ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第48章

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　Briefly　Alexander's　spirit　flared。　〃I　didn't　take　advantage　。　。　。〃
　〃And　I　say　you　did！　And　I'm　telling　you　to　cut　it　out！〃　The　old　man　shouted　angrily；　his　face　muscles　working；　his　eyes　fiery。
　Alexander　stood；　crushed　and　silent。
　For　a　moment　or　two　Pearson　surveyed　the　younger　man　grimly。　Then；　as　if　satisfied　that　his　point　was　made；　he　went　on　to　speak　again。　〃Now　I'll　tell　you　something　else。〃　His　tone　this　time；　if　not　cordial；　was　at　least　less　harsh。　〃As　far　as　that　blood　test　is　concerned；　a　test　in　saline　and　high　protein　will　give　us　all　the　information　we　need。　And　let　me　remind　you　I　happen　to　be　a　pathologist　and　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about。　Have　you　got　that？〃
　Dully　Alexander　answered；　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃All　right。　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。〃　Pearson's　voice　became　more　moderate；　it　was　almost　as　if　he　were　offering　a　truce。　〃Since　you're　so　keen　on　this　test　being　right；　I'll　do　it　myself。　Here　and　now。　Where's　the　blood　specimen？〃
　〃In　the　refrigerator；〃　Bannister　said。
　〃Get　it。〃
　Crossing　the　lab；　Bannister　decided　this　scene　had　not　turned　out　exactly　the　way　he　would　have　liked。　It　was　true　the　Alexander　kid　had　needed　to　be　taken　down　a　peg；　but；　all　the　same；　the　old　man　had　laid　it　on　the　kid　a　bit　hard。　Bannister　would　have　liked　to　see　some　of　the　storm　move　in　the　direction　of　that　snide　young　doctor。　But　maybe　the　old　man　was　saving　that　for　later。　He　selected　the　blood　specimen　marked　〃Alexander；　Mrs。　E。〃　and　closed　the　refrigerator　door。
　Pearson　took　the　blood　sample；　which　already　had　the　clot　removed。　As　he　did；　Bannister　noticed　the　purchase　order　which　had　been　the　cause　of　the　trouble；　it　had　fallen　to　the　floor。　He　bent　down　and　picked　it　up。
　He　asked　Pearson；　〃What　shall　I　do　with　this？〃
　The　old　pathologist　had　taken　two　clean　test　tubes。　Now　he　was　aspirating　a　portion　of　the　blood　serum　into　each。　Without　looking　up　he　said　irritably；　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃It's　the　purchase　requisition…for　Coombs　serum。〃
　〃We　won't　need　it　now。　Tear　it　up。〃　Pearson　was　scrutinizing　the　label　of　a　small　bottle　containing　Rh…positive　cells。　Prepared　by　a　drug　house；　the　solution　was　used　as　a　reagent　in　testing　Rh…negative　blood。
　Bannister　hesitated。　Much　as　he　objected　to　Coleman；　he　knew　there　was　a　question　of　medical　protocol　involved。　〃You　ought　to　let　Dr。　Coleman　know；〃　he　said　doubtfully。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　tell　him？〃
　Pearson　was　having　trouble　with　the　cork　of　the　bottle。　He　said　impatiently；　〃No；　I'll　tell　him　myself。〃
　Bannister　shrugged。　He　had　pointed　something　out；　if　there　were　any　trouble　now；　it　would　not　be　his　responsibility。　He　took　the　purchase　requisition　and　tore　it　up；　allowing　the　pieces　to　flutter　down　into　a　wastebasket　below。
　
　Roger　McNeil；　the　pathology　resident；　suspected　that　no　matter　how　many　years　he　stayed　in　medicine　he　would　never　bee　hardened　to　performing　autopsies　on　children。　He　had　just　pleted　one；　and　now；　in　the　autopsy　room；　the　red…gaping　body　of　the　four…year…old　boy　lay　open；　pathetically；　before　him。　The　sight　disturbed　McNeil　as　much　as　ever。　He　knew；　as　always；　there　would　be　little　sleep　for　him　tonight。　This　scene　would　keep　recurring　in　his　mind…particularly　when　he　remembered；　as　inevitably　he　would；　how　unnecessary　and　futile　this　particular　death　had　been。
　Looking　up；　he　saw　Mike　Seddons　watching　him。　The　surgical　resident　said；　〃Poor　little　bastard。〃　Then；　bitterly；　〃How　stupid　can　people　get！〃
　McNeil　asked；　〃Are　the　police　still　waiting？〃
　Seddons　nodded。　〃Yes…and　the　others。〃
　〃You'd　better　call　Pearson。〃
　〃All　right。〃　There　was　a　telephone　in　the　autopsy…room　annex；　and　Seddons　went　to　it。
　McNeil　wondered　if　he　were　being　cowardly　in　avoiding　this　responsibility。　But　this　was　a　case　the　old　man　should　be　told　of　anyway。　Then　he　could　make　the　decision　on　who　would　break　the　news　outside　this　room。
　Seddons　had　returned　from　the　phone。　〃Pearson　was　in　Serology；〃　he　said。　〃He's　ing　across　now。〃
