Free A second chance: Sequel of Against all odds by Alexia Vella Deguara Page B

speak to Ms Hastley as well.” He said looking at
Angela. My stomach churned, he looked serious, a frown crinkled his
forehead. What was wrong? I looked at Kylie. From his tone I gathered
that she couldn't come in with us.
    “ OK
Dad, I understood, I stay seated here near the receptionist OK?”
    I smiled at my little girl.
    “ Thanks
sweetheart. It won't take long OK?”
    She nodded, and we left with
the doctor. When we arrived at his office, he closed the door and
invited us to sit down.
    “ So
Doctor how is she?” I asked impatiently.
    “ She's
fine. She still has to heal, there is a long way to go and she will
need a lot of treatment. She will need a speech therapist to help her
formulate words correctly again, she can speak but not so clearly.”
    My heart missed a beat. From
his face I could tell there was more he wasn't telling us. I glanced
at Angela who looked worried.
    “ Don't
worry, she will speak normally as she did before within few weeks,
and she will walk again but she will need some physiotherapy for that
as well.”
    The doctor paused for a
moment, he seemed reluctant to continue, what was he hiding?”
    “ Doctor,
is there something wrong?” I asked again. His silence was
killing me.
    “ Well,
there is problem yes.” He finally admitted. “Cassidy's
head was grievously injured, and the injury affected the brain.”
    My stomach ached so much
that I couldn't breathe. What was he going to say?
    “ But
she will return to normality right?” Her mother asked trying to
hold back the tears which began to well her eyes.
    “ Yes,
I didn't mean that she had brain damage in that way, what I meant is
that she can't remember anything. Her first 25 years of life have
vanished.”
    We looked stunned at him.
    “ What?
You mean she lost her memory?” I asked astonished.
    “ Yes,
she doesn't even remember her name, her age. Nothing.”
    “ Oh
my God,” Angela cried.
    “ But
it will come back right. If we talk to her and help her remember, it
will come back with time. Usually it works like that no?” I
said hoping he would say yes.
    “ Not
this time. Listen we did a tomography scan for her, and we saw that
there isn't blood flow going to the right temple and the frontal
lobes of her brain. This means that the long-term memory is not
reached, so this is a permanent amnesia. Listen it could be that
someday her memory could come back, but there is very little hope I'm
afraid. It will be hard for you but harder for her. If I were in you,
I wouldn't try to make her remember the past because she never will.”
    “ So
what do you suggest we do?” I asked again.
    “ Start
from the beginning. Like there was no past, she will not recognize
you. She won't know you're her mother; you will only be strangers to
her. I wouldn't tell her anything about her past because she will try
so hard to remember and in vain that it will cause her distress, and
she will be upset and feel guilty. I know what I'm talking about.
I've seen other persons in this condition. Trying to force on her the
past could lead to mental problems and to depression.”He said
as he took off his glasses. He seemed concerned.
    “ So
I can't tell her I'm her mum?” Angela asked sobbing.
     “ Well
yes, you can but she won't remember that. Listen you have to leave
her free. I mean you can't impose on her things she doesn't know she
did. You have to speak to her husband as well. I tried to call him,
but there was no reply.”
    “ We'll
do,” I said not knowing exactly how to cope with this new
situation.
    “ For
any problems contact me OK. She will stay here for some time. She
still have to recover completely. She will have to learn to eat
again; her stomach has to start to accept food. It's like starting
from the beginning with a baby. Listen she might never recapture her
past so please help her to live the present and the future. Help her
to make new memories.”
    We left the office in a
dazed state. I kept looking at Angela and not knowing what