Робин Кук - Genesis

“No, it’s something I was scheduled to do as a mother. You’ll go as the father, which is totally apropos.”

“How long has this been scheduled?”

“About a week.”

“Are you sure I can handle this?” Jack asked, only half-teasing.

“No, but there’s no choice,” she said with a short laugh. “Get your robe before you freeze to death, and I’ll explain.”

Laurie followed him out of JJ’s room and watched him sprint down the hall toward the entrance to their bedroom. With all his pickup basketball and bike riding, he was shockingly fit. Laurie wished he’d stop both and constantly tried to convince him that the family needed him injury-free, but she had to admit that he did look good and wished she had half of his stamina. The trouble was that being the chief medical examiner, a mother, and chief household engineer left her scant time for herself or any kind of exercise routine.

A few minutes later and even before Laurie managed to get the coffee water boiling, Jack swept down the stairs and into the kitchen dressed in his white summer robe. His feet were still bare.

“Okay, out with it,” he said, pretending to be already irritated.

“You have to go to JJ’s school and meet with Miss Rossi and possibly the school psychologist. The meeting is scheduled for eight, prior to classes. I certainly don’t condone your commuting to the OCME on your bike, but it will make it easy for you since the Brooks School is on your way.”

“I already don’t like the sound of this,” he said.

“I suspected as much. That’s why I intended to just handle it myself unless it turns out a decision has to be made. I’m of the opinion it’s just a temporary misunderstanding. I mean, kids go through phases.”

“JJ is not going through any phase,” Jack said, becoming serious. “What’s this all about?”

“I can’t remember the entire litany,” Laurie said. “But there’s been some aggressive behavior on JJ’s part at recess and difficulty sitting still in class, allowing other children to take their turn, and impulse control. That kind of stuff.”

“Oh, for Chrissake,” he snapped. “There is nothing wrong with JJ except he has a Y chromosome, meaning he has a developing male brain that’s trying to prepare him to go out of the cave and hunt mammoths.”

“You know that, and I know that. But it behooves us to listen and be supportive of the teacher who has to handle eight young male brains all at the same time.”

“That’s what she’s being paid for,” Jack said.

“I’m sure it’s not that easy,” she said. “I give teachers all the respect in the world. I don’t think I could do it.”

“I know I couldn’t do it,” he said. “But that’s neither here nor there. What do you think they’re suggesting?”

“Obviously they’re concerned about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” Laurie concentrated on pouring the boiling water into the coffee maker.

“Did they say anything about drugs?”

“Miss Rossi raised the issue,” she said. “That’s all.”

“Good God.” Jack stared off into the middle distance for a few moments as the smell of brewing coffee enveloped the room.

Laurie poured two cups and handed one to him. She could tell his mind was going a mile a minute, and it wasn’t hard to guess the direction.

“My plan was just to go and listen,” Laurie said. “I ask you to do the same. You won’t be required to come to any conclusions today for certain. Just hear what they say and maybe ask a few questions, so you understand their perspective. Mostly listen! Then tonight we can talk about it. It will only take you fifteen or twenty minutes, tops.”

“I don’t know,” he said with a shake of his head. “This overdiagnosis-of-ADHD situation is the kind of nonsense that could turn me into a conspiracist. It certainly seems like the pharmaceutical industry and the elementary education industry are in cahoots. There are just too many school-age kids, mostly boys, being prescribed speed to make them easier to corral. And then we wonder why the same kids take drugs as teenagers. I can tell you now, JJ’s not taking any Adderall. No way.”

“That’s certainly my feeling at the moment,” she said. “But I also know medication can be helpful under the right circumstances. And we need to show some respect for the school’s position, whatever it is. It’s not rocket science that we need to stay on friendly terms.”

“I’m not the natural-born diplomat you are,” he said. “I know that about myself, and I don’t want to alienate the school, which I might do by being honest. Why don’t you go after your Health Committee meeting?”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got a jam-packed day ahead of me. I’ve got back-to-back obligations all day, including an emergency meeting with Chet McGovern even before I go down to 250 Broadway.”

“What on earth kind of emergency meeting are you having with Chet?”

“Ever since I appointed him director of education at the OCME, he’s really taken on the position with inordinate seriousness, to the OCME’s benefit. He’s upped the level of all our teaching efforts across the board.”

“I’m sorry to sound negative,” Jack said with a roll of his eyes, “but my guess is he took the position just because there are so many young women applying and being accepted as forensic pathology fellows. He’s an incorrigible Lothario. Chasing women is a sport for him.” Jack went to the refrigerator for fruit and milk while Laurie retrieved the cereal from the pantry.

“Maybe that influenced his motivation initially,” Laurie said, knowing Chet’s off-hours inclinations and social history from Jack, “but he’s really put heart and soul into the role of head of education in a way I wouldn’t have expected. This emergency meeting he’s requested is a case in point. He believes one of the NYU pathology residents isn’t acting appropriately on multiple levels. He calls her the Phantom because she isn’t taking her month’s forensic pathology rotation seriously, ignores advice, and often can’t be found.”

All anatomic pathology residents at NYU Medical School were required to spend one month at OCME during their four-to-five-year curriculum. Under the supervision of the OCME director of education, they would assist the medical examiners and learn in the process, but couldn’t sign death certificates. The goal was to introduce them to forensic pathology rather than train them as forensic pathologists. Forensic pathology fellows, on the other hand, had already completed their pathology residency and were required to do autopsies, determine the cause and manner of death, and sign the ultimate death certificate even though officially they were still in training.

“What’s the resident’s name?” Jack asked. He occasionally had pathology residents participate on his cases, although he didn’t go out of his way to encourage it. Jack had a reputation of doing the most autopsies by far of any of the medical examiners, which gave him the opportunity and excuse to cherry-pick interesting cases. As a result, many of the more motivated residents sought him out even though Jack hated being slowed down for any reason. Being a workaholic was one of the ways Jack dealt with his demons.

“Her name is Dr. Aria Nichols,” Laurie said. At that point Laurie and Jack were both eating cereal while standing and leaning their hindquarters against the kitchen countertop.

“I don’t think I’ve met her. But if Chet is interested in her, she must at least be attractive.” He laughed to indicate he was half kidding.

“I think you’re being unfair,” she said. “I don’t think Chet is being personal in the slightest with this woman. My sense is that he’s sincere and truly concerned about her. He even questioned if she should be a pathology resident or even a doctor.”