　The　two　men　waited　silently。　Then　they　heard　Pearson's　shuffling　footsteps；　and　the　old　man　came　in。　He　glanced　at　the　body　as　McNeil　recited　the　details　of　the　case。　An　hour　or　two　earlier　the　child　had　been　struck　by　an　automobile　outside　his　own　home。　He　had　been　brought　to　the　hospital　by　ambulance　but　was　dead　on　arrival。　Notified；　the　coroner　had　ordered　an　autopsy。　McNeil　told　Pearson　what　they　had　discovered。
　The　old　man　said；　〃You　mean　that's　all？〃　He　seemed　incredulous。
　McNeil　answered；　〃That's　all　that　killed　him。　Nothing　else。〃
　Pearson　moved　toward　the　body；　then　stopped。　He　knew　McNeil　well　enough　to　be　aware　that　the　resident　would　have　made　no　mistake。　He　said；　〃Then　they　must　have　just　stood　there　。　。　。　and　watched。〃
　Seddons　put　in；　〃Most　likely　nobody　knew　what　was　happening。〃
　Pearson　nodded　slowly。　Seddons　wondered　what　the　old　man　was　thinking。　Then　Pearson　asked；　〃How　old　was　the　child？〃
　〃Four；〃　McNeil　answered。　〃Nice…looking　kid　too。〃
　All　of　them　glanced　at　the　autopsy　table　and　the　still；　small　figure。　The　eyes　were　closed；　the　fair；　tousled　hair　pulled　back　in　place　now　that　the　brain　had　been　removed。　Pearson　shook　his　head；　then　turned　toward　the　door。　Over　his　shoulder　he　said；　〃All　right；　I'll　go　up　and　tell　them。〃
　The　three　occupants　of　the　hospital　anteroom　looked　up　as　Pearson　entered。　One　was　a　uniformed　patrolman　of　the　city　police；　and　near　him　was　a　tall　man　whose　eyes　were　red…rimmed。　The　third　occupant…dejected　and　sitting　alone　in　the　far　corner…was　a　mousy　little　man　with　a　straggling　mustache。
　Pearson　introduced　himself。　The　patrolman　said；　〃I'm　Stevens；　sir。　Fifth　Precinct。〃　He　produced　a　notebook　and　pencil。
　Pearson　asked　him；　〃Were　you　at　the　scene　of　the　accident？〃
　〃I　arrived　just　after　it　happened。〃　He　indicated　the　tall　man。　〃This　is　the　father　of　the　boy。　The　other　gentleman　was　the　driver　of　the　car。〃
　The　mousy　man　looked　up。　Appealing　to　Pearson；　he　said；　〃He　ran　straight　out…straight　out　from　the　side　of　the　house。　I'm　not　a　careless　driver。　I've　got　kids　of　my　own。　I　wasn't　going　fast。　I　was　almost　stopped　when　it　happened。〃
　〃And　I　say　you're　a　lousy　liar。〃　It　was　the　father；　his　voice　choked　with　emotion　and　bitterness。　〃You　killed　him；　and　I　hope　you　go　to　jail　for　it。〃
　Pearson　said　quietly；　〃Just　a　moment；　please。〃　There　was　silence；　the　others　watching　him。　He　motioned　to　the　policeman's　notebook。　〃There'll　be　a　full　report　for　the　coroner；　but　I　can　tell　you　the　preliminary　findings　now。〃　He　paused。　〃The　autopsy　has　shown　it　was　not　the　car　that　killed　the　boy。〃
　The　patrolman　looked　puzzled。　The　father　said；　〃But　I　was　there！　I　tell　you　。　。　。〃
　〃I　wish　there　were　some　other　way　to　tell　you　this；〃　Pearson　said；　〃but　I'm　afraid　there　isn't。〃　He　addressed　the　father。　〃The　blow　your　boy　received　knocked　him　to　the　road；　and　there　was　a　mild　concussion　which　rendered　him　unconscious。　He　also　sustained　a　small　fracture　of　the　nose…quite　minor；　but　unfortunately　it　caused　his　nose　to　bleed　profusely。〃　Pearson　turned　to　the　patrolman。　〃The　boy　was　left　lying　on　his　back；　I　believe…where　he　fell。〃
　The　officer　said；　〃Yes；　sir；　that's　right。　We　didn't　want　to　move　him　until　the　ambulance　came。〃
　〃And　how　long　was　that？〃
　〃I'd　say　about　ten　minutes。〃
　Pearson　nodded　slowly。　It　was　more　than　enough　time；　five　minutes　would　have　been　sufficient。　He　said；　〃I'm　afraid　that　that　was　the　cause　of　death。　The　blood　from　the　nosebleed　ran　back　into　the　boy's　throat。　He　was　unable　to　breathe　and　he　aspirated　blood　into　the　lungs。　He　died　of　asphyxiation。〃
　The　father's　face　revealed　horror；　incredulity。　He　said；　〃You　mean　。　。　。　if　we'd　only　turned　him　over　。　。　。〃
　Pearson　raised　his　hands　expressively。　〃I　meant　what　I　said…I　wish　there　were　some　other　way　to　tell　you　this。　But　I　can　only　report　the　truth：　the　original　injuries　to　your　boy　were　minor。〃
　The　patrolman　said；　〃Then　the　blow　from　the　car　。　。　。　？〃
　〃One　can't　be　sure；　of　course；　but　my　own　opinion　is　that　it　was　glancing　and　paratively　light。〃　Pearson　gestured　to　the　mousy　man；　now　standing　close　beside　them。　〃I　imagine　this　man　is　telling　the　truth　when　he　says　the　car　was　moving　slowly。〃
　〃Mother　of　God！〃　It　came　from　the　father…a　despairing；　tortu