ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第31部分

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s　as　fortable　as　any　and　quiet。　I　believe　our　administrator　wrote　you　about　the　apartment　situation。〃
　〃Yes；　he　did；〃　Coleman　said。　〃I'd　like　to　do　something　about　that　quite　quickly。〃
　〃You　won't　have　any　problem；〃　O'Donnell　said；　then　added；　〃Perhaps　you'd　like　to　take　a　day　or　two　to　fix　up　an　apartment　before　you　report　at　the　hospital。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　thank　you。　I　plan　to　start　work　tomorrow　morning。〃
　Coleman　was　polite　but　definite。　O'Donnell　thought：　This　is　a　man　who　makes　up　his　mind；　then　states　his　opinion　plainly。　He　sounded；　too；　as　if　he　were　not　dissuaded　easily。　O'Donnell　found　himself　speculating　on　how　Joe　Pearson　and　David　Coleman　were　going　to　get　along。　Superficially　it　looked　as　if　they　might　clash。　But　you　could　never　tell。　Sometimes　in　a　hospital　the　most　unlikely　people　hit　it　off　like　lifetime　friends。
　Looking　around　him　as　they　drove　through　the　approaches　to　the　city；　David　Coleman　found　himself　close　to　a　sense　of　excitement　at　the　prospect　ahead。　This　was　unusual　because　mostly　he　took　whatever　came　with　a　matter…of…fact　acceptance。　But　it　was；　after　all；　his　first　staff　appointment　to　a　hospital。　He　told　himself：　a　touch　of　down…to…earth　humanity　is　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of；　my　friend；　then　smiled　inwardly　at　the　silent　self…criticism。　Old　habits　of　thought；　he　reflected；　were　hard　to　break。
　He　wondered　about　O'Donnell；　sitting　beside　him。　Everything　he　had　heard　about　the　chief　of　surgery　at　Three　Counties　had　been　good。　How　was　it；　he　wondered；　that　a　man　with　O'Donnell's　background　and　qualifications　would　choose　a　place　like　Burlington？　Did　he；　too；　have　a　mixed…up　motivation；　or　was　there　some　other　reason？　Maybe　he　just　liked　it　here。　There　were　some　people；　Coleman　supposed；　whose　preferences　were　straightforward　and　unplicated。
　O'Donnell　pulled　out　to　pass　a　tractor…trailer。　Then　he　said；　〃I'd　like　to　tell　you　a　couple　of　things；　if　I　may。〃
　Coleman　said　politely；　〃Please　do。〃
　〃We've　had　a　number　of　changes　at　Three　Counties　these　past　few　years。〃　O'Donnell　was　going　slowly；　choosing　his　words。　〃Harry　Tomaselli　told　me　you'd　heard　of　some　of　them…as　well　as　our　plans。〃
　Coleman　smiled。　〃Yes；　I　had。〃
　O'Donnell　sounded　his　horn　and　a　car　ahead　of　them　moved　over。　He　said；　〃The　fact　of　your　being　here　represents　a　major　change；　and　I　imagine　that；　once　installed；　there　will　be　other　changes　you'll　want　to　make　yourself。〃
　Coleman　thought　of　the　hospital's　pathology　department　as　he　had　seen　it　during　his　brief　visit。　〃Yes；〃　he　responded；　〃I'm　sure　there　will。〃
　O'Donnell　was　silent。　Then；　more　slowly；　he　said；　〃Whenever　we　could；　we've　tried　to　make　our　changes　peaceably。　Sometimes　that　hasn't　been　possible；　I'm　not　one　who　believes　in　sacrificing　a　principle　just　to　keep　the　peace。〃　He　looked　sideways　at　Coleman。　〃Let's　be　clear　about　that。〃
　Coleman　nodded　but　made　no　answer。　O'Donnell　went　on；　〃All　the　same；　wherever　you　can；　I'd　suggest　you　move　discreetly。〃　He　smiled。　〃Do　what　you　can　by　persuasion；　and　save　the　big　guns　for　things　that　really　matter。〃
