ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第67章

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　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；　by　implication；　only　Coleman's　opinion　could　be　trusted。　〃But　I　want　to　be　sure。　The　child　hasn't　any　strength　to　spare。〃
　〃We　need　a　direct　Coombs　test　of　the　baby's　blood。〃　Coleman's　reaction　was　fast　and　petent。　This　scene　was　between　himself　and　Dornberger　now；　Pearson　was　standing　still；　as　if　dazed　by　the　swiftness　of　what　had　happened。　To　Bannister；　Coleman　rapped　out；　〃Is　there　any　Coombs　serum　in　the　hospital？〃
　The　technician　swallowed。　〃No。〃
　This　was　something　within　the　administrator's　orbit。　He　asked　tersely；　〃Where　do　we　get　it　then？〃
　〃There　isn't　time。〃　Coleman　shook　his　head。　〃We'll　have　to　get　the　test　done　somewhere　else…where　they've　facilities。〃
　〃University　will　do　it；　they've　a　bigger　lab　than　ours　anyway。〃　Harry　Tomaselli　had　crossed　to　the　telephone。　He　told　the　operator；　〃Get　me　University　Hospital；　please。〃　To　the　others　he　said；　〃Who's　in　charge　of　pathology　there？〃
　Dornberger　said；　〃Dr。　Franz。〃
　〃Dr。　Franz；　please。〃　Tomaselli　asked；　〃Who'll　talk　with　him？〃
　〃I　will。〃　Coleman　took　the　phone。　The　others　heard　him　say；　〃Dr。　Franz？　This　is　Dr。　Coleman…assistant　pathologist　at　Three　Counties。　Could　you　handle　an　emergency　Coombs　test　for　us？〃　There　was　a　pause；　Coleman　listening。　Then　he　said；　〃Yes；　we'll　send　the　sample　immediately。　Thank　you；　Doctor。　Good…by。〃　He　turned　back　to　the　room。　〃We'll　need　the　blood　sample　quickly。〃
　〃I'll　help　you；　Doctor。〃　It　was　Bannister；　a　tray　of　equipment　in　his　hands。
　About　to　reject　the　offer；　Coleman　saw　the　mute　appeal　in　the　other　man's　eyes。　He　hesitated；　then　said；　〃Very　well。　e　with　me。〃
　As　they　left　the　administrator　called　after　them。　〃I'll　get　a　police　cruiser。　They'll　get　the　sample　over　there　faster。〃
　〃Please！　I'd　like　to　take　it…to　go　with　them。〃　It　was　John　Alexander。
　〃All　right。〃　The　administrator　had　the　telephone　to　his　ear。　Into　it　he　snapped；　〃Get　me　the　City　Police。〃　To　Alexander　he　said；　〃Go　with　the　others；　then　bring　the　blood　sample　to　the　emergency　entrance。　I'll　have　the　cruiser　waiting　there。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Alexander　went　out　quickly。
　〃This　is　the　administrator；　Three　Counties　Hospital。〃　Tomaselli　was　talking　into　the　phone　again。　〃We'd　like　a　police　car　to　deliver　an　urgent　blood　sample。〃　He　listened　briefly。　〃Yes；　our　people　will　be　waiting　at　the　emergency　entrance。　Right。〃　Hanging　up　the　phone；　he　said；　〃I'd　better　make　sure　they　all　get　together。〃　He　went　out；　leaving　Pearson　and　Dornberger　alone。
　Within　the　past　few　moments　a　ferment　of　thoughts　had　been　seething　in　the　elderly　obstetrician's　mind。　Inevitably；　in　his　long　years　of　medical　practice；　Charles　Dornberger　had　had　patients　die。　Sometimes　about　their　deaths　there　had　seemed　almost　a　predestination。　But　always　he　had　fought　for　their　lives；　at　times　savagely；　and　never　giving　up　until　the　end。　And　in　all　occasions…successes　as　well　as　failures…he　could　tell　himself　truthfully　that　he　had　behaved　with　honor；　his　standards　high；　nothing　left　to　chance；　the　utmost　of　his　skill　expended　always。　There　were　other　physicians；　he　knew；　who　were　sometimes　less　exacting。　But　never；　to　the　best　of　his　own　knowledge　and　belief；　had　Charles　Dornberger　failed　a　patient　through　inadequacy　or　neglect。
　Until　this　moment。
　Now；　it　seemed；　near　the　close　of　his　own　career；　he　was　to　share　the　sad　and　bitter　harvest　of　another　man's　inpetence；　and　worse…a　man　who　was　a　friend。
　〃Joe；〃　he　said；　〃there's　something　I'd　like　you　to　know。〃
　Pearson　had　lowered　himself　to　a　lab　stool；　his　face　drained　of　color；　his　eyes　unfocused。　Now　he　looked　up　slowly。
　〃This　was　a　premature　baby；　Joe；　but　it　was　normal；　and　we　could　have　done　an　exchange　transfusion　right　after　birth。〃　Dornberger　paused；　and　when　he　went　on　the　turmoil　of　his　own　emotions　was　in　his　voice。　〃Joe；　we've　been　friends　a　long　time；　and　sometimes　I've　covered　up　for　you；　and　I've　helped　you　fight　your　battles。　But　this　time；　if　this　baby　dies；　so　help　me　God！…I'll　take　you　before　the　medical　board　and　I'll　break　you　in　two。〃
