Page 34 of Something Like Forever

This wasn’t as good as averbal answer, but Ben let it slide. “What can you do,Jason?”

“I can play the guitar!”He said this in the sort of voice reserved for little kids, whichwas adorable because Ben hadn’t heard him do that before. ThenJason started playing chords.

Neil’s eyes went wide likea hungry tiger had slunk into the room and was stalking him. Hemight appear terrified, but that’s how his excitement manifested.His little arms were shaking too. Ben had already warned Jasonabout this and nodded encouragingly. Jason played a short littletune, then pretended he was insecure. “Was that good? Did you likeit?”

Neil nodded instantly, which was great butnot quite enough.

“He can’t hear you,” Bensaid gently. “Was it good?”

“Yes.”

“All right!” Ben said.“That’s great news! Do you think Jason can stay and help ustoday?”

Neil needed a little longer, but he answeredagain. “Yes.”

Off to a great start! Theywent through warmup exercises, Ben following the curriculum just incase Wanda had her ear pressed to the door. Halfway through thesession, when Neil’s attention started to waver, Ben teamed up withJason. Together they sangApples andBananas, a song by Raffi that had a verysimple repeating verse, the vowels changing with each round. Applesand Bananas became Ipples and Bininis and so forth. A littleconfusing for Neil, maybe, but Ben mostly wanted to get himtalking. After performing the song twice, they were able to get himto fill in a few words wherever they stopped. Then they returned tothe standard lessons until Neil’s frustration showed. Another songcalmed him and got him verbalizing again.

“That was amazing!” Janicesaid at the end of the session. “I’ll never get that darn song outof my head, but Neil absolutely loved it!”

“You might want to letWanda know that,” Ben said quietly.

“Will your son be herenext time too?”

Ben turned to ask him andsaw Neil standing next to Jason, one of his small hands pressed tothe instrument, but his attention was on Jason, like he was a rockstar.

“Say thank you,” Janiceprompted.

Neil quietly continued to stare. Then hepulled his hand away, holding it with his other. “I like you,” hemurmured.

“I like you too,” Jasonsaid, chuckling in surprise.

Ben saw his patients out,closed the door behind them, and resisted the urge to whoop withexcitement. “That went really well,” he said.

“Yeah?” Jason cocked hishead. “Better than normal?”

“Absolutely! Neil talked alot and didn’t have a single tantrum. We usually have to takebreaks, but he plowed right through the hour this time.”

“Cool,” Jason said,nodding in satisfaction. “How much does a gig like thispay?”

“I’ll take you tolunch.”

The next patient was anolder guy who was recovering from a tumor. That session mostly wentas usual. Ben introduced music toward the end, unsure of how wellit would go over, and was glad he left it until last. The manwasn’t a music fan. The teenager they saw next was, Jason verygenerously playing along to a Justin Bieber tune that she streamedfrom her phone, even though it wasn’t his kind of music. The finalpatient was an older woman who had suffered a stroke, and once shesaw the guitar, all she wanted to do was sing. They needed to workon sharpening her articulation, and what better way of doing sothan by rocking along with The Rolling Stones? Her choice, anddefinitely not what they had practiced. Jason was thrilled. Wandadidn’t look as happy when she poked her head in the room, but hewould deal with that later. All that really mattered was that apatient who normally behaved as if she was being patronized finallyshowed enthusiasm for her own recovery.

“That was awesome!” Jasonsaid when they were leaving the hospital together. “I’m quitting myjob. I mean it. We’ll be the ultimate speech therapyteam!”

“I wish,” Ben said,grinning in response.

“Hospital jobs pay well,don’t they?”

“Yeah,” Ben admitted.“They do, but it helps if you’re full-time. I’d be making someserious dough if I did this all day.”

“Why don’tyou?”

“I tried.” They reachedthe car. Ben unlocked the doors. “I asked if I could go full-time,but it’s not in the budget.”

Jason waited until theywere both seated in the car before he responded. “So after Wandaretires you’ll take over?”

“No. They’ll probably justhire someone else and I’ll stay the assistant.”