Flyin'

DO read the post before this one if you haven't yet.

I don't know about Tim (as he's off at work in LA), but I would say Nancy is very nearly more wiped out now, after getting Wiley's big school news yesterday, than she was when it looked like Wiley would be at home indefinitely. There's just something in the relief factor of getting a clear answer ("he's gonna be ok") when you've been in holding-your-breath mode for 5.5 weeks straight. Wham. Straight to the gut. Knocks that breath you've been holding right out of you.

Despite his mom's post-traumatic state of shock, Wiley and I got quite a kick out of teasing her about her apparent brain damage when I stopped by yesterday: she couldn't for the moment recall the name of the movie they'd watched the night before. And really, it's only a good thing when your kid who came out of neurosurgery 2 weeks ago is smart-alecky all over again, just like a 14-year old should be. (My role in the tease can only be justified, maybe, by my great pleasure in being able to join Wiley in carrying it out.) Wiley was all smiles, clearly delighted himself.

Here's how the school-next-week news unfolded, more or less. Tuesday morning Wiley had a speech therapy appointment, his first since leaving the hospital. It was specifically intended as an "assessment," and was the one outpatient care service he was signed up for. After hearing nothing from the therapist, Nancy called her up the next day. "Well??? What do you think? When will he be able to go back to school?" "Oh," said the speech therapist, perhaps even a little puzzled, "I don't see any reason why he can't go back to school now." Wham.

Of course, his parents had already made plans -- since he wasn't in school -- to have him reschedule a day's tutoring and go on a little trip. Wiley and Nancy are to fly down to LA the weekend after this one to join Tim for the award-night screening of the short film "Ed Meets his Maker," for which Tim has won a Director of Photography award from the Directors' Guild (!! go, Tim!). They still get to go and all be together for the big night; Nancy and Wiley just won't be driving back on Monday as they had planned. Yes, Wiley got a green light to from the neurosurgeon to hop on a plane and fly.

Why let a little traumatic brain injury keep you earthbound?