ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第34部分

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　〃Ralph　Bell　confirms　the　irregularity；〃　Lucy　answered。　〃But　he　can't　see　enough　for　a　diagnosis。　He　agrees　we　should　have　a　biopsy。〃
　Pearson　turned　back　to　the　bed。　〃Do　you　know　what　a　biopsy　is；　Vivian？〃
　〃I　have　an　idea。〃　The　girl　hesitated。　〃But　I'm　not　really　sure。〃
　〃Haven't　taken　it　in　your　nursing　course　yet；　eh？〃
　She　shook　her　head。
　Pearson　said；　〃Well；　what　happens　is　that　Dr。　Grainger　will　take　out　a　small　piece　of　tissue　from　your　knee…just　where　the　trouble　seems　to　be。　Then　it　will　e　down　to　me　and　。　。　。　I'll　study　it。〃
　Vivian　asked；　〃And　can　you　tell　from　that　。　。　。　what's　the　matter？〃
　〃Most　times　I　can。〃　He　started　to　leave；　then　hesitated。　〃Do　you　play　a　lot　of　sports？〃
　〃Oh　yes；　Doctor。　Tennis；　swimming；　skiing。〃　She　added；　〃I　love　horse　riding　too。　I　used　to　do　a　lot　in　Oregon。〃
　〃Oregon；　eh？〃　He　said　it　thoughtfully；　then；　turning　away；　〃All　right；　Vivian；　that's　all　for　now。〃
　Lucy　smiled。　〃I'll　be　back　later。〃　She　gathered　up　the　chart　and　X…rays　and　followed　Pearson　out。
　As　the　door　closed；　for　the　first　time　Vivian　felt　an　uneasy　chill　of　fear。
　When　they　were　well　down　the　corridor　Lucy　asked；　〃What's　your　opinion；　Joe？〃
　〃It　could　be　a　bone　tumor。〃　Pearson　said　it　slowly；　thinking。
　〃Malignant？〃
　〃It's　possible。〃
　They　came　to　the　elevator　and　stopped。　Lucy　said；　〃Of　course；　if　it's　malignant；　I'll　have　to　amputate　the　leg。〃
　Pearson　nodded　slowly。　Suddenly　he　looked　very　old。　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I　was　thinking　of　that。〃
　
　Eleven
　
　The　prop…jet　Viscount　turned　evenly　into　wind　and　began　to　lose　height。　Landing　gear　and　flaps　down；　it　was　lined　up　with　number　one　runway　of　Burlington's　municipal　airport；　dead　ahead。　Watching　the　airplane's　approach　from　the　public　mezzanine；　just　below　the　control　tower；　Dr。　Kent　O'Donnell　reflected　idly　that　aviation　and　medicine　had　a　good　deal　in　mon。　Both　were　products　of　science；　both　were　changing　the　world's　life　and　destroying　old　concepts；　both　were　moving　toward　unknown　horizons　and　a　future　only　dimly　seen。　There　was　another　parallel　too。　Aviation　nowadays　was　having　trouble　keeping　pace　with　its　own　discoveries；　an　aircraft　designer　he　knew　had　told　him　recently；　〃If　an　airplane's　flying　it's　already　out　of　date。〃
　The　practice　of　medicine；　O'Donnell　thought；　shading　his　eyes　from　the　bright　afternoon　sun　of　mid…August；　was　very　much　the　same。　Hospitals；　clinics；　physicians　themselves；　were　never　able　to　be　entirely　up　to　date。　No　matter　how　they　tried；　experimentation；　development；　new　techniques　were　always　ahead…sometimes　by　years。　A　man　might　die　today　when　the　drug　that　could　save　him　was　already　invented　and　even；　perhaps；　in　limited　use。　But　it　took　time　for　new　developments　to　bee　known　and　to　gain　acceptance。　The　same　was　true　of　surgery。　One　surgeon；　or　a　group　of　surgeons；　might　develop　a　new　life…saving　technique。　But　before　it　could　be　used　generally　others　must　master　it　and　pass　their　skill　along。　Sometimes　it　was　a　long　process。　Heart　surgery；　for　example；　was　fairly　general　now　and　within　reach　of　most　who　needed　it　badly。　But　for　a　long　time　only　a　handful　of　surgeons　were　qualified　or　willing　to　attempt　it。
　There　was　always　the　question；　too；　with　new　things：　is　this　good；　is　it　a　wise　development？　Not　all　change　meant　progress。　Plenty　of　times　in　medicine　there　were　false　scents；　theories　running　contrary　to　fact；　individuals　with　enthusiasms　and　obsessions　who　would　go　off　half　cocked；　misleading　others　when　they　did。　Sometimes　it　was　hard　to　steer　a　mid…course　between　open…mindedness　and　reasonable　caution。　At　Three　Counties；　with　its　quota　of　diehards　and　progressives…and　with　good　men　in　both　camps…it　was　a　continuing　problem　for　someone　like　O'Donnell　to　know；　at　any　given　moment；　exactly　where　and　with　whom　his　allegiance　lay。
　His　thoughts　were　broken　by　the　Viscount　taxiing　in；　the　shrill　whine　of　its　motors　drowning　out　the　voices　of　others　around　him。　O'Donnell　waited　until　the　motors　stopped　and　passengers　began　to　disembark。　Then；　seeing　Dr。　Coleman　among　them；　he　went　down　the　stairs　to　greet　the　hospital's　new　assistant　director　of　pathology　in　the　arrival　lobby。
