I knew the next step for me was to try to figure out what problems she may be having so I could narrow down the injury to her brain.

“Ma’am, I’m going to ask you to answer some questions for me. They may seem a little odd, but I would like you to try your best to answer them for me, alright?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to remember these words: ‘Turkey, rain, popsicle, dog.’ Now repeat those back to me.”

“Turkey, rain, popsicle, dog.”

“That’s great. Now can you tell me who’s the president of the United States?”

That was it. That was the moment that I felt my stomach clutch, as she just stared at me. It was the only time she looked me in the eye.

“Ma’am, I understand you’ve taken some pills.”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me what you’ve taken?”

“No.”

“Can you tell me how many?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Will you tell me why?”

“So the knife wouldn’t hurt so much.”

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