Robin Cook - Terminal

“What’s happened to the hospital?” Janet asked, eyeing her watch.

“The hospital is in receivership,” Sean said. “But the research institute is closed. And in case you’re interested, the Japanese were fooled by the scam as well. They had no part in it. Since the lid blew off, they cut their losses and ran.”

“I’m sorry about the hospital,” Janet said. “I personally think it’s a good hospital. I hope they make it.”

“One other piece of news,” Sean said. “You know that crazy guy that caught us on the beach and scared us half to death? His name is Tom Widdicomb, and he’s crazier than the mad hatter. He’d kept his dead mother in a freezer at his house. Seems he thought she was telling him to put all advanced breast cancer patients to sleep with succinylcholine. The mother had had the same disease.”

“My God,” Janet said. “Then that’s what happened to Gloria D’Amataglio.”

“Apparently so,” Sean said. “And a number of others.”

“I even remember Tom Widdicomb,” Janet said. “He was the housekeeper who bugged Marjorie so much.”

“Well, apparently you bugged him,” Sean said. “Somehow in his distorted thinking, he decided that you had been sent to stop him. That’s why he was after you. They think he was the guy in your bathroom at the Forbes residence, and he definitely was the person who followed us into the Miami General morgue.”

“Good Lord!” Janet exclaimed. The idea that a psychotic had been stalking her was terribly unnerving. It reminded her again of how different her trip to Florida had been from what she’d anticipated when she’d decided to go.

“Widdicomb will be tried,” Sean continued. “Of course he’s pleading insanity, and if they bring the mother in the freezer in to testify, he won’t have a problem.” Sean laughed. “Needless to say it’s because of him that the hospital is in receivership. Every family that lost a breast cancer patient under suspicious circumstances is suing.”

“None of the medulloblastoma cases are suing?” Janet asked.

“Not the hospital,” Sean said. “There’d been two entities: the hospital and the research center. The medulloblastoma patients will have to sue the research center. After all, at the hospital, they got cured.”

“All except for Helen Cabot,” Janet said.

“That’s true,” Sean agreed.

Janet glanced at her watch again and shook her head. “Now I’m really behind,” she said. “Sean, I’ve got to go. Can’t we talk about all this tonight, maybe over dinner or something?”

“Not tonight,” Sean said. “It’s Friday.”

“Oh, of course!” Janet said coolly. She thumped her head with the heel of her hand. “How stupid of me to forget. Well then, when you get a chance, give me a call.” Janet started down the hall.

Sean took a few steps and grasped her arm, pulling her to a stop.

“Wait!” he said, surprised at her abrupt end to their conversation. “Aren’t you going to ask me about the charges against you and me?”

“It’s not that I’m not interested,” Janet said. “But you’ve caught me at a bad time, and of course, you’re busy tonight.”

“It’ll only take a second,” he said with exasperation. “Brian and I spent most of last evening bargaining with the State’s Attorney. We got his word that all charges against you will be dropped. As far as I’m concerned, in return for testifying, all I have to do is plead guilty to disturbing the peace and malicious mischief. What do you think?”

“I think that’s great,” Janet said. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” She tried to get her arm free, but Sean wouldn’t let go.

“There’s something else,” Sean said. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking now that this Forbes thing is out of the way.” Sean averted his gaze and shifted his weight uneasily. “I don’t know how to say this, but remember when you said you wanted to talk about our relationship when you came down to Florida, how you wanted to talk about commitment and all that? Well, I think I want to do that. That is, if you’re still thinking about what I think you were.”

Stunned, Janet looked Sean directly in his deep blue eyes. He tried to look away. Janet reached out and, grasping his chin, turned his head back to face her. “Is all this double-talk an attempt to talk about marriage?”

“Well, yeah, sorta,” Sean equivocated. He pulled away from Janet’s hold on his chin to gaze down the hall. It was difficult for him to look at her. He made some gestures with his hands as if he were about to say more, but no words came.

“I don’t understand you,” Janet said, color spreading across her cheeks. “To think of all the times I wanted to talk and you wouldn’t, and now you bring this up here and now! Well, let me tell you something, Sean Murphy. I’m not sure I can deal with a relationship with you unless you’re willing to make some big changes, and frankly I don’t think you’re capable. After that experience down in Florida, I’m not sure you are what I want. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, because I do. It just means I don’t think I could live with the kind of relationship you’re capable of.”

Sean was shocked. For a moment he was incapable of speech. Janet’s response had been totally unexpected. “What do you mean by change?” he asked finally. “Change what?”

“If you don’t know and if I have to tell you, then it’s futile. Of course, we could talk about it more tonight, but you have to go out with the boys.”

“Don’t get on my case,” Sean said. “I haven’t seen the guys for weeks with all this legal malarkey going on.”

“That’s undeniably true,” Janet said. “And you have fun.” Again she started down the hall. After a few steps she turned to face him. “Something else unexpected came out of my Florida trip,” she said. “I’m seriously thinking of going to medical school. Not that I don’t love nursing, and God only knows what a challenge it is, but all that material you introduced me to concerning molecular biology and the medical revolution it’s spawning has turned me on in a way no other academic subject has been able to do. I think I want to be a part of it.

“Well, don’t be a stranger, Sean,” Janet added as she continued down the hall. “And close your mouth.”

Sean was too stunned to speak.

It was a little after eight when Sean pushed into Old Scully’s Bar. Not having been able to go for many weeks, he was filled with pleasant anticipation. The bar was jammed with friends and acquaintances and was brimming with good cheer. A number of people had been there since five and were feeling no pain. A Red Sox game was on the tube and at the moment Sean looked at it, Roger Clemens was giving the camera the evil eye while waiting for the sign from the catcher. There were a few cheers of encouragement from a knot of diehard fans grouped directly under the TV. The bases were loaded.

Standing just inside the door, Sean paused to take in the scene. He saw Jimmy O’Connor and Brady Flanagan at the dart board laughing to the point of tears. Someone’s dart had missed the board. In fact, it had missed the wall and was embedded in one of the muntin bars of the window. Obviously, the two were smashed.

At the bar, Sean could see Molly and Pete tirelessly going about their business filling mugs of ale and stout, occasionally holding four or five of the frosted, brimming glasses in a single hand. Shots of Irish whiskey dotted the bar. The day’s problems melted into oblivion much faster with these nips between the drafts of beer.

Sean eyed the guys at the bar. He recognized Patrick FitzGerald, or Fitzie, as they called him. He’d been the most popular guy in high school. Sean could remember as if it were yesterday how Fitzie had stolen his girl when they were in ninth grade. Sean had fallen head over heels for Mary O’Higgins only to have her disappear at a party he’d brought her to in order to make out with Fitzie in the back of Frank Kildare’s pickup.