Goodman and Gillman book on pharmacology. A quick glance suggested to
Jeffrey that they chiefly dealt with the function of the autonomic nervous system. He decided to look
at the material later. He stacked the papers and set them on the table with the two medical volumes serving to anchor them.
Jeffrey joined Kelly by the kitchen sink. “What can I do?” he asked her.
“You’re supposed to be relaxing,” Kelly said as she rinsed the lettuce.
“I’d prefer to help,” Jeffrey said.
“Suit yourself. How about firing up the barbie on the back porch? The matches are in that drawer.” Kelly pointed with a lettuce leaf
Jeffrey grabbed a book of matches and went outside. The barbecue was one of those domed types powered by a cylinder of propane. He quickly figured out how the valve worked and lit it, then closed the dome.
Before going back inside, Jeffrey looked around the untended yard. The tall grass was a fresh spring green. There had been a lot of rain that spring, so all the vegetation was particularly healthy and lush. Lacy fern fronds could be seen within the thicket of trees.
Jeffrey shook his head in disbelief. It seemed almost inconceivable that only last night he had come so close to committing suicide. And only that afternoon he’d tried to flee to South America for good. And now here he was standing on a porch in Brookline getting ready to have a barbecue with an attractive, sensitive, disarmingly demonstrative woman. It almost seemed too good to be true. Then Jeffrey realized with a shock that it was; before too long he’d probably be confined to prison.
Jeffrey took in a deep breath of the cool, late-afternoon air, enjoying its purity. He watched a robin yank a worm from the moist soil. Then he went back inside to see what else he could do to help.
The dinner was delicious and a great success. In spite of the rather dire circumstances, Jeffrey managed to enjoy himself immensely. Conversation with Kelly was natural and easy. They dined on marinated tuna steaks, rice pilaf, and a mixed green salad. Kelly had a bottle of chardonnay hidden in the back of her refrigerator. It was cold and crisp. Jeffrey found himself laughing for the first time in months. That in itself was a major accomplishment.
With coffee and more of the frozen cheesecake, they retired to the gingham couch. Chris’s notes and the textbooks brought Jeffrey’s mind back to more serious thoughts.
“I hate to revert to unpleasant subjects,” Jeffrey said after a
pause in the conversation, “but what was the outcome of Chris’s malpractice case?”
“The jury found for the plaintiffs estate,” Kelly said. “Payment of the settlement was divided between the hospital, Chris, and the surgeon according to some complicated plan. I think that Chris’s insurance paid most of it, but I don’t know for sure. Fortunately this house was in my name only, so they couldn’t count that among his available assets.”
“I read a summary that Chris had written,” Jeffrey said. “There certainly wasn’t any malpractice involved.”
“With that kind of emotionally charged case,” Kelly said, “whether there was actual malpractice or not isn’t all that important. A good plaintiff attorney can always get the jury to identify with the patient.”
Jeffrey nodded. Unfortunately, it was true. “I have a favor to ask,”
Jeffrey said after a pause. “Would you mind terribly if I borrowed these notes?” He patted the pile.
“Heavens no,” Kelly said. “Be my guest. May I ask why you’re so interested in them?”
“They remind me of questions I’d had about my own case,” Jeffrey said.
“There were some mild inconsistencies that I could never explain. I’m surprised to see that the same inconsistencies appeared in Chris’s case.
The thought of a contaminant hadn’t occurred to me. I’d like to go over his notes a few more times. It’s not immediately apparent what he was thinking.
Besides,” Jeffrey added with a smile, “borrowing them will give me a good excuse for coming back.”
“You hardly need an excuse,” Kelly said. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
Jeffrey left soon after they finished their dessert. Kelly walked him out to his car. They had eaten so early that it was still daylight outside.