Status: Ongoing
Home Is the Stars
Six
"Yes." That one word changed everything for Landra.
She had whirled around to stare at the man, incredulous for a second. "'Yes?' 'Yes!' You understand me? You can speak, you don't have a vegetable for a brain! Oh my gods, this changes everything. I'm so sorry, please forgive my excitement. Oh, my gods!" She exclaimed. She hastened back into her chair at his side. She stared at him intently, adrenaline pumping through her veins at an accelerated pace, as she waited for him to say something else. He simply stared at her quietly.
"Okay. 'Yes,' what? Yes, you understand me? Of course you understand me. So, are you in pain, then? I can fetch some pain relievers for you." Landra was on her feet again, ready to retrieve the medication for him. But he just sighed heavily and motioned for her to sit down. His limbs still seemed too heavy for him to lift, he could only get his hand a few inches off of his bed.
"No," he croaked.
"Your throat must be dry, after so long. The IV is keeping you hydrated and giving your body nutrients, but I'm sure a glass of water would help. I'll be right back."
Dr. Landra returned a few minutes later with a glass of water. The man was staring intently at the ceiling. "You'd probably like to get out of that bed soon, huh?" He seemed to have fallen back into his habit of ignoring her again. He continued to stare at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling in sync with his shallow breathing. She sat the glass down on the bedside table with a loud thud, some of the water spilling up over the edge. The man jumped and eyed her warily.
"Most of my patients don't act this way - blatantly ignore when they are asked a direct question. I say something to them, and they respond with, 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir.' They are eager to accept my help, because they know that that's what I'm here to do. Help them. Just like I'm here to help you - which I can't do effectively against your own prescription of the silent treatment. So give it up, already. I know you can hear me, I know you can understand and talk to me now." She wasn't sure what had come over her, but the stranger's reluctance to communicate, now that she knew he could, only made her prickly. She wasn't sure why she was even bothering. All the evidence before her suggested that he would only continue to ignore her, and she would only become more flustered.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. The best course of action would be to just leave the room, and go record her findings for the day. He could say at least two words; that was certainly worth noting in the journal she had started. She shook her head and turned to go, leaving the water within reach for him, in case he decided he was parched after all.
"Most of your patients are your subordinates."
"Subordinates or not, they have the good sense to not piss off their doctor." she scoffed. She heard coughing and wheezing from the stranger and turned around to see that he was actually... laughing?
She had whirled around to stare at the man, incredulous for a second. "'Yes?' 'Yes!' You understand me? You can speak, you don't have a vegetable for a brain! Oh my gods, this changes everything. I'm so sorry, please forgive my excitement. Oh, my gods!" She exclaimed. She hastened back into her chair at his side. She stared at him intently, adrenaline pumping through her veins at an accelerated pace, as she waited for him to say something else. He simply stared at her quietly.
"Okay. 'Yes,' what? Yes, you understand me? Of course you understand me. So, are you in pain, then? I can fetch some pain relievers for you." Landra was on her feet again, ready to retrieve the medication for him. But he just sighed heavily and motioned for her to sit down. His limbs still seemed too heavy for him to lift, he could only get his hand a few inches off of his bed.
"No," he croaked.
"Your throat must be dry, after so long. The IV is keeping you hydrated and giving your body nutrients, but I'm sure a glass of water would help. I'll be right back."
Dr. Landra returned a few minutes later with a glass of water. The man was staring intently at the ceiling. "You'd probably like to get out of that bed soon, huh?" He seemed to have fallen back into his habit of ignoring her again. He continued to stare at the ceiling, his chest rising and falling in sync with his shallow breathing. She sat the glass down on the bedside table with a loud thud, some of the water spilling up over the edge. The man jumped and eyed her warily.
"Most of my patients don't act this way - blatantly ignore when they are asked a direct question. I say something to them, and they respond with, 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir.' They are eager to accept my help, because they know that that's what I'm here to do. Help them. Just like I'm here to help you - which I can't do effectively against your own prescription of the silent treatment. So give it up, already. I know you can hear me, I know you can understand and talk to me now." She wasn't sure what had come over her, but the stranger's reluctance to communicate, now that she knew he could, only made her prickly. She wasn't sure why she was even bothering. All the evidence before her suggested that he would only continue to ignore her, and she would only become more flustered.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. The best course of action would be to just leave the room, and go record her findings for the day. He could say at least two words; that was certainly worth noting in the journal she had started. She shook her head and turned to go, leaving the water within reach for him, in case he decided he was parched after all.
"Most of your patients are your subordinates."
"Subordinates or not, they have the good sense to not piss off their doctor." she scoffed. She heard coughing and wheezing from the stranger and turned around to see that he was actually... laughing?