White, James – Sector General 07 – Code Blue Emergency

The Chief Psychologist moved close to the bedside and looked down at her. It

said, “Hospital regulations do not allow me to do as you ask, nor would I do so

if I could. Even though you are an unusually strong and stubborn personality,

you would find it very difficult to control the other occupant of your mind. It

isn’t an alien entity fighting for control, but because the type of leading

medical specialist who donates the tapes is frequently a very strong-minded and

aggressive person used to getting its own way, it would feel as if it is

takingcontrol. The ensuing purely subjective conflict could give rise to

episodes of pain, skin eruptions, and more troublesome organic malfunctionings.

All have a psychosomatic basis, of course, but they will hurt you just as much

as the real thing. The risk of permanent mental damage is great and, until a

trainee has learned to understand the external personalities of the beings

around it, it would not receive one of their Educator tapes.

“In your case there is an additional reason,” O’Mara added. “You are a female.”

Sommaradvan prejudices, she thought furiously, evenhere in Sector General! and

made a sound that at homewould have resulted in an immediate and probably vio-*

lent breakdown in communication. Fortunately, thesound did not translate.

“The conclusion you have just jumped to is wrong,” O’Mara went on. “It is simply

that the females of all the two-sexed species yet discovered have evolved with

certain peculiarities, as opposed to abnormalities, of mind. One of them is a

deeply rooted, sex-based fastidiousness and aversion toward anything or anyone

entering or trying to possess their minds. The only exception is in the

situation when life-mating has taken place, where, in many species, the

processes of physical and mental sharing and the feelings of possession

complement each other. But I can’t imagine you falling in love with an

other-species mind impression.”

“Do male entities,” Cha Thrat asked, both satisfied and intrigued by the

explanation, “receive mind recordings from other-species females, then? Could /

be given a female tape?”

“There is only one’recorded instance of that…” O’Mara began.

“Let’s not go into that,” Conway broke in, its face becoming a darker shade of

pink. “I’m sorry, Cha Thrat,you cannot be given an Educator tape, now or ever.

O’Mara has explained why, just as he has explained the political circumstances

of your arrival here and the delicate state of the cultural contact on

Sommaradva that would be jeopardized if we simply dismissed you from the

hospital. Wouldn’t it be better for all concerned if you left of your own free

will?”

Cha Thrat was silent for a moment, her eyes turned toward the limb that she had

thought would be lost forever, trying to find the right words. Then she said,

“You don’t owe me anything for my work on ship ruler Chiang. I have already

explained, during my first meeting with the Chief Psychologist, that the delay

in attending to its injuries was caused by my not wanting to lose a limb because

if, as a result of my decision to perform the operation it lost a limb, then so

would I. As a warrior-surgeon I cannot escape a responsibility willingly

accepted.

“And now,” she went on, “if I were to leave the hospital as you suggest, it

would not be of my own free will. I cannot do, or leave undone, something that I

know to be wrong.”

The Diagnostician was also looking at the replaced limb. “I believe you,” it

said.

O’Mara exhaled slowly and half turned to leave. It said, “I’m very sorry I

didn’t pick up on that ‘losing a limb’ remark you made at our first meeting; it

would have saved us all a lot of trouble. Against my better judgment I relented

after the AUGL-One Sixteen business, but the bloody drama during the FROB

demonstration was too much. The remainder of your stay here will not be very

pleasant because, in spite of the earlier recommendations you’ve had from

Diagnostician Conwayand myself, nobody wants you anywhere near their patients.

“Let’s face it, Cha Thrat,” it ended as both Earth-humans moved toward the door,

“you’re in the doghouse.”