“Honestly, it’s not exciting to watch. While there won’t be much to see directly, the monitors will show his brain activity and what I’m doing. I’ll also explain as I go, so everyone in the room can learn. Anyone attending is a member of the hospital, so has already signed an NDA. Please follow Leigh and Jake when it’s time, if you wish to sit in. If not, you can wait here, and I’ll fill you in afterwards. Jake will return to his room about 45 minutes later. I’ll come and talk to you after I’ve analyzed the data, which can take an hour or two. Are there questions?”
“Yes. How long will it take? Is it just like one zap and done, or will the stimulation last for a specific period of time?” I ask her.
“Excellent question. This first attempt will last for 30 seconds. Brain activity can increase instantaneously, or there can be a delay of several seconds.”
“Okay, thanks,” I nod. Zander and Ray don’t have additional questions, so she leaves. I sit in the left chair and take Jake’s hand. “Hope you heard all that. Today’s the day, Jake. You might wake up. Your dad, Zander, and I will be with you the whole time,” I tell him.
Ray and Zander chat while I sit quietly with Jake. When Leigh enters, I kiss his cheek and tell him I love him before stepping out of the way. Zander moves to the couch and takes a seat. I watch as she replaces his clothes with a hospital gown and places electrodes on his body. It doesn’t take long, and soon we’re walking down the hall with me holding Jake’s hand. We travel down a service elevator to the second floor, and Leigh stops at a set of double doors in the middle of the hallway. She points towards a door on our left, asking us to enter there, telling us a hallway will lead us to the observation room. Squeezing Jake’s hand, I follow Ray through the door with Zander behind me. The hall is straight and then veers right, ending in a small rectangular room with a row of chairs and a gigantic piece of glass in front. No one else is here, so we take seats in the front row. Lights come on in the roomin front of us a minute later. It looks similar to operating rooms I’ve seen on tv. My focus zooms in on Jake when he's wheeled inside by Leigh. Dr. Crosby and another person enter from the right in scrubs and masks. Leigh leaves, walking towards where they entered.
I watch them move machines around and get set up. Leigh, masked and gloved, hooks Jake up to various monitors upon her return. They lift Jake’s head and remove a section of the bed where his head sits. Neat. I didn’t know the bed did that. Dr. Crosby takes a seat on a stool behind Jake as Leigh and the student finish the prep work. Two people in lab coats come into our room. They smile at us before taking seats as two monitors come on in front of us. One I recognize as brain waves, and the other shows the back of Jake’s head. At 9am, Dr. Crosby speaks.
I watch and listen, enthralled by what I’m witnessing. She talks about his current brain waves and what she’ll be looking for, then explains what she’s doing as she makes a small incision at the back of Jake’s head. I notice Ray tense beside me, so I place my hand over his in support. It’s quite noninvasive, considering what she’s accomplishing.
When everything is ready, a 30-second timer appears on the monitor. She nods to the student as the clock starts. I hold my breath, watching his brainwaves. Please, please let this work. As the clock winds down, I get a sinking feeling in my gut. When it hits zero, a single tear falls. Dr. Crosby remains still for close to a minute, but nothing changes. Zander squeezes my other hand. “Only attempt one, darling.”
I nod as the two other people in our room get up and leave. Looking over at Ray, his head is down, eyes closed. “Don’t give up yet, Ray. The doctor told us the second round is when most people wake up, not round one.”
He takes a deep breath before opening his eyes. Grief greets me, but he gives me a smile. “Let’s go back up and wait for Dr. Crosby.”
The three of us walk out. Zander suggests some drinks, so we stop at the cafeteria first, then go up to his room to wait. I text everyone from the armchair, feeling a little defeated but still determined. The guys are in class, but Sue and Mal reply with words of encouragement and hope.
Leigh returns with Jake a few minutes later, so I grab fresh clothes from his closet. She hooks him up to the monitors and dresses him. “Chin up. Dr. Crosby will learn a lot from today,” she smiles, before leaving us.
Ray takes a seat on Jake’s right, looking like he’s aged years today. I grab Jake’s hand and sit opposite him. “Ray. Are you okay?”
“I don’t know, Summer. I was hesitant to do this. Getting my hopes up and having it not work…” he shakes his head. “I barely survived the accident, and I don’t know if I can survive the pain again.”
I open my mouth, then close it. I sympathize, but it’s not about him. This is about giving Jake his life back. I know he loves Jake more than anything, but I’m staring at a broken man. How could he hesitate to try anything that would help Jake? I take a deep breath, not wanting to snap at him.
I look over at Zander. He looks sadly at Ray as I try to compose my thoughts before I speak. “Ray. I understand how horrible the accident was, believe me, but we have to do this for Jake. As hard as it is, he deserves every chance to get better and have a full life.”
Ray looks up at me and sighs. “You’re right, Summer. This is just very hard.”
“I know, Ray. Have you talked to someone about all you’ve been through?”
His eyebrows lower. “No.”
“I’ve been in therapy for over a year and a half now, and it’s been a lifesaver. I was reluctant at first, but Sarah has helped me deal with and accept all that’s happened. I have my life back, and that wouldn’t have been possible withouther.”
Ray nods but doesn’t say anything. All I can do is plant the seed. I want him to get better along with Jake. Zander turns on the tv so I join him on the couch until the doctor returns. “You handled that well, darling,” he says quietly, nodding to Ray.
“I seriously wanted to yell at him, but he’s so broken.”
“I believe Jake’s waking will go a long way towards healing him. He’s been in survival mode since the accident, I would guess.” Zander puts his arm around my shoulders and gives me a squeeze.
I can barely remember anything after the accident. I have snapshots of Ray visiting and sneaking me in to see Jake and parts of the trial. He was gone quickly thereafter, or so it seemed. I was so wrapped up in my grief that I paid little attention to him. He took care of things for me, though.
Dr. Crosby arrives an hour later, and she remains undeterred. The first procedure provided ample information to adjust the second attempt. She's even more hopeful than before, telling us that the results are like other successful cases she's had. That seems to put some life back into Ray. The next attempt will be a week from Monday.
Once she leaves, Zander asks to get on the road. I give Ray a hug and tell him to call if he needs anything, and Zander tells him the same.
As we’re walking out to the parking lot, I ask if he thinks Ray will be okay. “I believe so, darling. This will be a long week for him, though. I’ll stay in touch. Hopefully, that will help.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I smile.
Zander misses a step, which causes me to chuckle. “I still need to get used to that, but it’s a wonderful sound,” he smiles back.
Zander drives this time. We stop at a fast-food restaurant for lunch and eat while on the road, and we get back in time for me to attend the basketball game after school. Alex and Bay offer to pick me up from Finn after classes, and we’re staying at Alex’s house tonight, except for E.
