Robin Cook - Critical

"Thanks is fine," Chet said. "And you're welcome." Then he hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Maybe we should try to catch the bus I came out here on. Otherwise, I don't know how long we will have to wait."

"Let's for sure!" Angela said eagerly. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and Rikers Island as possible, and as quickly as possible. She picked up her small bag. Together, they headed for the exit. Both were self-conscious. They didn't touch.

"Why did you do it?" Angela asked when they got outside.

"To be honest, I don't know."

Angela stopped for a moment and glanced around. "When you are locked up, you realize how much you take freedom for granted. This has been the worst experience of my life."

"I think we better hurry," Chet said. The bus was still standing where Chet had gotten off, but the line to board was down to three people.

Chet and Angela ran and climbed on. The first empty double seat was close to the very rear.

"I guess I posted your bail because I don't think you could have done the things you are charged with."

"I'm sorry to disabuse you of that belief," Angela said, turning to Chet. "I did do some of them, but hardly as charged. I have had a number of miserable hours thinking about everything. The main thing is that I knowingly did not file an eight-K. It's a required SEC form. But do you know something? There was never a precise moment when it should have been filed. I mean, at first there was no cash-flow problem. It happened over time, and we thought the MRSA would be easily handled. We never suspected it was being deliberately spread."

"I spoke to a lawyer friend of mine," Chet said. "He told me in cases like this, the judge has a lot of discretion."

"I hope so," Angela said. "My biggest worry right now is the threat of losing my medical license, which is a very real possibility. For me, that will be the worst punishment, because I've finally seen the light. As a businesswoman, I don't like the person I've become. It's like I've had blinders on. I've come to realize that money is a seductive but illusionary goal, and it's addictive. The problem is one's never satisfied, and no matter how much money is made, it can't shake a stick at how I remember feeling after helping an office full of patients. What I'm saying is I want to go back to medicine."

"Come again?" Chet said with surprise.

"I want to go back to the practice of medicine," Angela repeated. "My immediate goal is going to be to solve my legal problems, so I can do it. It's been a hard lesson, but I know now that mixing medicine and business is great for business, with the huge amount of money available, but an unmitigated disaster for medicine and the doctors who allow themselves to be caught up in it."

"Interesting," Chet said.

"Interesting?" Angela repeated questioningly. "Are you humoring me? I've really been thinking about this nonstop. I'm being very serious."

"I'm not humoring you at all," Chet said. "Quite the contrary. I'm realizing that you are telling me why I was willing to post your bail."

A bestselling author for many years, since early books such as Coma were the basis for successful films. Originally residing and practising in Boston, he now lives and works in Florida.