ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第19节

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atic　nodules。〃　Again　he　held　out　the　tissue　for　the　resident　to　see。
　He　had　turned　his　attention　to　the　second　lung　when　a　door　behind　him　opened。
　〃You　busy；　Dr。　Pearson？〃
　Pearson　turned　around　irritably。　The　voice　was　that　of　Carl　Bannister；　senior　lab　technician　in　the　pathology　department。　Bannister　had　his　head　around　the　door　tentatively；　and　there　was　another　figure　behind　him　in　the　corridor。
　〃Of　course　I'm　busy。　What　do　you　want？〃　It　was　the　tone；　half　snarling；　half　bantering；　Pearson　habitually　used　to　Bannister。　Over　the　years　the　two　of　them　had　bee　accustomed　to　it；　anything　more　cordial　would　probably　have　confused　both。
　Bannister　was　unperturbed。　He　beckoned　to　the　figure　behind　him。　〃e　inside。〃　Then　to　Pearson　he　said；　〃This　is　John　Alexander。　You　remember…our　new　lab　technician。　You　hired　him　a　week　ago。　He　starts　work　today。〃
　〃Oh　yes。　I'd　forgotten　this　was　the　day。　e　in。〃　Pearson　sounded　more　cordial　than　he　had　been　with　Bannister。　McNeil　thought：　Maybe　he　doesn't　want　to　scare　a　new　employee　first　day　out。
　McNeil　looked　curiously　at　the　newer。　Twenty…two；　he　figured；　later　he　was　to　learn　he　was　exactly　right。　He　knew　from　what　he　had　heard　that　Alexander　was　fresh　from　college　with　a　degree　in　medical　technology。　Well；　they　could　do　with　someone　like　that　around　the　place。　Bannister；　for　sure；　wasn't　any　Louis　Pasteur。
　McNeil　turned　his　eyes　to　the　senior　technician。　As　usual；　Bannister's　appearance　made　him　something　of　a　minor　league　Pearson。　His　short；　paunchy　body　was　partially　covered　by　a　stained　lab　coat。　The　coat　was　not　buttoned　and　the　clothes　beneath　it　appeared　shabby　and　unpressed。　Bannister　was　mostly　bald；　and　such　hair　as　was　left　looked　as　if　it　were　permanently　ignored。
　McNeil　knew　something　of　Bannister's　history。　He　had　e　to　Three　Counties　a　year　or　two　after　Pearson's　arrival。　He　had　a　high…school　education；　and　Pearson　had　hired　him　for　odd　jobs…stock　clerk；　messenger；　washing　glassware。　Gradually；　as　the　years　passed；　Bannister　had　learned　a　lot　of　practical　things　around　the　lab；　being　more　and　more　a　right　hand　to　Pearson。
　Officially　Bannister's　work　was　in　serology　and　biochemistry。　But　he　had　been　in　the　department　so　long　that　he　could　fill　La　if　necessary；　and　often　did；　for　technicians　in　other　sections　of　the　lab。　Because　of　this　Pearson　had　pushed　a　good　deal　of　administrative　lab　work　onto　Bannister；　leaving　him；　in　effect；　in　charge　of　all　pathology　technicians。
　McNeil　thought　it　likely　that　in　Bannister's　heyday　he　had　been　a　good　technician　who；　with　more　education；　might　have　risen　to　better　things。　As　it　was　now；　McNeil　considered　Bannister　long　on　experience　and　short　on　theory。　From　observation　the　resident　knew　that　much　of　Bannister's　work　in　the　lab　was　from　rote　rather　than　reasoning。　He　could　do　serologic　and　chemical　tests　but　without　any　real　understanding　of　the　science　behind　them。　McNeil　had　often　thought　that　one　day　this　might　prove　dangerous。
