“What’s going on here?” he burst out. “Are you just standing around waiting for me to have another bloody heart attack? Or are you disappointed it didn’t happen?”
For a moment there was silence, and stillness except for the Hudlar nurse who moved a tentacle toward him and lowered it again. Then the Medalont said, “We are not disappointed, Patient Hewlitt, but otherwise your assessment of the situation is accurate. The first cardiac incident had to be caused by something, and there was a possibility, admittedly a very slim one, that my extraction of the blood specimen was responsible. Although you were not to receive any medication, I overlooked the fact that a trace quantity of local anesthetic is injected routinely prior to blood withdrawal so as to render the procedure pain-free. The timing and circumstances have now been reproduced, so far without results, which means that we must look elsewhere for the cause. Unless . . Your facial skin coloration is darkening, Patient Hewlitt. How do you feel now?”
“I feel like strangling you, he thought. Aloud, he said, “Fine, Doctor.”
“The monitor confirms,” said Leethveeschi.
“In that case,” said Medalont, looking at the others in turn, “you will maintain monitor surveillance, station the resuscitation team within a two-minute response distance, and allow the patient to compose itself before lunch. Never fear, Patient Hewlitt, we will find out and cure whatever it is that is troubling you. But for the present we will leave you alone.”
“Not entirely alone,” said Braithwaite. “I would like to have a few words with him.”
“As you wish, Lieutenant,” said the senior physician as it and the other two doctors withdrew. Leethveeschi and the Hudlar nurse held back.
“You are not to do anything that will disturb my patient,” said the Jllensan in its most authoritative charge-nurse voice. “Nor will you ask or say anything that is likely to precipitate another medical emergency.”
Lieutenant Braithwaite looked from the irate chlorinebreather to the hulking, massively strong body of the Hudlar and back again. “Nurses,” he said, smiling, “I wouldn’t dare.”
When they were alone he sat down on the edge of Hewlitt’s bed and said, “I’m Braithwaite, Other-Species Psychology Department. It makes a nice change to talk to someone who has the right number of limbs and things.”
Hewlitt still felt like strangling or at least verbally assaulting someone, but this Braithwaite character had not said or done anything to make himself a candidate. Not yet. Instead he looked along the ward in the direction of the nurses’ station and the figure of Leethveeschi and ignored the psychologist.
“What are you thinking about?” Braithwaite said when the silence began to drag. He smiled and added, “Is that the kind of question you are expecting me to ask?”
“You didn’t call me Patient Hewlitt like the others,” he replied, turning to face the psychologist. “Was that intentional, or because you don’t think there is anything wrong with me so I’m not a real patient? Or did you forget my name?”
“You need not call me Lieutenant or Braithwaite,” said the other, and the silence returned.
Finally Hewlitt said, “All right, I’ll answer your question. I am thinking about that ghastly charge nurse, and wondering how can say that I’m sorry for misjudging it and thank it for saving my life.”
Braithwaite nodded. “I’d say that you have the words about right, and all you have to do is say them to Leethveeschi rather than me.”
For some reason Hewlitt was finding it difficult to maintain his anger toward this man. He said, “You are here to tell me, or to try to convince me, that my problems are all in my mind. This has happened to me many times, man and boy, so let’s not waste our time being friendly. Yes?”
“No,” said Braithwaite firmly. “I intend to waste time being friendly.”
The lieutenant changed his position on the side of the bed, moving so close that he had to support his weight with one arm stretched across Hewlitt’s thighs. Hewlitt could feel the other’s breath on his face as he said, “Do you mind me sitting here? Would you prefer me to move back, or stand?”
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