The Lobotomist's Wife(29)

“We have it from here, Ruthie.” Robert grabbed her elbow and led her to the door. “I’ll call for you as soon as the surgery is over.”

It felt like days went by as Ruth waited in her office for the surgery to finish. Paperwork usually required all of her attention, and she had planned to distract herself today by studying the hospital’s ledgers to prepare for a board presentation later that month. There were several increases in spending that she and Charles would need to justify. Still, she could barely focus. After three trips to the kitchen for coffee that she did not need, several trips to the washroom, and even a brisk stroll along the boardwalk, she had still heard nothing. She stood up again, preparing to walk over to the hospital and see what was taking so long, when her phone rang.

“Mrs. Apter, it’s Nurse Riley. Dr. Apter asked me to let you know that Miss Connor is back in her room.”

“She’s back?” The tension in Ruth’s body eased slightly. “How is she?”

“The doctors are pleased. But she is still asleep.”

“All right, thank you. Tell them I will be there momentarily!”

Ruth raced excitedly to the ladies’ ward.

“She’s all right?” Ruth asked Robert, who was standing outside Penelope’s room when she came flying down the hall.

“Well, we still have quite a bit of recovery to manage but, yes, the surgery couldn’t have gone better. Eddie was brilliant. I was able to get quite a good view the entire time and helped ensure that he severed the proper white matter. I have already done a postoperative evaluation of her basic reflexes, and her eyes, hands, and feet are all responsive to stimuli.”

“Is she already awake then?”

“No, no, not yet. Let’s see, it is 1:30 now. We began at 10:18, finished at 11:22. Anesthesia was administered at 10:03, so she should be recovering from her sedation by 1:48, at the latest.”

Ruth laughed nervously at her husband’s precision. She knew that he had not only already written down all the details of the exact times he had just recited, but he had surely taken photos to accompany his notes.

Please, please let her be okay. Her heart thumped as she entered Penelope’s room to find Edward and Nurse Riley by her bedside. “Any change?” Robert asked.

“She is beginning to come out of the anesthesia,” Edward said. “Moving her limbs a bit. Temperature and pressure steady. No other bleeding than the one vessel we encountered during the surgery.” He gestured encouragingly to Ruth. “If you squeeze her hand, she should respond.”

Ruth approached and gave Penny’s small hand a gentle squeeze. Penelope returned the gesture as her eyelids fluttered open. She blinked several times, as if trying to find her focus, and then stared directly at Ruth. “Ruth.” She smiled. “You’ve come to visit.”

They let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Of course.” Ruth’s face relaxed into a broad grin. “I told you I’d be here, didn’t I?”

“Miss Connor”—Robert moved closer to the bed—“I am going to ask you a few questions, all right?” Penelope nodded her head. “Do you know who I am?”

“Dr. Apter. Ruth’s husband.”

“Very good. And what is the day today?”

“Mon . . . no, Tues . . . it is Wednesday! I know because I wasn’t allowed to eat dinner last night because of my surgery and it was the only thing I like—shepherd’s pie!” Penelope frowned.

“As soon as you can eat again, I will make sure you get a special shepherd’s pie feast!”

Ruth’s face stretched into an even wider grin.

“And what is your name?”

“Penelope.”

“And your family name?”

Ruth watched as Penelope seemed to struggle for a moment to recall and then said proudly, “Connor. You know that already, silly.” She giggled. “You just called me Miss Connor!”

“Right you are.” Robert looked so happy he just might have giggled himself. “Miss Connor, how do you feel today?”

“Great.”

“Are you happy? Sad? Angry?”

“Oh, happy, happy, happy,” she said and clapped her hands together.

“Wonderful. Dr. Wilkinson”—Robert turned to Edward—“make sure you are getting all of this.”

Edward nodded, already writing.

“You had surgery today, do you remember?”

“I sure do. It was awfully fast.”

“Yes, well, it feels that way because of the anesthesia.” Robert smiled at her encouragingly. “And why, Miss Connor, did you have this surgery? Do you remember that?”

Penelope looked to Ruth, and Ruth grew tense. Penelope was still in such a fragile state. After the scene she had caused this morning, why would Robert try to stir up these emotions now?

But instead of another outburst, Penelope gazed at them placidly.

“I can’t say that I do, Doctor. Can’t have been very important, I suppose?” Ruth was relieved but also a bit surprised. Could she really have forgotten her terror this morning? Her behavior these past years? Still, she was calm and, by her own reporting, happy. That wasn’t something she had claimed to be in as long as Ruth had known her. “I am very sleepy all of a sudden. I think I will rest now.” Penelope closed her eyes and peacefully nodded off to sleep.