Chapter 17 - The EEG Test
At two in the morning, two technicians rolled a heavy diagnostic machine into Room 4.
They were performing a full electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure Leo's brain activity.
They attached dozens of tiny wires to his scalp using thick white paste.
I stood outside the glass door, watching through the window.
David sat near the foot of the bed, his face buried in his hands.
The machine began printing long, jagged lines of electrical data onto a digital screen.
Dr. Aris stood beside the technicians, observing the readout with a severe, focused expression.
After thirty minutes, the test concluded, and the technicians removed the wires from Leo's hair.
Dr. Aris spoke briefly with David before stepping out into the hallway to address me.
"What did it show?" I asked, stepping toward the doctor.
"There is electrical activity," Dr. Aris said cautiously.
"His brain is not brain-dead, which is a positive sign."
"However, there are significant areas of slowing, particularly in the temporal lobes."
"What does that mean for him?"
"We won't know the functional impact until we begin weaning the sedation tomorrow morning," Dr. Aris explained.
"He may wake up entirely normal, or he may face cognitive or physical deficits."
"Tomorrow is the test."
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He looked at me, his eyes showing a sliver of sympathy despite everything.
"You should try to sleep, Mrs. Vance. Tomorrow will be very difficult."
