The doctor chose to ignore the patient when he was sleep talking.
A man admitted under the name James Earl Carter has a large bilobed meningioma on either side of his frontal lobe. He says I want my lawyer,but doctors determine he completely lacks the ability to understand his condition and cannot give informed consent. Dr. Wong weighs the risks and decides: the tumor must come out.
The surgery, performed by Dr. Wilson, is a success. But the first thing the patient says when he wakes up is. My name is Brian Cooper, not Carter. He accurately recites his wife Marilyn's phone number, address, and the names of his two daughters, Emma and Michaela.