Illusions by Jennifer Sienes

Author:Jennifer Sienes [Sienes, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Celebrate Lit Publishing
Published: 2020-04-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Corey

The week has been packed with therapy “benchmarks” to assess Taylor’s readiness to come home. Seven weeks of one step forward and two steps back hasn’t changed in these last five days. So, when it comes time for Dr. Holland to do her final evaluation the day Taylor is to be released, I find it impossible to take a full breath.

“We would generally refer Taylor to another six-week occupational rehab facility,” Veronica told me earlier in the week. “But most young people in Taylor’s situation are not being returned to a healthy home life. She not only has that going for her, but you have experience in the classroom.” She smiles. “Nora’s felt a little intimidated on the days you sit in on her therapy.”

“Intimidated?” I laughed. “By me?” That’s a first. But somewhere deep inside, it felt good. Pastor Paul intimidates by virtue of his position. Not me. I’m just the housewife. I suspect it’s one of the reasons Taylor connected so early in her life with Paul. What kind of a role model was I to a young girl—unless she wanted to blend into the background?

But as I sit in the corner while Dr. Holland does her last assessment, I pray, I feel anything but intimidating. The chair bites into my butt cheeks as I perch on the edge, too keyed up to sit back and even attempt to pretend I’m relaxed. What if Taylor fails? What if they decide to keep her another week? Or worse, make her go to the other rehab facility for six weeks? Even Veronica, who recommends the facility all the time, said it wasn’t the best environment for someone like Taylor.

“More often than not,” she’d said, “these kids are doing something they shouldn’t be in the first place, which lands them in here. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They don’t handle the brain injury with Taylor’s sweet, smiley-faced disposition. They’re angry to start with, and the chemical imbalance of the injury doesn’t make it any better.”

It was our concern over what that environment would do to Taylor that had Paul fighting against it. It was my worry about Taylor’s memory returning while there that made me determined she’d come home.

And we won.

Taylor now paces back and forth in her room, a tub of yogurt in one hand, a spoon in the other. Dr. Holland rests her backside against the desk, clipboard in hand, taking notes after every question she fires at Taylor.

“Are you nervous about going home?”

“Uh-uh,” Taylor grunts around the spoon in her mouth. She licks it clean and continues the pacing. “Well. I guess a…little…bit. I can’t remember things. And Josh…he makes me feel weird.”

Dr. Holland makes eye contact with me before making a notation in the chart. We talked about this. The brain injury may cause difficulty with discernment. Taylor could perceive sexual advances where none exist, and it could repel her or attract her. Either way isn’t healthy. So, no Josh for a while—at least not unsupervised.

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