Dr. Tai glanced down and then back at his patient. “Not you, necessarily,” he put his hands up as if pushing back. “ButLizmight be. I’m not saying physically or actively not letting herself—or you remember. But I am saying that mindfully, Liz may be too shocked or stressed or traumatized by recent events or problems that she is keeping herself in a…shell…so to speak. Leaving her body and bare mind to fend for themselves for some time.”
Matt watched Liz process that thought.
“Unfortunately, the longer that Liz chooses to stay locked inside, the harder it may be to come out,” the doctor informed.
Matt appreciated the doctor’s sympathetic and soft tone. He stepped toward Liz and knelt down to face her. “Liz, I only brought you here because you needed help in remembering and there’s only so much I could do.”
Liz frowned. “Only so much? You haven’t done anything,” Liz replied in almost a whisper.
From the corner of his eye, Matt noticed the doctor glance at him.
“Yes, Dr. Tai, let’s do this.” She pulled her hand away from Matt’s grip. “I’m ready,” she offered with a nod.
Matt stepped away from the two and moved to the door and pulled his fist against his mouth, breathing hard into it.
“Close your eyes, Liz,” Dr. Tai directed.
Liz willingly shut them.
The doctor continued to instruct Liz to shift various parts of her body to ensure even and upright positions. Once he was satisfied, he instructed her breathing and guided her in clearing her mind. Liz obediently followed each tranquilly spoken command.
“Liz, I want you to go to the place just before you opened your eyes in your hospital room. Go back to the seconds before the first flash of light you remember seeing. You’re probably going to see blackness, but focus on it and see if another image comes to mind.”
After a few short seconds, Liz spoke. “I see other flashes of light. But they’re burry.”
“What color are they?”
“White, red, umm…maybe yellow.”
“What do you feel when you see these lights?”
“I’m…I’m trying not to feel.”
Dr. Tai frowned and tilted his head to the side. “Whatareyou trying to do?”
“I’m trying to clear my eyes. They’re wet.”
Matt swallowed and shifted.
“Okay. That’s very good. Liz. Now let’s try to go back more. What happened before your eyes became wet? Can you go back to the moment before?”
“Yes.”
“Is someone with you?”
“Yes.”
“What was the last thing you remember saying to this person?”
Liz frowned. “I realized I left it back at the house.”
“What was this object you were referring to?”
“My phone.”
Matt frowned. Then he turned to the doctor, who met his eyes only to see Matt’s impatient expression. He threw his arms in the air and shook his head as if to ask where he was going with this. The doctor responded by holding up his hand to Matt and mouthed the word SLOW. Then continued.
“Did you forget your phone?”
