remembering that Steve could hear, and there
was no way of telling how much he could understand.
Major Lunning sighed. "I don't know. He
received excellent, immediate care, and that counts for a lot. It may be so
minimal that you won't be able to tell the difference, but I wouldn't put my
money on anything right now. I simply can't tell. The fact that he woke up and
responded to Ms. Granger is totally out of the expected range. He leapfrogged
over several stages of recovery. I've never seen anything like it before.
Normally the stages are stupor, where it would take vigorous stimulation to
rouse him at all, then delirium and extreme agitation, as if the electrical
processes of his brain had gone wild. Then he would become quieter, but he'd be
very confused. In the next stage he would be like an automaton. He'd be able to
answer questions, but unable to perform any but the simplest physical tasks.
The higher brain functions return gradually."
"And the stage he's at now?"
"He was able to communicate, as if he
were in the automaton stage, but I think he's lapsed back now. It must have
taken a tremendous effort for him to do that much."
"As you cut down on the barbiturates,
he'll be able to communicate more?"
"Perhaps. This one incident may not be
repeated. He may revert to the more classical stages of recovery."
Exasperated, Frank said, "Is there
anything you're certain of?" Major Lunning gave him a long, level look.
"Yes. I'm certain that his recovery depends on Ms. Granger. Keep her
around. He'll need her."
"Is it safe for her to be with him while
you bring him off the drugs?"
"I insist on it. She may keep him calm. I
sure as hell don't want him thrashing around with that tube in his chest. Will
she be able to take it?" Frank lifted his brows. "She's stronger than
she looks." And Jay was oddly devoted to Steve in a way that he hadn't
expected and could not quite understand. It was as if something pulled her to
him, but there wasn't any basis for that kind of attraction. Maybe later, when
he was awake—his effect on women had always had his superiors shaking their
heads in disbelief. But he was little more than a mummy now, unable to use the
charm for which he was famous, so it had to be something else.
He had to let the Man know what had happened.
Suddenly the door was shoved open and Jay
entered, giving them a hard, bright look that dared them to throw her out
again. "I'm staying," she said flatly, moving to Steve's side and
putting her hand on his arm. Her chin lifted stubbornly. "He needs me, and
I'm going to be here."
Major Lunning looked from her to Steve, then
at Frank. "She's staying," he said mildly, then consulted the file in
his hand. "Okay, I'm going to begin decreasing the barbiturates now, to
completely bring him out of the coma. It will take from twenty-four to
thirty-six hours, and I don't know how he's going to react, so I want him under
full-time observation." He glanced up at Jay. "Ms. Granger—may I call
you Jay?"
"Please," she murmured.
"A nurse will be in here with him most of
the time until he's completely off the drugs. His reaction may be
unpredictable. If anything happens, it's important that you move away from the
bed and not hinder anything we have to do. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Can I trust you not to faint and get in
the way?"
"Yes."
"All right. I'll hold you to that."
His stern military gaze measured her, and he must have been reassured by what
he saw, because he gave an abrupt nod of approval. "It won't be easy, but
I think you'll hold up."
was no way of telling how much he could understand.
Major Lunning sighed. "I don't know. He
received excellent, immediate care, and that counts for a lot. It may be so
minimal that you won't be able to tell the difference, but I wouldn't put my
money on anything right now. I simply can't tell. The fact that he woke up and
responded to Ms. Granger is totally out of the expected range. He leapfrogged
over several stages of recovery. I've never seen anything like it before.
Normally the stages are stupor, where it would take vigorous stimulation to
rouse him at all, then delirium and extreme agitation, as if the electrical
processes of his brain had gone wild. Then he would become quieter, but he'd be
very confused. In the next stage he would be like an automaton. He'd be able to
answer questions, but unable to perform any but the simplest physical tasks.
The higher brain functions return gradually."
"And the stage he's at now?"
"He was able to communicate, as if he
were in the automaton stage, but I think he's lapsed back now. It must have
taken a tremendous effort for him to do that much."
"As you cut down on the barbiturates,
he'll be able to communicate more?"
"Perhaps. This one incident may not be
repeated. He may revert to the more classical stages of recovery."
Exasperated, Frank said, "Is there
anything you're certain of?" Major Lunning gave him a long, level look.
"Yes. I'm certain that his recovery depends on Ms. Granger. Keep her
around. He'll need her."
"Is it safe for her to be with him while
you bring him off the drugs?"
"I insist on it. She may keep him calm. I
sure as hell don't want him thrashing around with that tube in his chest. Will
she be able to take it?" Frank lifted his brows. "She's stronger than
she looks." And Jay was oddly devoted to Steve in a way that he hadn't
expected and could not quite understand. It was as if something pulled her to
him, but there wasn't any basis for that kind of attraction. Maybe later, when
he was awake—his effect on women had always had his superiors shaking their
heads in disbelief. But he was little more than a mummy now, unable to use the
charm for which he was famous, so it had to be something else.
He had to let the Man know what had happened.
Suddenly the door was shoved open and Jay
entered, giving them a hard, bright look that dared them to throw her out
again. "I'm staying," she said flatly, moving to Steve's side and
putting her hand on his arm. Her chin lifted stubbornly. "He needs me, and
I'm going to be here."
Major Lunning looked from her to Steve, then
at Frank. "She's staying," he said mildly, then consulted the file in
his hand. "Okay, I'm going to begin decreasing the barbiturates now, to
completely bring him out of the coma. It will take from twenty-four to
thirty-six hours, and I don't know how he's going to react, so I want him under
full-time observation." He glanced up at Jay. "Ms. Granger—may I call
you Jay?"
"Please," she murmured.
"A nurse will be in here with him most of
the time until he's completely off the drugs. His reaction may be
unpredictable. If anything happens, it's important that you move away from the
bed and not hinder anything we have to do. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Can I trust you not to faint and get in
the way?"
"Yes."
"All right. I'll hold you to that."
His stern military gaze measured her, and he must have been reassured by what
he saw, because he gave an abrupt nod of approval. "It won't be easy, but
I think you'll hold up."
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