　David　Coleman　was　surprised　to　see　the　chief　of　surgery…tall；　bronzed；　standing　out　from　the　crowd…waiting　for　him　with　outstretched　hand。　O'Donnell　said；　〃It's　good　to　see　you。　Joe　Pearson　couldn't　make　it；　but　we　thought　that　someone　should　be　around　to　say　'wele。'　〃　What　O'Donnell　failed　to　add　was　that　Joe　Pearson　had　flatly　refused　to　go　and；　Harry　Tomaselli　being　out　of　town；　O'Donnell　had　taken　the　time　to　drive　out　himself。
　As　they　moved　through　the　hot；　crowded　lobby　O'Donnell　saw　Coleman　glance　around　him。　He　got　the　impression　that　the　younger　man　was　making　a　quick　assessment　of　his　surroundings。　Perhaps　it　was　a　habit…if　so；　a　good　one。　Certainly　David　Coleman　would　stand　up　to　scrutiny　himself。　Though　he　had　had　a　three…hour　air　journey；　his　gabardine　suit　was　uncreased；　his　well…trimmed　hair　carefully　parted　and　brushed；　his　shave　recent。　He　wore　no　hat；　which　made　him　look　younger　than　his　thirty…one　years。　Though　slighter　than　O'Donnell　in　build；　his　features　were　clear…cut　and　well　defined；　he　had　a　longish　face　and　an　incisive　jaw。　The　brief　case　under　his　arm　added　a　professional　touch；　picture　of　a　young　scientist；　O'Donnell　thought。　He　steered　Coleman　toward　the　baggage　counter。　A　trailerload　of　bags　was　being　unloaded；　and　they　joined　the　scrimmage　with　other　passengers　who　had　disembarked。
　O'Donnell　said；　〃This　is　the　part　of　air　travel　I　dislike。〃
　Coleman　nodded　and　smiled　faintly。　It　was　almost　as　if　he　had　said；　Let's　not　waste　our　talents　on　small　talk；　shall　we？
　This　is　a　cool　customer；　O'Donnell　thought。　He　noticed；　as　he　had　at　their　previous　meeting；　the　steel…gray　eyes　and　wondered　what　it　took　to　penetrate　behind　them。　Now　Coleman　was　standing；　unmoving　among　the　crowd；　glancing　around。　Almost　as　if　by　mand；　ignoring　others；　a　redcap　gravitated　toward　him。
　Ten　minutes　later；　as　O'Donnell　threaded　his　Buick　through　the　airport　traffic　and　headed　toward　town；　he　said；　〃We've　put　you　up　in　the　Roosevelt　Hotel。　It's　as　fortable　as　any　and　quiet。　I　believe　our　administrator　wrote　you　about　the　apartment　situation。〃
　〃Yes；　he　did；〃　Coleman　said。　〃I'd　like　to　do　something　about　that　quite　quickly。〃
　〃You　won't　have　any　problem；〃　O'Donnell　said；　then　added；　〃Perhaps　you'd　like　to　take　a　day　or　two　to　fix　up　an　apartment　before　you　report　at　the　hospital。〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　thank　you。　I　plan　to　start　work　tomorrow　morning。〃
　Coleman　was　polite　but　definite。　O'Donnell　thought：　This　is　a　man　who　makes　up　his　mind；　then　states　his　opinion　plainly。　He　sounded；　too；　as　if　he　were　not　dissuaded　easily。　O'Donnell　found　himself　speculating　on　how　Joe　Pearson　and　David　Coleman　were　going　to　get　along。　Superficially　it　looked　as　if　they　might　clash。　But　you　could　never　tell。　Sometimes　in　a　hospital　the　most　unlikely　people　hit　it　off　like　lifetime　friends。
　Looking　around　him　as　they　drove　through　the　approaches　to　the　city；　David　Coleman　found　himself　close　to　a　sense　of　excitement　at　the　prospect　ahead。　This　was　unusual　because　mostly　he　took　whatever　came　with　a　matter…of…fact　acceptance。　But　it　was；　after　all；　his　first　staff　appointment　to　a　hospital。　He　told　himself：　a　touch　of　down…to…earth　humanity　is　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of；　my　friend；　then　smiled　inwardly　at　the　silent　self…criticism。　Old　habits　of　thought；　he　reflected；　were　hard　to　break。
　He　wondered　about　O'Donnell；　sitting　beside　him。　Everything　he　had　heard　about　the　chief　of　surgery　at　Three　Counties　had　been　good。　How　was　it；　he　wondered；　that　a　man　with　O'Donnell's　background　and　qualifications　would　choose　a　place　like　Burlington？　Did　he；　too；　have　a　mixed…up　motivation；　or　was　there　some　other　reason？　Maybe　he　just　liked　it　here。　There　were　some　people；　Coleman　supposed；　whose　preferences　were　straightforward　and　unplicated。
　O'Donnell　pulled　out　to　pass　a　tractor…trailer。　Then　he　said；　〃I'd　like　to　tell　you　a　couple　of　things；　if　I　may。〃
　Coleman　said　politely；　〃Please　do。〃
　〃We've　had　a　number　of　changes　at　Three　Counties　these　past　few　years。〃　O'Donnell　was　going　slowly；　choosing　his　words。　〃