Chapter
13
A Serialized Story of the
Not So Distant Future
April 12, 2005
Part Seventeen
Morning came slowly, Sam laid awake the whole time. He decided that he must be a little nuts; he was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt for what happened to Gaby and it was causing him to create elaborate fantasies.
If they persisted, he would have to see a doctor, maybe even get some sleeping pills. What about the other day? Was he really out of his body or was that just a dream? If that was real, then the other experiences might be real as well, but if he could prove that it was fake, then he could dismiss the rest of this stuff.
He heard his Mom getting up, and coming down the hallway.
"Good morning Sam."
"Morning."
"Are you alright dear?"
"Yeah, I didn't sleep too well."
"Oh, sorry. You have a physical therapy session at 11 today, but if you're too tired then we can change it."
"No Ma, I'm fine."
She went in to take her shower and Sam went back to thinking about his experiences of the last few days. He had to find a way to prove it or disprove it. Disproving it would be best, then he wouldn't have to deal with the rest of this crazy crap.
If he could find that girl Dawn, wait - she was on TV, so it must be real! Shit! I don't want it to be real. Sam continued this circular train of thought all through breakfast. He finally got his mind off of it by remembering his stock.
"Mom, I need to call the brokerage about my stock." Sam said, "so
I'll be on the phone for a bit."
"Oh sure Sam, I have my cell if I need it."
Sam went up to his room to get his account information. He printed out the new account information and went back downstairs to the phone. "Note to self, I need my own phone." He muttered. He used to have a cell, but that was ten years ago now. He picked up the receiver and punched the numbers. He had to get through several automated sections before he got to a human operator.
"Good morning, my name is Karen how may I help you today?"
"Hi, I have some questions about my account." Sam said.
"Sure, may I have your account number?"
Sam gave her the number as well as his the last four digits of his social security number for verification.
"Thank you Mr. Quinn, now how may I help you today?"
"Well, I have just gotten out of a very long hospital stay, and I'm a little confused about my account. Do I really have 600 shares of Google?"
"Yes sir, I show that 600 shares were transferred from Smith, Shatz, and Mahoney, isn't that amount correct?"
"I'm not sure. You see, I bought 100 shares back in 2004 and I've spent the last ten years in a coma, so I don't know if the stock split or what."
"Oh my God, you poor man!" Karen said. "Well, I don't have records from before the transfer, but I can call up the history of Google. Hold on one second."
"You said that you bought 100 shares in 2004?"
"Yes." Sam said.
"I see that it split 2 for 1 back in 2006, and 1.5 to 1 in 2007. That would give you 300 shares."
"Then the stock changed name to Google International and it's corporate headquarters moved to Canada."
"Is that when it started trading in Euros?"
"Yes, they switched their primary listing to the newly formed EU
Grand Markets."
"After that, the stock suffered a set back for a couple of years, but rebounded in 2009. In 2010 it split 2 for 1 again, which brings you up to 600 shares."
"So it is correct, and the extra cash in the account?"
"Probably from dividends and interest over the years." Karen said.
"Cool. Can I request a check?" Sam asked.
"Certainly sir, would you like to sell your stock or just withdraw
some cash?"
"I'll take some cash for now," Sam said. "Can you convert the Euro's
to US currency?"
"Yes sir, there is a small fee for the conversion. 1 dollar per
hundred converted."
"Oh sure." Sam said.
"How much would you like to withdraw?"
"I'll take 3000.00 for now."
"Excellent, I'll process that right now, would you like it transferred to your bank account or mailed to your house."
"Oh, you better mail it."
"Very good sir, and is there anything else I can help you with
today?"
"No thanks." Sam said. Karen wished hima good day and he hung up the phone.
"Mom, how much do my medical bills come to?"
"Oh Sam, don't worry about that."
"Mom, my Google stock is worth a fortune, over 100 grand!"
"Oh Sam, that's wonderful!" Martha exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"
"Should I sell it then?"
"No dear, at least not all of it. I'm just glad to know it's there if we need it."
"Thanks Mom, but I do want to help out. I had some cash in the account too, I have a check for 3000 coming."
"You keep your money Sam, you deserve to have something for yourself after so many years."
Sam felt a lot better that morning, he was actually cheerful as he went into his physical therapy session. Jose looked as buff and friendly as ever. Sam guessed that his optimism did more for people's recovery than the exercise did.
Jose put Sam through a series of stretches and movements, most of which Sam did with ease. His greatest difficulties involved his lower back and hips, partly due to the pain of being knocked down yesterday.
"Sam, I'm impressed." Jose said. "You're recovering a lot faster than I would have expected."
"Thanks, I guess I just want to get back to normal again."
"You know, " Jose said, "you might do just as well taking some Tai Chi Chuan classes. I have a friend who specializes with people that have limited mobility." He handed Sam a card.
"Isn't that like Karate? I don't think I can handle that."
"No," Jose smiled. "Tai Chi is considered meditation through movement, and it focuses on moving all the muscles in the body. Everything is done very slowly, there are even elderly people doing it."
"Sound's just my speed." Sam joked.
"How is your balance?" Jose asked.
"It feels fine, I just can't move as fast as I'd like to."
"That takes time, but you might try swimming or bicycle riding once you feel up to it. They're both excellent ways to rebuild your stamina."
"Thanks man." Sam said, they shook hands and Sam was on his way down to the cafeteria where his mother was waiting. As he walked down the hallway to the elevators, there was a woman pushing a large food delivery cart. Without even thinking about it he said: "Hi Maggie."
"Hi." She said smiling, but she clearly didn't recognize him.
How do I know her? Sam wondered. He had recognized her like an old friend, but he had never seen her before in his life. As he got on the elevator, there was a technician there named Don, Sam knew that he was married, but recently separated, Sam still didn't know why he knew any of these things.
The cafeteria seemed a cheerful enough place. It had a row of full sized windows which looked out onto a well sculpted garden. The floor inside was carpted, and the tables each had a small vase with flowers on them. Martha was sitting at a table by herself reading a newspaper, there was a cup of coffee by her side.
"How's the food here?" Sam asked.
"Oh, that was quick." Martha said. "The food here is very good, come here I have to introduce you to someone." She led Sam over to the cashier at the register.
Before Martha said a word, Sam already knew that her name was Patty.
"Patty, this is my son Sam. He was in your Skilled Nursing Unit for a very long time."
"Hi Sam, it's so nice to finally meet you. Your Mom and me have been friends for a long time now. " Patty was a very pretty woman who had one of those eternally young faces. She had red hair which was tied back in a braid, and big brown eyes. Her voice was full of energy and compassion. She was, Sam thought, what every hospital worker should be like.
"It's great to meet you." Sam said
"Sam's just getting physical therapy now." Martha said.
"Well good for you." Patty said. "You look great."
"Uh, thanks," Sam said. He wondered if she would have said that if she knew what he looked like before the accident.
They got some lunch at the cafeteria, they had stuffed pork chops and mashed potatoes which Sam found delicious.
"I had a lot of meals here during your stay." Martha said, "the people here are really great."
"I feel like I know them already." Sam said, "I'm actually recognizing some of the staff even though I never saw them before. Maybe I overheard them when I was comatose."
"Well, you know I read a lot of articles about comas, while you were out, and a lot of people have memories of the doctors and nurses talking while they were in the room." Martha said, "I don't think it's so impossible, there were many times I thought you knew I was talking to you."
"Wow Mom, I'm impressed." Sam said. Maybe that is it, he thought,
this psychic stuff might really just be in my imagination.
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