ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第62节

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s　ninety…four　point　three。〃
　He　said　quickly；　〃Check　the　venous　pressure。〃
　It　was　thirty…five…much　too　low。
　〃He's　not　breathing　well；〃　the　intern　said。　〃Color　isn't　good。〃
　O'Donnell　told　him；　〃Check　the　pulse。〃　To　the　nurse　he　said；　〃Oxygen。〃
　She　reached　for　a　rubber　mask　and　held　it　over　the　infant's　face。　A　moment　later　there　was　a　hiss　as　the　oxygen　went　on。
　〃Pulse　very　slow；〃　the　intern　said。
　The　nurse　said；　〃Temperature's　down　to　ninety…three。〃
　The　intern　was　listening　with　a　stethoscope。　He　looked　up。　〃Respiration's　failing。〃　Then；　a　moment　later；　〃He's　stopped　breathing。〃
　O'Donnell　took　the　stethoscope　and　listened。　He　could　hear　a　heartbeat；　but　it　was　very　faint。　He　said　sharply；　〃Coramine…one　cc。〃
　As　the　intern　turned　from　the　table　O'Donnell　ripped　off　the　covering　sheets　and　began　artificial　respiration。　In　a　moment　the　intern　was　back。　He　had　wasted　no　time；　in　his　hand　was　a　hypodermic；　poised。
　〃Straight　in　the　heart；〃　O'Donnell　said。　〃It's　our　only　chance。〃
　
　In　the　pathology　office　Dr。　David　Coleman　was　growing　restless。　He　had　remained；　waiting　with　Pearson；　ever　since　the　telephone　message　had　e　announcing　the　blood…test　result。　Between　them　they　had　disposed　of　some　accumulated　surgical　reports；　but　the　work　had　gone　slowly；　both　men　knowing　that　their　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　Now　close　to　an　hour　had　gone　by　and　there　was　still　no　word。
　Fifteen　minutes　ago　Coleman　had　got　up　and　said　tentatively；　〃Perhaps　I　should　see　if　there's　anything　in　the　lab　。　。　。〃
　The　old　man　had　looked　at　him；　his　eyes　doglike。　Then；　almost　pleadingly；　he　had　asked；　〃Would　you　mind　staying？〃
　Surprised；　Coleman　had　answered；　〃No；　not　if　you　wish；〃　and　after　that　they　had　gone　back　to　their　task　of　time　filling。
　For　David　Coleman；　too；　the　waiting　was　hard。　He　knew　himself　to　be　almost　as　tense　as　Pearson；　although　at　this　moment　the　older　man　was　showing　his　anxiety　more。　For　the　first　time　Coleman　realized　how　mentally　involved　he　had　bee　in　this　case。　He　took　no　satisfaction　from　the　fact　that　he　had　been　right　and　Pearson　wrong　about　the　blood　test。　All　he　wanted；　desperately　now；　for　the　sake　of　the　Alexanders；　was　for　their　child　to　live。　The　force　of　his　own　feeling　startled　him；　it　was　unusual　for　anything　to　affect　him　so　deeply。　He　recalled；　though；　that　he　had　liked　John　Alexander　right　from　the　beginning　at　Three　Counties；　then　later；　meeting　his　wife；　knowing　that　all　three　of　them　had　had　their　origins　in　the　same　small　town；　there　had　seemed　to　spring　up　a　sense　of　kinship；　unspoken　but　real。
　The　time　was　going　slowly；　each　successive　minute　of　waiting　seeming　longer　than　the　last。　He　tried　to　think　of　a　problem　to　keep　his　mind　busy；　that　always　helped　when　you　had　time　to　kill。　He　decided　to　concentrate　on　some　of　the　aspects　of　the　Alexander　case。　Point　one；　he　thought：　The　fact　that　the　baby's　Coombs　test　now　shows　positive　means　that　the　mother　has　Rh…sensitized　blood　also。　He　speculated　on　how　this　might　have　e　about。
