ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第36部分

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he　handed　back　the　pad　and　pencil　the　phone　rang　on　the　other　side　of　the　lab。
　It　was　an　excuse　for　Bannister　to　turn　his　back。　His　face　red　with　anger　and　frustration；　he　crossed　to　the　wall　phone　to　answer　it。　After　listening　briefly　he　gave　a　curt　answer　and　replaced　the　instrument。　〃Gotta　go　down　to　Outpatients。〃　The　words；　almost　mumbled；　were　addressed　to　Coleman。
　He　answered　icily；　〃You　can　go　ahead。〃
　With　the　incident　closed　Coleman　found　himself　more　angry　than　he　had　realized。　What　kind　of　discipline　existed　which　allowed　insolence　like　this　from　a　lab　technician？　The　inadequate　procedure　was　serious　enough。　But　having　to　correct　it　over　the　objections　of　someone　like　this　man　Bannister　was　intolerable。　If　this　were　the　general　order　of　things；　it　seemed　probable　that　the　entire　pathology　department　was　even　more　run…down　than　he　had　believed　at　first。
　With　Bannister　gone　he　began　to　take　a　more　careful　look　at　the　rest　of　the　lab。　The　worn　equipment；　some　of　it　inadequate；　had　already　been　evident。　Now　he　saw　how　deplorably　sloppy　and　disorganized　the　whole　place　was。　The　tables　and　benches　were　cluttered　untidily　with　an　assortment　of　apparatus　and　supplies。　He　noticed　a　heap　of　dirty　glassware；　a　pile　of　yellowed　papers。　Moving　across　the　lab；　he　observed　a　section　of　a　worktable　with　fungus　growing　from　it。　From　the　other　side　of　the　room　Alexander　was　unfortably　watching　the　inspection。
　〃Is　this　the　way　the　lab　is　usually　kept？〃　Coleman　asked。
　〃It　isn't　very　tidy；　is　it？〃　Alexander　felt　a　surge　of　shame　that　anyone　should　see　this　place　the　way　it　was。　What　he　could　not　say　was　that　he　had　already　offered　to　reorganize　it　but　Bannister　had　emphatically　told　him　to　leave　things　the　way　they　were。
　〃I'd　put　it　a　little　stronger　than　that。〃　Coleman　ran　one　of　his　fingers　over　a　shelf。　It　came　away　grimed　with　dust。　He　thought　disgustedly：　All　this　is　something　to　be　changed。　On　second　thought；　though；　it　might　have　to　wait　awhile。　He　knew　he　was　going　to　have　to　be　cautious　in　his　dealings　with　people　here；　and　his　own　experience　had　already　taught　him　that　there　were　limits　to　what　you　could　acplish　quickly。　All　the　same；　he　knew　it　would　be　hard　to　curb　his　own　natural　impatience；　especially　with　this　sort　of　mess　visible　right　under　his　nose。
　For　the　past　few　moments　John　Alexander　had　been　watching　Coleman　closely。　Ever　since　this　new　doctor　had　first　e　in　with　Bannister　there　had　been　something　vaguely　familiar　about　him。　He　was　young…probably　not　much　older　than　Alexander　himself。　But　it　was　not　that　alone。　Now　Alexander　said；　〃Doctor；　excuse　my　mentioning　it；　but　I　have　a　feeling　we've　met　somewhere　before。〃
　〃It's　possible。〃　Coleman　was　elaborately　casual。　Because　he　had　supported　this　man　in　one　incident；　he　did　not　want　him　to　get　any　impression　there　was　some　sort　of　alliance　between　them。　Then　it　occurred　to　him　that　perhaps　he　had　been　a　little　too　curt。　He　added；　〃I　interned　at　Bellevue；　then　I　was　at　Walter　Reed　and　Massachusetts　General。〃
