ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第75章

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　When　Pearson　had　pleted　his　inspection　he　addressed　the　other　four。　〃Our　problem；〃　he　announced；　〃is　one　of　detection。　Out　of　a　field　of　approximately　ninety…five　people…the　food　handlers…it　is　our　business　to　track　down　a　single　individual　whom　we　believe　to　be　spreading　typhoid　germs　within　this　hospital。　It　is　also　a　problem　of　speed；　the　longer　we　take；　the　worse　the　epidemic　will　be。　Our　means　of　detection　will　be　the　stool　specimens　which　will　start　ing　in　today；　with　the　bulk　of　them　arriving　tomorrow。〃
　He　addressed　Roger　McNeil。　〃Dr。　McNeil；　your　job　for　the　next　few　days　will　be　to　keep　the　lab　clear　of　non…essential　work。　Check　all　routine　requisitions　ing　in　and　decide　how　many　of　them　should　have　priority　and　which　can　be　postponed；　at　least　for　a　day　or　two。　The　lab　items　which　in　your　opinion　are　urgent　can　be　handled　by　Carl　Bannister。　Work　with　him　as　much　as　you　can；　but　don't　load　him　with　any　more　than　is　essential；　the　rest　of　the　time　we'll　use　him　on　our　major　project。〃　Pearson　continued　as　McNeil　nodded。　〃You　yourself　will　have　to　take　care　of　all　surgical　reports。　Process　those　which　appear　urgent　and　accumulate　anything　that　can　wait。　If　there's　any　diagnosis　about　which　you're　not　absolutely　sure；　call　Dr。　Coleman　or　myself。〃
　〃Right。　I'll　check　with　the　office　now。〃　McNeil　went　out。
　To　the　others　Pearson　said；　〃We　shall　use　a　separate　plate　for　each　single　stool　culture。　I　don't　want　to　take　the　risk　of　putting　several　cultures　together；　then　having　one　overgrow　the　others；　it　would　mean　we'd　lose　time　and　have　to　start　again。〃　He　asked　Alexander；　〃Do　we　have　sufficient　MacConkey's　medium　ready　to　handle　close　to　a　hundred　cultures？〃
　John　Alexander　was　pale　and　his　eyes　red…rimmed。　He　had　returned　from　Elizabeth　only　a　half…hour　before。　Nevertheless　he　responded　promptly；　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　doubt　if　we've　more　than　a　couple　of　dozen。　Normally　that's　several　days'　supply。〃
　When　he　had　spoken；　realizing　that　his　reaction　to　a　question　about　the　lab　had　sprung　from　habit；　John　Alexander　wondered　what　his　own　feelings　were　toward　Dr。　Pearson。　He　found　he　could　not　define　them。　He　supposed　he　should　hate　this　old　man　whose　negligence　had　caused　his　own　son's　death；　and　perhaps　later　on　he　would。　But　for　now　there　was　only　a　dull；　deep　aching　and　a　sense　of　melancholy。　Maybe　it　was　as　well　for　the　time　being　that　a　great　deal　of　work　appeared　to　be　facing　them　all。　At　least　he　could　try　to　lose　himself　in　some　of　it。
　〃I　understand；〃　Pearson　said。　〃Well；　then；　will　you　work　in　the　media　kitchen　and　stay　with　it　until　all　the　plates　are　ready　for　use？　We　must　have　them　all　by　the　end　of　today。〃
　〃I'll　get　started。〃　Alexander　followed　McNeil　out。
　Now　Pearson　was　thinking　aloud。　〃We　shall　have　ninety…five　cultures；　say　a　hundred。　Assume　that　50　per　cent　will　be　lactose　positive；　leaving　the　other　50　per　cent　to　be　investigated　further；　it　shouldn't　be　more　than　that。〃　He　glanced　at　Coleman　for　confirmation。
　〃I'd　agree。〃　Coleman　nodded。
　〃All　right　then；　we　shall　need　ten　sugar　tubes　to　a　culture。　Fifty　cultures…that　means　five　hundred　subcultures。〃　Turning　to　Bannister；　Pearson　asked；　〃How　many　sugar　tubes　are　ready…clean　and　sterilized？〃
　Bannister　considered。　〃Probably　two　hundred。〃
　〃Are　you　sure？〃　Pearson　looked　at　him　searchingly。
　Bannister　colored。　Then　he　said；　〃A　hundred　and　fifty　anyway。〃
　〃Then　order　three　hundred　and　fifty　more。　Call　the　supply　house　and　say　we　want　them　delivered　today；　and　no　excuses。　Tell　them　we'll　take　care　of　the　paper　work　later。〃　Pearson　went　on。　〃When　you've　done　that；　begin　preparing　the　tubes　in　sets　of　ten。　Use　those　on　hand　first；　then　the　others　when　they　e。　Check　your　sugar　supplies　too。　Remember　you'll　need　glucose；　lactose；　dulcitol；　sucrose；　mannitol；　maltose；　xylose；　arabinose；　rhamnose；　and　one　tube　for　indole　production。〃
　Pearson　had　rattled　off　the　names　without　hesitation。　With　the　ghost　of　a　smile　he　said　to　Bannister；　〃You'll　find　the　list　and　table　of　reactions　for　Salmonella　typhi　on　page　sixty…six　of　laboratory　standing　orders。　All　right；　get　moving。〃
