Page 30 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

“Grace Evans,” she blurted out like she had just woken from a trance.

“Your pupils responded quickly to the light, so that’s a good sign,” he said, pocketing the penlight. “Where do you live?”

She hesitated again, looking up toward the ceiling, searching for the right answer.

Dr. Reed scribbled down more notes.

“New York City.”

“All right, good. Any dizziness or nausea?”

She shook her head.

“Hear any ringing in your ears?”

“No,” she said.

Dr. Reed tilted his head. “Can you tell me the three words I asked you to remember when you first sat down on this examination table?”

“Red, house, fish,” Grace said without hesitation.

He nodded. “Very good.”

“I’ll be honest, Doc, I didn’t remember them myself,” I joked.

“Well, we’ll have to get you up on this examination table next then,” he said with a laugh.

Grace cracked a smile.

“I didn’t hit my head though.”

“I’ve known you all your life, Calvin. No doubt in my mind that you got some screw loose up there,” Dr. Reed teased. “Let me have a quick look at your lower back,” he said to Grace.

She pulled up her shirt just enough for him to have a look. He pressed on the skin along her spine and then pulled her shirt back down, retaking his place in front of her.

“You’ve got some swelling and bruising on your back, so you’ll want to ice it and take Tylenol for the pain. As far as your head goes, you have a mild concussion. I’m a bit worried because of some of your delayed responses, so to be safe I’d suggest an MRI to ensure there’s no brain damage.” Dr. Reed pursed his lips together and capped his pen.

“Brain damage?” Grace asked. Her eyes bounced from the doc to me and back to him again.

“Although unlikely, I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to head injuries.”

“No, I’d rather not,” she replied. “I feel fine.”

“Is an MRI necessary, Doc?” I asked.

It was clear Grace didn’t want one, so I wanted her to know I was on her side... I’d always be on her side.

“It’s my professional opinion, but it is your choice, Grace.”

She hopped down from the exam table. “Thank you, Dr. Reed, but really, I feel fine.”

Dr. Reed raised an eyebrow. “Okay. You’ll want to take it easy then. Like I said, Tylenol and ice. If you have any nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, or anything like that, please call me right away.”

“I will,” she said.

“Hopefully, you should be feeling good as new in a day or two. But in the meantime, no driving.”

Grace’s eyes flickered with worry, but she thanked the doctor anyway.