　
　Twenty
　
　〃For　Christ　sake；　what　are　they　doing　over　there？　Why　haven't　we　heard　yet？〃
　Dr。　Joseph　Pearson's　fingers　drummed　a　nervous　tattoo　upon　his　office　desk。　It　was　an　hour　and　a　quarter　since　the　blood　sample　had　been　taken　from　the　Alexander　baby　and　promptly　dispatched　to　University　Hospital。　Now　the　elder　pathologist　and　David　Coleman　were　alone　in　the　office。
　Coleman　said　quietly；　〃I　called　Dr。　Franz　a　second　time。　He　said　he'll　phone　the　moment　they　have　a　result。〃
　Pearson　nodded　dully。　He　asked；　〃Where's　the　boy…Alexander？〃
　〃The　police　drove　him　back。　He's　with　his　wife。〃　Coleman　hesitated。　〃While　we're　waiting…do　you　think　we　should　check　with　the　health　office　about　the　kitchen　situation；　make　sure　the　foodhandler　checks　are　being　started？〃
　Pearson　shook　his　head。　〃Later…when　all　this　is　over。〃　He　said　intensely；　〃I　can't　think　of　anything　else　until　this　thing　is　settled。〃
　For　the　first　time　since　this　morning's　events；　which　had　erupted　so　explosively　in　the　lab；　David　Coleman　found　himself　wondering　about　Pearson　and　what　the　older　man　was　feeling。　There　had　been　no　argument　about　the　validity　of　Coleman's　statements　concerning　the　sensitization　test；　and　Pearson's　silence　on　the　subject　seemed　a　tacit　admission　that　his　younger　colleague　was　better　informed　than　himself；　at　any　rate　in　this　area。　Coleman　thought：　It　must　be　a　bitter　thing　to　face；　and　for　the　first　time　he　felt　a　stirring　of　sympathy　for　the　other　man。
　Pearson　stopped　drumming　and　slammed　his　hand　hard　on　the　table。　〃For　Pete's　sake；〃　he　said；　〃why　don't　they　call？〃
　
　〃Is　there　any　news　from　Pathology？〃
　Dr。　Charles　Dornberger；　scrubbed　and　waiting　in　a　small　operating　room　which　adjoined　Obstetrics；　asked　the　question　of　the　charge　nurse　who　had　entered。
　The　girl　shook　her　head。　〃No；　Doctor。〃
　〃How　close　are　we　to　being　ready？〃
　The　nurse　filled　two　rubber　hot…water　bottles　and　placed　them　beneath　a　blanket　on　the　tiny　operating　table　that　was　used　for　infants。　She　answered；　〃Just　a　few　minutes　more。〃
　An　intern　had　joined　Dornberger。　The　intern　asked；　〃Do　you　intend　to　go　ahead　with　an　exchange　transfusion…even　if　you　don't　have　the　Coombs　test　result？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dornberger　answered。　〃We've　lost　enough　time　already　and　I　don't　want　to　add　to　it。〃　He　considered；　then　went　on；　〃In　any　case；　the　anemia　in　the　child　now　is　sufficiently　marked　to　justify　a　blood　exchange　even　without　the　test。〃
　The　nurse　said；　〃By　the　way；　Doctor；　the　baby's　umbilical　cord　has　been　cut　short。　I　wondered　if　you　knew　that。〃
　〃Yes；　thank　you；　I　did。〃　To　the　intern　Dornberger　explained；　〃When　we　know　in　advance　that　an　exchange　transfusion　will　be　necessary；　we　leave　the　umbilical　cord　long　at　birth。　It　makes　a　convenient　point　of　connection。　Unfortunately　in　this　case　we　didn't　know；　so　the　cord　was　cut。〃
　〃How　will　you　proceed？〃　the　intern　asked。
　〃I'll　use　a　local　anesthetic　and　cut　down　just　above　the　umbilical　vein。〃　Turning　back　to　the　nurse；　Dornberger　asked；　〃Is　the　blood　being　warmed？〃
　She　nodded。　〃Yes；　Doctor。〃
　Dornberger　told　the　intern；　〃It's　important　to　make　sure　the　new　blood　is　close　to　body　temperature。　Otherwise　it　increases　the　danger　of　shock。〃
　In　a　separate　partment　of　his　mind　Dornberger　was　aware　that　he　was　talking　as　much　for　his　own　benefit　as　for　the　instruction　of　the　intern。　Talking　at　least　prevented　him　from　thinking　too　deeply；　and　for　the　moment　deep　thinking　was　something　Charles　Dornberger　wanted　to　avoid。　Since　he　had　left　Pearson　after　the　showdown　in　the　lab　his　own　mind　had　been　engaged　in　a　torment　of　anxiety　and　recrimination。　The　fact　that；　technically；　he　himself　was　not　to　blame　for　what　had　happened　seemed　unimportant。　It　was　his　patient　who　was　in　jeopardy；　his　patient　that　might　die　because　of　the　worst　kind　of　medical　negligence；　and　the　ultimate　responsibility　was　his　alone。
　About　to　continue　talking；　Dornberger　checked　himself　abruptly。　Something　was　wrong；　he　had　a　feeling　of　dizziness；　his　head　was　throbbing；　the　room　sw