　Hastily　Bannister　scurried　to　the　telephone。
　Turning　to　David　Coleman；　Pearson　asked；　〃Can　you　think　of　anything　I've　forgotten？〃
　Coleman　shook　his　head。　The　old　man's　grasp　of　the　situation；　as　well　as　his　celerity　and　thoroughness；　had　left　Coleman　both　surprised　and　impressed。　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　can't　think　of　a　thing。〃
　For　a　moment　Pearson　regarded　the　younger　man。　Then　he　said；　〃In　that　case；　let's　go　and　have　coffee。　It　may　be　the　last　chance　we'll　have　for　quite　a　few　days。〃
　
　Now　that　Mike　Seddons　had　gone；　it　came　to　Vivian　just　how　big　a　gap　his　absence　left　behind　and　how　long…drawn…out　the　next　few　days　were　going　to　seem　without　him。　She　believed；　though；　she　had　been　right　in　asking　Mike　to　remain　away　for　a　time。　It　would　give　them　both　a　chance　to　adjust　and　to　think　clearly　about　the　future。　Not　that　Vivian　needed　any　time　to　think　herself；　she　was　quite　sure　of　her　own　feelings；　but　it　was　faker　to　Mike　this　way。　Or　was　it？　For　the　first　time　it　occurred　to　her　that　by　acting　as　she　had　perhaps　she　was　asking　Mike　to　prove　his　love　for　her；　while　accepting　her　own　without　question。
　But　that　was　not　what　she　had　intended。　Vivian　wondered　uneasily；　though；　if　Mike　had　taken　it　that　way…if　she　had　appeared　to　him　untrusting　and　unwilling　to　accept　his　devotion　at　face　value。　He　hadn't　seemed　to；　it　was　true；　but　perhaps　after　thinking　things　over；　as　she　herself　was　doing　at　this　moment；　he　might　decide　that　was　the　way　it　was。　She　speculated　on　whether　she　should　call　him　or　send　a　note　explaining　what　she　had　really　intended…that　is；　if　she　were　sure　herself。　Was　she　sure　though…even　now？　At　times　it　was　so　difficult　to　think　clearly；　you　started　out　doing　what　you　thought　was　right；　then　you　wondered　if　someone　else　might　misinterpret；　might　look　for　hidden　meanings　that　you　had　never　considered　yourself。　How　could　you　be　really　sure　what　was　the　best　thing　to　do　about　anything　。　。　。　anywhere　。　。　。　ever　。　。　。　？
　There　was　a　light　tap　on　the　door　and　Mrs。　Loburton　came　in。　Seeing　her；　suddenly　Vivian　forgot　that　she　was　all　of　nineteen；　adult；　able　to　decide　things　for　herself。　She　held　out　her　arms。　〃Oh；　Mother；〃　she　said；　〃I'm　so　terribly　mixed　up。〃
　
　The　physical　checkups　on　food　handlers　were　proceeding　briskly。　In　a　small　consulting　room…the　first　of　a　row　of　similar　rooms　in　the　outpatients'　department…Dr。　Harvey　Chandler　was　concluding　his　examination　of　one　of　the　male　cooks。　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃you　may　get　dressed。〃
　At　first　the　chief　of　medicine　had　not　been　sure　whether　it　would　be　dignified　for　him　to　handle　some　of　the　physicals　himself　or　not。　But　eventually　he　had　decided　to；　his　attitude　being　somewhat　that　of　a　manding　officer　who　feels　morally　bound　to　position　himself　at　the　head　of　his　troops　during　a　beach…head　assault。
　Actually　Dr。　Chandler　had　been　inclined　to　resent　the　dominance　of　the　situation　up　to　this　point　by　Drs。　O'Donnell　and　Pearson。　O'Donnell　was；　of　course；　the　medical…board　president　and　entitled　to　be　concerned　with　the　over…all　welfare　of　the　hospital。　All　the　same；　Chandler　reasoned；　he　was　merely　a　surgeon　and　typhoid　was　essentially　a　matter　for　internal　medicine。
　In　a　sense　the　chief　of　medicine　felt　deprived　of　a　starring　role　in　the　present　crisis。　In　some　of　his　more　ultimate　thoughts　Dr。　Chandler　sometimes　pictured　himself　as　a　man　of　destiny；　but　opportunities　to　prove　the　point　were　all　too　rare。　Now；　with　an　opportunity　at　hand；　he　was　being　relegated；　if　not　to　a　minor　role；　at　least　to　a　secondary　one。　He　had　to　admit；　however；　that　the　arrangements　made　by　O'Donnell　and　Pearson　appeared　to　be　working　well；　and　at　least　they　all　had　the　mon　aim　of　ending　this　deplorable　outbreak　of　typhoid。　Frowning　slightly；　he　told　the　cook　who　had　now　dressed；　〃Remember　to　be　especially　careful　about　hygiene。　And　practice　absolute　cleanliness　when　you're　working　in　the　kitchen。〃
　〃Yes；　Doctor。〃
　As　the　man　went　out　Kent　O'Donnell　came　in。　〃Hi；〃　he　said。　〃How's　it　going？〃
　Chandler's　first　inclination　was　to　reply　huffily。　Then；　he　decided；　perhaps　there　was　not　really　that　much　t