ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第67部分

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fine　them。　He　supposed　he　should　hate　this　old　man　whose　negligence　had　caused　his　own　son's　death；　and　perhaps　later　on　he　would。　But　for　now　there　was　only　a　dull；　deep　aching　and　a　sense　of　melancholy。　Maybe　it　was　as　well　for　the　time　being　that　a　great　deal　of　work　appeared　to　be　facing　them　all。　At　least　he　could　try　to　lose　himself　in　some　of　it。
　〃I　understand；〃　Pearson　said。　〃Well；　then；　will　you　work　in　the　media　kitchen　and　stay　with　it　until　all　the　plates　are　ready　for　use？　We　must　have　them　all　by　the　end　of　today。〃
　〃I'll　get　started。〃　Alexander　followed　McNeil　out。
　Now　Pearson　was　thinking　aloud。　〃We　shall　have　ninety…five　cultures；　say　a　hundred。　Assume　that　50　per　cent　will　be　lactose　positive；　leaving　the　other　50　per　cent　to　be　investigated　further；　it　shouldn't　be　more　than　that。〃　He　glanced　at　Coleman　for　confirmation。
　〃I'd　agree。〃　Coleman　nodded。
　〃All　right　then；　we　shall　need　ten　sugar　tubes　to　a　culture。　Fifty　cultures…that　means　five　hundred　subcultures。〃　Turning　to　Bannister；　Pearson　asked；　〃How　many　sugar　tubes　are　ready…clean　and　sterilized？〃
　Bannister　considered。　〃Probably　two　hundred。〃
　〃Are　you　sure？〃　Pearson　looked　at　him　searchingly。
　Bannister　colored。　Then　he　said；　〃A　hundred　and　fifty　anyway。〃
　〃Then　order　three　hundred　and　fifty　more。　Call　the　supply　house　and　say　we　want　them　delivered　today；　and　no　excuses。　Tell　them　we'll　take　care　of　the　paper　work　later。〃　Pearson　went　on。　〃When　you've　done　that；　begin　preparing　the　tubes　in　sets　of　ten。　Use　those　on　hand　first；　then　the　others　when　they　e。　Check　your　sugar　supplies　too。　Remember　you'll　need　glucose；　lactose；　dulcitol；　sucrose；　mannitol；　maltose；　xylose；　arabinose；　rhamnose；　and　one　tube　for　indole　production。〃
　Pearson　had　rattled　off　the　names　without　hesitation。　With　the　ghost　of　a　smile　he　said　to　Bannister；　〃You'll　find　the　list　and　table　of　reactions　for　Salmonella　typhi　on　page　sixty…six　of　laboratory　standing　orders。　All　right；　get　moving。〃
　Hastily　Bannister　scurried　to　the　telephone。
　Turning　to　David　Coleman；　Pearson　asked；　〃Can　you　think　of　anything　I've　forgotten？〃
　Coleman　shook　his　head。　The　old　man's　grasp　of　the　situation；　as　well　as　his　celerity　and　thoroughness；　had　left　Coleman　both　surprised　and　impressed。　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　can't　think　of　a　thing。〃
　For　a　moment　Pearson　regarded　the　younger　man。　Then　he　said；　〃In　that　case；　let's　go　and　have　coffee。　It　may　be　the　last　chance　we'll　have　for　quite　a　few　days。〃
　
　Now　that　Mike　Seddons　had　gone；　it　came　to　Vivian　just　how　big　a　gap　his　absence　left　behind　and　how　long…drawn…out　the　next　few　days　were　going　to　seem　without　him。　She　believed；　though；　she　had　been　right　in　asking　Mike　to　remain　away　for　a　time。　It　would　give　them　both　a　chance　to　adjust　and　to　think　clearly　about　the　future。　Not　that　Vivian　needed　any　time　to　think　herself；　she　was　quite　sure　of　her　own　feelings；　but　it　was　faker　to　Mike　this　way。　Or　was　it？　For　the　first　time　it　occurred　to　her　that　by　acting　as　she　had　perhaps　she　was　asking　Mike　to　prove　his　love　for　her；　while　accepting　her　own　without　question。
