Head Injured 3

On the fourth floor the patients were in wheel chairs or with walkers. They were encouraged to move about as part of their rehabilitation. Henry had been moved from the third floor to begin a rehabilitation which we were told would last three weeks and after he would be sent home. He was awake and watching television when we arrived.
"Hi, Henry."
"Hi, mum."
He did not look at us.
"How do you like your new room, Henry?"
"If I like it, I like it. If I don’t like it, I don’t like it," he said.
He continued watching the television.
"I’m the type of person someone gives me the shits I take it and turn it to bullshit."
"You know you’ll be leaving here soon enough," I said. "They’re going to get you to walk again on this floor."
"Yeah."
Henry was switching through the stations.
He stopped at a Latin girl in a bright dress dancing.
"Where’s my wife?"
His mother looked at me.
"Do you know her name, Henry?"
"Lauren."
"She’s not your wife."
"Who is she then?"
"She’s your girlfriend."
Henry grinned. He watched the Latin girl dancing.
"I’ll make her my wife then."
"Do you remember how you met her?"
"Vaguely."
"How did you meet her?"
"Dunno."
"How long have you known her?"
"Dunno."
Henry watched the Latin girl dance and spin.
"When I get out of here I’ll be wearing a different outfit too. Different smile, different grin, different everything."