ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第69部分

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he　asked；　〃How　is　your　wife？〃
　Quietly　Alexander　answered；　〃She'll　be　all　right。　Thank　you。〃
　For　a　moment　there　was　silence。　Then　Pearson　said　slowly；　〃I　wish　there　was　something　I　could　say　to　you。〃　He　paused。　〃But　I　don't　suppose　words　would　do　very　much　good。〃
　Alexander　met　the　old　man's　eyes。　〃No；　Dr。　Pearson；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　believe　they　would。〃
　
　Alone　in　her　hospital　room；　Vivian　had　been　trying　to　read　a　novel　which　her　mother　had　brought；　but　her　mind　would　not　register　the　words。　She　sighed　and　put　the　book　down。　At　this　moment　she　wished　desperately　that　she　had　not　forced　Mike　into　promising　to　stay　away。　She　wondered：　should　she　send　for　him？　Her　eyes　went　to　the　telephone；　if　she　called　he　would　e；　probably　within　minutes。　Did　it　really　matter…this　silly　idea　of　hers　of　a　few　days'　separation　for　them　both　to　think　things　over？　After　all；　they　were　in　love；　wasn't　that　enough？　Should　she　call？　Her　hand　wavered。　She　was　on　the　point　of　picking　up　the　receiver　when　her　sense　of　purpose　won　out。　No！　She　would　wait。　This　was　already　the　second　day。　The　other　three　would　go　quickly；　then　she　would　have　Mike　to　herself…for　good　and　all。
　
　In　the　house…staff　mon　room；　off　duty　for　half　an　hour；　Mike　Seddons　lay　back　in　one　of　the　deep　leather　armchairs。　He　was　doing　exactly　what　Vivian　had　told　him…thinking　of　what　it　would　be　like　living　with　a　wife　who　had　only　one　leg。
　
　Twenty…three
　
　It　was　early　afternoon。　Four　days　had　gone　by　since　the　initial　cases　of　typhoid　in　Three　Counties　Hospital　had　been　reported。
　Now；　in　the　administrator's　office；　serious…faced　and　silent；　Orden　Brown；　the　board　chairman；　and　Kent　O'Donnell　were　listening　to　Harry　Tomaselli　speaking　on　the　telephone。
　〃Yes；〃　the　administrator　said；　〃I　understand。〃　There　was　a　pause；　then　he　continued；　〃If　that　bees　necessary　we　shall　be　ready　with　all　arrangements。　At　five　o'clock　then。　Good…by。〃　He　replaced　the　phone。
　〃Well？〃　Orden　Brown　asked　impatiently。
　〃The　City　Health　Department　is　giving　us　until　this　evening；〃　Tomaselli　said　quietly。　〃If　we've　failed　to　locate　the　typhoid　carrier　by　then　we　shall　be　required　to　close　the　kitchens。〃
　〃But　do　they　realize　what　that　means？〃　O'Donnell　had　risen　to　his　feet；　his　voice　agitated。　〃Don't　they　know　it　will　practically　have　the　same　effect　as　closing　the　hospital。　You've　told　them；　haven't　you；　that　we　can't　get　outside　catering　for　more　than　a　handful　of　patients？〃
　Still　quietly；　Tomaselli　said；　〃I've　told　them；　but　it　doesn't　make　any　difference。　The　trouble　is；　the　public…health　people　are　afraid　of　an　outbreak　in　the　city。〃
　Orden　Brown　asked；　〃Is　there　any　news　at　all　from　Pathology？〃
　〃No。〃　O'Donnell　shook　his　head。　〃They're　still　working。　I　was　in　there　half　an　hour　ago。〃
　〃I　can't　understand　it！〃　The　board　chairman　was　more　disturbed　than　O'Donnell　had　ever　seen　him　before。　〃Four　days　and　ten　typhoid　cases　right　here　in　the　hospital…four　of　them　patients…and　we　still　haven't　e　up　with　the　source！〃
　〃There's　no　question　it's　a　big　job　for　the　lab；〃　O'Donnell　said；　〃and　I'm　sure　they　haven't　wasted　any　time。〃
　〃No　one's　blaming　anyone；〃　Orden　Brown　snapped；　〃not　at　this　stage　anyway。　But　we're　got　to　show　some　results。〃
　〃Joe　Pearson　told　me　they　expect　to　be　through　with　all　their　cultures　by　midmorning　tomorrow。　If　the　typhoid　carrier　is　among　the　food　handlers；　they'll　have　to　have　traced　him　by　then。〃　O'Donnell　appealed　to　Tomaselli。　〃Can't　you　persuade　the　public…health　people　to　hold　off…at　least　until　midday　tomorrow？〃
　The　administrator　shook　his　head　negatively。　〃I　tried　earlier。　But　they've　given　us　four　days　already；　they　won't　wait　any　longer。　The　city　health　officer　was　here　again　this　morning；　and　he's　returning　at　five　o'clock。　If　there's　nothing　to　report　by　then　I'm　afraid　we'll　have　to　accept　their　ruling。〃
　〃And　meanwhile；〃　Orden　Brown　asked；　〃what　do　you　propose？〃
　〃My　department　is　already　at　work。〃　Harry　Tomaselli's　voice　held　the　sense　of　shock　and　unbelief　that　gripped　them　all。　〃We're　proceeding　on　the　assumption　that　we　shall　have　to　close　down。〃
　There　was　a　silence；　then　the　administrator　asked；　〃Kent；　could　you　e　back　here　at　five…to　meet　the　health　officer　with　me？〃
　〃Yes；〃　O'Donnell　said　glumly。　〃I　suppose　I　should　be　here。〃
　
　The　tension　in　the　lab　was　equaled　only　by　the　tiredness　of　the　three　men　working　there。