　Alexander；　of　course；　was　a　different　proposition。　He　had　e　the　way　of　most　lab　technicians　nowadays；　with　three　years　of　college　behind　him；　the　last　year　in　an　approved　school　for　medical　technologists。　The　word　〃technologist〃　was　sometimes　a　sore　point　with　people　like　Bannister　who　only　rated　the　styling　〃technician。〃
　Pearson　waved　his　cigar　at　the　remaining　stool　around　the　table。　〃Sit　down；　John。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Doctor；〃　Alexander　answered　politely。　In　his　spotless　lab　coat；　with　a　recent　crew　cut；　pressed　pants；　and　shined　shoes；　he　presented　a　contrast　to　Pearson　as　well　as　Bannister。
　〃Do　you　think　you'll　like　it　here？〃　Pearson　looked　down　at　the　lungs　he　was　holding；　continuing　the　examination　while　he　talked。
　〃I'm　sure　I　will；　Doctor。〃
　Nice　kid；　this；　McNeil　thought。　He　sounds　as　if　he　means　it。
　〃Well；　John；〃　Pearson　was　saying；　〃you'll　discover　we　have　certain　ways　of　doing　things。　They　may　not　always　be　the　ways　you've　been　used　to；　but　we　find　they　work　pretty　well　for　us。〃
　〃I　understand；　Doctor。〃
　Do　you？　McNeil　thought　Do　you　understand　what　the　old　man　is　really　telling　you？…that　he　doesn't　want　any　changes　around　the　place；　that　there's　to　be　no　nonsense　with　ideas　you　may　have　picked　up　in　school；　that　nothing　in　the　department…no　matter　how　trifling…is　to　be　amended　without　his　blessing。
　〃Some　people　might　say　we're　old…fashioned；〃　Pearson　continued。　He　was　being　friendly　enough　in　his　way。　〃But　we　believe　in　tried　and　tested　methods。　Eh；　Carl？〃
　Called　on　for　endorsement；　Bannister　was　quick　to　answer。　〃That's　right；　Doctor。〃
　Pearson　had　finished　with　the　lungs　now　and；　dipping　into　the　pail；　somewhat　like　drawing　a　lottery；　had　e　up　with　a　stomach。　He　grunted；　then　held　out　an　open　section　to　McNeil。　〃See　that？〃
　The　resident　nodded。　〃I　saw　it　before。　We　have　it　listed。〃
　〃All　right。〃　Pearson　motioned　to　the　clip　board；　then　he　dictated；　〃There　is　a　peptic　ulcer　lying　just　below　the　pyloric　ring　in　the　duodenum。〃
　Alexander　had　shifted　slightly　to　get　a　better　look。　Pearson　saw　his　movement　and　slid　the　organ　across。　〃Are　you　interested　in　dissection；　John？〃
　Alexander　answered　respectfully；　〃I've　always　been　interested　in　anatomy；　Doctor。〃
　〃As　well　as　lab　work；　eh？〃　McNeil　sensed　that　Pearson　was　pleased。　Pathological　anatomy　was　the　old　man's　first　love。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Well；　these　are　the　organs　of　a　fifty…five…year…old　woman。〃　Pearson　turned　over　the　case…history　pages　in　front　of　him。　Alexander　was　raptly　attentive。　〃Interesting　history；　this　case。　The　patient　was　a　widow；　and　the　immediate　cause　of　death　was　cancer　of　the　breast。　For　two　years　before　she　died　her　children　knew　she　had　trouble　but　they　couldn't　persuade　her　to　see　a　physician。　It　seems　she　had　a　prejudice　against　them。〃
　〃Some　people　do。〃　It　was　Bannister。　He　gave　a　high…pitched　giggle　which　dried　up　as　he　caught　Pearson's　eye。
　〃Just　cut　out　the　snide　remarks。　I'm　giving　John　here　some　information。　Might　not　do　you　any　harm　either。〃　Anyone　but　Bannister　would　have　been　crushed　by　Pearson's　rejoinder。　As　it　was；　the　technician　merely　grinned。
　〃What　happened；　Doctor？〃　Alexander　asked。