　〃No。〃　Alexander　shook　his　head。　〃It　must　have　been　before　then。　Have　you　ever　been　in　Indiana？　New　Richmond？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Coleman　said；　startled；　〃I　was　born　there。〃
　John　Alexander　beamed。　〃I　should　have　remembered　the　name；　of　course。　Your　father　would　be　。　。　。　Dr。　Byron　Coleman？〃
　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　someone　other　than　himself　had　recalled　his　father's　name。
　〃I'm　from　New　Richmond　too；〃　Alexander　said。　〃So　is　my　wife。〃
　〃Really？〃　Coleman　asked。　〃Did　I　know　you　there？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　though　I　remember　seeing　you　a　couple　of　times。〃　In　the　social　life　of　New　Richmond；　John　Alexander　had　been　several　stages　removed　from　the　orbit　of　the　doctor's　son。　As　the　thought　occurred　to　him；　there　was　a　〃ping〃　from　the　centrifuge　timer。　He　paused　to　remove　the　blood　sample　which　had　been　spun　down；　then　went　on；　〃My　father　was　a　truck　farmer。　We　lived　a　few　miles　outside　town。　You　may　remember　my　wife　though。　Her　family　had　the　hardware　store。　She　was　Elizabeth　Johnson。〃
　Coleman　said　thoughtfully；　〃Yes；　I　believe　I　do。〃　Memory　stirred。　〃Wasn't　there　something　about　her　。　。　。　she　was　in　an　accident　of　some　sort？〃
　〃That's　right；　she　was；〃　John　Alexander　said。　〃Her　father　was　killed　in　his　car　at　the　rail　crossing。　Elizabeth　was　with　him。〃
　〃I　remember　hearing　about　it。〃　David　Coleman's　mind　flew　back　over　the　years…to　the　country　doctor's　office　in　which　his　father　had　healed　so　many　bodies　until　in　the　end　his　own　had　failed　him。　He　said；　〃I　was　away　at　college　at　the　time；　but　my　father　told　me　afterward。〃
　〃Elizabeth　almost　died。　But　they　gave　her　blood　transfusions　and　she　made　it。　I　think　that　was　the　first　time　I　was　ever　in　a　hospital。　I　almost　lived　there　for　a　week。〃　Alexander　paused。　Then；　still　pleased　at　his　discovery；　〃If　you　happen　to　be　free　one　evening；　Dr。　Coleman；　I'm　sure　my　wife　would　enjoy　meeting　you。　We　have　a　small　apartment　。　。　。〃　He　hesitated；　sensing　the　truth：　though　both　had　moved　on　from　New　Richmond；　there　was　still　a　social　gulf　between　them。
　Coleman　was　aware　of　it　too。　His　brain　clicked　out　a　warning：　be　cautious　of　alliances　with　subordinates…even　one　like　this。　He　rationalized：　It　isn't　snobbery；　it's　just　a　matter　of　hospital　discipline　and　mon　sense。　Aloud　he　said；　〃Well；　I'm　going　to　be　working　quite　hard　for　a　while。　Let's　leave　it；　shall　we；　and　see　how　things　go？〃
　Even　as　he　spoke　them　the　words　sounded　hollow　and　false。　He　thought：　You　could　have　let　him　down　more　lightly　than　that。　Mentally　he　added　a　footnote　to　himself：　You　haven't　changed；　my　friend；　you　haven't　changed　at　all。
　
　Momentarily　Harry　Tomaselli　found　himself　wishing　that　Mrs。　Straughan　would　go　back　to　her　kitchens　and　stay　there。　Then　he　checked　himself：　a　good　chief　dietitian　was　a　pearl　to　be　prized。　And　Mrs。　Straughan　was　good；　of　that　fact　the　administrator　was　well　aware。