　Dr。　Joseph　Pearson　was　haggard；　his　eye　red…rimmed；　and　weariness　written　in　the　slowness　of　his　movements。　For　the　past　four　days　and　three　nights　he　had　remained　at　the　hospital；　snatching　only　a　few　hours　of　sleep　on　a　cot　which　he　had　had　moved　into　the　pathology　office。　It　was　two　days　since　he　had　shaved；　his　clothes　were　rumpled　and　his　hair　wild。　Only　for　one　period　of　several　hours　on　the　second　day　had　he　been　missing　from　Pathology；　with　no　one　knowing　where　he　had　gone　and　Coleman　unable　to　locate　him　despite　several　inquiries　from　the　administrator　and　Kent　O'Donnell。　Subsequently　Pearson　had　reappeared；　offering　no　explanation　for　his　absence；　and　had　continued　his　supervision　of　the　cultures　and　subcultures　which　occupied　them　still。
　Now　Pearson　asked；　〃How　many　have　we　done？〃
　Dr。　Coleman　checked　a　list。　〃Eighty…nine；〃　he　said。　〃That　leaves　another　five　in　incubation　which　we'll　have　tomorrow　morning。〃
　David　Coleman；　though　appearing　fresher　than　the　senior　pathologist；　and　with　none　of　the　outward　signs　of　personal　neglect　which　Pearson　exhibited；　was　conscious　of　an　oppressive　weariness　which　made　him　wonder　if　his　own　endurance　would　last　as　long　as　the　older　man's。　Unlike　Pearson；　Coleman　had　slept　at　his　own　apartment　on　each　of　the　three　nights；　going　there　from　the　lab　well　after　midnight　and　returning　to　the　hospital　around　six　the　following　morning。
　Early　as　he　had　been；　though；　in　arriving；　only　on　one　occasion　had　he　preceded　John　Alexander；　and　then　by　a　mere　few　minutes。　The　other　times　the　young　technologist　had　already　been　occupied　at　one　of　the　lab　benches；　working…as　he　had　since　the　beginning…like　a　precisely　geared　machine；　his　movements　accurate　and　economic；　his　written　record　of　each　test　stage　painstakingly　recorded　in　neat　and　legible　lettering。　Nor　had　it　been　necessary…after　the　initial　start…to　issue　more　instructions。　Alexander　was　so　obviously　petent　and　aware　of　what　he　was　doing　that　Dr。　Pearson；　after　inspecting　his　progress　briefly；　had　nodded　approval　and　from　that　point　had　left　him　entirely　alone。
　Turning　from　Coleman　to　Alexander；　Pearson　asked　now；　〃What　are　your　figures　on　the　subcultures？〃
　Reading　from　notes；　Alexander　answered；　〃Of　the　eighty…nine　plates　checked；　forty…two　have　been　separated　for　subculturing；　and　two　hundred　and　eighty　subcultures　planted。〃
　Pearson　calculated　mentally。　Half　to　himself　he　said；　〃That　means　another　hundred　and　ten　subcultures　still　to　check；　including　tomorrow's　batch。〃
　Glancing　across　at　John　Alexander；　David　Coleman　wondered　what　the　younger　man　was　feeling　at　this　moment　and　whether　the　act　of　throwing　himself　so　intensely　into　this　endeavor　was　proving　an　outlet　for　at　least　some　of　his　personal　grief。　It　had　been　four　days　since　the　Alexander　baby's　death。　In　that　time　the　original　sense　of　shock　and　desolation　which　the　young　technologist　had　shown　had　disappeared；　at　any　rate　superficially。　Coleman　suspected；　though；　that　John　Alexander's　emotions　were　still　not　far　below　the　surface；　and　he　had　sensed　something　of　their　presence　in　Alexander's　announced　intention　to　enroll　in　medical　school。　It　was　a　subject　which　David　Coleman　had　not　pursued　so　far；　but　he　had　resolved；　as　soon　as　this　present　crisis　was　over；　to　have　a　long　talk　with　Alexander。　There　was　a　good　deal　of　advice　and　guidance　which　Coleman　could　offer　the　younger　man；　based　on　his　own　experiences。　Certainly；　as　Alexander　had　said；　it　would　not　be　easy　for　him…particularly　financially…to　give　up　a　salaried　job　and　bee　a　student　once　more；　but　there　were　certain　guideposts　Coleman　could　point　to　and　pitfalls　which　he　might　help　Alexander　to　avoid。
　The　fourth　member　of　the　original　lab　team；　Carl　Bannister；　was　temporarily　disqualified。　The　senior　technician　had　worked　through　three　days　and　most　of　the　nights；　handling　routine　lab　work　alone　and　assisting　the　others　whenever　he　could。　This　morning；　however；　his　speech　had　been　slurred　and　he　was　so　obviously　near　exhaustion　that　David　Coleman；　without　consulting　Pearson；　had　ordered　him　home。　Bannister　had　departed　gratefully　and　without　argument。
　The　preparatory　work　on　the　stool　samples　arriving　in　the　lab　had　gone　on　continuously。　By　the　second　day；　however；　those　samples　which　had　been　dealt　with　first　had　been　in　incubation　long　enough　for　investigation。　Once　again　Dr。　Pearson　had　divided　his　forces　in　order　to　keep　the　work　flowing；　John　Alexander　and　himself　handling　the　new　stage；　while　David　Coleman　continued　to　deal　with　the　remaining　stool　samples　still　coining　in。
　Removed　from　the　incubator；　the　pink…tinged　surface　of　the　prepared　petri　dishes　showed　small；　moist　bacteria　colonies　where　the　tiny　amounts　of　human　feces　had　been　added　the　previous　day。　With　every　individual　stool　containing　millions　of　bacteria；　the　next　task　was　to　separate