Michael Palmer - Flashback

His pulse began to pound. "What time is it? " he demanded. Eleven, sir."

"Where are we? "

"Just outside of Moultonborough." Tell the driver to turn around."

"Excuse me?"

"Turn around, dammit. Turn around. I've got to get back to the hospital."

"Sir, we can't-"

"Do you know who I am?… Well then, I said turn around. I don't have time to argue. I'm paying for this ambulance, and I swear, if you don't do as I say, there will be hell to pay for both of you!"

"But-"

"Now!"

"Y-Yes sir."

The woman knelt beside the driver, and after a brief exchange, the ambulance swung into a driveway and turned around. "Use your lights and siren, and step on it, " the Judge said. "But sir, we're not allowed to-"

"The siren, dammit! I assure you nothing bad will happen if you do, but everything bad will happen if you don't. Quickly now, let's move."

The driver hesitated, and then switched on the lights and siren and accelerated. Behind him, Judge Clayton Iverson crossed and uncrossed his legs again. "Well, I'll be damned, " he muttered. "I'll be goddamned."

Shortly after she had seen the first several office patients of the morning, Suzanne sent word to her nurse to try and reschedule as many of the rest as possible. It was, perhaps, the most killing aspect of private practice that a day's patients had no way to adjust to their physician having been awake most or all of the previous night. And, indeed, it was doubtful most of them would even want to try. They had waited days or even weeks for their appointments, and they expected-and deserved, as far as Suzanne was concerned-to have their physician be one hundred percent theirs for the short time they had together. Normally, even after a grueling night she could rev herself up for her office work. This morning, though, try as she might, she simply could not hold her concentration together. A seventy-five-year-old lady who was taking double the amount of digitalis prescribed, had nearly slipped past her.

A housewife had gotten cross with her for not seeming to take her complaints of fatigue more seriously. A pharmacy called because she had neglected to write the strength of a cardiac medicine on one of her prescriptions. And, she knew, her difficulty was not simply one of fatigue. A child she felt responsible for and a man she was growing to love were both in serious trouble. Her thoughts kept ricocheting from one to the other. Twice, already, she had called the unit to check on Toby's status, despite knowing that she would be contacted by Owen Walsh or the nurses at the first sign of trouble. Twice, already, she had interrupted the workday of medical staff members to gauge their response to some sort of job action should Frank refuse to back down on his dismissal of Zack. And overriding even her concern for Zack and Toby Nelms was her growing indignation at the treatment Guy Beaulieu had apparently received from Frank, and the mounting likelihood that unauthorized chemical experimentation was being conducted at the hospital. For more than two years, gratitude for her salvation from Paul and her legal entanglements had kept her from voicing any criticism of Frank's decisions or Ultramed policies. Now it was time to take a stand.

She buzzed her nurse. "Janice, how are we doing with those reschedulings?"

"You're clear for the next hour, Dr. Cole, " the woman said. "I haven't been able to reach Mr. Braddock or that new referral from Hanover, but I'll keep trying."

"Excellent. Listen, I'll be in the unit or on page if you need me. There are a few things I've got to get done."

She left her office and took the glass-enclosed walkway from the Physicians and Surgeons Building to the main hospital. On her way to the ICU, she passed the Carter Conference Room. Two dietary aides were busily arranging the tables for a luncheon meeting-almost certainly, she realized, the meeting of the community board and the people from Ultramed. There could be no better time to confront Frank with her concerns than right now. He would listen, and make some major concessions, or face the embarrassment and conflict of having her present those misgivings to the meeting. Frank's outer office door was closed. Suzanne opened it and stepped into the deserted reception area.

"Hello? Frank? " she called as she tapped on the inner door. "It's Suzanne Cole… Frank?"

"It's open, Suzanne." She was startled to hear his voice through the intercom on one of the desks behind her. "Come in." She opened the oor and he rose from behind his desk. "Well, now, " he said, shaking her hand. "This is a pleasant surprise. 5@ "Thanks, Frank. I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but I need to talk with you."

He glanced at the Lucite clock. "That would be fine, Suzanne, but this just isn't the time. You see, I have a b-"

"I know what you have, Frank, " she said, taking a seat in one of the pair of oak-armed chairs facing his desk. "You have a meeting with the community board and the people from Ultramed. Before you go into that meeting, I think you should hear what I have to say."

"Oh, you do."

His buoyant expression chilled, perhaps, a degree. "Yes. But first, I wanted to find out why you fired Zachary."

"Because I always do what is in the best interests of my hospital, and getting rid of a disruptive, drunken troublemaker was clearly in the best interests of my hospital. Speaking of which, would you like a drink?"

"Frank, listen to me, please. Two years ago you helped me out of a huge jam. I'm grateful for what you did, and ever since I've been here, I've done my best to support you."

"And I appreciate it, Suze. You've been great. Tell you what, as soon as this board business is taken care of, let's you and I do dinner on Ultramed and talk about some sort of increase in your pay."

Suzanne felt her irritability quicken. "Don't patronize me, Frank. I came here to get some issues straight — to voice some concerns Zack has shared with me. And Frank, if you can't respond to those concerns, I intend to go in and raise them at that meeting."

I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Frank was thinking, rapidly sorting through his options. The votes to finalize the sale were almost certainly there now, but they were shaky. And of even greater concern were the clauses Mainwaring's corporate lawyers had forced into their contract, requiring legal reprisals or an immediate return of their investment should there be any deception-or even suggestion of deception-regarding the properties of Serenyl. No, siree, baby, he concluded, I'm afraid I can't let you do that at all. He propped his elbows on the desk and his chin on his hands. "Okay, shoot, " he said.

"That's better. Well, I have two requests I would like your word on, Frank."

"Go on."

"First of all, I want your promise to allow the medical staff to determine whether or not Zack has been disruptive enough to be fired from the hospital."

"Done, " he said. "What?"

"You have my word. As soon as possible, next Wednesday's meeting if you want, we'll present our cases to the medical staff and let them decide.

Satisfied?"

"I guess so."

"Good. Now, what's number two?"

"Well, number two has to do with some concerns Zack has raised regarding Jason and Jaek Pearl."

"Ah, yes, the infamous anesthe ic."

"You don't believe him?"

"Of course I don't believe him, Suzanne. But I am investigating his allegations."

"You are?"

Frank was hardly acting like the man Zack had described meeting with earlier that morning. And despite herself, Suzanne once again felt a spur of doubt regarding what she had been told. "Absolutely, " Frank was saying. "I have already contacted the members of the medical ethics committee, as well as Jason and Jack, and have scheduled a meeting for the first thing next week. Call them and check on that if you want. I'll be happy to have both you and my brother present if you wish."