“Bette has suffered a what?” asked Kit looking at the Doctor wishing she spoke a language she could understand. Where was Google when you needed it? Kit thought. “We did a head CT and discovered Bette has suffered a subdural hematoma. Put simply she is bleeding between the membranes that surround the brain. An injury like this is almost always caused by a blunt trauma. It can happen spontaneously after a very minor head injury. In Bette’s case caused by hitting her head in the accident. She needs immediate surgery.”

“Do it,” Tina and Kit said together. Tina has tears sliding down her face as she pleaded with the doctor standing before her, “do what ever you have to do just keep her here with me.” Dr. Martin took a step closer and placed a consoling hand on Tina’s arm, “I intend to do just that.” Tina shook herself putting on a brave face for the girls just as much for herself,

“What’s going to happen now?”

“Well, we have called in a neurosurgeon, Dr. Rainy. Basically the tiny veins between the surface of the brain and its outer covering have stretch and tore, allowing blood to collect. What he’s going to have to do is drill a small hole in her skull to try and relieve the pressure from the collection of blood on the surface of the brain. Right now we have her on Diuretics used to help reduce swelling and an Anticonvulsant medication, phenytoin, to prevent seizures.”

From the talk of swelling and seizures Tina was in shock trying desperately to grasp the Doctor’s words. It was a hard struggle but she was able to ask, “Dr. Martin, will she make it?” Dr. Martin looked momentarily at the papers in her hands choosing her words carefully. Doctors never make promises they can not keep. “The truth is,” Dr. Martin addressed the entire group, “this is a very serious situation. Although, people do make full recoveries from this kind of injury any surgery where the brain is concerned is always risky business. You have to be aware there is a chance she may have experienced some degree of brain damage ranging from low grade amnesia, coma, or,” pausing before saying the last word, “death.” The truth is a wild beast that will certainly bite you as hard as it can.