　The　mother；　Elizabeth　Alexander；　could；　of　course；　have　bee　sensitized　during　her　first　pregnancy。　David　Coleman　reasoned：　It　need　not　have　affected　their　first　child；　that　was　the　one　who　had　died　of…what　was　it　they　had　told　him？…oh　yes；　bronchitis。　It　was　much　more　mon　to　find　the　effect　of　Rh　sensitization　during　a　second　pregnancy。
　Another　possibility；　of　course；　was　that　Elizabeth　might　have　been　given　a　transfusion　of　Rh…positive　blood　at　some　time　or　other。　He　stopped；　at　the　back　of　his　mind　was　a　nagging；　unformed　thought；　an　uneasy　feeling　that　he　was　close　to　something　but　could　not　quite　reach　it。　He　concentrated；　frowning。　Then　suddenly　the　pieces　were　in　place；　what　he　had　been　groping　for　was　there…vivid　and　sharply　in　focus。　His　mind　registered：　Transfusions！　The　accident　at　New　Richmond！　The　railroad　crossing　at　which　Elizabeth's　father　had　been　killed；　where　she　herself　had　been　injured　but　had　survived。
　Once　more　Coleman　concentrated。　He　was　trying　to　remember　what　it　was　John　Alexander　had　said　about　Elizabeth　that　day。　The　words　came　back　to　him：　Elizabeth　almost　died。　But　they　gave　her　blood　transfusions　and　she　made　it。　I　think　that　was　the　first　time　I　was　ever　in　a　hospital。　I　almost　lived　there　for　a　week。
　It　could　never　be　proved；　of　course；　not　after　all　this　time；　but　he　was　willing　to　wager　everything　he　had　that　that　was　the　way　it　happened。　He　thought：　Existence　of　the　Rh　factor　only　became　known　to　medicine　in　the　1940s；　after　that　it　took　another　ten　years　before　Rh　testing　was　generally　adopted　by　all　hospitals　and　doctors。　In　the　meantime；　there　were　plenty　of　places　where　blood　transfusions　were　given　without　an　Rh　cross　match；　New　Richmond　was　probably　one。　The　time　fitted。　The　accident　involving　Elizabeth　would　have　been　in　1949；　he　remembered　his　father　telling　him　about　it　afterward。
　His　father！　A　new　thought　came　to　him：　it　was　his　own　father…Dr。　Byron　Coleman…who　had　taken　care　of　the　Alexander　family；　who　would　have　ordered　the　transfusions　Elizabeth　Alexander　had　received。　If　she　had　had　several　transfusions　they　would　have　e　from　more　than　one　donor；　the　chance　of　at　least　some　of　the　blood　being　Rh　positive　was　almost　inevitable。　That　was　the　occasion；　then；　when　Elizabeth　had　bee　sensitized；　he　was　sure　of　it　now。　At　the　time；　of　course；　there　would　have　been　no　apparent　effect。　None；　that　is；　except　that　her　own　blood　would　be　building　antibodies…antibodies　to　lurk　hidden　and　unsuspected　until；　nine　years　later；　they　rose　in　anger；　virulent　and　strong；　to　destroy　her　child。
　Naturally　David　Coleman's　father　could　not　be　blamed；　even　if　the　hypothesis　were　true。　He　would　have　prescribed　in　good　faith；　using　the　medical　standards　of　his　day。　It　was　true　that　at　the　time　the　Rh　factor　had　been　known　and　in　some　places　Rh　cross　matching　was　already　in　effect。　But　a　busy　country　G。P。　could　scarcely　be　expected　to　keep　up　with　everything　that　was　new。　Or　could　he？　Some　physicians　of　the　time…G。P。's　included…were　aware　of　the　new　horizons　opened　up　by　modern　blood　grouping。　They　had　acted　promptly　to　enforce　the　latest　standards。　