the desk.
“You look svelte,” I said.
“Running. I’m doing long distance, now.” She
flexed a muscle and laughed.
“Very impressive.”
“It helps center me.” She sat on theedge of the
desk. “What brings you around here after all this
time?”
“Raoul wants me to help out with the Swopes.”
Her expression changed without warning, the features
hardening and gaining a few years. With forced
amiability she said, “Good luck.”
Raoul stood up and started to lecture.
‘”
Delaware is an expert in the psychosocia/
care of children with ma/ignant,,
“lRaoul,” I interrupted, “why don’t you let Beverly
fill me in on the case. There’s no need for you
to spend any more time at this point.”
He lOOked at his watch.
“Yes. Of COUrse.” To Beverly: “You’ll give him a
comprehehsive rundown ?,,
“Of course, Dr. Melendez-Lynch,,, she said sweetly.
“You want me to introduce you to Woody?’,
“Don’t bother. Bev wil!handle it.”
His eyes darted from me to her and then back to
his watch.
“Al/right. I’m off. Call if you need’
He removed the stethoscope from me.”
and swung it at his side as he left. around his neck
“I’m sorry,” I said to her when we were a/one.
“Forget it, it’s not
asshole.”
your fault. He’s such an
“You’re the second person he’s riled this morning.’,
“There’//be plenty of others before
Who was the first?”
the day’s up.
“Nona Swope.”
“Oh. Her. She’s
“It
angry at the world.”
must be rough for her,” I said.
“I’m sure,” she agreed, “but I think she was an
angry young lady long before her brother got can-
cer. I tried to develop a rapport with herewith a/l
of them–but-they shut me out. Of COUrse,” she
added, bitterly, ‘ou may do much better.”
“Bev, I’ve got
Raoul called me .no stake.in being a miracle, worker,
m a panic, gave me no background,
and I tried to do a friend a favor, okay ?”
“You should pick your friends with greater care.”
BLOOD TEST 61
her own words, just let her listen to the echoes of
i It worked.
.- “Okay, Alex, I’m sorry for being such- a bitch. It’s
just that he’s impossible to work for, gives no credit
when you do a good job, and throws these incredible
tantrums when things go wrong. I’ve put in for
a transfer, but until they find a sucker to replace
me, I’m stuck.”
“No
.
one can do this type of work for very long,” I
said.
“Don’t I know it! Life’s too short. That’s why I
–
got into mnning–i COme home al/burnt out and
after a couple of hours of pushing my body to the
limit I’m renewed.”
“You look great.”
“Do I? I was starting to worry about getting too
thin. Lately I’ve been losing my appetiteoh, hell,
I must sound like a real egomaniac, griping like this
When I’m surrounded by people in real crises.”
“Griping is a God-given right.”
‘Tll try to look at it that
pul/ed out a notebook. “I way.” She smi/ed and
suppose you want
psychosoeial rundown on the Swopes.”
a
“It wou/d help.”
“The name of the game is weirdthese are strange
people, Alex. The mother never ta/ks, the father
talks al/the time, and the sister can’t stand either
of them.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The way she looks at them. And the fact that
she’s never around when they are. It’s like she feels
.outWoody of place. She doesn’t
W]len
she’s here, keepPsay much attention to
strange hours–shows
up late at night, or real/y early in the morning. The
62
Jonathan ltlerman
night staff says ‘she mostly sits and stares ‘at him–usually
he’s asleep, anyway. Once in a while.she’ll
go in the unit and read him a book, but that’s about
it. The pounds thr doesn’t do much in the way of stimulation,
either. He likes to flirt with the nurses, acts
like he knows it all.”
“Raoul told methe same thing.”
“Raoul’s not totally incapable of insight” She
laughed maliciously. “Seriously, Mr. Swope is a
different kind of guy. Big fellow, gray-haired with
a beer gut and a little goatee. Kind of like Buffalo
Bill without the long hair. He’s really cut off from