Next morning, Linda and Julie woke me up at 6am.
"Sorry Patti, but Dr. Mallard wants X-rays before breakfast," Linda said.
"And blood work," added Julie.
And so, dressed in a hospital gown, they wheeled me to the front desk of the pediatric ward where an orderly took over. I could have walked, but hospital rules being what they are...
Julie and Linda said they would see me tonight and wished me luck with my tests today.
Today?
I thought I would get some advance notice, but it seemed the good doctor wanted to catch me unawares. Having me tossed out of a very pleasant sleep did the trick. I was nervous and yet strangely, eagerly anticipating what was to come. I might not know everything there was to know about Patti's life yet, but these tests were to determine my mental state and my ability to reason. My own mind was as sharp if not sharper than ever having been thrown into circumstances that defied the laws of science.
I waited for the X-rays to be completed, not a big deal, and sat through the blood sucking that followed. Then it was on to a secluded room where I met an obese man with a goatee. He introduced himself as Dr. Getty and announced he was here to administer and proctor a series of psychological tests.
The MMPI took just over an hour to complete and then Dr. Getty had an orderly take me to breakfast while he ran the test through a Scan-Tron reader.
Half an hour later, I was back in the isolated room facing the good doctor. His face was expressionless as he proceeded to administer the "Cognistat" test. He followed this with an abbreviated SAT test and after four hours in his 'care', I was wheeled back to my floor.
My lunch was waiting for me as well as another note. I guess that as long as the Head Nurse didn't see anything in the notes that might be problematic, she allowed them through. This one was a bit more complex, but it raised my hopes. It became clear to me that Patricia had been a Trekkie in her former life and was counting on me to understand the code.
My name was clearly printed on the outside of the note, but the text inside showed that Einstein was having a jab at me.
Peppermint,
"Q" (the nurse wrote it as cue), has passed judgment and allowed further exploration. Voyager has been dropped in the DQ. The path has changed.
Future uncertain but promising. Crew in good spirits. Satellite requires another trip around the moon before it can begin broadcasting.
Safe journey.
Einstein
Well, things were looking up indeed! I realized that Patricia had really wasted her previous life as the note showed extraordinary intelligence. Using Star Trek jargon from the future, she told me the doctor, my parents and the cops had accepted her story, and she was exploring the limits of that goodwill. The reference to Voyager being lost in the Delta Quadrant meant that she thought that the future was uncertain - my memories of my past were no longer relevant. The crew remark had to refer to his parents and it appeared they were getting along well as a family. It was the comment about the satellite that bothered me the most. Obviously, he was still under scrutiny and he figured it would take at least a month or a lunar phase before he could talk freely one on one.
I was dying to know details, but figured that Einstein would find a way to contact me before too long.
Things were definitely looking up. I knew I would pass the tests I had taken this morning, and according to Einstein, I should be out of the hospital and back home by tomorrow afternoon.
But the best laid plans of mice and men...
Father Roberto had been busy making his own plans while I had been preparing to face the real world. I should have known better than to mess with the head of a priest. They were much more experienced with it than I was, and my impulsive trait had once again caused me grief.
I got the bad news the next morning.
The good news was, as I was told by Dr. Mallard with Mom and Dad present, I had passed all of the tests with flying colors. Though there were still obvious gaps in my memory, my brain was functioning perfectly, and I had scored above normal in the general intelligence tests. My blood work and X-ray showed nothing out of the ordinary and based on a new option that had presented itself, I was to be released the next day, and I could start school the following Monday.
I wasn't sure what the 'new option' was, I was just glad I was going to be released, and I would have one more night to properly say goodbye and thanks to Linda and Julie.
Doctor Mallard wished me the best and a speedy full recovery of my memories and to feel free to drop in and see him anytime.
I was dying to hear what this 'new option' was especially since Mom didn't particularly seem overjoyed at hearing the test results. But I was learning patience and after we had another family lunch in the cafeteria, I was hit with the news.
Father Roberto had been in touch with the Bishop and had approached my 'parents' with his concerns about my well-being and safety - and his solution.
I could feel my blood start to boil.