But　possibly；　David　Coleman　reasoned；　these　were　younger　men。　His　father　at　that　time　was　growing　old；　he　worked　too　hard　and　long　to　do　much　reading。　But　was　that　an　adequate　excuse？　Was　it　an　excuse　that　he　himself…David　Coleman…would　accept　from　others？　Or　was　there　perhaps　a　double　standard…a　more　lenient　set　of　rules　when　it　came　to　judging　your　own　kin；　even　a　father　who　was　dead？　The　thought　troubled　him。　He　sensed　uneasily　that　a　feeling　of　personal　loyalty　was　obtruding　across　some　of　his　own　most　cherished　views。　David　Coleman　wished　he　had　not　thought　of　this。　It　gave　him　an　uneasy　feeling　of　doubt；　of　not　being　absolutely　sure　。　。　。　of　anything　at　all。
　Pearson　was　looking　across　at　him。　He　asked；　〃How　long　is　it　now？〃
　Coleman　checked　his　watch；　then　answered；　〃Just　over　an　hour。〃
　〃I'm　going　to　call　them。〃　Impetuously　Pearson　reached　for　the　telephone。　Then　he　hesitated　and　drew　his　hand　away。　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　suppose　I'd　better　not。〃
　
　In　the　serology　lab　John　Alexander；　too；　was　conscious　of　the　time。　An　hour　ago　he　had　e　back　from　visiting　Elizabeth；　and　since　then　he　had　made　several　halfhearted　attempts　to　work。　But　it　was　obvious　to　himself　that　his　mind　was　far　removed　from　what　he　was　doing　and　he　had　desisted；　rather　than　risk　mistakes。　Now；　taking　up　a　test　tube；　he　prepared　to　begin　again；　but　Bannister　came　over　and　took　it　from　him。
　Looking　at　the　requisition　sheet；　the　older　technician　said　kindly；　〃I'll　do　that。〃
　He　protested　halfheartedly；　then　Bannister　said；　〃Go　on；　kid；　leave　it　to　me。　Why　don't　you　go　up　with　your　wife？〃
　〃Thanks　all　the　same；　but　I　think　I'll　stay。　Dr。　Coleman　said　as　soon　as　he　heard　。　。　。　he'd　e　and　tell　me。〃　Alexander's　eyes　turned　to　the　wall　clock　again。　He　said；　his　voice　strained；　〃They　can't　be　much　longer　now。〃
　Bannister　turned　away。　〃No；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I　guess　not。〃
　
　Elizabeth　Alexander　was　in　her　hospital　room　alone。　She　was　lying　still；　head　back　on　the　pillows；　her　eyes　open；　when　Nurse　Wilding　came　in。　Elizabeth　asked；　〃Is　there　any　news？〃
　The　elderly；　gray…haired　nurse　shook　her　head。　〃I'll　tell　you　just　as　soon　as　we　hear。〃　Putting　down　the　glass　of　orange　juice　she　had　brought；　she　said；　〃I　can　stay　with　you　for　a　few　minutes　if　you　like。〃
　〃Yes；　please。〃　Elizabeth　smiled　faintly；　and　the　nurse　pulled　a　chair　near　the　bed　and　sat　down。　Wilding　felt　relieved　to　rest　her　feet；　just　lately　they　had　been　giving　her　a　good　deal　of　pain；　and　she　suspected　they　would　probably　force　her　to　quit　nursing　soon；　whether　she　wanted　to　or　not。　Well；　she　had　a　feeling　she　was　pretty　close　to　being　ready　to　go。
　Wilding　wished；　though；　that　she　could　do　something　for　these　two　young　people。　She　had　taken　a　fancy　to　them　from　the　beginning；　to　her　the　two　of　them…husband　and　wife…seemed　almost　children。　In　a　way；　taking　care　of　this　girl；　who；　it　seemed　now；　was　likely　to　lose　her　baby；　had　been　almost　like　caring　for　the　daughter　that　long　ago　Wilding　had　wanted　but　never　had。　Wasn't　that　silly　now？…she；　with　all　her　years　of　nursing；　getting　sentimental　at　this　late　day。　She　asked　Eli