　Nonmittally　Coleman　said；　〃I　see。〃　He　was　not　sure　just　what　he　was　being　told；　he　would　need　to　know　O'Donnell　better　before　deciding　that。　Had　he　been　wrong　in　his　impression　of　O'Donnell？　Was　the　chief　of　surgery；　after　all；　just　a　pussyfooter？　Was　Coleman　being　told　here　and　now；　as　a　newer；　not　to　rock　the　boat？　If　that　were　so；　they　would　quickly　find　they　had　obtained　the　wrong　man。　David　Coleman　made　a　mental　note　not　to　take　a　long　lease　on　any　apartment　he　might　find　in　Burlington。
　O'Donnell　was　wondering　now　if　he　had　been　wise　in　saying　what　he　had。　They　had　been　fortunate　to　get　this　man　Coleman；　and　he　had　no　wish　to　put　him　off；　not　right　at　the　beginning。　But　all　the　time　at　the　back　of　O'Donnell's　mind　had　been　the　problem　of　Joe　Pearson　and　Pearson's　admitted　influence　with　Eustace　Swayne。　As　far　as　he　could　O'Donnell　wanted　to　be　loyal　to　Orden　Brown；　in　the　past　the　board　chairman　had　done　a　good　deal　to　support　the　chief　of　surgery。　O'Donnell　knew　that　Brown　wanted　Swayne's　quarter　million　dollars　and；　indeed；　the　hospital　needed　it　badly。　And　if　that　meant　placating　Joe　Pearson　a　little；　O'Donnell　was　prepared　to　go　along…within　reason。
　But　where　did　hospital　politics　end　and　O'Donnell's　responsibility　as　a　medical　practitioner　begin？　It　was　a　question　that　troubled　him；　someday　he　might　have　to　decide　just　where　the　line　of　demarcation　lay。　Was　he　himself　playing　politics　now？　O'Donnell　supposed　he　was。　If　he　were　not；　he　would　not　have　just　said　what　he　had　to　Dr。　Coleman。　Power　corrupts；　he　thought；　you　can't　escape　it；　no　matter　who　you　are。　He　considered　expanding　the　subject　a　little　more　with　Coleman；　perhaps　taking　the　younger　man　into　his　confidence；　then　decided　against　it。　Coleman　was；　after　all；　a　newer；　and　O'Donnell　was　acutely　aware　that　he　had　not　penetrated　yet　behind　those　cool　gray　eyes。
　Now　they　were　ing　into　the　city　center；　the　streets　of　Burlington　hot　and　dusty；　sidewalks　shimmering　and　the　black…top　roadways　sticky　in　the　heat。　He　turned　the　Buick　into　the　forecourt　of　the　Roosevelt　Hotel。　A　porter　opened　the　car　doors　and　began　to　remove　Coleman's　bags　from　the　rear　seat。
　O'Donnell　said；　〃Would　you　like　me　to　e　in？　Make　sure　everything's　in　order？〃
　From　outside　the　car　Coleman　answered；　〃There's　really　no　need。〃　Once　more　the　quiet　but　definite　statement。
　O'Donnell　leaned　across　the　seat。　〃All　right。　We'll　expect　you　tomorrow　then。　Good　luck。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　The　porter　slammed　the　doors；　and　O'Donnell　eased　the　car　into　the　city　traffic。　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　It　was　2　P。M。　He　decided　he　would　go　to　his　own　office　first；　the　hospital　later。
　
　Seated　on　the　leather…covered　bench　outside　the　outpatients'　laboratory　of　Three　Counties；　Elizabeth　Alexander　wondered　why　it　was　that　the　corridor　walls　had　been　painted　two　shades　of　brown　instead　of　something　lighter　and　brighter。　It　was　a　dark　part　of　the　hospital　anyway；　a　little　yellow；　or　even　a　light　green；　would　have　made　the　place　so　much　more　cheerful。
