of the image-you know he’s a college professor, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“The kids he teaches eat that kind of thing up. He’s a great teacher,
won awards for it.”
“That so?”
“Lots of them. You’ll never hear him toot his own horn. He was always
like that. Modest. I’ve got to do his bragging for him. He was
winning them back when he was a student. Went to Yale. Always had a
flair for it, teaching. Used to tutor the slow boys in his fraternity
and get them up to grade. Tutored high school kids, too-got a
commendation for it. It’s a gift, like anything else.”
His hands were still linked together, two stubby, fleshy grappIes. He
separated them, fanned them on the table. Closed the fingers.
Scratched the Formica.
“Sounds like you’re pretty proud of him,” I said.
“I most certainly am. Cindy too. Lovely girl, no pretensions.
They’ve created something solid-proof of the pudding is Cassie. I know
I’m not objective but that little girl is adorable and beautiful and
smart. Great disposition to boot.”
“No mean feat,” I said. “Considering.”
His eyes wandered. Closed and opened.
“You know we lost one before her, don’t you? Beautiful little boy-crib
death. They still don’t know why that happens, do they?”
I shook my head.
“That was hell on earth, Doctor. Clear out of the blue-one day he’s
here; the next. . . I just can’t understand why no one can tell me
what’s wrong with this one.”
“No one really knows, Chuck.”
He waved that off. “I still don’t understand why you’re involved.
Don’t take that personally. I know you’ve heard all sorts of horror
stories about why we abolished the Psychiatry division. But the truth
is, that had nothing to do with approving or disapproving of mental
health treatment. I certainly do approve-what’s not to approve?
Some people need help. But the fact is that the weak sisters running
Psychiatry had no idea how to construct a budget and stick to it, let
alone do their own jobs competently. The clear picture I got from the
other doctors was that they were inept. Of course, to hear it now,
they were all geniuses-we destroyed a center of psychiatric
brilliance.”
He rolled his eyes. “No matter. Hopefully, one day we’ll be able to
establish a good, solid department. Bring in some top people. You
used to work here, didn’t you?”
“Years ago.”
“Would you ever consider returning?”
I shook my head.
“Why’d you leave?”
“Various reasons.”
“The freedom of the private sector? Be your own boss?”
“That was part of it.”
“So maybe if you step back you can be objective and understand what I
mean. About the need for efficiency.
Being realistic. In general, I’m finding doctors out in the private
sector do understand.
Because running a practice is running a business. It’s only the ones
who live off the- But no matter. Getting back to what I was saying,
about your involvement with my granddaughter. No one’s got the gall to
say her problems are in her head, do they?”
“I really can’t talk about details, Chuck.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Confidentiality.”
“Chip and Cindy don’t keep secrets from me.”
“I need to hear that from them. It’s the law.”
“You’re a tough one, aren’t you?”
“Not particularly.” I smiled.
He smiled back. Linked his hands again. Drank hot water.
All right. This is your business and you have to stick to your own
rules. Guess I’ve got to get some kind of permission note from
them.”
“Guess so.”
He smiled wide. His teeth were severely misaligned and brown.
“In the meantime,” he said, “am I allowed to talk to you?”
“Sure.”
He locked in on my face, studying it, with a mixture of interest and
skepticism, as if it were a quarterly report. “I’ll just assume no one
seriously thinks Cassie’s problems are mental, because that’s just too
ridiculous.”
Pause. Assess. Hoping for a nonverbal clue?
I made sure not to move.
He said, “So, the only other thing I can come up with to explain your
getting involved is that someone thinks something’s wrong with Cindy or
Chip. Which is ridiculous.”
He sat back. Kept studying. A triumphant look came on his face. I