Her voice was filled with a wistful nostalgia. “My husband and I were together much of the time, as a family should be. Here, I never see him.”
Paige said, “Mrs. Chang, I know it’s difficult for you right now, but in a few years, Tom will be able to set up his own practice, and then his hours will be much easier.”
Tom Chang took his wife’s hand. “You see? Everything will be fine, Sye. You must be patient.”
“I understand,” she said. There was no conviction in her voice.
As they talked, a man walked into the cafeteria, and as he stood at the door, Paige could see only the back of his head. Her heart started to race. He turned around. It was a complete stranger.
Chang was watching Paige. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Paige lied. I’ve got to forget him. It’s over. And yet, the memories of all those wonderful years, the fun, the excitement, the love they had for each other…How do I forget all that? I wonder if I could persuade any of the doctors here to do a lobotomy on me.
Paige ran into Honey in the corridor. Honey was out of breath and looked worried.
“Is everything all right?” Paige asked.
Honey smiled uneasily. “Yes. Fine.” She hurried on.
Honey had been assigned to an attending physician named Charles Isler, who was known around the hospital as a martinet.
On Honey’s first day of rounds, he had said, “I’ve been looking forward to working with you, Dr. Taft. Dr. Wallace has told me about your outstanding record at medical school. I understand you’re going to practice internal medicine.”
“Yes.”
“Good. So, we’ll have you here for three more years.”
They began their rounds.
The first patient was a young Mexican boy. Dr. Isler ignored the other residents and turned to Honey. “I think you’ll find this an interesting case, Dr. Taft. The patient has all the classic signs and symptoms: anorexia, weight loss, metallic taste, fatigue, anemia, hyperirritability, and uncoordination. How would you diagnose it?” He smiled expectantly.
Honey looked at him a moment. “Well, it could be several things, couldn’t it?”
Dr. Isler was watching her, puzzled. “It’s a clear-cut case of—”
One of the other residents broke in, “Lead poisoning?”
“That’s right,” Dr. Isler said.
Honey smiled. “Of course. Lead poisoning.”
Dr. Isler turned to Honey again. “How would you treat it?”
Honey said evasively, “Well, there are several different methods of treatment, aren’t there?”
A second resident spoke up. “If the patient has had long-term exposure, he should be treated as a potential case of encephalopathy.”
Dr. Isler nodded. “Right. That’s what we’re doing. We’re correcting the dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, and giving him chelation therapy.”
He looked at Honey. She nodded in agreement.
The next patient was a man in his eighties. His eyes were red and his eyelids were stuck together.
“We’ll have your eyes taken care of in a moment,” Dr. Isler assured him. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, not too bad for an old man.”
Dr. Isler pulled aside the blanket to reveal the patient’s swollen knee and ankle. There were lesions on the soles of his feet.
Dr. Isler turned to the residents. “The swelling is caused by arthritis.” He looked at Honey. “Combined with the lesions and the conjunctivitis, I’m sure you know what the diagnosis is.”
Honey said slowly, “Well, it could be…you know…”
“It’s Reiter’s syndrome,” one of the residents spoke up. “The cause is unknown. It’s usually accompanied by low-grade fever.”
Dr. Isler nodded. “That’s right.” He looked at Honey. “What is the prognosis?”
“The prognosis?”
The other resident replied. “The prognosis is unclear. It can be treated with anti-inflammation drugs.”
“Very good,” Dr. Isler said.
They made the rounds of a dozen more patients, and when they were finished, Honey said to Dr. Isler, “Could I see you for a moment alone, Dr. Isler?”
“Yes. Come into my office.”
When they were seated in his office, Honey said, “I know you’re disappointed in me.”
“I must admit that I was a little surprised that you—”
Honey interrupted. “I know, Dr. Isler. I didn’t close my eyes last night. To tell you the truth, I was so excited about working with you that I…I just couldn’t sleep.”