Nothing Lasts Forever (21 page)

K
en Mallory was a great believer in Lady Luck, and after meeting the Harrisons, he believed even more firmly that she was on his side. The odds against a man as wealthy as Alex Harrison being brought to Embarcadero County Hospital were enormous.
And I’m the one who saved his life, and he wants to show his gratitude,
Mallory thought gleefully.

He had asked a friend of his about the Harrisons.

“Rich doesn’t even begin to cover it,” his friend had said. “He’s a millionaire a dozen times over. And he has a great-looking daughter. She’s been married three or four times. The last time to a count.”

“Have you ever met the Harrisons?”

“No. They don’t mingle with the
hoi polloi.
”

On a Saturday morning, as Alex Harrison was being discharged from the hospital, he said, “Ken, do you think I’ll be in shape to give a dinner party a week from now?”

Mallory nodded. “If you don’t overdo it, I don’t see why not.”

Alex Harrison smiled. “Fine. You’re the guest of honor.”

Mallory felt a sudden thrill.
The old man really meant what he said.
“Well…thank you.”

“Lauren and I will expect you at seven-thirty next Saturday night.” He gave Mallory an address on Nob Hill.

“I’ll be there,” Mallory said.
Will I ever!

Mallory had promised to take Kat to the theater that evening, but it would be easy to cancel. He had collected his winnings, and he enjoyed having sex with her. Several times a week they had managed to get together in one of the empty on-call rooms, or a deserted hospital room, or at her apartment or his.
Her fires were banked a long time,
Mallory thought happily,
but when the explosion came—wow! Well, one of these days, it will be time to say arrivederci.

On the day he was to have dinner with the Harrisons, Mallory telephoned Kat. “Bad news, baby.”

“What’s the matter, darling?”

“One of the doctors is sick and they’ve asked me to cover for him. I’m afraid I’m going to have to break our date.”

She did not want to let him know how disappointed she was, how much she needed to be with him. Kat said lightly, “Oh well, that’s the doctor business, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’ll make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to make anything up to me,” she said warmly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Ken, when are we going to talk about us?”

“What do you mean?” He knew exactly what she
meant. A commitment. They were all alike.
They use their pussies for bait, hoping to hook a sucker into spending his life with them.
Well, he was too smart for that. When the time came, he would regretfully bow out, as he had done a dozen times before.

Kat was saying, “Don’t you think we should set a date, Ken? I have a lot of plans to make.”

“Oh, sure. We’ll do that.”

“I thought maybe June. What do you think?”

You don’t want to know what I think. If I play my cards right, there’s going to be a wedding, but it won’t be with you.
“Well talk about it, baby. I really have to go now.”

The Harrisons’ home was a mansion out of a motion picture, situated on acres of manicured grounds. The house itself seemed to go on forever. There were two dozen guests, and in the huge drawing room a small orchestra was playing. When Mallory walked in, Lauren hurried over to greet him. She was wearing a silky clinging gown. She squeezed Mallory’s hand, “Welcome, guest of honor. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“So am I. How is your father?”

“Very much alive, thanks to you. You’re quite a hero in this house.”

Mallory smiled modestly. “I only did my job.”

“I suppose that’s what God says every day.” She took his hand and began introducing him to the other guests.

The guest list was blue-ribbon. The governor of California was there, the French ambassador, a justice of the Supreme Court, and a dozen assorted politicians, artists, and business tycoons. Mallory could feel the power in the
room, and it thrilled him.
This is where I belong,
he thought.
Right here, with these people.

The dinner was delicious and elegantly served. At the end of the evening, when the guests started to leave, Harrison said to Mallory, “Don’t rush off, Ken. I’d like to talk to you.”

“I’d be delighted.”

Harrison, Lauren, and Mallory sat in the library. Harrison was seated in a chair next to his daughter.

“When I told you at the hospital that I thought you had a great future before you, I meant it.”

“I really appreciate your confidence, sir.”

“You should be in private practice.”

Mallory laughed self-deprecatingly. “I’m afraid it’s not that easy, Mr. Harrison. It takes a long time to build up a practice, and I’m…”

“Ordinarily, yes. But you’re not an ordinary man.”

“I don’t understand.”

“After you finish your residency, Father wants to set you up in your own practice,” Lauren said.

For a moment, Mallory was speechless. It was too easy. He felt as though he were living in some kind of wonderful dream. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I have a lot of very wealthy friends. I’ve already spoken to some of them about you. I can promise you that you’ll be swamped the minute you put up your shingle.”

“Daddy, lawyers put up shingles,” Lauren said.

