Page 84 of Manny's Surprise Baby
He looked relieved as he pointed at his daughter. “You’re Amelia.”
“Emily,” she corrected him gently.
“Yes, Emily. I remember that now.”
“Come on.” I headed to the door.
They both followed me outside, and I had Seth sit in the back with Emily. I engaged the childproof locks because I was afraid maybe he wouldn’t remember opening a door while the car was moving could be dangerous. As I drove to the hospital, I watched Seth in the rearview mirror. He had a line between his brows, and he looked startled by just about everything he saw. I felt so terrified I couldn’t even breathe properly. I was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Emily was surprisingly good with Seth. She talked softly to him, repeating the same answers to the same questions over and over as if it didn’t bother her. I was glad he’d remembered her quicker than me. It might have damaged their relationship if he’d looked at her with that same impersonal expression he’d given me. It still hurt remembering it. And it wasn’t like he truly remembered me now. He simply knew my name. But as far as our relationship went, he seemed extremely distant with me.
When we reached the hospital, I parked in the first spot I saw. Then we walked into the ER through the sliding glass doors. There was a receptionist at a desk near the doors, and she greeted us cheerfully.
“What can I do for you today?” She smiled.
I gestured toward Seth. “He can’t remember anything. It came on very suddenly.”
Her expression changed immediately, and she stood. “Is his speech slurred? Any drooping of his facial features?”
I shook my head. “No. He just can’t remember stuff. Like his house or what he did today or in the past.”
“Hmm.” She bit her lip. “Hold on. I’ll get someone to give him an evaluation.”
Once she got another nurse, things seemed to happen quickly. They whisked Seth behind some double doors, and Emily and I sat in the waiting room. I felt so depressed it was hard to behave normally around Emily. Just hours ago I’d had everything I’d ever wanted, and now it seemed as though it was gone. Wiped out instantly.
After about an hour, a doctor in a white coat came out and found Emily and me. He took us to a more private area and had us sit. “I believe Seth has what’s called transient global amnesia.” He rubbed his chin as he spoke.
“He didn’t have a stroke?” I asked.
“I don’t believe so. There are no indications of a stroke or a seizure of any sort. He’s retained his personal identity despite his memory loss. He seems to have normal cognition, such as the ability to recognize familiar objects and follow simple directions. There’s no limb paralysis or involuntary movements.”
“But he didn’t know his own house,” I said, wanting to say so much more.
He doesn’t remember he loves me.
“That’s very common with TGA.”
“Will he get his memories back?” Emily looked pale in the fluorescent lighting.
“If this is indeed TGA, it should last no more than two to twenty-four hours. I’ve given him a CT scan, and we’re just waiting on the results from the MRI. But I’m fairly confident of my diagnosis.”
“What would cause T—TGA?” I grimaced.
“No one really knows what the exact cause is, but often it’s things like strenuous physical activity, sexual intercourse, or mild head trauma. I noticed he had a bump on his temple. That could easily be what caused this episode.”
I flushed at the mention of sexual intercourse. “Yeah, he hit his head on a nightstand last night.”
“Ahh.” He nodded. “That could easily do it.”
Emily slipped her hand into mine. “So you think this will just go away?” she asked. “All by itself?”
“Usually it’s gone well within twenty-four hours. Let me just warn you, he’s going to be annoying. He won’t be able to retain anything you tell him. His short-term memory is just not working.”
“That’s why he kept asking the same thing over and over.” Emily laughed, looking a little calmer. “It was pretty annoying.”
“Yep. Just be patient, and he should be okay by morning.” He sighed. “Obviously if he isn’t, bring him back. Oh, and he won’t remember any of this most likely. So don’t let that freak you out.” He moved to the door.
“Thank you so much, Doctor.” I felt a little better. Although, until Seth was back to normal, I wasn’t going to be able to relax.
