ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第66章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　memos　contained　a　damning　condemnation　by　Pearson　of　hospital　kitchen　hygiene；　couched　in　even　stronger　terms　than　he　would　have　used　himself。　The　correspondence　appeared　to　go　back　several　years。
　〃Well？〃　Pearson　had　been　watching　as　he　read。
　Without　hesitation　Coleman　said；　〃I'm　sorry。　I　owe　you　an　apology…about　that　anyway。〃
　〃Never　mind。〃　Pearson　waved　his　hand　irritably；　then　as　the　words　sank　in；　〃You　mean　there's　something　else？〃
　Coleman　said　evenly；　〃In　finding　out　about　the　dishwashers　I　also　discovered　there　haven't　been　any　lab　tests　of　food　handlers　for　more　than　six　months。〃
　〃Why？〃　The　question　rapped　out　like　a　sharp　explosion。
　〃Apparently　none　were　sent　down　from　the　health　office。　The　chief　dietitian　is　checking　on　that　now。〃
　〃And　you　mean　we　didn't　query　it？　Nobody　in　Pathology　asked　why　none　were　ing？〃
　〃Apparently　not。〃
　〃That　fool　Bannister！　This　is　serious。〃　Pearson　was　genuinely　concerned；　his　earlier　hostility　to　Coleman　forgotten。
　Coleman　said　quietly；　〃I　thought　you'd　want　to　know。〃
　Pearson　had　picked　up　the　telephone。　After　a　pause　he　said；　〃Get　me　the　administrator。〃
　The　conversation　which　followed　was　brief　and　to　the　point。　At　the　end　Pearson　replaced　the　phone　and　stood　up。　To　Coleman　he　said；　〃Tomaselli　is　on　his　way　down。　Let's　meet　him　in　the　lab。〃
　
　It　took　only　a　few　minutes　in　the　lab　to　run　over；　for　a　second　time；　what　David　Coleman　had　already　learned。　With　Pearson　and　Harry　Tomaselli　listening；　John　Alexander　recapped　his　notes　and　Pearson　inspected　the　slides。　As　he　straightened　up　from　the　microscope　the　chief　dietitian　entered　the　lab。　The　administrator　turned　to　her。　〃What　did　you　find　out？〃
　〃It's　incredible　but　true。〃　Mrs。　Straughan　shook　her　head　in　a　gesture　of　unbelief。　She　addressed　Pearson。　〃Earlier　this　year　the　health　office　hired　a　new　clerk；　Dr。　P。　Nobody　told　her　about　lab　tests　on　food　handlers。　That's　the　reason　none　were　sent　down。〃
　Tomaselli　said；　〃So　there　have　been　no　tests　now　for…how　long？〃
　〃Approximately　six　and　a　half　months。〃
　Coleman　noticed　Carl　Bannister　standing　dourly　away　from　the　group；　apparently　occupied；　but　he　sensed　the　senior　technician　was　missing　nothing　of　what　was　going　on。
　The　administrator　asked　Pearson；　〃What　do　you　suggest？〃
　〃There　should　be　a　checkup　first　on　all　the　new　employees…as　quickly　as　possible。〃　This　time　the　elder　pathologist　was　incisive　and　brisk。　〃After　that　there　will　have　to　be　re…examination　of　all　the　others。　That　means　stool　culture；　chest　X…ray；　and　a　physical。　And　it　should　include　all　the　kitchen　workers　and　anyone　else　who　has　anything　to　do　with　food　at　all。〃
　〃Will　you　arrange　that；　Mrs。　Straughan？〃　Tomaselli　said。　〃Work　with　the　health　office；　they'll　handle　most　of　the　detail。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　T。　I'll　get　onto　it　right　away。〃　She　undulated　out　of　the　lab。
　〃Is　there　anything　else？〃　Tomaselli　had　returned　his　attention　to　Pearson。
　〃We　need　a　new　steam　booster　system　for　those　dishwashers…either　that　or　rip　them　right　out　and　put　new　ones　in。〃　Pearson's　voice　rose　heatedly。　〃I've　been　telling　everybody　that　for　years。〃
　〃I　know。〃　Tomaselli　nodded。　〃I　inherited　the　file；　and　it's　on　our　list。　The　trouble　is；　we've　had　so　many　capital　expenditures。〃　He　mused。　〃I　wonder　what　the　parative　cost　would　be。〃
　Unreasonably；　irritably；　Pearson　said；　〃How　should　I　know？　I'm　not　the　plumber。〃
　〃I　know　a　little　about　plumbing；　perhaps　I　can　help。〃　At　the　softly　spoken　words　the　others　turned　their　heads。　It　was　Dr。　Dornberger；　his　hands；　inevitably；　busy　with　his　pipe。　He　had　e　into　the　lab　quietly　and　unnoticed。　Seeing　Harry　Tomaselli；　he　asked；　〃Am　I　interrupting　something？〃
　Pearson　said　gruffly；　〃No。　It's　all　right。〃
　Dornberger　saw　John　Alexander　watching　him。　He　said；　〃I　was　with　your　baby　awhile　ago；　son。　I'm　afraid　he's　not　doing　too　well。〃
　〃Is　there　any　hope；　Doctor？〃　Alexander　asked　the　question　quietly。　The　others　had　turned；　their　expressions　softening。　Bannister　put　down　a　glass　pipette　and　moved　closer。