　But　there　were　times　when　he　wondered　if　Hilda　Straughan　ever　thought　of　Three　Counties　Hospital　as　a　unified　whole。　Most　times　when　talking　with　her　he　gained　the　impression　that　the　hospital's　heart　consisted　of　kitchens；　from　which　other　and　less　important　facilities　radiated　outward。　He　reflected；　though…Harry　Tomaselli　was；　above　all；　a　fair…minded　man…that　this　sort　of　attitude　was　often　found　in　people　who　took　their　jobs　seriously。　And；　if　it　were　a　failing；　he　certainly　preferred　it　to　slackness　and　indifference。　Another　thing：　a　good　department　head　was　always　willing　to　fight　and　argue　for　something　which　he　or　she　believed　in；　and　Mrs。　Straughan　was　a　fighter　and　arguer　in　every　ample　cubic　inch　of　her。
　At　this　moment；　her　big　bulk　overflowing　a　chair　in　the　administrator's　office；　she　was　fighting　hard。
　〃I　wonder　if　you　realize；　Mr。　T。；　how　serious　this　is。〃　Mrs。　Straughan　invariably　used　the　surname　initial　when　addressing　people　she　knew；　she　had　a　habit　of　referring　to　her　own　husband　as　〃Mr。　S。〃
　〃I　think　so；〃　Harry　Tomaselli　said。
　〃The　dishwashers　I　have　now　were　obsolete　at　least　five　years　ago。　Every　year　since　I've　been　here　I've　been　told：　Next　year　we'll　give　you　your　new　ones。　And　when　next　year　es；　where　are　my　dishwashers？　I　find　they're　put　off　for　another　twelve　months。　It　won't　do；　Mr。　T。　It　just　won't　do。〃
　Mrs。　Straughan　always　used　the　personal　pronoun　〃my〃　when　referring　to　equipment　in　her　charge。　Tomaselli　had　no　objection　to　this。　What　he　did　object　to　was　Hilda　Straughan's　unwillingness　to　consider　any　problems　other　than　her　own。　He　prepared　to　cover；　once　more；　the　ground　they　had　gone　over　just　a　week　or　two　before。
　〃There's　no　question；　Mrs。　Straughan；　that　the　dishwashers　are　going　to　be　replaced　eventually。　I　know　the　problem　you　have　down　there　in　the　kitchens；　but　those　are　big；　expensive　machines。　If　you　remember；　the　last　estimate　we　had　ran　a　little　under　eleven　thousand　dollars；　allowing　for　changes　in　the　hot…water　system。〃
　Mrs。　Straughan　leaned　over　the　desk；　her　massive　bosom　brushing　a　file　tray　aside。　〃And　the　longer　you　leave　it　the　more　the　cost　will　go　up。〃
　〃Unfortunately　I'm　aware　of　that　too。〃　The　rising　cost　of　everything　the　hospital　bought　was　a　problem　Tomaselli　lived　with　daily。　He　added；　〃But　right　at　this　moment　hospital　money　for　capital　expenditures　is　extremely　tight。　The　building　extension；　of　course；　is　partly　responsible。　It's　simply　a　question　of　allocating　priorities；　and　some　of　the　medical　equipment　has　had　to　e　first。〃
　〃What　good　is　medical　equipment　if　your　patients　don't　have　clean　plates　to　eat　their　food　from？〃
　〃Mrs。　Straughan；〃　he　said　firmly；　〃the　situation　is　not　as　bad　as　that；　and　both　of　us　know　it。〃
　〃It's　not　very　far　removed　from　it。〃　The　chief　dietitian　leaned　forward　and　the　file　tray　took　another　shove；　Harry　Tomaselli　found　himself　wishing　she　would　keep　her　breasts　off　his　desk。　She　went　on；　〃Several　times　lately　whole　loads　of　dishes　going　through　my　machines　have　still　been　dirty　when　they　came　out。　We　try　to　check　as　much　as　we　can；　but　when　there's　a　rush　it　isn't　always　possible。〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I　can　understand　that。〃
　〃It's　the　danger　of　infection　I'm　worried　about；　Mr。　T。　There's　been　a　lot　of　intestinal　flu　among　the　hospital　staff　lately。　Of　course；　when　that　happens　e