Simple Pleasures
No Response
He hasn’t been the same since the accident.
The doctors said he may never be the same. That he may have to rely on me to feed, bathe and basically do everything for him for the rest of his life.
I blame myself for what’s happened to him. He was driving to pick me up from the airport when the Semi hit him, caused his car to flip at least 6 times, and then land on its roof and cause massive internal and head injuries. They’ve deemed him severely brain damaged and if I hadn’t fought for it, they would have put him in a care home.
He’s 23! He doesn’t need to be in a care home yet! Until I start seeing him decline, or something happens to me and I can’t take care of him any more, he stays with me.
“Breakfast?” I asked like I do every morning, hoping for a response but knowing that one probably won’t happen. He never talks anymore, even though the doctors said he should still have some speech ability. All I ever have to work with is the direction he moves his head. Over the months since the accident I’ve learnt that to the right means yes and to the left means no. Every other angle generally means he doesn’t know or doesn't care.
“You know you’re gonna have to talk one day right?” I muttered as I poured him a bowl of Lucky Charms and sat down in the chair next to him to feed them to him. He tilted his head to the right to show me he understood, even if he couldn’t tell me.
After we finished each slow mouthful of his cereal he would let out a sigh. It was almost like he was frustrated that he couldn’t do anything but open his mouth and chew each time I held the spoon to his mouth.
“Bobby, I know you can’t help it, but you really need to try for me.” I sighed as I wiped the milk from his chin and cleaned away the dishes. “Come on, you can go and watch cartoons.” I told him and helped him up from the seat as it was another thing he couldn’t do. He doesn’t have the strength to push himself upright anymore.
“You can watch SpongeBob.” I said with as much brightness and happiness I could muster. Admittedly it’s not very much, but I doubt he can register that. I have to stay positive for him though. If I give up I am almost 100 percent sure that he will too.
I sat him down, turned the TV on and waited for any kind of reaction. A lopsided smile, a noise, anything. But it didn’t come. It never comes. He just sits there staring blankly at the screen clad in his Superman pyjama bottoms and faded old Metallica t-shirt as I flit around doing things around the house.
“Smile for me?” I propositioned and used the corner of his t-shirt to wipe the drool that had started tracking down his chin.
Nothing.
Not even his best friend can't get any reaction out of him. Poor Frankie comes every morning to watch TV with him and I know it breaks his heart when the one person he loves, almost more than life itself, can't speak to him.
"Morning Bobby!" he chirps every morning when he comes in, but only I can see the pain in his eyes when Bob doesn't react.
"Any change?" he asks as he hugs me hello.
"Sorry sweetie." I tell him and he nods sadly, before kissing Bob's hair and sitting down next to him.
The doctors said he may never be the same. That he may have to rely on me to feed, bathe and basically do everything for him for the rest of his life.
I blame myself for what’s happened to him. He was driving to pick me up from the airport when the Semi hit him, caused his car to flip at least 6 times, and then land on its roof and cause massive internal and head injuries. They’ve deemed him severely brain damaged and if I hadn’t fought for it, they would have put him in a care home.
He’s 23! He doesn’t need to be in a care home yet! Until I start seeing him decline, or something happens to me and I can’t take care of him any more, he stays with me.
“Breakfast?” I asked like I do every morning, hoping for a response but knowing that one probably won’t happen. He never talks anymore, even though the doctors said he should still have some speech ability. All I ever have to work with is the direction he moves his head. Over the months since the accident I’ve learnt that to the right means yes and to the left means no. Every other angle generally means he doesn’t know or doesn't care.
“You know you’re gonna have to talk one day right?” I muttered as I poured him a bowl of Lucky Charms and sat down in the chair next to him to feed them to him. He tilted his head to the right to show me he understood, even if he couldn’t tell me.
After we finished each slow mouthful of his cereal he would let out a sigh. It was almost like he was frustrated that he couldn’t do anything but open his mouth and chew each time I held the spoon to his mouth.
“Bobby, I know you can’t help it, but you really need to try for me.” I sighed as I wiped the milk from his chin and cleaned away the dishes. “Come on, you can go and watch cartoons.” I told him and helped him up from the seat as it was another thing he couldn’t do. He doesn’t have the strength to push himself upright anymore.
“You can watch SpongeBob.” I said with as much brightness and happiness I could muster. Admittedly it’s not very much, but I doubt he can register that. I have to stay positive for him though. If I give up I am almost 100 percent sure that he will too.
I sat him down, turned the TV on and waited for any kind of reaction. A lopsided smile, a noise, anything. But it didn’t come. It never comes. He just sits there staring blankly at the screen clad in his Superman pyjama bottoms and faded old Metallica t-shirt as I flit around doing things around the house.
“Smile for me?” I propositioned and used the corner of his t-shirt to wipe the drool that had started tracking down his chin.
Nothing.
Not even his best friend can't get any reaction out of him. Poor Frankie comes every morning to watch TV with him and I know it breaks his heart when the one person he loves, almost more than life itself, can't speak to him.
"Morning Bobby!" he chirps every morning when he comes in, but only I can see the pain in his eyes when Bob doesn't react.
"Any change?" he asks as he hugs me hello.
"Sorry sweetie." I tell him and he nods sadly, before kissing Bob's hair and sitting down next to him.