Coma Girl: part 2 Read Free

can administer the cocktail as soon as possible.”
    “I already briefed Dr. Tyson.”
    “My apologies, sir. Dr. Tyson asked me to step in, and considering what’s on the line, I wanted to get the information directly from you.”
    “Alright then. For my own information, I’d like to see the patient’s updated Glasgow stats.”
    “I’m with the patient now,” Dr. Jarvis said. “I can give them to you real time.”
    “I’m ready,” Dr. Oscar said.
    I listened as Dr. Jarvis moved around my bed, checking and reciting my vitals in response to the neurosurgeon’s questions. When the remote doctor asked if I responded to commands, Dr. Jarvis didn’t hesitate.
    “Yes, the patient moves her fingers when I ask her to.”
    “Pupils?”
    “The pupils are dilating.”
    He didn’t add “sluggishly.”
    “The pupil dilation and response to commands shows improvement. I’ll work up a new protocol. Shall I email it to Dr. Tyson?”
    “Er, no,” Dr. Jarvis said quickly. “Send it directly to me.”
    While he gave the doctor his private contact information, I was smiling inside. Dr. Jarvis was going rogue.
     
     
     
     
     
     

August 5, Friday
     
     
    “COMA GIRL, our little secret is really eating me.”
    Roberta was back. And if our little secret was eating her, she obviously keeping pace by eating everything in the bakery case. Since she’d arrived, she’d wolfed down a vanilla bean cupcake, a butterscotch brownie bar, and was working on her second honey bun.
    “But I’ve decided to keep my mouth shut,” she said, licking her fingers. “I looked it up online and you weren’t breaking the law, so it doesn’t matter. But did you know it’s against the law to text and drive in this state? How did I miss that? And how do they expect you to let your boss know you overslept and won’t make it in on the dot? I mean, if I stopped to do that before I got in the car, I’d be even more late.”
    I can almost see her logic.
    “I forgot to bring your mail, but it’s piling up again.” She sighed. “Marigold, when are you going to wake up? It’s so sad to see you like this. And it’s sad to see all your stuff around the apartment. By the way, I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed your ladybug scarf to wear to a dinner party. I got a lot of compliments on it.”
    I don’t mind.
    “And um… there’s another thing. A reporter from a local TV station was waiting outside the apartment this morning. He asked me a lot of questions about you. I told him I was late for work—which was true—but he left me a card, asked me to call him.”
    Uh-oh. Reporters have a way of weaseling info out of people.
    “I don’t intend to call him, but girl, he was cute .”
    Double uh-oh.
    “Not that I’m interested. I’ve got my Marco, you know.” Then she sighed again. “Although he’s been scarce lately because he’s been busy moving things forward with the divorce and all.”
    Uh-huh. Leopards don’t change their spots. My guess is Marco is bouncing back and forth between his wife’s bed and Roberta’s. But that’s for Roberta to figure out. And who am I to give out romantic advice? The only man I’ve ever cared about is happily planning his nuptials to someone else.
    She cleared her throat. “Duncan came by the bakery today.”
    Right on cue.
    “He put down a deposit on the wedding cake and the groom’s cake.”
    Blackberry, I’ll bet. It’s his favorite.
    “The groom’s cake is blackberry, with caramel icing. I told him that was a good choice, and it wasn’t too late to change his mind about the pink grapefruit wedding cake. He said that was his fiancée’s idea, and I got the feeling that he’s completely whipped.”
    That hurt. It’s hard to imagine Duncan being so mesmerized by someone that he’d just go along, but isn’t that the way love is supposed to be?
    “In case you’re interested, the wedding is in November. Sounds like it’s going to be huge. The cake is five freaking