“Precipitate action!” repeated Saracen, unable to contain himself any longer. “What are you talking about? The child needed blood or she would have died! This is ridiculous!”
“Law suits are not ridiculous Doctor, they are a very serious matter indeed.” said Saithe.
“What law suit?” exploded Saracen. “There isn’t a court in the country who would find against measures taken to save a child’s life.”
“The question is, were these measures necessary Doctor? Or were they the headstrong action of a doctor with little or no regard for authority?”
“Of course the transfusion was necessary!” stormed Saracen. “The girl was close to death.”
“Dr Garten disagrees.”
So that’s it, thought Saracen, Garten’s gone on the attack. “Dr Garten was not there,” he said coldly.
“I am quite satisfied that Dr Garten has had access to all the relevant information and notes. I…we,” Saithe turned to Grimshaw, “are confident of his judgement in this matter.” Saithe put his glasses back on and looked directly at Saracen. He said, “Dr Saracen, you have by your irresponsible action placed this hospital and its health board in an embarrassing and potentially damaging situation. You are accordingly suspended from duty pending a full inquiry.”
Saracen was stunned and for a long moment there was silence in the room. Then he recovered and said, “This is ludicrous!
“You will have the opportunity to defend yourself at the inquiry,” said Saithe evenly as he gathered together his papers from the desk.”
Saracen was furious. He looked at Garten and said, “I see, you keep Chenhui quiet by locking her up under sedation and now you get me out of the way with this law suit nonsense. Well it won’t work! I’m still going to go on asking questions about Myra Archer and Leonard Cohen!
Saithe interrupted Saracen saying, “Dr Garten has told us something of your outrageous allegations. Just what is it you are suggesting Doctor?”
“I am suggesting,” said Saracen slowly and making a conscious effort to keep his temper under control, “That there were serious irregularities over the deaths of two patients admitted to A amp;E.”
“And what were these ‘irregularities’?” asked Saithe scathingly, his forehead creasing into a well practised frown that was meant to imply a superior intelligence in action.
“The first case, a woman named Myra Archer was recorded in the book as being dead on arrival at Skelmore General. She was not. I know for a fact that she was alive when the ambulance brought her in. Saithe looked to Garten who adopted an air of mild exasperation before smiling as if about to correct the foolish notion of a child. “There is a perfectly simple explanation,” he began. “Mrs Archer was indeed alive when the ambulance arrived… the first time, but not when she was admitted.”
Saithe adopted his frown again. Grimshaw pulled out an exceedingly large handkerchief and blew loudly into it causing Garten to pause before continuing. “Dr Tang, who was the medical officer on board, came and told me that she suspected the patient might be suffering from an infectious disease. Under the circumstances I thought it wiser that she be taken on to the County Hospital.”
“What infectious disease?”
“A Salmonella Infection.”
“How did Chenhui diagnose that?” asked Saracen.
“From her initial interview with the patient.” replied Garten.
“But she was unconscious when Medic Alpha got to her,” protested Saracen.
“Dr Tang says different and she was there,” said Garten with a cutting edge to his voice.
“What happened next?” asked Saithe.
“The patient died shortly after leaving the grounds of the hospital. Dr Tang radioed for advice and I told her to return here whereupon Mrs Archer was then classified dead on arrival.”
“Why did you bring her back?” asked Saithe.
Garten smiled conspiratorially at Saithe and said, “I’m sure you are only too well aware Martin that the County believes we send them too many of our cases already. I thought it wiser to re-call Medic Alpha and do the paper work myself.”
Saracen glanced up at the ceiling in frustration. Not only was Garten sounding plausible he was beginning to sound like a Saint.
Saithe grunted his approval. Saracen parked his tongue in the side of his cheek.
“Any more ‘irregularities’?” asked Saithe, his voice tinged with distaste.
“Lots,” replied Saracen, making the word sound like an expletive. “When Myra Archer’s husband arrived at A amp;E he was told that his wife had been taken to the County Hospital.”
“A regrettable misunderstanding,” said Garten smoothly.
“Then he was refused permission to see his wife’s body.”
“I thought it wiser in view of the Post Mortem that the request be denied,” said Garten.
“What Post Mortem?” asked Saracen, playing his ace. It failed to have the effect he had anticipated. Garten exchanged an exasperated glance with Saithe then he looked at Saracen and shook his head. Saracen felt his stomach go hollow. Something was wrong. He had played his trump card and Garten hadn’t even flinched.
“Surely you know that there has to be a PM on all sudden deaths Doctor?” said Garten. “Why should Mrs Archer be an exception?”
“I would like to see the report,” said Saracen feeling like an automaton and fearing the worst.
Garten remained motionless for a moment like a spider surveying a fly caught in its web then he delivered the coup de grace. He picked up his briefcase from the floor and took out a document. He slid it over the desk to Saracen.
Saracen read the heading on the paper. ‘Findings of the Post Mortem Examination on Myra Louise Archer’. His heart sank as he leafed through the preliminaries to look for the pathologist’s signature. His eyes followed every curl in the ink as he read, Cyril A. Wylie. Cause of death was given as myocardial infarction. Listed as a complicating condition was Salmonella otangii type IV. Saracen looked up to meet Garten’s eyes.
“How else could I have signed the death certificate?” said Garten with such quiet menace that Saracen felt transparent.
“Can I ask a question?” asked Grimshaw.
“Of course,” replied Saithe.
“What exactly is this infection that was mentioned?”
“Salmonella? It’s a serious form of food poisoning. It’s related to the bacterium that causes typhoid.” said Saithe.
Garten added, “Dr Tang was quite right in her suspicions and just as well as it happens. On the strength of her diagnosis we requested British Airways to contact Mrs Archer’s fellow passengers on the flight from Zimbabwe and arranged for them to have some covering therapy.”
“So you think that it was something she caught on the plane?” asked Grimshaw.
“It was a possibility I could not overlook,” replied Garten.
“Of course not,” Grimshaw concurred.
Saracen found himself with a grudging admiration for Garten. The man had had a busy night, preparing a line of defence for every conceivable line of attack.
Saithe looked at his watch pointedly and said, “We are all busy men. Unless you have something sensible to say Dr Saracen I suggest we terminate these proceedings.”
“Where is Leonard Cohen’s body?” said Saracen.
“I beg your pardon,” said Garten.
“I think you heard,” said Saracen. “I asked where Leonard Cohen’s body was.”
“You know very well that Mr Cohen’s body was taken to the premises of a local undertaker when our refrigeration system failed,” replied Garten. You went there yourself this morning to examine the body though for what reason I cannot imagine.”
So Dolman had been in touch with Garten, thought Saracen. He took comfort from a slight look of unease that had appeared in Garten’s eyes as he failed to follow Saracen’s line of questioning. It was something he had not been prepared for. “I did go there this morning,” he said,” and I did examine a body but it was not that of Leonard Cohen.”
