition. He felt that shift change came at a good time. The change would allow him to go the hospital in the morning before his afternoon-evening shift began.
Tuesday morning Tom radio-alarm woke him up at 6:00 playing smooth jazz. He contemplated turning over a getting a few more hours of sleep, then remembered he had to make a stop before going to see Jane Doe.
He drove down Sheridan rode to Pete's Book Rack. When he entered he could see the owner, Pete setting up a display table with the new releases.
"Hi Pete."
Pete turned and recognized a familiar face.
"Hi Tom. What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a book for someone. I'm not sure what kind"
"Well, what is your friend interested in?"
"That's hard to say. I guess I need something generic."
"Here are the new releases. Some look interesting."
"I was thinking more of a classic. Figure that would be a safe way to go."
"How about this?" He handed him a copy of LETTERS FROM THE EARTH by Mark Twain.
Tom read the book jacket. "Well, one can always count on Mark Twain for an interesting tale. I'll take it."
"Glad I could help you. Don't get many customers now days. Seems everyone get their books electronically. Then, those big bookstores are getting the authors to have book signings. Stores like mine are going to be a thing of the past."
"I'd hate to see that happen. To quote Eliot, 'Books are the quietest and most constant of friends.'"
"You got that right. That will be $15.00."
Tom paid and left the store. He arrived at Jane Doe's room just after nine.
He sat down and opened the book. He began reading: "The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable..."
A half hour later his throat was dry and he was thirsty. He closed the book.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tom arrived every morning at Jane's bedside. It had been two weeks, and Tom worried that Jane Doe wasn't going to regain consciousness. Tom had finished LETTERS FROM THE EARTH and brought the December issue of the SMITHSONIAN Magazine for his new reading.
As he approached the nurses’ station, he saw that the activity was more
Similar Books
Chase (Prairie Grooms, Book Four)
Kit Morgan
The Girl from the Well
Rin Chupeco
Secret of the Shadows
Cathy MacPhail
On a Slippery Slope
Melody Fitzpatrick
Beneath an Irish Sky (Choc Lit)
Isabella Connor
LikeTheresNoTomorrow
Caitlyn Willows
Dead Angler
Victoria Houston
Song of Eagles
William W. Johnstone
Reapers
Kim Richardson