“Whatever. In any case, I’d like to finance you. Are you interested?”

Mallory was finding it difficult to breathe. “Very much so. But I…I don’t know when I would be able to repay you.”

“You don’t understand. I’m repaying
you.
You won’t owe me anything.”

Lauren was looking at Mallory, her eyes warm. “Please say yes.”

“I’d be stupid to say no, wouldn’t I?”

“That’s right,” Lauren said softly. “And I’m sure you’re not stupid.”

On his way home, Ken Mallory was in a state of euphoria.
This is as good as it gets,
he thought. But he was wrong. It got better.

Lauren telephoned him. “I hope you don’t mind mixing business with pleasure.”

He smiled to himself. “Not at all. What did you have in mind?”

“There’s a charity ball next Saturday night. Would you like to take me?”

Oh, baby, I’m going to take you all right.
“I’d love to.” He was on duty Saturday night, but he would call in sick and they would have to find someone to take his place.

Mallory was a man who believed in planning ahead, but what was happening to him now went beyond his wildest dreams.

Over the next few weeks he was swept up in Lauren’s social circle, and life took on a dizzying pace. He would be out with Lauren dancing half the night, and stumble through his days at the hospital. There were mounting complaints about his work, but he didn’t care.
I’ll be out of here soon,
he told himself.

The thought of getting away from the dreary county hospital and having his own practice was exciting enough, but Lauren was the bonus that Lady Luck had given him.

Kat was becoming a nuisance. Mallory had to keep finding pretexts to avoid seeing her. When she would press him, he would say, “Darling, I’m crazy about you…of course I want to marry you, but right now, I…” and he would go into a litany of excuses.

It was Lauren who suggested that the two of them spend a weekend at the family lodge at Big Sur. Mallory was elated.
Everything is coming up roses,
he thought.
I’m going to own the whole damned world!

The lodge was spread across pine-covered hills, an enormous structure built of wood and tile and stone, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It had a master bedroom, eight guest bedrooms, a spacious living room with a stone fireplace, an indoor swimming pool, and a large hot tub. Everything smelled of old money.

When they walked in, Lauren turned to Mallory and said, “I let the servants go for the weekend.”

Mallory grinned. “Good thinking.” He put his arms around Lauren and said softly, “I’m wild about you.”

“Show me,” Lauren said.

They spent the day in bed, and Lauren was almost as insatiable as Kat.

“You’re wearing me out!” Mallory laughed.

“Good. I don’t want you to be able to make love to anyone else.” She sat up in bed. “There
is
no one else, is there, Ken?”

“Absolutely not,” Mallory said sincerely. “There’s no one in the world for me but you. I’m in love with you, Lauren.” Now was the time to take the plunge, to wrap his whole future up in one neat package. It would be one thing to be a successful doctor in private practice. It would be something else to be Alex Harrison’s son-in-law. “I want to marry you.”

He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

“Oh, yes, darling,” Lauren said. “Yes.”

At the apartment, Kat was frantically trying to reach Mallory. She telephoned the hospital.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Mallory is not on call, and doesn’t answer his page.”

“Didn’t he leave word where he could be reached?”

“We have no record of it.”

Kat replaced the receiver and turned to Paige. “Something’s happened to him, I know it. He would have called me by now.”

“Kat, there could be a hundred reasons why you haven’t heard from him. Perhaps he had to go out of town suddenly, or…”

“You’re right. I’m sure there’s some good excuse.”

Kat looked at the phone and
willed
it to ring.

When Mallory returned to San Francisco, he telephoned Kat at the hospital.

“Dr. Hunter is off duty,” the receptionist told him.

“Thank you.” Mallory called the apartment. Kat was there.

“Hi, baby!”

“Ken! Where have you been? I’ve been worried about you. I tried everywhere to reach—”

“I had a family emergency,” he said smoothly. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to call you. I had to go out of town. May I come over?”

“You know you may. I’m so glad you’re all right. I—”

“Half an hour.” He replaced the receiver and thought happily,
The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things. Kat, baby, it was great fun, but it was just one of those things.

When Mallory arrived at the apartment, Kat threw her arms around him. “I’ve missed you!” She could not tell him how desperately worried she had been. Men hated that kind of thing. She stood back. “Darling, you look absolutely exhausted.”

Mallory sighed. “I’ve been up for the last twenty-four hours.”
That part is true,
he thought.

Kat hugged him. “Poor baby. Can I fix something for you?”

“No, I’m fine. All I really need is a good night’s sleep. Let’s sit down, Kat. We have to have a talk.” He sat on the couch next to her.

