51. Chapter 51
Chapter fifty-one
Alex
Alex sat by Danyal’s bed, praying. Danyal’s hand he held began to twitch. Alex looked up, scanning for any sign of consciousness, but didn’t see any. He turned his head down again until he was startled by the sound of a voice.
“Water, please,” Danyal said feebly.
Alex jumped up, grabbed a cup of water, and slowly held it to Danyal to sip through a straw.
“Slowly,” said Alex, “drink it slowly.”
“Thank you,” said Danyal.
Alex could no longer restrain his joy as he grabbed Danyal, pulling him forward and kissing him on the forehead. “Stay still,” Alex said, “I’ll get the doctors.”
Alex ran out of the room and returned with Dr. Anderson and Veronica in tow.
Dr. Anderson approached the bed cautiously. He introduced himself and said he needed to ask Danyal a few questions. He added it was OK if Danyal needed some time to gather his thoughts. Dr. Anderson indicated that Danyal had been through an ordeal and was in Mass General Hospital undergoing medical care. “May I look in your eyes?”
Danyal nodded yes.
Dr. Anderson said Danyal would see a bright light as he looked into each eye. “Excellent. Can you follow my finger?” Dr. Anderson asked as he moved his finger from side to side and up and down. Danyal tracked his finger perfectly.
Dr. Anderson asked if it was OK to ask a few questions.
Danyal nodded yes again.
“What’s your name?”
“Danyal Sarif.”
“Good. What’s your birthday?”
“June 23rd,” said Danyal softly.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Do you remember the events that brought you to the hospital?”
Danyal shook his head no.
Dr. Anderson said that’s OK and not unusual.
“Do you recognize the handsome man standing next to me?” Dr. Anderson said as he looked toward Alex.
Danyal paused and looked at Alex. Danyal nodded yes. “His name is Alex. We met recently, and he asked me out on a date.”
Alex’s heart sank at those words. He knelt by Danyal’s bed, grasping his hand. “Danyal, it’s me, Alex—your boyfriend. We’ve been together for a year. I missed you so much.”
Danyal abruptly pulled his hand from Alex’s grasp. “Don’t touch me,” said Danyal, as he looked at Alex with a furrowed brow.
Dr. Anderson motioned for Alex to step back from the bed. “It’s OK, Alex. Confusion after a coma is normal. Let me continue my assessment.”
Veronica stepped up to Alex and grabbed him by the hand. “Step back, Alex. Let him do his work.”
Alex stepped back, his heart racing and head pounding like a bass drum. He panicked at the scene unfolding in front of him.
“Where do you work, Danyal?”
“I work at Excalibur Café.”
“What year is it?”
“2022.”
“Which month?”
“February.”
“Where are you from?”
Danyal paused. “Istanbul, Turkey.”
“Are you currently involved in any relationships?
“No,” said Danyal. “I’ve been single since I immigrated from Turkey to the U.S. in 2019.”
“What’s your sexual orientation, Danyal?”
“I’m gay.”
“Where do you live?”
“I’ve been staying with friends and a friend of the family since I immigrated.”
“Is there anyone you’d like us to call?”
“My adopted parents are in Turkey,” said Danyal, with tears in his eyes. “They need to know I’m OK.”
Alex fell to his knees, trying to process Danyal’s responses.
Veronica pulled him up by the arm. “Alex, you can’t cause a scene here,” she whispered. “If you scare Danyal, he may not let you back in the room. You’re not married, so medically and legally, you’ve no right to be here,” she said, ushering Alex out of the room.
As soon as the door closed, Alex began to pace in the hallway, holding back tears before he turned and punched a hole in the drywall. Veronica approached him cautiously and held him as he began to sob.
Dr. Anderson stepped out of Danyal’s room to address Alex and Veronica.
“What is going on, Dr. Anderson?” asked Alex, wiping away his tears.
Dr. Anderson said he knew it was difficult, but Alex needed to keep his emotions under control around Danyal, who was in a fragile state.
“Why doesn’t he remember our relationship?”
Dr. Anderson said there could be many reasons, including ICU psychosis or ICU delirium, which are side effects of prolonged comas. Dr. Anderson also cautiously understood experimental treatments were used, so they didn’t know what the side effects would be.
“So, this is my fault?” said Alex.
Dr. Anderson said it was no one’s fault; Danyal’s mind was trying to make sense of events. Danyal was oriented in all spheres, but to early 2022. He added retrograde amnesia might also be involved.
“So, what do we do?” asked Alex.
Dr. Anderson said they needed to be patient and keep assessing Danyal’s mental status to see if there were changes. He added that Danyal’s recovery would be a marathon, not a sprint. The best they could do at this time was to give Danyal some space to relax. Dr. Anderson ended by asking who they could call to support Alex.
“Galen,” said Veronica.
“Galen is at Zoe’s funeral today,” said Alex. “Please give him space to grieve.”
“I’ll call Dr. Sonja,” said Veronica.
“She’s in York with Hoko,” said Alex, “she won’t be able to get here.”
“You’ve been out of commission a while, Alex,” said Veronica, “Hoko’s now at Mass General, and Dr. Sonja is probably in the building. I’ll get her for you and won’t leave you until she arrives.”