“My only concern is Nikki,” Dr. Pilsner said.
“You’re welcome to stop by,” Angela said. “And if you think that continued hospitalization is needed, we’ll take her into Boston.”
“For now, just keep me informed,” Dr. Pilsner said curtly.
“He’s irritated,” David said after they’d hung up.
“I can’t blame him,” Angela said. “People must think we’re nuts.”
Both David and Angela aided Nikki in her respiratory therapy, taking turns thumping her back as she lay in the required positions. “Can I go to school on Monday?” she asked once they were done.
“It’s possible,” Angela said. “But I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“I don’t want to get too far behind,” Nikki said. “Can Caroline come over and bring my schoolbooks?”
Angela glanced at David who was petting Rusty on Nikki’s bed. He returned Angela’s gaze, and a wordless communication flashed between them. Both understood that they could no longer mislead Nikki no matter how much they hated to tell her the sad truth.
“There’s something we have to tell you about Caroline,” Angela said gently. “We’re all terribly sorry, but Caroline passed away.”
“You mean she died?” Nikki asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Angela said.
“Oh,” Nikki said simply.
Angela looked back at David. David shrugged. He couldn’t think of what else to add. He knew that Nikki’s nonchalance was a defense, similar to her response to Marjorie’s death. David felt anger tighten in his throat as he recognized that both deaths could have been the work of the same misguided individual.
It took even less time than it had with Marjorie for Nikki’s facade to crumble. Angela and David did what they could to console her, and her anguish tormented them. Both of them knew it was a devastating blow for her; not only had Caroline been her friend, but throughout her short life Nikki had been fighting the same disease from which Caroline had suffered.
“Am I going to die too?” Nikki sobbed.
“No,” Angela said. “You’re doing wonderfully. Caroline had a high fever. You have no fever at all.”
Once they had calmed Nikki’s fears, David set out for the hospital on his bike. Once he arrived, he went to medical records and immediately set about matching social security numbers and birth dates to the list of names he and Calhoun had compiled.
With that out of the way, David began to call up each medical record to sift through for descriptions of the tattoos. He hadn’t gotten far when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to face Helen Beaton. Behind her was Joe Forbs from security.
“Would you mind telling me what you are doing?” Beaton asked.
“I’m just using the computer,” David stammered. He hadn’t expected to run into anyone from administration, particularly not on a Saturday morning.
“It’s my understanding that you are no longer employed by CMV,” Beaton said.
“That’s true,” David said. “But . . .”
“Your hospital privileges are awarded in conjunction with your employment by CMV,” Beaton said. “Since that’s no longer the case, your privileges must be reviewed by the credentials committee. Until that time you have no right to computer access.
“Would you please escort Dr. Wilson out of the hospital?” Beaton said to Joe.
Joe Forbs stepped forward and motioned for David to get up.
David knew it was pointless to protest. He calmly gathered up his papers, hoping Beaton wouldn’t strip him of these documents. Luckily, Forbs simply escorted him to the door.
Now David could add “bodily thrown out of a hospital” to his brief and ignominious career record. Undaunted, he proceeded to the radiotherapy unit which was housed in its own ultra-modern building which had been designed by the same architect who had designed the Imaging Center.
The radiotherapy unit used Saturday mornings to see long-term follow-up patients. David had to wait half an hour before Dr. Holster could squeeze him in.
Dr. Holster was about ten years older than David, but he appeared even older than that. His hair was totally gray, almost white. Although he was busy that morning, he was hospitable and offered David a cup of coffee.
“So, what can I do for you, Dr. Wilson?” Dr. Holster said.