http's Journal: Another day, another hurdle

So after spending the morning with my doctor and the library and a government clerk that regularly loses paperwork, I went out to Victoria General Hospital Intensive Care Unit. Part of the drill involves washing your hands. I washed my face too, because sometimes I rub my eyes (or my nose when it itches) and I forget.

I step into the room and the nurse greets me and leaves the room. To see Ry lying there so still I'm kind of shakey. At least the bruising on his face has faded, I stood at the bedside for a bit, and then said "Hello" kind of quietly. He opened one eye, looked over at me and said "Peter" and raised his hand up. He's been in restraints to prevent him from pulling out the various hoses, tubes, valves, and radiator. But I reach over my hand and he grabs it and he closes his eye and he seizes my hand. For the next while, stillness is not a major part of the description. For someone so active to be brought to a halt, his muscles must be twitching for lack of exercise.

I managed to not scream with happiness. I spend the next while babbling stuff like "wake up and pay attention, they've got cool shiny things here" (because Ry's a technophile) and, well, babble. I don't expect any response, because mainly I'm talking for my benefit, not his.

Then I asked "Is there something I could do to make you more comfortable", looked around a bit, and asked "Is it too bright in here?" which got a slow, laboured "yes".

I spend the next while trying to figure out which picture at the foot of his bed he was trying to point at, or maybe he was trying to point at an itchy toe. We then spent some time figuring out he wanted help sitting up. Oh, such a struggle that was! And what a reward when I figured it out. I'm so accustomed to communication with words. Your ability to read this journal entry (or have someone read it to you) is probably the second most powerful tool you have. I called over the nurse to vet the idea of sitting up, and she aided me.

His girlfriend returned, and we started entertaining him in stereo, and occasionally talking about him in the third person. It's hard not to, since Saturday so much conversation outside the hospital has been about Ry. We managed to get his hand on the bed's up/down foot/head controls, which may not have been a great idea...he's p[robably going to burn out the motors on htose things if he can figure out how to reach it on his own. A lot of ltime seems to be waiting for Ry to gather energy. It seems like every effort you or I would consider minor is exhausting.

So my friend is out of a coma. There's so much more going on, but this is the sum and substance of it: I've got confirmed

• hearing
• facial recognition
• language
• speech
• touch
• motor control (not very co-ordinated, that could be the powerful drugs he's on)
• sight

To have such rapid regaining of faculties! Mirari. And just yesterday I was cautioning myself not to expect better news every day. Still have much further to go, and if there is a block on full recovery I hope I remember to be grateful for what the universe has provided.

While we're at it, can I have a pony^Wkestrel?

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