— Episode 4 in a five-part series about what happened to Harry —
A few days later, they moved Harry to another ward. When I went to see him there, he was different again.
(Rosario was no longer coming with me at that point. There was a reason for that...)
When Harry first came out of his coma and started confabulating, there was still a certain kind of humor and intelligence in it. Now his confabulations had become entirely chaotic and unreal. The best way I can describe it is as a real-time account of someone dreaming out loud.
The doctor at this new ward seemed slightly surprised that no family members had been in contact with the hospital. He asked me what Harry had been like before all this—how his intelligence was, whether he was normally fully coherent, that kind of thing.
At the same time, I was reminded that I was not considered next of kin, and therefore could not be given any medical information.
This time, Harry did recognize me. But it was clear he no longer really cared who I was. Sometimes he got my name wrong and called me Frank, who is one of his closest friends. There was a sharp contrast between this and how we had related to each other before.
I also became aware that, in practice, I was the only person the hospital could ask anything about him. From the hospital’s side, there had been no contact with anyone else connected to him.
After my visit, I stopped for lunch near the hospital while waiting for my train. During that time, I received a call from the social worker. I ended up cancelling my train and going back to the hospital, because I found it difficult to deal with the phone conversation in Italian.
The social worker asked me whether Harry had any family at all, because from their side, there was no sign of anyone. I passed on the phone numbers I had, and later also shared the hospital’s contact details with his family.
After my visit, I stopped for lunch near the hospital while waiting for my train. During that time, I received a call from the social worker. I ended up cancelling my train and going back to the hospital, because I found it difficult to deal with the phone conversation in Italian.
The social worker asked me whether Harry had any family at all, because from their side, there was no sign of anyone. I passed on the phone numbers I had, and later also shared the hospital’s contact details with his family.
After that, I saw Harry one more time.
By then, I had the impression that his brain function had deteriorated even further. He no longer recognized me, and there were no confabulations at all anymore. It didn’t seem to matter to him who I was, or who anyone was.
He kept insisting that I take him to the bathroom. That wasn’t possible because he had a catheter, but he didn’t understand that, and I couldn’t make him understand it either.
Three days later, I flew back to the Netherlands.
By then, I had the impression that his brain function had deteriorated even further. He no longer recognized me, and there were no confabulations at all anymore. It didn’t seem to matter to him who I was, or who anyone was.
He kept insisting that I take him to the bathroom. That wasn’t possible because he had a catheter, but he didn’t understand that, and I couldn’t make him understand it either.
Three days later, I flew back to the Netherlands.
Episode 4 in a five-part series about what happened to Harry.
--> Prologue: The Ordinary Years
<-- Episode 3
Photo : Mehrab Sium
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