Bob: How’s your mum? She doing well?
Kent: Yeah, I tested her short-term and long-term memory yesterday and both are working. Her left side is still out. But her contextual awareness is low. When normal people think, we automatically double-check our surroundings but mum can’t do that any more.
Bob: I started chatting to this really hot guy this morning.
Kent: What?
Bob: Yeah, he’s really cute.
Kent: What – no response? What are you changing topics for?
Bob: Oh, I thought you finished talking about that.
Kent: How can you even say that?
Bob: What?! I just thought you’d finished.
Kent: Yeah, no, I hadn’t. Why did you change topics?
Bob: I just didn’t want you to start crying again.
Kent: What’s that got to do with it?
Bob: You know I’m not got with that stuff.
Kent: Considering how much support I’ve given you over the last 18 months…
Bob: I just can’t deal with that stuff.
Kent: Maybe you should learn a new trick.
Bob: OK, then, keep talking about her.
Kent: Wow.
Bob: I can’t cry like that. I guess I did once but I had four bottles of wine.
Kent: Yeah, and you also ran around naked.
Bob: Haha! That was a bit of a shock to everyone…
Kent: Well, I don’t know how well she’ll recover. I’ve been training my sisters to help her focus on rehab. She isn’t really aware of her condition—
Bob: Yeah, well, it’s not so bad. After my stroke I couldn’t sing any more.
Kent: I told her I’d get her car if she didn’t do the rehab exercises—
Bob: My dad’s stroke wasn’t so bad but towards the end I’m glad he went the way he did.
Kent: Yeah, I know, you told me. I need to talk about what’s been happening with mum.
Bob: I’m letting you!
Kent: Bob, I don’t wanna fight you about this! I just need to talk about what’s happening!
Bob: I never said you couldn’t! I’m letting you!
Kent: Right. OK. Don’t worry about it.
Bob: Go on. Tell me what she said.
Kent: She told me I’d have to be her driver and that I wouldn’t want that—
Bob: Ha! You already have that job as my driver.
Kent: Yep. We’ll be at the cafe in 5 minutes.
Bob: I need to buy some more eye drops.