Chapter 36
“No, it’s not,” answered Sun lazily, which is obvious from his voice.
“How does it taste?” Dr. Doom goes on.
“Cold...Sweet.”
“Right, so your taste and other senses are normal. Now, I will ask you a few questions nong. Take your time in answering them. If you feel uncomfortable or does not know the answer, just shake your head and I’ll proceed to the next question. Okay?”
“Krap P’Mho.”
“Okay. Let’s start. What is your name?”
“I’m Sun: that is my nickname. My full name is…uhm…Dauwan – Dauwan Pitchitara.”
“Alright, next question: where do you live, N’Sun?”
“I live with my aunt and uncle…at…uhm 47-dash-uhm 2 Tanrion Street in Bangkok.”
“How old are you?”
“I turned twenty-six today.”
“Do you know who she is?” asked Dr. Doom pointing at Aunt Mika.
“Yes. She is my Aunt Mika.”
“Do you know what's the date today?”
“It’s February…uhm…twenty-fourth. It is my birthday today.”
“I see. What is the last thing you remember N’Sun?”
There is a long pause in Sun. He is trying to gather his thoughts before answering his attending doctor.
“N’Sun? What is the last thing you remember?” repeated Dr. Doom.
“I was in a boat: there were three of us. We made our way to a river and got off at a bank with a gate a few steps away. Then…uhm…”
“No rush, Sun. Gather your thoughts slowly.”
“Someone held my hand for a while. When he let it go, I felt like…uhm...moving – moving through a tunnel.”
“What happened next after that?” asked Dr. Doom.
“After that, I felt someone kissed me, then I woke up here.”
“I see. How do you feel right now? Are you in pain?”
“My back hurts, and I am hungry…uhm…thirsty too.”
“Nurse, kindly request a low-sodium, low-sugar square meal for the patient,” Dr. Doom told the nurse.
“Krap P’Mho,” she replied.
“It’s just normal to feel backpain, N’Sun. You’ve been lying on the bed for a long while. You’ve had no solid foods too, so you feel a little drained,” said Dr. Doom, turning to Sun again. Aunt Mika is now sitting in a chair close to the bed. “Maybe you had been dreaming a good one too,” he continued.
“P’Mho, what do you mean when you said that I’ve been lying in the bed for a long while?” asked Sun.
“Okay, N’Sun. It is my turn now to tell. Today is not February 24: it is not your birthday. Today is October 20.”
“What!?” Shock embraces Sun like the blanket of the bed that has covered him for a long time.
“You’ve been in a coma for more than seven months. On February 24, your birthday, you were involved in an accident: you were hit by a car while trying to cross the street, and I was the one driving that car. By the way, do you know who I am?”
“Yes…I do. You are Doctor…uhm…John Doom. You are my teacher at the university where I study medicine.”
“That is correct, N’Sun. I rushed you here after I hit you, and this is the hospital where I work as chief surgeon. As a recompense for what I did, I’ve been taking care of you since that accident, and I will be the one to pay your hospital expenses. Aside from the back pain, do you feel any headache, dizziness, nauseousness, or blurred vision?”
“No. Just the back pain.”
“From my initial assessment, your senses are working just fine, and you did not lose memory, which is good. However, I need for you to stay here for another five to seven days for further observations and tests, just to be sure you are okay.”
“Why was I in a coma, P’Mho? Did I have any head injuries?” asked Sun.
“No. The hit from the accident lacerated your right lung. We had to put you in sedation, so that your breathing will be as minimal and controlled as possible: we don’t want your injured lung to work hard. You were also in a ventilator, so that you will get enough oxygen when you breathe. You had three left ribs broken and one fractured. After your injuries healed, we stopped your sedation, and your ventilator was removed. All we were waiting for from then on was for you to wake up, and thank goodness, you did so today. Are you having a hard time breathing, N’Sun?”
“No. I can do it just fine.”
“That is good. During your coma, you were given regular dozes of multi-vitamins and medications intravenously, so that your immune system will not weaken. After this last bottle of dextrose has been used up, we will stop with the intravenous medicines and vitamins too, so that you can adapt back to orally taking your usual fluids, electrolytes, and vitamins.”
“Krap P’Mho. Uhm, if I may ask, what can I do from now on?”
“You can watch TV, use your phone, but avoid doing stretches even if you are so tempted to do so, or your wrist will bleed because that is where your dextrose needle is at. Rest at once when you feel tired and avoid being stressed out. Oh, and if you are using your phone, limit it to one to two hours a day for now, or your headaches may trigger.”
“Krap P’Mho,” answered Sun, who finds Dr. Doom’s last advice to be a task because, normally, he spends almost an entire day with his mobile.
“Also, since your bed is close to the window, I suggest you open it in the morning to get some sunlight. If you can, do some walks in the room too. For now, just wait for your meal, and welcome back, N’Sun.”
“Khob khun krap P'Mho”
“I’ll leave now Madame Mika.”
“Thank you very much P’Mho,” said Aunt Mika, who is still in tears.
“I’ll tell your Uncle Jek about this, nong. Is there anything you need?” asked Aunt Mika to Sun.
“Please open the TV, auntie.”
“Of course,” said she, handing Sun the remote control after turning on the telly, and then, proceeded to call Uncle Jek.