mind belonged to a Cinrusskin, a member of a species acknowledged to be the
most sensitive and sympathetic intelligent life-form known to the Federation who
was regarding a brother in extreme distress while the Earth-human half was
feeling for a friend in the same condition, and it was difficult to be cool and
clinical for both of them.
“I’m sorry,” he said inadequately.
“I know you are, friend Conway,” Prilicla said, turning toward him. “You should
not have taken that tape.”
“He was warned,” O’Mara said gruffly, but his expression showed concern.
Conway was a member of an empathic race. All the memories and experience of his
GLNO life were those of a normally healthy and happy empath, but now he was no
longer an empath. He could see, hear, and touch Prilicla, but the faculty was
missing which enabled him to share the other’s emotions and which subtly colored
every word, gesture, and expression so that for two Cinrusskins to be within
visual range was unalloyed pleasure for both. He could remember experiencing
empathic contact, remember having the ability all his life, but now he was
little more than a deaf-mute. What he was feeling from Prilicla so strongly was
a product of his imagination: It was sympathy, not empathy.
His human brain did not possess the empathic faculty, and it was not bestowed by
filling his mind with memories of having had it. But there were other memories
as well, covering a lifetime’s experience of Cinrusskin clinical physiology, and
these he could, use.
“If you don’t mind, Doctor Prilicla,” Conway said with cool formality, “I would
like to examine you.”
“Of course, friend Conway.” Prilicla’s uncontrollable shaking had diminished to
a steady, continuous trembling, an indication that Conway’s emotional radiation
was under control. “There are more symptoms, Doctor, which are causing severe
discomfort.”
“I can see that,” Conway said as he gently moved aside one of the incredibly
fragile wings to place his scanner against the empath’s thorax. “Describe them,
please.”
In the two hours since Conway had last seen it, Prilicla had changed in ways
which were individually subtle but cumulatively marked. There was a strange
lack of animation and concentration in the large, triple-lidded eyes; the
delicate structure which supported the wing membranes had softened and warped so
that the translucent and iridescent membrane had fallen into unsightly folds and
wrinkles; its four tiny, wonderfully precise manipulators, which should one day
make it one of the finest surgeons in the hospital, were quivering in spite of
being gripped tightly together, and the overall aspect was of a GLNO who was old
and grievously ill.
While Conway continued the examination, the Cinrusskin part of his mind shared
his bafflement at the findings and described symptoms. They were both sure, and
in this their agreement was based on the GLNO tape donor’s personal experience
and Conway’s knowledge acquired over many years in Sector General, that Prilicla
was close to death.
The empath’s trembling increased sharply, then diminished as Conway once again
forced a feeling of clinical detachment on himself. He said calmly, “There is no
evidence of deformation, obstruction, lesion, or infection which might cause
the symptoms you describe. Neither can I see any cause for the respiratory
difficulty you are experiencing. Some degree of empathic hypersensitivity occurs
in adolescents of your specie5′ my Cinrusskin alter ego tells me, but in nothing
like the in* tensity you describe. It is possible, I suppose, that there is a
nonpathogenic and nontoxic involvement with the central nervous system.”
“You think it’s psychosomatic?” O’Mara said harshly, i3″3″ bing a finger toward
Prilicla. “This?” .
“I would like to eliminate that possibility,” Conway repljf” calmly. To
Prilicla, he said, “If you don’t mind I would & to discuss your case with Major
O’Mara outside.”
“Of course, friend Conway,” the empath said. The constant trembling seemed as if
it would shake the fragile body apart. “But please have that Cinrusskin tape
erased as quickly as possible. Your heightened levels of concern and sympathy
are helping neither of us. And consider, friend Conway, your tape was donated by
a great Cinrusskin medical authority of the past. In all modesty, I can say
that, before coming to Sector General and in preparation for my work here, I had