As soon as the cameramen gave him the cue that the tape was rolling, Ed Bradley turned to David and Angela and asked them about the two men. Both said they could not place the names.
“These were two people who died in Bartlet Community Hospital with the exact same symptom complex as David’s patients,” Bradley said. “They were patients of Dr. Portland.”
“Then we wouldn’t know anything about them,” David said. “They would have expired before we started working at the hospital; Dr. Portland killed himself shortly before we moved to town.”
“What I wanted to ask,” Bradley said, “is whether you believe that these two people could have died from radiation sickness as you allege your patients did.”
“I suppose if the symptoms were the same in type, degree, and time frame, then I would say yes,” David said.
“That’s interesting,” Bradley said. “Neither one of these two people had terminal illnesses or any medical problem other than the acute problem they’d been admitted with. But both had taken out multimillion-dollar insurance policies with the hospital as the sole beneficiary.”
“No wonder Dr. Portland was depressed,” Angela said.
“Would either of you care to comment?” Ed Bradley asked.
“If they had been irradiated, then the motive was even more directly economic than it was in the other cases,” David said. “And it would certainly make our case that much more convincing.”
“If the bodies were exhumed,” Bradley asked, “could it be determined unequivocally whether or not they had died of radiation?”
“I don’t believe so,” Angela said. “The best anyone could say would be that the remains were consistent with radiation exposure.”
“One last question,” Bradley said. “Are you happy now?”
“I don’t think we’ve dared ask ourselves that question yet,” David said. “We’re certainly happier than we were several months ago, and we’re glad we’re working. We’re also thankful that Nikki has been doing so well.”
“After what we’ve been through it will take some time to put it all behind us,” Angela said.
“I think we’re happy,” Nikki said, speaking up. “I’m going to have a brother. We’re going to have a baby.”
Bradley raised his eyebrows. “Is that true?” he asked.
“God willing,” David said.
Angela just smiled.
END