David had Nicole paged and waited for her in the lobby. When she first appeared and they greeted each other, they were both uneasy. David quickly learned that there was a new man in Nicole’s life. David was pleased, and he began to relax.
For privacy, Nicole took David into the doctors’ lounge. Once they were seated he told her the whole story of his and Angela’s disastrous sojourn in Bartlet. He then told her what he wanted.
“What do you think?” David asked. “Would you mind seeing what information is available?”
“Will this be just between us?” Nicole asked.
“My word of honor,” David said. “Except for Angela, of course.”
“I assumed that,” Nicole said. She pondered the situation for a few minutes, then nodded. “Okay,” she said. “If someone is killing patients then I think the ends justify the means, at least in this instance.”
David handed Nicole the short list of people: Devonshire, Van Slyke, Forbs, Ullhof, and Maurice.
“I thought you were only interested in two,” Nicole said.
“We know all five of these people were in the military,” David said. “And all five have tattoos. We might as well be thorough.”
Using the social security numbers and birth dates Nicole obtained the military ID numbers on each person. She then began calling up the records. There was an immediate surprise. Both Forbes and Ullhof had also been given medical discharges. Only Maurice had mustered out normally.
Both Forbs’ and Ullhof’s discharge diagnoses were pedestrian: Forbs was released because of chronic back problems while Ullhof had been discharged because of nonspecific, chronic prostatitis.
Van Slyke’s and Devonshire’s were not so innocuous. Van Slyke’s was the most complicated. Nicole had to scroll through page after page of material. Van Slyke had been discharged with a psychiatric diagnosis of “schizo-affective disorder with mania and strong paranoid ideation under stress.”
“Good Lord,” David said. “I’m not sure I understand all that. Do you?”
“I’m an ophthalmologist,” Nicole said. “But I gather the translation is that the guy is schizophrenic with a large component of mania.”
David looked at Nicole and raised his eyebrows. “Sounds like you know more about this stuff than I do,” he said. “I’m impressed.”
“I was interested in psychiatry at one point,” Nicole said. “This Van Slyke fellow sounds like the kind of person I’d stay away from. But for all his mental trouble, look at all the schooling he went through, even nuclear power school. I hear that’s quite rigorous.”
Nicole continued to scroll through the material.
“Wait,” David said, leaning on her shoulder. He pointed to a passage that described an incident where Van Slyke had had a psychiatric break while on patrol on a nuclear submarine. At the time, he’d been working as a nuclear-trained machinist’s mate for the engineering department.
David read aloud: ” ‘During the first half of the patrol the patient’s mania was apparent and progressive. He exhibited elevated mood which led to poor judgment and feelings of hostility, belligerence, and ultimately to persistent paranoid thoughts of being ridiculed by the rest of the crew and being affected by computers and radiation. His paranoia reached a climax when he attacked the captain and had to be restrained.’ ”
“Good grief,” Nicole said. “I hope I don’t see him in the clinic.”
“He’s not quite as wacko as this makes him sound,” David said. “I’ve even spoken to him on several occasions. He’s not sociable or even friendly, but he does his job.”
“I’d say he was a time bomb,” Nicole said.
“Being paranoid about radiation while on a nuclear submarine isn’t so crazy,” David said. “If I ever had to be on a nuclear submarine, it would drive me up the wall knowing I was so close to a nuclear reactor.”
“There’s more history here,” Nicole said. She read aloud: ” ‘Van Slyke has a history of being a loner type. He was raised by an aggressive, alcoholic father and a fearful and compliant mother. The mother’s maiden name was Traynor.’ ”
“I’d heard that part of the story,” David said. “Harold Traynor, the fellow’s uncle, is the chairman of the board of trustees.”
“Here’s something else interesting,” Nicole said. She again read aloud: “The patient has demonstrated the tendency to idealize certain authority figures but then turn against them with minor provocation, whether real or fancied. This behavior pattern has occurred prior to entering the service and while in the navy.” Nicole looked up at David. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be his boss.”