　From　as　far　back　as　her　memory　went　Elizabeth　had　liked　bright　colors。　She　remembered；　as　a　little　girl；　the　first　pair　of　draperies　she　had　made　for　her　own　room　at　home；　they　had　been　powder…blue　chintz　with　shapes　of　stars　and　moons　woven　into　them。　She　suspected　now　that　they　had　been　very　badly　made；　but　at　the　time　they　had　seemed　quite　wonderful。　To　hang　them　she　had　gone　downstairs　into　her　father's　store　and　indulgently　he　had　sought　out　the　things　she　needed…a　rod　cut　to　the　right　length；　metal　brackets；　screws；　a　screw　driver。　She　remembered　his　groping　to　find　what　he　wanted　among　the　other　hardware…always　piled　high　and　untidily　so　that　more　often　than　not　he　had　to　search　for　whatever　a　customer　asked　for。
　That　was　back　in　New　Richmond；　Indiana…two　years　before　her　father　had　died　in　the　accident。　Or　was　it　three？　It　was　hard　to　be　sure；　time　went　by　so　quickly。　She　knew　it　was　six　months　before　her　father's　death　that　she　had　first　met　John。　In　a　way　that　had　had　to　do　with　color　too。　He　was　on　vacation　from　high　school　and　had　e　into　the　store　to　buy　some　red　paint。　By　then　Elizabeth　was　helping　in　the　store；　and　she　had　talked　him　out　of　it　and　sold　him　green　instead。　Or　was　it　the　other　way　around？　That　too　was　misty　now。
　She　knew；　though；　she　had　fallen　in　love　with　John　right　at　the　first　moment。　Probably　it　was　just　to　keep　him　in　the　store　that　she　had　suggested　the　switch　in　colors。　And　looking　back；　it　seemed　from　then　on　there　had　never　been　any　doubt　about　their　feelings　for　each　other。　They　had　stayed　sweethearts　through　the　transition　from　high　school　to　college　and　had　been　married　six　years　after　their　first　meeting。　Strangely；　though　neither　had　any　money　and　John　was　still　at　college　on　a　scholarship；　no　one　had　urged　them　to　wait。　Everyone　they　knew　seemed　to　accept　their　marriage　as　natural　and　inevitable。
　To　some　people　their　first　year　together　might　have　seemed　difficult。　To　John　and　Elizabeth　it　had　been　a　gloriously　happy　time。　The　previous　year　Elizabeth　had　gone　to　night　secretarial'　school。　And　in　Indianapolis；　where　John　was　at　college；　she　had　worked　as　a　stenographer　and　supported　them　both。
　That　was　the　year　they　had　discussed　seriously　the　question　of　John's　future…whether　he　should　aim　high　and　try　for　medical　school　or　settle　for　the　shorter　course　of　a　medical　technologist。　Elizabeth　had　favored　medical　school。　Though　it　would　mean　several　more　years　before　John　began　earning；　she　had　been　willing　to　continue　working。　But　John　was　less　sure。　For　as　long　as　he　could　remember　he　had　wanted　to　enter　medicine；　and　his　college　grades　were　good；　but　he　was　impatient　to　contribute　something　to　their　marriage。　Then　they　had　discovered　that　Elizabeth　was　pregnant　and；　for　John；　it　was　the　deciding　factor。　Over　his　wife's　protests　he　had　enrolled　in　medical…technology　school　and　they　had　moved　to　Chicago。
　There　they　had　had　their　baby　and　had　called　her　Pamela。　Four　weeks　later　the　child　had　died　of　bronchitis；　and　for　a　while　all　of　Elizabeth's　world　seemed　to　have　fallen　in　about　her。　For　all　her　stability　and　mon　sense；　she　had　gone　to　pieces　and　had　ceased　to　care。　John　had