that’s the image he wants to project, okay? It’s important that he be
seen as a bad guy to get the job done. What he’s doing is important,
Alex. As important as medicine. He’s been working on it for a long TIME ”
“Four and a half years,” I said. “I’ve heard all about the noble
quest. Is getting you in as division head part of the master plan?”
She turned and faced me. “I don’t have to answer that. I deseri’e
that promotion. Rita’s a dinosaur, for God’s sake. She’s been
coasting on her reputation for years. let me tell you a story: A
couple of months ago we were doing rounds up on Five East. Someone had
eaten a McDonald’s hamburger at the nursing station and left the box up
on the counter-one of those Styrofoam boxes for takeout? With the
arches embossed right on it? Rita picks it up and asks what it is.
Everyone thought she was kidding. Then we realized she wasn’t.
McDonalds, Alex. That’s how out of touch she is. How can she relate
to our patient mix?”
“What does that have to do with Cassie?”
Stephanie held her book next to her, like body armor. My
nightaccustomed eyes made out the title. Pediatric Emergencies.
“Light reading?” I said. “Or career advancement?”
“Damn you!” She grabbed the door handle. let go. Sank back.
“Sure it’d be good for him ill was head-the more friends he can get
close to them, the better chance he has of picking up more information
to nail them with. So what’s wrong with that? If he doesn’t get them,
there’ll be no hospital at all, soon.”
“Friends?” I said. “You sure he knows what that means? Laurence
Ashmore worked for him, too, and he doesn’t speak very fondly of
him.”
Ashmore was a jerk-an obnoxious little schmuck.”
“Thought you didn’t know him very well.” kø “I didn’t-didn’t have
to.
I told you how he treated me-how blase he was when I needed help.”
“Whose idea was it to have him review Chad’s chart in the first
place?
Yours? Or Bills? Trying to dish up some additional dirt on the
Joneses?”
“What’s the difference?”
“Be nice to know if we’re doing medicine or politics here.”
“What’s the difference, Alex? What’s the damned differ’nte! The
important thing is results. Yes, he’s my friend. Yes, he’s helped me
a lot, so ill want to help him back, that’s okay! What’s wrong with
that!
Our goals are consistent!”
“Then why not help Cassie?” Shouting myself “I’m sure the two of you
have discussed her! Why put her through one more second of misery if
Mr. Helpful can put an end to it?”
She cowered. Her back was up against the driver’s door. “What the
hell do you want from me? Perfection? Well, sorry, I can’t fill that
bill. I tried that-it’s a short road to misery. So just lay off,
okay?
Okay?”
She began to cry.
I said, “Forget it. let’s just concentrate on Cassie.”
“I am,” she said in a small voice. “Believe me, Alex, I am
concentrating on her-always have been. We couldn’t do anything,
because we didn’t know-had to be sure. That’s why I called you in.
Bill didn’t want me to, but I insisted on that. I put my foot down-I
really did.
I kept silent.
“I needed your help to find out,” she said. “To know for sure that
Cindy was really doing it to her. Then Bill could help. At that
point, we could confront them.”
“Then?” I said. “Or were you just waiting until Bill gave the
signal?
Until his plan was in place and he was ready to take down the whole
family?”
“No! He. . . We just wanted to do it inaway that would. . be
effective. Just jumping in and accusing them wouldn’t be.
“Strategic?”
“Efjirtive! Or ethical-it wouldn’t be the right thing. What if she
wasn’t guilty?”
“Something organic? Something metabolic?”
“Why not! I’m a doctor, dammit, not God. How the hell could I know?
Just because Chuck’s a piece of slime didn’t mean Cindy was! I wasn’t
sure, dammit! Getting to the bottom of it is your job-that’s why I
called you in.”