The ponytailed woman looked around the auditorium and sat down.
Afro said, 'Thank you, Elaine, your point is well taken. Though 'Western Peds women are terrzjld! Wake up, people! Everyone needs to be empowered. If you recall, the last two assault victims were women and-' 'Yes, I do recall, Elaine. We all do. And I assure you that in the event other meetings are scheduled-and it's certainly clear to me that they need to be-a definite effort will be made to reach out.'
Elaine contemplated debate, then shook her head and sat.
Afro returned to the board, chalk poised. 'I suppose we've moved on to another item, de facto, haven't we. Staff security?'
Scattered nods. The lack of group coherence was almost tangible. It reminded me of so many other meetings, years ago. Endless discussions, little or no resolution.
Afro placed a check next to ASHMORE MEMORIAL, wrote STF SECURITY on the next line, and faced the assembly.
'Okay. Any suggestions beyond guards and karate?'
'Yeah,' said a balding, swarthy, thick-shouldered man.
'Guns.'
A few chuckles.
Afro gave a tight smile. 'Thank you, Al. Was that the way things were handled in Houston?'
'You bet, John. 5 and W in every black bag. That's Smith and Wesson, for all you pacifist types.'
Afro made a gun with his thumb and forefinger, pointed it at Bald, and winked. Anything else, Al, short of turning the hospital into an armed camp?'
Dan Kornblatt stood. 'I hate to say it but I think we're lapsing into tunnel vision here. What we need to do is address the larger issues.'
'In what sense, Dan?'
'In the sense of our purpose-the institution's purpose.'
Afro looked puzzled. Are we through, then, with item two?'
Kornblatt said, 'I certainly am. Security is just a symptom of the greater' Afro waited a moment, then checked off STF SECURITY.
'What malaise is that, Dan?'
'Chronic, end-stage apathy-institutionally sanctioned apathy.
Just look around. How many private physicians are there on staff, John? Two hundred? Just take a look what percentage cared enough to brown-bag it today and make a statement with their presence.'
'Dan-' 'Wait, let me finish. There's a reason so few private people are here. And it's the same reason they avoid sending their paying patients here if they can find semi-decent local facilities. Same reason so many of our top people have gone elsewhere. We've been tagged as a stepchild-an institutional /iser. And the community's bought into that because the board itself and the administration hold this institution in low regard. And so do we. I'm sure we've all had enough psych to know what happens to the self-image of a kid who keeps being told he's a loser. He starts believing it. Same thing applies to-' The door opened wide. Heads turned. George Plumb entered and straightened his tie, a blood-red paisley against a white shirt and light-gray raw silk suit. His shoes clicked as he descended to the pit.
When he got to the bottom he stood next to Afro, as if assuming his rightful position.
Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,' he said.
Kornblatt said, 'We were just talking about institutional apathy, George.'
Plumb gave a thoughtful look and placed one fist under his chin. 'I was under the impression this was a memorial for Dr. Ashmore.'
Afro said, 'It was, but we've covered some additional ground.'