“Is anything wrong?” Kat asked.

Mallory took a deep breath. “Kat, I’ve been thinking a lot about us lately.”

She smiled. “So have I. I have news for you. I—”

“No, wait. Let me finish. Kat, I think we’re rushing into things too fast. I…I think I proposed too hastily.”

She paled. “What…what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I think we should postpone everything.”

She felt as though the room were closing in on her. She was finding it difficult to breathe. “Ken, we can’t postpone anything. I’m having your baby.”

P
aige got home at midnight, drained. It had been an exhausting day. There had been no time for lunch, and dinner had consisted of a sandwich between operations. She fell into her bed and was asleep instantly. She was awakened by the ringing of the telephone. Groggily, Paige reached for the instrument and automatically glanced at the bedside clock. It was three in the morning. “H’lo?”

“Dr. Taylor? I’m sorry to disturb you, but one of your patients is insisting on seeing you right away.”

Paige’s throat was so dry she could hardly talk. “I’m off duty,” she mumbled. “Can’t you get someone…?”

“He won’t talk to anyone else. He says he needs you.”

“Who is it?”

“John Cronin.”

Paige sat up straighter. “What’s happened?”

“I don’t know. He refuses to speak with anyone but you.”

“All right,” Paige said wearily. “I’m on my way.”

Thirty minutes later, Paige arrived at the hospital. She went directly to John Cronin’s room. He was lying in bed, awake. Tubes were protruding from his nostrils and his arms.

“Thanks for coming.” His voice was weak and hoarse.

Paige sat down in a chair next to the bed. She smiled. “That’s all right, John. I had nothing to do, anyway, but sleep. What can I do for you that no one else here at this great big hospital couldn’t have done?”

“I want you to talk to me.”

Paige groaned. “At this hour? I thought it was some kind of emergency.”

“It is. I want to leave.”

She shook her head. “That’s impossible. You can’t go home now. You couldn’t get the kind of treatment—”

He interrupted her. “I don’t want to go home. I want to leave.”

She looked at him and said slowly, “What are you saying?”

“You know what I’m saying. The medication isn’t working anymore. I can’t stand this pain. I want out.”

Paige leaned over and took his hand. “John, I can’t do that. Let me give you some—”

“No. I’m tired, Paige. I want to go wherever it is I’m going, but I don’t want to hang around here like this. Not anymore.”

“John…”

“How much time do I have left? A few more days? I told you, I’m not good about pain. I’m lying here like a trapped animal, filled with all these goddam tubes. My body is being eaten away inside. This isn’t living—it’s dying. For God’s sake, help me!”

He was racked by a sudden spasm of pain. When he
spoke again, his voice was even weaker. “Help me…please…”

Paige knew what she had to do. She had to report John Cronin’s request to Dr. Benjamin Wallace. He would pass it on to the Administration Committee. They would assemble a panel of doctors to assess Cronin’s condition, and then make a decision. After that, it would have to be approved by…

“Paige…it’s
my
life. Let me do with it as I like.”

She looked over at the helpless figure locked in his pain.

“I’m begging you…”

She took his hand and held it for a long time. When she spoke, she said, “All right, John. I’ll do it.”

He managed a trace of a smile. “I knew I could count on you.”

Paige leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Close your eyes and go to sleep.”

“Good night, Paige.”

“Good night, John.”

John Cronin sighed and closed his eyes, a beatific smile on his face.

Paige sat there watching him, thinking about what she was about to do. She remembered how horrified she had been on her first day of rounds with Dr. Radnor.
She’s been in a coma for six weeks. Her vital signs are failing. There’s nothing more we can do for her. We’ll pull the plug this afternoon.
Was it wrong to release a fellow human being from his misery?

Slowly, as though she were moving under water, Paige rose and walked to a cabinet in the corner, where a bottle of insulin was kept for emergency use. She removed the bottle and stood there, staring at it. Then she
uncapped the bottle. She filled a syringe with the insulin and walked back to John Cronin’s bedside. There was still time to go back.
I’m lying here like a trapped animal…This isn’t living—it’s dying. For God’s sake, help me!

Paige leaned forward and slowly injected the insulin into the IV attached to Cronin’s arm.

“Sleep well,” Paige whispered. She was unaware that she was sobbing.

Paige drove home and stayed awake the rest of the night, thinking about what she had done.

At six o’clock in the morning, she received a telephone call from one of the residents at the hospital.

“I’m sorry to give you bad news, Dr. Taylor. Your patient John Cronin died of cardiac arrest early this morning.

The staff doctor in charge that morning was Dr. Arthur Kane.