I decided to use the unwanted free time to think about the problem of restoring me to my former self. I sat on the floor of the playpen and tried to reconstruct the equations that governed the field in my head without benefit of my notes. Try as I might, I couldn’t remember the equations. It was as if I had never seen them. They had been completely wiped from my memory by the blow or at least that’s what I thought at the time. I wept a little in frustration and Gina, who was walking by while cleaning house, happened to see me. She picked me up and said, “Poor baby! Are you crying? You must be all tired out! It’s been a busy day for you, hasn’t it? Why don’t we put you down for a nap? You feel better after you’ve gotten some sleep!”
I let myself be carried back to the nursery for a nap before dinner and gratefully laid my head on the pillow as she tucked me in. She woke me later that evening and fed me the chicken and vegetable purée that I had detested so much when I ate it at the hospital. Somehow I must have gotten used to the taste, because when I ate it for dinner, it seemed to have an acceptable flavor. Not good, mind you, but acceptable. She finished her meal quickly and put away the dishes without giving me a bottle of formula to wash my meal down. I must confess I grew fussy because of my thirst and I kicked up a little to get her attention.
