rubbed at his shoulder. The swelling was increasing. Even the slightest movement of his arm was now sending numbing, metallic pain up into his neck and down to his fingertips. Fatigue and tension were battling for control of his mind. Across from him, in quiet resignation, Jack Pearl was readying his instruments and syringes. Off to one side, Jason Mainwaring stood alone, watching. As Zack finished placing patches over Suzanne's eyes and oilsoaked cotton in her ears. Mainwaring motioned him over. He looked uncharacteristically rumpled, gray, and drawn, and the concern in his eyes was, it seemed, genuine. 'Iverson, you know, I'm sorry this is happening, ' he whispered. 'You should be.'
'I've never been one to make excuses for myself, but before you n' Pearl get started, there are two things I'd like you to know.'
'First of all, that woman you learned about from Tarberry-the one who died in my office 4 Yes… 'She died of a coronary, not any allergic reaction.
She never got anything but plain ol'xylocaine, And that's the truth. I had some… some enemies at the hospital who had learned about my involvement with a pharmaceutical company. They were determined to get me, and Mrs. Grimes's unfortunate death gave them the chance. I won't deny doin' some work in my office with an experimental local anesthe ic, but Mrs. Grimes got Xylocaine.' Zack glanced over at Suzanne.
'Mainwaring, ' he said coolly, 'I appreciate your coming back here the way you did. But don't look for any exoneration from me. What you two-you three-have done here was beyond stupid, and beyond wrong.'
'I've never been one to cut corners, but our company was failing. We… we were desperate. Serenyl would have saved us.'
Zack gestured toward the two comatose patients. 'Do you think they care?
' he asked. Mainwaring had no response. 'Zack, we're all set,' Bernice Rimmer called over. 'Coming.' Throughout the ordeal the nurse had been a rock, quietly stemming the concerns of the rest of the unit staff, and promising to take full responsibility should anything go wrong. She was so quick, so efficient and compassionate. Zack found himself trying to remember what she had been like during their years together at school.
The only image he could conjure was of a plain, soft-spoken girl, pleasant enough, but well or. itside of the in crowd. How meaningless all of that seemed now. 'All right, ' he said to the staff. 'Before we start, I want you all to know how much 1-how much all three of us-appreciate what you're doing here. I know you have questions about what's going on, and I promise that when things settle down we'll answer as many of them as we can. The plan is to put Suzanne to sleep with a new anesthe ic in hopes of ending her seizure. After we're done, we'll do the same thing to Toby.'
'Exactly what do you expect to have happen? ' one of the other nurses asked. 'Ideally? Well, I guess we hope that whatever chemical molecules are poisoning their central nervous systems will be washed away, and they'll both just wake up. But it may take some time.'
'Are there dangers?'
Zack looked over at Jack Pearl, who was drawing up the contents of one of his vials into a syringe. 'Well, Jack?'
Pearl shook his head. 'No, ' he muttered. 'No dangers.' The nurse seemed satisfied. 'Okay, then, ' Zack said, feeling his pulse beginning to quicken, 'let's go. Remember, no light, no sound, no movement.' The nurses began cutting the lights and equipment noise to a minimum. Zack motioned Jack Pearl off to one side. 'Remember, Jack, ' he said. 'Play this straight.'
'Serenyl's not responsible for this, ' Pearl growled. 'Jack, don't start with me. Just do this right, dammit.'
'It won't work, Iverson. You're crazy.'
'You're absolutely right, Jack.' His back to the others, Zack glared down at the man. 'I am crazy. And don't you for one goddamn second forget that.'
Together, they returned to Suzanne's bedside. The nurses settled down in the darkness as Pearl inserted a needle into the rubber bulb of Suzanne's IV line. Then he hesitated. 'Do it, Jack,' Zack rasped. 'This may be your only tidket out of hell. For God's sake, do it now!'
