Dr. Harris leaned back slightly, folding his hands together as he observed Billy — not clinically, but attentively. There was a calm to him. A steadiness that didn't push, didn't prod.
"So," he began, voice level, "I've gone over the results from your scan."
Billy sat quietly, hands folded in his lap. He nodded for the doctor to continue.
"There's some swelling near the hippocampus and upper temporal lobe — the areas responsible for memory processing and recall. Given the trauma you experienced… it's consistent."
Billy's throat worked as he swallowed, but his gaze remained steady.
"Is it something that gets better on its own?" he asked softly.
Dr. Harris shook his head gently.
"In some cases, yes. But in yours, the swelling has calcified slightly — meaning it's stable, but in the wrong way. It's not getting worse, but it's not improving either. Which is why you haven't recovered your memory despite how much time has passed."
