mp.godfather-第99章

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use　you're　a　power　movie　man　and　so　you　think　they　are　great　doctors。　Show　biz；　docs；　you　gotta　have　heart？　Right？　But　they　don't　give　a　fuck　if　you　live　or　die。　Well；　my　little　hobby；　unforgivable　as　it　is；　is　to　keep　people　alive。　I　let　you　give　Nino　that　drink　to　show　you　what　could　happen　to　him。〃　Jules　leaned　toward　Johnny　Fontane；　his　voice　still　calm；　unemotional。　〃Your　friend　is　almost　terminal。　Do　you　understand　that？　He　hasn't　got　a　chance　without　therapy　and　strict　medical　care。　His　blood　pressure　and　diabetes　and　bad　habits　can　cause　a　cerebral　hemorrhage　in　this　very　next　instant。　His　brain　will　blow　itself　apart。　Is　that　vivid　enough　for　you？　Sure；　I　said　crazy　house。　I　want　you　to　understand　what's　needed。　Or　you　won't　make　a　move。　I'll　put　it　to　you　straight。　You　can　save　your　buddy's　life　by　having　him　mitted。　Otherwise　kiss　him　good…bye。〃
　
　Lucy　murmured；　〃Jules；　darling；　lutes；　don't　be　so　tough。　Just　tell　him。〃
　
　Jules　stood　up。　His　usual　cool　was　gone；　Johnny　Fontane　noticed　with　satisfaction。　His　voice　too　had　lost　its　quiet　unaccented　monotone。
　
　〃Do　you　think　this　is　the　first　time　I've　had　to　talk　to　people　like　you　in　a　situation　like　this？〃　Jules　said。　〃I　did　it　every　day。　Lucy　says　don't　be　so　tough；　but　she　doesn't　know　what　she's　talking　about。　You　know；　I　used　to　tell　people；　〃Don't　eat　go　much　or　you'll　die；　don't　smoke　so　much　or　you'll　die；　don't　work　so　much　or　you'll　die；　don't　drink　so　much　or　you'll　die。'　Nobody　listens。　You　know　why？　Because　I　don't　say；　‘You　will　die　tomorrow。'　Well；　I　can　tell　you　that　Nino　may　very　well　die　tomorrow。〃
　
　Jules　went　over　to　the　bar　and　mixed　himself　another　drink。　〃How　about　it；　Johnny；　are　you　going　to　get　Nino　mitted？〃
　
　Johnny　said；　〃I　don't　know。〃
　
　Jules　took　a　quick　drink　at　the　bar　and　filled　his　glass　again。　〃You　know；　it's　a　funny　thing；　you　can　smoke　yourself　to　death；　drink　yourself　to　death；　work　yourself　to　death　and　even　eat　yourself　to　death。　But　that's　all　acceptable。　The　only　thing　you　can't　do　medically　is　screw　yourself　to　death　and　yet　that's　where　they　put　all　the　obstacles。〃　He　paused　to　finish　his　drink。　〃But　even　that's　trouble；　for　women　anyway。　I　used　to　have　women　who　weren't　supposed　to　have　any　more　babies。　'It's　dangerous；'　I'd　tell　them。　'You　could　die；'　I'd　tell　them。　And　a　month　later　they　pop　in；　their　faces　all　rosy；　and　say；　'Doctor；　I　think　I'm　pregnant；'　and　sure　enough　they'd　kill　the　rabbit。　'But　it's　dangerous；'　I'd　tell　them。　My　voice　used　to　have　expression　in　those　days。　And　they'd　smile　at　me　and　say；　'But　my　husband　and　I　are　very　strict　Catholics；'　they'd　say。〃
　
　There　was　a　knock　on　the　door　and　two　waiters　wheeled　in　a　cart　covered　with　food　and　silver　service　coffeepots。　They　took　a　portable　table　from　the　bottom　of　the　cart　and　set　it　up。　Then　Johnny　dismissed　them。
　
　They　sat　at　the　table　and　ate　the　hot　sandwiches　Lucy　had　ordered　and　drank　the　coffee。　Johnny　leaned　back　and　lit　up　a　cigarette。　〃So　you　save　lives。　How　e　you　became　an　abortionist？〃
　
　Lucy　spoke　up　for　the　first　time。　〃He　wanted　to　help　girls　in　trouble；　girls　who　might　mit　suicide　or　do　something　dangerous　to　get　rid　of　the　baby。〃
　
　Jules　smiled　at　her　and　sighed。　〃It's　not　that　simple。　I　became　a　surgeon　finally。　I've　got　the　good　hands；　as　ballplayers　say。　But　I　was　so　good　I　scared　myself　silly。　I'd　open　up　some　poor　bastard's　belly　and　know　he　was　going　to　die。　I'd　operate　and　know　that　the　cancer　or　tumor　would　e　back　but　I'd　send　them　off　home　with　a　smile　and　a　lot　of　bullshit。　Some　poor　broad　es　in　and　I　slice　off　one　tit。　A　year　later　she's　back　and　I　slice　off　the　other　tit。　A　year　after　that；　I　scoop　out　her　insides　like　you　scoop　the　seeds　out　of　a　cantaloupe。　After　all　that　she　dies　anyway。　Meanwhile　husbands　keep　calling　up　and　asking；　'What　do　the　tests　show？　What　do　the　tests　show？'
　