The anesthesiologist's hands were trembling so badly he needed both of them to hold the syringe. 'Dammit, Jack…'
Slowly, Pearl depressed the plunger. Frank perched on one of the tables of the Carter Conference Room and watched as Leigh Baron gathered her things. She would, no doubt, stop by the unit to verify his claims about Toby Nelms. But then, with any luck, she would be out of his life for good. His heartbeat continued to race, and there remained a persistent, sandpaper tightness in his throat, but that was understandable. He had narrowly dodged a bullet. Still, as he had learned countless times over his years as the quarterback, although his last-second victory wasn't a pretty one, a win was a win. And a win this most certainly was. His expectations of a regional directorship were gone, but the additional money in his bank account more than compensated for the termination of his association with Ultramed and Leigh Baron. It was interesting, he mused, how suddenly unattractive the woman looked in defeat. The bridge of her nose, the shape of her hips, the stiff, unfeminine way she moved.
It was absurd that at one time he had found her so desirable. He could do better-much better. 'Remember, Frank, ' Leigh said, snapping her briefcase closed, 'assuming what you've told me is true, I don't want one word of it to get anywhere near Ultramed.'
'Sure, baby. Sure.'
Even her orders sounded diffierent-groveling, hollow. 'Damn you, Frank,' she muttered.
Before he could respond, she turned and was gone.
Gradually, the unpleasant tightness in Frank's throat began to subside.
He was pleased to find he could breathe deeply again. He even managed a thin smile. He was on a roll. Another challenge had arisen and been dealt with. Still, he cautioned himself, this was no time to celebrate.
Not yet. Soon, though, he thought. As soon as Suzanne Cole and one Zachary Iverson had been dispatched, there would be all the time in the world. He pushed himself off the table and headed toward his office, reviewing the plan he had devised. Removing Suzanne from the hospital was the only tricky part, and that could easily be accomplished with one of the hospital's laundry hampers. He had always been a 'hands-on' administrator. It was hardly unusual for him to be seen carrying tools to a job, or moving a piece of furniture. So even if he were seen with the hamper, it was doubtful any questions would be raised. The rest was elegantly simple, a call to Zack, a meeting at Christmas Point, and an accident. He had even thought to stop by central supply and appropriate some intravenous alcohol. Starting an IV lineespecially one that needed to last only minutes-was no big deal. Once Zack was immobilized, either with an injection of Screnyl or the butt of his revolver, he would infuse enough of the alcohol to leave no doubt in anyone's mind what had happened-especially since he had already seen to it that Zack's drinking the night before was common knowledge around the hospital. Inspired.
Elegant. Simple. Lost in thought, Frank hurried along the first-floor corridor toward the new wing, nearly colliding with the Judge's wheelchair as it was pushed out of the admissions office. Clayton Iverson eyed him grimly and then turned to the young candy striper who was transporting him. 'Kathy, dear, this is my son. If you don't mind, I need to talk to him. I'll send for you if I need you again, Thank you.'
He waited until the girl had left, and then used his cast and his good hand to wheel himself past the doorway. 'I want you to know that it hurt me to do what I had to do in there, Frank, ' he said.
'Nonsense, Judge, ' Frank said. 'I wouldn't have expected anything less of my father.'
Clayton Iverson looked up at him in surprise. 'I'm pleased to bear you say that, Frank. Unfortunately, I wish that was all there was to it.'
Once again, Frank saw daylight. 'Dad, listen, ' he said. 'I just finished speaking with Leigh Baron. I know the spot she put you in.'
'You do?'
'Three years ago, some people from Boston came to me with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get in on a land deal. They were so goddamn smooth, so well organized, that I fell for their crap hook, line, and sinker. I borrowed the money from the hospital expecting to pay it back in a matter of a week or two. It… it was the stupidest thing I've ever done…'
Frank knelt on one knee and forced a tremble into his voice.'… I was so frightened, so ashamed, I-'
'Frank, you should have come to me.'
'I know that, Dad. I know that now…' Easy. Not too much. Not too thick. 'But… but you'd already helped me out of that mess in Concord, and-' His voice broke as he stared down at his hands. 'What did Leigh Baron say? ' the Judge asked. 'Say?'
