Stepping away from the board, he said, 'Is there someone who wants to say a few words about Dr. Ashmore?'
Silence.
'let me say, then, that I know I speak for all of us in condemning the brutality of what happened to larry. And in offering our deepest sympathy to his family. In lieu of flowers, I propose we get together a fund and donate it to an organization of the family's choice.
Or our choice, if it would be too disruptive to ask the family at this point. We can decide now, or at a later date, depending on what people feel. Anyone care to comment?'
A short-haired woman in the third row said, 'How about the Poison Control Center? He was a toxicologist.'
'Poison Control Center sounds good,' said Afro. Anyone second that?'
A hand rose in the middle of the room.
'Thanks, Barb. So moved. Anyone know the family? To inform them of our plan?'
No response.
He looked at the woman who'd made the suggestion. 'Barb, would you be in charge of collecting the funds?'
She nodded.
All right, people, bring your donations to Barb Loman's office in Rheumatology and we'll see that the Poison Control Center gets the money, posthaste. Anything more along those lines?'
'Data,' said someone. As in, we don't have any.'
'Could you stand and clarify, Greg?' said Afro.
A stocky, bearded man in a checked shirt and wide, floral, retro tie rose. I thought I remembered him, as a resident, without the beard.
An Italian name.
m saying, John, is that security stinks around here.
What happened to him could have happened to any of us, and since I certainly don't think any deliberate attempt was made to be exclusionary.'
'Well,' said the ponytailed woman, standing again, 'was anyone else other than physicians informed?'
Afro smiled. 'This was an ad hoc medical staff meeting, Elaine, so it's only natural that physicians would-' 'Don't you think the rest of the staff cares, John?' it's our lives on the line we deserve to have full access to information.said Afro. 'I-' Exactly what happened, the progress of the police's investigation, as well as any measures we can take to assure our safety.'
'There aren't any!' a bespectacled black man across the room called out. 'Not unless the administration makes a real commitment to genuine security-twenty-fuurhour guards at every entrance to the lot and at each and every stairwell.'
'That means money, Hank,' said the bearded man. 'Good luck.'
A ponytailed woman with dishwater hair got up.
'The money would be available, Greg,' she said, 'if they got their priorities straight. What we don't need are more paramilitary types obstructing our patients in the halls. What we do need is exactly what you and Hank just said: genuine security, including selfdefense classes, karate, Mace, personal training, whatever. Especially for female staff. The nurses deal with this kind of threat every single day, coming from across the street. Especially the night shift-you know how a couple of them were beat up, and-' 'I know that-' the open lots have no security at all. As all of us are learning, from direct experience. I drove in at five this morning on an emergency call, and let me tell you, it felt scary, people. I also have to say I think it was a serious mistake to limit this meeting to physicians.
This is no time for elitism. There are nurses and ancillary staff out there suffering just like we are, working for the same goals. We should be getting together, empowering each other, not fractionating.'
No one spoke.