　〃It　says　here：　'Daughter　states　that　for　the　past　two　years　the　family　has　been　noticing　drainage　from　the　mother's　left　breast　area。　Fourteen　months　before　admission　bleeding　was　noticed　from　the　same　area。　Otherwise　she　appeared　in　normal　health。'　〃
　Pearson　turned　a　page。　〃It　seems　this　woman　went　to　a　faith　healer。〃　He　chuckled　grimly。　〃Guess　she　didn't　have　enough　faith；　though；　because　she　finally　collapsed　and　they　brought　her　to　this　hospital。〃
　〃By　then；　I　suppose；　it　was　too　late。〃
　This　isn't　politeness；　McNeil　thought。　This　guy　Alexander　is　really　interested。
　〃Yeah；〃　Pearson　answered。　〃But　if　she　had　gone　to　a　doctor　at　the　beginning　she　could　have　had　a　radical　mastectomy…that's　removal　of　the　breast。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　know。〃
　〃If　she'd　had　that　she　might　still　be　alive。〃　Pearson　tossed　the　stomach　neatly　through　the　hole。
　Something　was　troubling　Alexander。　He　asked；　〃Didn't　you　just　say；　though；　she　had　a　peptic　ulcer？〃
　Good　for　you；　McNeil　thought。　Pearson；　it　seemed；　had　the　same　reaction；　for　he　turned　to　Bannister。　〃There　you　are；　Carl。　Here's　a　boy　who　keeps　his　ears　open。　You　watch　out　or　he'll　be　showing　you　up。〃
　Bannister　was　grinning；　but　McNeil　suspected　a　little　sourness。　What　had　been　said　might　prove　unfortably　true。　〃Well；　John〃…Pearson　was　really　expansive　now…〃she　might　have　had　trouble　with　that。　Then　again　she　might　not。〃
　〃You　mean　she'd　never　have　known　about　it？〃
　McNeil　thought　it　was　time　he　said　something　himself。　〃It's　surprising；〃　he　told　Alexander；　〃what　people　have　wrong　with　them　besides　the　things　they　die　of。　Things　they　never　know　about。　You　see　a　lot　of　that　here。〃
　〃That's　right。〃　Pearson　nodded　agreement。　〃You　know；　John；　the　remarkable　thing　about　the　human　body　is　not　what　kills　us　but　what　we　can　have　wrong　inside　and　still　go　on　living。〃　He　paused；　then　abruptly　changed　the　subject。　〃Are　you　married？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　am。〃
　〃Your　wife　here　with　you？〃
　〃Not　yet。　She's　ing　next　week。　I　thought　I'd　find　us　a　place　to　live　first。〃
　McNeil　remembered　that　Alexander　had　been　one　of　the　out…of…town　applicants　for　the　job　at　Three　Counties。　He　seemed　to　recall　that　Chicago　had　been　mentioned。
　Alexander　hesitated；　then　he　added；　〃There　was　something　I　wanted　to　ask　you；　Dr。　Pearson。〃
　〃What's　that？〃　The　old　man　sounded　wary。
　〃My　wife　is　pregnant；　Doctor；　and　ing　into　a　new　town；　we　don't　know　anyone。〃　Alexander　paused。　〃This　baby　is　pretty　important　to　us。　You　see；　we　lost　our　first　child。　A　month　after　she　was　born。〃
　〃I　see。〃　Pearson　had　stopped　work　now　and　was　listening　carefully。
　〃I　was　wondering；　Doctor；　if　you　could　remend　an　obstetrician　my　wife　could　go　to。〃
　〃That's　easy。〃　Pearson　sounded　relieved。　Plainly　he　had　wondered　what　was　ing。　〃Dr。　Dornberger's　a　good　man。　He　has　an　office　right　here　in　the　hospital。　Would　you　like　me　to　call　him？〃
　〃If　it's　not　too　much　trouble。〃
　Pearson　motioned　to　Bannister。　〃See　if　he's　in。〃
　Bannister　picked　up　the　telephone　behind　them　and　asked　for　an　extension。　After　a　pause　he　said；　〃He's　in；〃　and　offered　the　instrument　to　Pearson