Nothing Lasts Forever (7 page)

As Paige read Alfred’s telegram for the fifth time, she thought,
He’s coming to San Francisco!

Kat and Honey were in their bedrooms, asleep. Paige shook them awake. “Alfred’s coming! He’s coming! He’ll be here Sunday!”

“Wonderful,” Kat mumbled. “Why don’t you wake me up Sunday? I just got to bed.”

Honey was more responsive. She sat up and said, “That’s great! I’m dying to meet him. How long since you’ve seen him?”

“Two years,” Paige said, “but we’ve always stayed in touch.”

“You’re a lucky girl,” Kat sighed. “Well, we’re all awake now. I’ll put on some coffee.”

The three of them sat around the kitchen table.

“Why don’t we give Alfred a party?” Honey suggested. “Kind of a ‘Welcome to the Groom’ party.”

“That’s a good idea,” Kat agreed.

“We’ll make it a real celebration—a cake, balloons—the works!”

“We’ll cook dinner for him here,” Honey said.

Kat shook her head. “I’ve tasted your cooking. Let’s send out for food.”

Sunday was four days away, and they spent all their spare time discussing Alfred’s arrival. By some miracle, the three of them were off duty on Sunday.

Saturday, Paige managed to get to a beauty salon. She went shopping and splurged on a new dress.

“Do I look all right? Do you think he’ll like it?”

“You look sensational!” Honey assured her. “I hope he deserves you.”

Paige smiled. “I hope I deserve
him.
You’ll love him. He’s fantastic!”

On The Sunday, an elaborate lunch they had ordered was laid out on the dining-room table, with a bottle of iced champagne. The women stood around, nervously waiting for Alfred’s arrival.

At two o’clock, the doorbell rang, and Paige ran to the door to open it. There was Alfred. A bit tired-looking, a little thinner. But he was her Alfred. Standing next to him was a brunette who appeared to be in her thirties.

“Paige!” Alfred exclaimed.

Paige threw her arms around him. Then she turned to Honey and Kat and said proudly, “This is Alfred Turner. Alfred, these are my roommates, Honey Taft and Kat Hunter.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Alfred said. He turned to the woman at his side. “And this is Karen Turner. My wife.”

The three women stood there, frozen.

Paige said slowly, “Your wife?”

“Yes.” He frowned. “Didn’t…didn’t you get my letter?”

“Letter?”

“Yes. I sent it several weeks ago.”

“No…”

“Oh. I…I’m terribly sorry. I explained it all in my…but of course, if you didn’t get the…” His voice trailed off…“I’m really sorry, Paige. You and I have been apart so long, that I…and then I met Karen…and you know how it is…”

“I know how it is,” Paige said numbly. She turned to Karen and forced a smile. “I…I hope you and Alfred will be very happy.”

“Thank you.”

There was an awkward silence.

Karen said, “I think we had better go, darling.”

“Yes. I think you had,” Kat said.

Alfred ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m really sorry, Paige. I…well…goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Alfred.”

The three women stood there, watching the departing newlyweds.

“That bastard!” Kat said. “What a lousy thing to do.”

Paige’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I…he didn’t mean to…I mean…he must have explained everything in his letter.”

Honey put her arms around Paige. “There ought to be a law that all men should be castrated.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Kat said.

“Excuse me,” Paige said. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

She did not come out for the rest of the day.

D
uring the next few months, Paige saw very little of Kat and Honey. They would have a hurried breakfast in the cafeteria and occasionally pass one another in the corridors. They communicated mainly by leaving notes in the apartment.

“Dinner is in the fridge.”

“The microwave is out.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have time to clean up.”

“What about the three of us having dinner out Saturday night?”

The impossible hours continued to be a punishment, testing the limits of endurance for all the residents.

Paige welcomed the pressure. It gave her no time to think about Alfred and the wonderful future they had planned together. And yet, she could not get him out of her mind. What he had done filled her with a deep pain that refused to go away. She tortured herself with the futile game of “what if?”

What if I had stayed with Alfred in Africa?

What if he had come to Chicago with me?

What if he had not met Karen?

What if…?

On a Friday when Paige went into the change room to put on her scrubs, the word “bitch” had been written on them with a black marker pen.

The following day when Paige went to look for her scut book, it was gone. All her notes had disappeared.
Maybe I misplaced it,
Paige thought.

But she couldn’t make herself believe it.

The world outside the hospital ceased to exist. Paige was aware that Iraq was pillaging Kuwait, but that was overshadowed by the needs of a fifteen-year-old patient who was dying of leukemia. The day East and West Germany became united, Paige was busy trying to save the life of a diabetic patient. Margaret Thatcher resigned as prime minister of England, but more important, the patient in 214 was able to walk again.

What made it bearable was the doctors Paige worked with. With few exceptions, they had dedicated themselves to healing others, relieving pain, and saving lives. Paige watched the miracles they performed every day, and it filled her with a sense of pride.

The greatest stress was working in the ER. The emergency room was constantly overcrowded with people suffering every form of trauma imaginable.

The long hours at the hospital and the pressures placed an enormous strain on the doctors and nurses who worked there. The divorce rate among the doctors
was extraordinarily high, and extramarital affairs were common.

Tom Chang was one of those having a problem. He told Paige about it over coffee.

“I can handle the hours,” Chang confided, “but my wife can’t. She complains that she never sees me anymore and that I’m a stranger to our little girl. She’s right. I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Has your wife visited the hospital?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you invite her here for lunch, Tom? Let her see what you’re doing here and how important it is.”