　But　that　was　not　what　she　had　intended。　Vivian　wondered　uneasily；　though；　if　Mike　had　taken　it　that　way…if　she　had　appeared　to　him　untrusting　and　unwilling　to　accept　his　devotion　at　face　value。　He　hadn't　seemed　to；　it　was　true；　but　perhaps　after　thinking　things　over；　as　she　herself　was　doing　at　this　moment；　he　might　decide　that　was　the　way　it　was。　She　speculated　on　whether　she　should　call　him　or　send　a　note　explaining　what　she　had　really　intended…that　is；　if　she　were　sure　herself。　Was　she　sure　though…even　now？　At　times　it　was　so　difficult　to　think　clearly；　you　started　out　doing　what　you　thought　was　right；　then　you　wondered　if　someone　else　might　misinterpret；　might　look　for　hidden　meanings　that　you　had　never　considered　yourself。　How　could　you　be　really　sure　what　was　the　best　thing　to　do　about　anything　。　。　。　anywhere　。　。　。　ever　。　。　。　？
　There　was　a　light　tap　on　the　door　and　Mrs。　Loburton　came　in。　Seeing　her；　suddenly　Vivian　forgot　that　she　was　all　of　nineteen；　adult；　able　to　decide　things　for　herself。　She　held　out　her　arms。　〃Oh；　Mother；〃　she　said；　〃I'm　so　terribly　mixed　up。〃
　
　The　physical　checkups　on　food　handlers　were　proceeding　briskly。　In　a　small　consulting　room…the　first　of　a　row　of　similar　rooms　in　the　outpatients'　department…Dr。　Harvey　Chandler　was　concluding　his　examination　of　one　of　the　male　cooks。　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃you　may　get　dressed。〃
　At　first　the　chief　of　medicine　had　not　been　sure　whether　it　would　be　dignified　for　him　to　handle　some　of　the　physicals　himself　or　not。　But　eventually　he　had　decided　to；　his　attitude　being　somewhat　that　of　a　manding　officer　who　feels　morally　bound　to　position　himself　at　the　head　of　his　troops　during　a　beach…head　assault。
　Actually　Dr。　Chandler　had　been　inclined　to　resent　the　dominance　of　the　situation　up　to　this　point　by　Drs。　O'Donnell　and　Pearson。　O'Donnell　was；　of　course；　the　medical…board　president　and　entitled　to　be　concerned　with　the　over…all　welfare　of　the　hospital。　All　the　same；　Chandler　reasoned；　he　was　merely　a　surgeon　and　typhoid　was　essentially　a　matter　for　internal　medicine。
　In　a　sense　the　chief　of　medicine　felt　deprived　of　a　starring　role　in　the　present　crisis。　In　some　of　his　more　ultimate　thoughts　Dr。　Chandler　sometimes　pictured　himself　as　a　man　of　destiny；　but　opportunities　to　prove　the　point　were　all　too　rare。　Now；　with　an　opportunity　at　hand；　he　was　being　relegated；　if　not　to　a　minor　role；　at　least　to　a　secondary　one。　He　had　to　admit；　however；　that　the　arrangements　made　by　O'Donnell　and　Pearson　appeared　to　be　working　well；　and　at　least　they　all　had　the　mon　aim　of　ending　this　deplorable　outbreak　of　typhoid。　Frowning　slightly；　he　told　the　cook　who　had　now　dressed；　〃Remember　to　be　especially　careful　about　hygiene。　And　practice　absolute　cleanliness　when　you're　working　in　the　kitchen。〃
　〃Yes；　Doctor。〃
　As　the　man　went　out　Kent　O'Donnell　came　in。　〃Hi；〃　he　said。　〃How's　it　going？〃
