After David and Angela did what they could for Nikki’s spirits, they left the ICU. They were chary with each other as they exited the hospital. Their conversation focused on Nikki and how pleased they were her clinical course was so smooth. Both of them were certain her emotional state would improve as soon as she was transferred out of the unit.
On the route home, Angela drove slowly to keep David in sight as he pedaled his bicycle. They arrived home at the same time. It wasn’t until they were seated in the family room, ostensibly to watch the evening news, that David nervously cleared his throat.
“I’m afraid I have some rather bad news,” he said. “I’m embarrassed to tell you I was fired this afternoon.” David saw the shock registered in Angela’s face. He averted his eyes. “I’m sorry. I know it’ll be difficult for us. I don’t know what to say. Maybe I’m not cut out to be a doctor.”
“David,” Angela said, reaching out and grabbing his arm. “I was fired, too.”
David looked at Angela. “You were?” he asked.
She nodded.
He reached out and pulled her close. When they leaned back to look at each other again, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“What a mess,” David said at last.
“What a coincidence,” Angela added.
They each shared the sorry details of their last acts at Bartlet. In the process, Angela also filled David in on Walt’s latest discovery and her impromptu meeting with Calhoun.
“He thinks the tattoo will help find the murderer,” Angela said.
“That’s nice,” David said. He still didn’t share Angela’s enthusiasm for the case, especially with the new turmoil in their lives.
“Calhoun had some intriguing news as well,” Angela said. She explained Calhoun’s theory that the hospital rapist and Hodges’ killer were one and the same.
“Interesting idea,” David said. But his thoughts were already elsewhere. He was wondering what he and Angela would do to support themselves in the immediate future.
“And remember those admission summaries Hodges was waving around? Calhoun figured out how they’re related,” Angela said. “They’d all died, and apparently all the deaths came as a surprise to Hodges.”
“What do you mean a surprise?” David asked, suddenly becoming interested.
“I guess he didn’t expect them to die,” Angela said. “He had treated them before they transferred to CMV. Calhoun was told that Hodges blamed both CMV and the hospital for their deaths.”
“Do you have any of the histories on these patients?” David asked.
“Just their admission diagnoses,” Angela said. “Why?”
“Having patients die unexpectedly is something I can relate to,” David said.
There was a pause in the conversation while David and Angela marveled at the day’s events.
“What are we going to do?” Angela asked finally.
“I don’t know,” David said. “I’m sure we’ll have to move, but what happens to the mortgages? I wonder if we’ll have to declare bankruptcy. We’ll have to talk to a lawyer. There’s also the question of whether we’ll want to sue our respective employers.”
“There’s no question in my mind,” Angela said. “I’ll sue for sexual harassment if not wrongful dismissal. There’s no way I’ll let that slime Wadley get off scot free.”
“I don’t know if suing is our style,” David said. “Maybe we should just get on with our lives. I don’t want to get bogged down in a legal morass.”
“Let’s not decide now,” Angela said.
Later they called the ICU. Nikki was continuing to do well. She was still without a fever.
“We might have lost our jobs,” David said, “but as long as Nikki is okay we’ll manage.”