"Dr. Mallory, this is my daughter, Lauren."
She held out a slim, manicured hand. "Father tells me you saved his life."
He smiled. "That's what doctors are for."
Lauren was looking over him approvingly. "Not all doctors."
It was obvious to Mallory that these two did not belong in a county hospital. He said to Alex Harrison, "You're coming along fine, but perhaps you'd feel more comfortable if you called your own doctor.''
Alex Harrison shook his head. ' 'That won't be necessary. He didn't save my life. You did. Do you like it here?"
It was a strange question. "It's interesting, yes. Why?"
Harrison sat up in bed. "Well, I was just thinking. A good-looking fellow as capable as you are could have a damned bright future. I don't think you have much of a future in a place like this."
"Well, I ..."
"Maybe it was fate that brought me here."
Lauren spoke up. "I think what my father is trying to say is that he would like to show you his appreciation."
"Lauren is right. You and I should have a serious talk when I get out of here. I'd like you to come up to the house for dinner.''
Mallory looked at Lauren and said slowly, "I'd like that."
And it changed his life.
Ken Mallory was having a surprisingly difficult time getting together with Kat. "How's Monday night, Kat?" "Wonderful." "Good. I'll pick you up at—"
"Wait! I just remembered. A cousin from New York is coming to town for the night."
"Well, Tuesday?"
"I'm on call Tuesday."
"What about Wednesday?"
"I promised Paige and Honey that we'd do something together Wednesday."
Mallory was getting desperate. His time was running out too fast.
"Thursday?"
"Thursday is fine."
"Great. Shall I pick you up?"
"No. Why don't we meet at Chez Panisse?"
"Very well. Eight o'clock?"
"Perfect."
Mallory waited at the restaurant until nine o'clock and then telephoned Kat. There was no answer. He waited another half hour. Maybe she misunderstood, he thought. She wouldn't deliberately break a date with me.
The following morning, he saw Kat at the hospital. She ran up to him.
"Oh, Ken, I'm so sorry! It was the silliest thing. I decided to take a little nap before our date. I fell asleep and when I woke up it was the middle of the night. Poor darling. Did you wait for me long?"
"No, no. It's all right." The stupid womanl He moved closer to her. "I want to finish what we started, baby. I go crazy when I think about you."
"Me, too," Kat said. "I can't wait."
"Maybe next weekend we can ..." "Oh, dear. I'm busy over the weekend." And so it went. The clock was running.
Kat was reporting events to Paige when her beeper went off.
"Excuse me." Kat picked up a telephone. "Dr. Hunter." She listened a moment. "Thanks. I'll be right there." She replaced the receiver. "I have to go. Emergency."
Paige sighed. "What else is new?"
Kat strode down the corridor and took an elevator down to the emergency room. Inside were two dozen cots, all of them occupied. Kat thought of it as the suffering room, filled day and night with victims of automobile accidents, gunshots or knife wounds, and twisted limbs. A kaleidoscope of broken lives. To Kat it was a small corner of hell.
An orderly hurried up to her. "Dr. Hunter ..."
"What have we got?" Kat asked. They were moving toward a cot at the far end of the room.
"He's unconscious. It looks as though someone beat him up. His face and head are battered, he has a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder blade, at least two different fractures to his right arm, and ..."
"Why did you call me?"
"The paramedics think there's a head injury. There could be brain damage."
They had reached the cot where the victim lay. His face was caked with blood, swollen and bruised. He was wearing alligator shoes and . . . Kat's heart skipped a beat. She leaned forward and took a closer look. It was Lou Dinetto.
Kat ran skillful fingers over his scalp and examined his eyes. There was a definite concussion.
She hurried over to a telephone and dialed. "This is Dr. Hunter. I want a head CAT scan done. The patient's name is Dinetto. Lou Dinetto. Send down a gurney, stat."
Kat replaced the receiver and turned her attention back to Dinetto. She said to the orderly, "Stay with him. When the gurney arrives, take him to the third floor. I'll be waiting."
Thirty minutes later on the third floor, Kat was studying the CAT scan she had ordered. "He has some brain hemorrhaging, he has a high fever, and he's in shock. I want him stabilized for twenty-four hours. I'll decide then when we'll operate."
Kat wondered whether what had happened to Dinetto might affect Mike.
And how.
Paige stopped by to see Jimmy. He was feeling much better.
"Did you hear about the flasher in the garment district? He walked up to a little old lady and opened up his raincoat. She studied him a moment and said, 'You call that a lining?' "
Kat was having dinner with Mallory at an intimate little restaurant near the bay. Seated across from Mallory, studying him, Kat felt guilty. I should never have started this, she thought. I know what he is, and yet I'm having a wonderful time. Damn the man! But I can't stop our plan now. They had finished their coffee.
Kat leaned forward. "Can we go to your place, Ken?"
"You bet!" Finally, Mallory thought.
Kat shifted in her chair uncomfortably and frowned. "Uh, oh!"