　Chandler's　first　inclination　was　to　reply　huffily。　Then；　he　decided；　perhaps　there　was　not　really　that　much　to　be　concerned　about。　And　apart　from　the　minor　fault　of　O'Donnell's　being…in　Chandler's　opinion…a　little　too　democratic　at　times；　he　was　a　good　man　to　have　at　the　head　of　the　board　and　certainly　a　big　improvement　over　his　predecessor。　Therefore；　amiably　enough；　he　answered；　〃I　lost　count　some　time　ago。　I　suppose　we're　getting　through　them。　But　there's　nothing　to　show　so　far。〃
　〃What's　the　news　of　the　typhoid　patients？〃　O'Donnell　asked。　〃And　the　four　suspected　cases？〃
　〃You　can　make　it　four　definite　now；〃　Chandler　said；　〃and　scratch　two　of　the　suspects。〃
　〃Anyone　in　danger？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　Thank　God　for　antibiotics！　Fifteen　years　ago　we'd　have　been　in　a　lot　more　trouble　than　we　are。〃
　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so。〃　O'Donnell　knew　better　than　to　inquire　about　isolation　procedure。　For　all　his　pompousness　Chandler　could　always　be　relied　on　to　do　the　correct　thing　medically。
　〃Two　of　the　patients　are　nurses；〃　Chandler　said。　〃One's　from　Psychiatry；　the　other　from　Urology。　The　other　two　are　men…a　generator…room　worker　and　a　clerk　from　the　records　office。〃
　〃All　from　widely　separated　parts　of　the　hospital；〃　O'Donnell　said　thoughtfully。
　〃Exactly！　There's　no　mon　denominator　except　hospital　food。　All　four　took　their　meals　in　the　hospital　cafeteria。　I　don't　think　there's　any　question　that　we're　on　the　right　track。〃
　〃Then　I　won't　hold　you　up；〃　O'Donnell　said。　〃You've　two　more　people　waiting　outside；　but　some　of　the　other　men　have　more；　and　we're　shifting　them　around。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Chandler　said。　〃I'll　just　keep　going　until　we're　clear；　nothing　must　stop　us…no　matter　how　long　it　takes。〃　He　sat　in　his　chair　a　little　straighter。　He　had　the　feeling　that　there　was　a　touch　of　derring…do　and　a　ring　of　Old　Glory　to　his　own　forthright　words。
　〃Right　you　are；〃　O'Donnell　said。　〃I'll　leave　you　to　it。〃
　A　little　piqued　by　the　casual　reaction；　the　chief　of　medicine　said　stiffly；　〃You　might　ask　the　nurse　to　send　in　the　next　one；　will　you？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　O'Donnell　went　out；　and　a　moment　later　a　girl　kitchen　worker　entered。　She　was　holding　a　card。
　Chandler　said；　〃I'll　take　that。　Sit　down；　please。〃　He　put　the　card　in　front　of　him　and　selected　a　blank　case…history　sheet。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　girl　said。
　〃Now；　first　I　want　your　medical　history…yourself　and　your　family…as　far　back　as　we　can　go。　Let's　start　with　your　parents。〃
　With　the　girl　responding　to　his　careful　questioning；　Chandler's　rapidly　written　notes　began　to　fill　the　sheet　in　front　of　him。　As　always；　when　he　was　finished　the　result　would　be　a　model　of　good　case…history　reporting；　suitable　for　inclusion　in　any　medical　textbook。　One　of　the　reasons　Dr。　Chandler　was　chief　of　medicine　at　Three　Counties　was　because　he　was　an　extremely　precise　and　conscientious　clinician。
　
　Walking　away　from　the　mandeered　outpatients'　department；　Kent　O'Donnell　permitted　himself　to　think；　for　the　first　time　with　any　degree　of　perspective；　of　some　of　the　day's　events　so　far。　It　was　now　midafternoon；　and　since　this　morning　so　much　had　happened　that　it　had　been　impossible　to　grasp　the　implications　of　it　all。
　In　swift　and　unexpected　succession　had　e；　first；　the　incident　of