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Authors: Melanie Rose
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deceptively innocent voice—Lauren’s voice, not mine, I had realized, since I was using her vocal cords and facial bone structure. “When you came to see me yesterday you said you’d looked up some stuff about lightning strikes?”
“Yes,” he said, his eyes narrowing with just a smidgen of suspicion.
“Did you find anything about victims having new memories? Or people recollecting events they couldn’t account for?”
The doctor came and sat down on the bed again, trying to look concerned, though I could see the interest gleaming in his eyes.
“There’s often confusion, due to the Pat Effect I mentioned to you before, but new memories?” He shook his head. “I’ve not heard of it.” He fixed his gaze on my face. “You’re not experiencing anything like that, are you, Lauren?”
“Good heavens no!” I replied hastily with a forced laugh. “I was just wondering what you’d found out, that’s all.”
“There are many documented cases of lightning-strike victims becoming disoriented, changed in character, for example,” he replied, the gleam in his eyes evaporating as quickly as it had arrived.
“Go on.”
“The effect of lightning on the human brain is similar to that of patients who have undergone electroconvulsive therapy,” he continued. “As I said, the vast majority who survive a lightning strike are confused and suffer anterograde amnesia for several days after the strike. Loss of consciousness for varying periods is common, as are neurological complications and difficulty with memory.”
He looked at me intensely as if to check that I was keeping up with him, then he pressed on more boldly. “You have to understand that the cognitive and neurological damage caused to the brain by a lightning strike to the skull is similar to a blunt injury trauma.”
“Like being hit over the head?” I asked.
He nodded. “Exactly. You were a very lucky woman, Lauren. According to your children, the lightning hit you directly onthe head, back, and shoulders. Your hair, I hear, stood on end and actually caught fire, and there are burns consistent with this.”
“The burns aren’t deep, though, considering how hot you said lightning can get?” I probed, twisting the unaccustomed wedding band on my finger as I spoke. “Would you have expected the burns to be worse?”
Dr. Shakir smiled. “You are an inquisitive woman, Lauren. Yes, I was surprised there wasn’t more burning to your head, but in the case of your shoulder, then no, I wasn’t surprised. Skin is the primary resistor to the flow of current into the body, causing the appearance of surface burns, but preventing deep tissue damage. With lightning the current is present in the body for a very brief time, causing short-circuiting of the body’s electrical systems: cardiac arrest such as in your case, vascular spasm, neurological damage, and autonomic instability.”
“So there was nothing about my case that was out of the ordinary?”
He paused and broke eye contact before shaking his head.
“No.”
I stared at him, realizing that what he had been holding back all along was the very thing I had been desperate to discover. Had Lauren’s injuries actually killed her? From what he had told me, and from the fascinated way he looked at me, I got the very clear impression that all Dr. Shakir’s medical experience indicated that I should not be here. My living, breathing presence belied his gut instincts, confounding his diagnosis. No wonder he wouldn’t look me in the eye, I thought grimly.
I remembered suddenly what Dr. Chin had said about possible deafness and the chance of developing cataracts at a later date, and put the question to Dr. Shakir.
“You are remarkably well informed about your condition,” he said.
He seemed happier now that we were back in safe medical territory. I watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed. “This is accurate information regarding high-voltage injury, but I have checked you thoroughly, and
“Yes,” he said, his eyes narrowing with just a smidgen of suspicion.
“Did you find anything about victims having new memories? Or people recollecting events they couldn’t account for?”
The doctor came and sat down on the bed again, trying to look concerned, though I could see the interest gleaming in his eyes.
“There’s often confusion, due to the Pat Effect I mentioned to you before, but new memories?” He shook his head. “I’ve not heard of it.” He fixed his gaze on my face. “You’re not experiencing anything like that, are you, Lauren?”
“Good heavens no!” I replied hastily with a forced laugh. “I was just wondering what you’d found out, that’s all.”
“There are many documented cases of lightning-strike victims becoming disoriented, changed in character, for example,” he replied, the gleam in his eyes evaporating as quickly as it had arrived.
“Go on.”
“The effect of lightning on the human brain is similar to that of patients who have undergone electroconvulsive therapy,” he continued. “As I said, the vast majority who survive a lightning strike are confused and suffer anterograde amnesia for several days after the strike. Loss of consciousness for varying periods is common, as are neurological complications and difficulty with memory.”
He looked at me intensely as if to check that I was keeping up with him, then he pressed on more boldly. “You have to understand that the cognitive and neurological damage caused to the brain by a lightning strike to the skull is similar to a blunt injury trauma.”
“Like being hit over the head?” I asked.
He nodded. “Exactly. You were a very lucky woman, Lauren. According to your children, the lightning hit you directly onthe head, back, and shoulders. Your hair, I hear, stood on end and actually caught fire, and there are burns consistent with this.”
“The burns aren’t deep, though, considering how hot you said lightning can get?” I probed, twisting the unaccustomed wedding band on my finger as I spoke. “Would you have expected the burns to be worse?”
Dr. Shakir smiled. “You are an inquisitive woman, Lauren. Yes, I was surprised there wasn’t more burning to your head, but in the case of your shoulder, then no, I wasn’t surprised. Skin is the primary resistor to the flow of current into the body, causing the appearance of surface burns, but preventing deep tissue damage. With lightning the current is present in the body for a very brief time, causing short-circuiting of the body’s electrical systems: cardiac arrest such as in your case, vascular spasm, neurological damage, and autonomic instability.”
“So there was nothing about my case that was out of the ordinary?”
He paused and broke eye contact before shaking his head.
“No.”
I stared at him, realizing that what he had been holding back all along was the very thing I had been desperate to discover. Had Lauren’s injuries actually killed her? From what he had told me, and from the fascinated way he looked at me, I got the very clear impression that all Dr. Shakir’s medical experience indicated that I should not be here. My living, breathing presence belied his gut instincts, confounding his diagnosis. No wonder he wouldn’t look me in the eye, I thought grimly.
I remembered suddenly what Dr. Chin had said about possible deafness and the chance of developing cataracts at a later date, and put the question to Dr. Shakir.
“You are remarkably well informed about your condition,” he said.
He seemed happier now that we were back in safe medical territory. I watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed. “This is accurate information regarding high-voltage injury, but I have checked you thoroughly, and
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