　〃Not　very　much；　I'm　afraid；〃　Dornberger　said　slowly。　There　was　a　silence；　then；　as　if　remembering　something；　he　turned　to　Pearson。　〃I　suppose；　Joe；　there　couldn't　be　any　doubt　about　that　blood…sensitization　test　on　Mrs。　Alexander？〃
　〃Doubt？〃
　〃I　mean；　that　it　could　be　wrong。〃
　Pearson　shook　his　head。　〃No　doubt　at　all；　Charlie。　Matter　of　fact；　I　did　it　myself…very　carefully。〃　He　added　curiously；　〃Why　did　you　ask？〃
　〃Just　checking。〃　Dornberger　puffed　at　his　pipe。　〃For　a　while　this　morning　I　suspected　the　child　might　have　had　erythroblastosis。　It　was　only　a　long　shot　though。〃
　〃Be　highly　unlikely。〃　Pearson　was　emphatic。
　Dornberger　said；　〃Yes；　that's　what　I　thought。〃
　Again　the　silence；　their　eyes　turning　to　Alexander。　David　Coleman　felt　he　wanted　to　say　something…anything　to　divert　attention；　to　make　things　easier　for　the　young　technologist。　He　told　Dornberger；　almost　without　thinking；　〃There　used　to　be　some　doubt　about　sensitization　tests…when　labs　were　using　just　the　saline　and　high…protein　methods。　Sometimes　then　a　few　positive　cases　would　get　recorded　as　negative。　Nowadays；　though；　with　an　indirect　Coombs　test　as　well；　it's　pretty　well　foolproof。〃　As　he　finished　speaking；　he　realized　that　this　lab　had　only　made　the　change　since　his　own　arrival。　He　had　not　meant　to　take　a　dig　at　Pearson；　at　this　moment　he　found　himself　hoping　the　old　man　would　not　notice。　There　had　been　enough　quarreling　between　them　without　adding　to　it　needlessly。
　〃But；　Dr。　Coleman　。　。　。〃　Alexander's　mouth　was　gaping；　his　eyes　alarmed。
　〃Yes？　What　is　it？〃　Coleman　was　puzzled。　Nothing　he　had　said　was　enough　to　produce　this　reaction。
　〃We　didn't　do　an　indirect　Coombs　test。〃
　Despite　his　concern　for　Alexander；　Coleman　found　himself　being　annoyed。　Because　of　Pearson　he　had　wanted　to　avoid　pursuing　this　subject。　Now　he　was　being　given　no　choice。　〃Oh　yes；　you　did；〃　he　said　offhandedly。　〃I　remember　signing　the　requisition　for　Coombs　serum。〃
　Alexander　was　looking　at　him　despairingly；　his　eyes　pleading。　He　said；　〃But　Dr。　Pearson　said　it　wasn't　necessary。　The　test　was　done　just　in　saline　and　high　protein。〃
　It　took　Coleman　several　seconds　to　absorb　what　had　been　said。　He　saw　that　Harry　Tomaselli；　not　understanding；　was　watching　the　scene　curiously。　Dornberger's　attention　had　suddenly　perked　up。
　Pearson　appeared　unfortable。　He　said　to　Coleman；　with　a　trace　of　unease；　〃I　meant　to　tell　you　at　the　time。　It　slipped　my　mind。〃
　David　Coleman's　brain　was　now　ice…clear。　But　before　going　further　he　wanted　to　establish　one　fact。　〃Do　I　understand　correctly；〃　he　asked　Alexander；　〃that　there　was　no　indirect　Coombs　test　whatever？〃
　As　Alexander　nodded　Dr。　Dornberger　cut　in　abruptly。　〃Wait　a　minute！　Let　me　get　this　straight。　You　mean　the　mother…Mrs。　Alexander…may　have　sensitized　blood　after　all？〃
　〃Of　course　she　may！〃　Not　caring；　Coleman　lashed　out；　his　voice　rising　in　pitch。　〃The　saline　and　high…protein　tests　are　good　in　a　lot　of　cases　but　not　in　all。　Anybody　who's　kept　reasonably　up　to　date　in　hematology　should　be　aware　of　that。〃　He　glanced　sideways　at　Pearson；　who　appeared　not　to　have　stirred。　To　Dornberger　he　went　on；　〃That's　why　I　ordered　an　indirect　Coombs。〃
　The　administrator　was　still　trying　to　grasp　the　medical　significance。　〃This　test　you're　talking　about；　if　you　ordered　it；　why　wasn't　it　done？〃
　Coleman　wheeled　on　Bannister。　His　eyes　merciless；　he　asked；　〃What　happened　to　the　requisition　I　signed…the　requisition　for　Coombs　serum？〃　As　the　technician　hesitated；　〃Well？〃
　Bannister　was　shaking。　Barely　audible；　he　mumbled；　〃I　tore　it　up。〃
　Dornberger　said　incredulously；　〃You　tore　up　a　doctor's　requisition…and　without　telling　him？〃
　Relentlessly　Coleman　said；　〃On　whose　instructions　did　you　tear　it　up？〃
　Bannister　was　looking　at　the　floor。　He　said　reluctantly；　〃On　Dr。　Pearson's　instructions。〃
　Dornberger　was　thinking　quickly　now。　To　Coleman　he　said；　〃This　means　the　child　may　have　erythroblastosis；　everything　points　to　it；　in　fact。〃
　〃Then　you'll　do　an　exchange　transfusion？〃
　Dornberger　said　bitterly；　〃If　it　was　necessary　at　all；　it　should　have　been　done　at　birth。　But　there　may　be　a　chance；　even　this　late。〃　He　looked　at　the　young　pathologist　as　if