Based on that flashback in tonight's chapter, I'm wondering if Naveen has some type of dementia, like Alzheimers.
Maybe his symptoms were starting out then and that's why he forgot about Ethan putting Anika on NSAIDS.
And it would also explain why he was so calm about dying in OH1, because he already had a life sentence.
I think Ethan and Naveen (and possibly Harper) know Naveen has dementia, and it'll come up at the trial and it'll be revealed that the error was in fact Naveen's fault (because he was beginning to suffer from memory issues) and not Ethan's.
I just did a little research on Alzheimers and it's broken down into seven stages.
Stage 1: There are no symptoms at this stage but there might be an early diagnosis based on family history.
Stage 2: The earliest symptoms appear, such as forgetfulness.
Stage 3: Mild physical and mental impairments appear, such as reduced memory and concentration. These may only be noticeable by someone very close to the person.
Stage 4: Alzheimer’s is often diagnosed at this stage, but it’s still considered mild. Memory loss and the inability to perform everyday tasks is evident.
Stage 5: Moderate to severe symptoms require help from loved ones or caregivers.
Stage 6: At this stage, a person with Alzheimer’s may need help with basic tasks, such as eating and putting on clothes.
Stage 7: This is the most severe and final stage of Alzheimer’s. There may be a loss of speech and facial expressions.
If we're to go by what happened in the flashback, Naveen would have been at stage three of dementia, judging by his forgetfulness and him nicking Anika's larynx, which might have been caused by tremors due to cognitive impairment.
Stage three can last up to seven years and the impairment is only mild.
It makes OH1 hit a lot differently if my theory is true, especially when he talks about slowly dying and having a lot of time to think, as with Alzheimer’s he IS slowly dying.
And Ethan specifically said Naveen was having trouble with his memory and seemed confused at times.
This could have been because of the encephalitis, but it could have also been because of his cognitive decline.
Encephalitis and memory issues due to Alzheimers combined would have quite an effect on Naveen's ability to remember things.
He tried to deny his mystery illness in OH1, so it makes sense to me that he might hide his cognitive issues too, the incident with Anika acting as a wake up call as he put her at risk by being in denial about his cognitive impairment.
But it does make me wonder if Naveen is going to die before the end of OH3, making the story come full circle.
OH1: Ethan & MC work to save Naveen's life, Ethan works to save MC's career.
OH2: Ethan saves MC when she's about to die.
OH3: Naveen saves Ethan from losing his career and then dies after Ethan's name is cleared?
I feel like I might be giving PB too much credit to pull this off, but it would be somewhat poetic (though extremely heartbreaking) from a fictional standpoint because the story would come full circle for Naveen.
Ethan saves Naveen's reputation (and his life) and Naveen returns the favor by testifying for him and telling the court the truth about what happened with Anika.
There's been foreshadowing about death in the book already, and Henry died, but I feel like there's going to be one more before the book ends.
Side note: There was a mention of a gas leak in chapter one by Jackie, maybe there's an explosion at the hospital that kills Naveen instead of his mysterious illness from the flashback?
And Sienna also said about how good decoration can cover up anything? Just after the hospital was renovated in a suspiciously quick time frame, which was also mentioned in the first chapter?
Something tells me Leland's overhaul would violate a lot of building codes.
It could be a red herring to throw us off but I'm not ruling it out.
I believe Ethan did tell Naveen about the NSAIDS in the meeting and Naveen forgot, then he put her on voriconazole and caused the drug interaction that made her go into anaphylaxis.
But Ethan took the blame for the interaction and the tracheotomy procedure out of loyalty to Naveen.
Then Naveen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he, Ethan and (maybe) Harper knew about it, but Naveen begged him (or them) to keep it quiet like he did when he was sick in OH1.
Naveen and Marlene will no doubt be called to testify too as they were in the room too.
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As I was typing this I remembered that Naveen was also highly interested in Elijah's study and asking him a lot of questions about it at the wedding.
Maybe he has an illness like Michael the Kennedy's patient or like distal muscular dystrophy like Remy in the first book?
I'm not sure how they would affect memory but they probably would impair cognitive function as well as physical?
Maybe Naveen is hoping this trial might help him too?
Ethan said he couldn't tell us more about his suit because of 'personal issues' as well as legal ones.
Maybe they're Naveen's personal issues and Ethan is protecting his secret like he did in OH1 when Naveen was dying of sepsis?
Anyway, in a nutshell I'm convinced Naveen was ill in that flashback and what happened to Anika was his fault.
And it'll come to light in the court case because Naveen will want to save Ethan's career and not let him be collateral damage for his error.
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Though I am 100% convinced Leland has looked through Ethan's patient records (UM HIPAA ANYONE?) and paid Anika to sue Ethan to get revenge on him for not being a doormat he can walk over.
And MC will testify in the courtroom and what she/he says will depend on whether you've chosen to support Ethan, be neutral with Ethan or be against Ethan.
I've chosen a mixture of neutral and supportive answers for Ethan and chosen neutral or against answers for Leland.
I wonder what the consequences will be for the choices you choose for Leland?
I can't imagine any good consequences no matter what you choose for Leland because he's an asshole.
He'll stab you in the back no matter what you do, even if you support him and not Ethan, because MC is just a pawn in his war against Ethan.
Anyway, that's my (EXTREMELY) long winded ramble.
I hope this all makes sense.
This chapter has given me a lot to think about.
And I'm wondering about the roles of Harper and Tobias, because I'm still convinced one of them will betray Ethan.
Though I saw someone say something about MC betraying Ethan based on the choices and I think that's a possibility.
Someone on the team will betray Ethan, I can feel it.
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