　〃So　I　hired　an　extra　secretary　to　take　all　those　calls。　I　saw　the　patient　only　when　she　was　fully　prepared　for　examination；　tests　or　operation。　I　spent　the　minimum　possible　time　with　the　victim　because　I　was；　after　all；　a　busy　man。　And　then　finally　I'd　let　the　husband　talk　to　me　for　two　minutes。　'It's　terminal；'　I'd　say。　And　they　could　never　hear　that　last　word。　They　understood　what　it　meant　but　they　never　heard　it。　I　thought　at　first　that　unconsciously　I　was　dropping　my　voice　on　the　last　word；　so　I　consciously　said　it　louder。　But　still　they　never　heard　it。　One　guy　even　said；　'What　the　hell　do　you　mean；　it's　germinal？'　〃　Jules　started　to　laugh。　〃Germinal；　terminal；　what　the　hell。　I　started　to　do　abortions。　Nice　and　easy；　everybody　happy；　like　washing　the　dishes　and　leaving　a　clean　sink。　That　was　my　class。　I　loved　it；　I　loved　being　an　abortionist。　I　don't　believe　that　a　two…month　fetus　is　a　human　being　so　no　problems　there。　I　was　helping　young　girls　and　married　women　who　were　in　trouble；　I　was　making　good　money。　I　was　out　of　the　front　tines。　When　I　got　caught　I　felt　like　a　deserter　that　had　been　hauled　in。　But　I　was　lucky；　a　friend　pulled　some　strings　and　got　pie　off　but　now　the　big　hospitals　won't　let　me　operate。　So　here　I　am。　Giving　good　advice　again　which　is　being　ignored　just　like　in　the　old　days。〃
　
　〃I'm　not　ignoring　it；〃　Johnny　Fontane　said。　〃I'm　thinking　it　over。〃
　
　Lucy　finally　changed　the　subject。　〃What　are　you　doing　in　Vegas；　Johnny？　Relaxing　from　your　duties　as　big…time　Hollywood　wheel　or　working？〃
　
　Johnny　shook　his　head。　〃Mike　Corleone　wants　to　see　me　and　have　a　talk。　He's　flying　in　tonight　with　Tom　Hagen。　Tom　said　they'll　be　seeing　you；　Lucy。　You　know　what　it's　all　about？〃
　
　Lucy　shook　her　head。　〃We're　all　having　dinner　tether　tomorrow　night。　Freddie　too。　I　think　it　might　have　something　to　do　with　the　hotel。　The　casino　has　been　dropping　money　lately；　which　shouldn't　be。　The　Don　might　want　Mike　to　check　it　out。〃
　
　〃I　hear　Mike　finally　got　his　face　fixed；〃　Johnny　said。
　
　Lucy　laughed。　〃I　guess　Kay　talked　him　into　it。　He　wouldn't　do　it　when　they　were　married。　I　wonder　why？　It　looked　so　awful　and　made　his　nose　drip。　He　should　have　had　it　done　sooner。〃　She　paused　for　a　moment。　〃Jules　was　called　in　by　the　Corleone　Family　for　that　operation。　They　used　him　as　a　consultant　and　as　observer。〃
　
　Johnny　nodded　and　said　dryly；　〃I　remended　him　for　it。〃
　
　〃Oh；〃　Lucy　said。　〃Anyway；　Mike　said　he　wanted　to　do　something　for　Jules。　That's　why　he's　having　us　to　dinner　tomorrow　night。〃
　
　Jules　said　musingly；　〃He　didn't　trust　anybody。　He　warned　me　to　keep　track　of　what　everybody　did。　It　was　fairly　straight；　ordinary　surgery。　Any　petent　man　could　do　it。〃
　
　There　was　a　sound　from　the　bedroom　of　the　suite　and　they　looked　toward　the　drapes。　Nino　had　bee　concious　again。　Johnny　went　and　sat　on　the　bed。　Jules　and　Lucy　went　over　to　the　foot　of　the　bed。　Nino　gave　them　a　wan　grin。　〃OK；　I'll　stop　being　a　wise　guy。　I　feel　really　lousy。　Johnny；　remember　about　a　year　ago；　what　happened　when　we　were　with　those　two　broads　down　in　Palm　Springs？　I　swear　to　you　I　wasn't　jealous　about　what　happened。　I　was　glad。　You　believe　me；　Johnny？〃
　
　Johnny　said　reassuringly；　〃Sure；　Nino；　I　believe　you。〃
　
　Lucy　and　Jules　looked　at　each　other。　From　everything　they　had　heard　and　knew　about　Johnny　Fontane　it　seemed　impossible　that　he　would　take　a　girl　away　from　a　close　friend　like　Nino。　And　why　was　Nino　saying　he　wasn't　jealous　a　year　after　it　happened？　The　same　thought　crossed　both　their　minds；　that　Nino　was　drinking　himself　to　death　romantically　because　a　girl　had　left　him　to　go　with　Johnny　Fontane。
　
　Jules　checked　Nino　again。　〃I'll　get　a　nurse　to　be　in　the　room　with　you　tonight；〃　Jules　said。　〃You　really　have　to　stay　in　bed　for　a　couple　of　days。　No　kidding。〃
　
　Nino　smiled。　〃OK；　Doc；　just　don't　make　the　nurse　too　pretty。〃
　
　Jules　made　a　call　for　the　nurse　and　then　he　and　Lucy　left。　Johnny　sat　in　a　chair　near　the　bed　to　wait　for　the　nurse。　Nino　was　falling　asleep　again；　an　exhausted　took　on　his　face。　Johnny　thought　about　what　he　had　said；　about　not　being　jealous　about　what　had　happened　over　a　year　ago　with　those　two　broads　down　in　Palm　Springs。　The　thought　had　never　entered　his　head　that　Nino　might　be　jealous。
　
　**********
　
　A　year　ago　Johnny　Fontane　had　sa