Chang brightened. “That’s a good idea. Thanks, Paige. I will. I would like you to meet her. Will you join us for lunch?”

“I’d love to.”

Chang’s wife, Sye, turned out to be a lovely young woman with a classic, timeless beauty. Chang showed her around the hospital, and afterward they had lunch in the cafeteria with Paige.

Chang had told Paige that Sye had been born and raised in Hong Kong.

“How do you like San Francisco?” Paige asked.

There was a small silence. “It’s an interesting city,” Sye said politely, “but I feel as though I am a stranger here. It is too big, too noisy.”

“But I understand Hong Kong is also big and noisy.”

“I come from a small village an hour away from Hong Kong. There, there is no noise and no automobiles, and everyone knows his neighbors.” She looked at her husband. “Tom and I and our little daughter were very happy there. It is very beautiful on the island of Llama. It has
white beaches and small farms, and nearby is a little fishing village, Sak Kwu Wan. It is so peaceful.”

Her voice was filled with a wistful nostalgia. “My husband and I were together much of the time, as a family should be. Here, I never see him.”

Paige said, “Mrs. Chang, I know it’s difficult for you right now, but in a few years, Tom will be able to set up his own practice, and then his hours will be much easier.”

Tom Chang took his wife’s hand. “You see? Everything will be fine, Sye. You must be patient.”

“I understand,” she said. There was no conviction in her voice.

As they talked, a man walked into the cafeteria, and as he stood at the door, Paige could see only the back of his head. Her heart started to race. He turned around. It was a complete stranger.

Chang was watching Paige. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” Paige lied.
I’ve got to forget him. It’s over.
And yet, the memories of all those wonderful years, the fun, the excitement, the love they had for each other…
How do I forget all that? I wonder if I could persuade any of the doctors here to do a lobotomy on me.

Paige ran into Honey in the corridor. Honey was out of breath and looked worried.

“Is everything all right?” Paige asked.

Honey smiled uneasily. “Yes. Fine.” She hurried on.

Honey had been assigned to an attending physician named Charles Isler, who was known around the hospital as a martinet.

On Honey’s first day of rounds, he had said, “I’ve been looking forward to working with you, Dr. Taft. Dr. Wallace has told me about your outstanding record at medical
school. I understand you’re going to practice internal medicine.”

“Yes.”

“Good. So, we’ll have you here for three more years.”

They began their rounds.

The first patient was a young Mexican boy. Dr. Isler ignored the other residents and turned to Honey. “I think you’ll find this an interesting case, Dr. Taft. The patient has all the classic signs and symptoms: anorexia, weight loss, metallic taste, fatigue, anemia, hyperirritability, and uncoordination. How would you diagnose it?” He smiled expectantly.

Honey looked at him a moment. “Well, it could be several things, couldn’t it?”

Dr. Isler was watching her, puzzled. “It’s a clear-cut case of—”

One of the other residents broke in, “Lead poisoning?”

“That’s right,” Dr. Isler said.

Honey smiled. “Of course. Lead poisoning.”

Dr. Isler turned to Honey again. “How would you treat it?”

Honey said evasively, “Well, there are several different methods of treatment, aren’t there?”

A second resident spoke up. “If the patient has had long-term exposure, he should be treated as a potential case of encephalopathy.”

Dr. Isler nodded. “Right. That’s what we’re doing. We’re correcting the dehydration and electrolyte disturbances, and giving him chelation therapy.”

He looked at Honey. She nodded in agreement.

The next patient was a man in his eighties. His eyes were red and his eyelids were stuck together.

“We’ll have your eyes taken care of in a moment,” Dr.
Isler assured him. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, not too bad for an old man.”

Dr. Isler pulled aside the blanket to reveal the patient’s swollen knee and ankle. There were lesions on the soles of his feet.

Dr. Isler turned to the residents. “The swelling is caused by arthritis.” He looked at Honey. “Combined with the lesions and the conjunctivitis, I’m sure you know what the diagnosis is.”

Honey said slowly, “Well, it could be…you know…”

“It’s Reiter’s syndrome,” one of the residents spoke up. “The cause is unknown. It’s usually accompanied by low-grade fever.”

Dr. Isler nodded. “That’s right.” He looked at Honey. “What is the prognosis?”

“The prognosis?”

The other resident replied. “The prognosis is unclear. It can be treated with anti-inflammation drugs.”

“Very good,” Dr. Isler said.

They made the rounds of a dozen more patients, and when they were finished, Honey said to Dr. Isler, “Could I see you for a moment alone, Dr. Isler?”

“Yes. Come into my office.”

When they were seated in his office, Honey said, “I know you’re disappointed in me.”

“I must admit that I was a little surprised that you—”

Honey interrupted. “I know, Dr. Isler. I didn’t close my eyes last night. To tell you the truth, I was so excited about working with you that I…I just couldn’t sleep.”

He looked at her in surprise. “Oh. I see. I knew there
had to be a reason for…I mean, your medical school record was so fantastic. What made you decide to become a doctor?”

Honey looked down for a moment, then said softly, “I had a younger brother who was injured in an accident. The doctors did everything they could to try to save him…but I watched him die. It took a long time, and I felt so helpless. I decided then that I was going to spend my life helping other people get well.” Her eyes welled up with tears.

She’s so vulnerable,
Isler thought. “I’m glad we had this little talk.”

Honey looked at him and thought,
He believed me.

A
cross town, in another part of the city, reporters and TV crews were waiting in the street for Lou Dinetto as he left the courtroom, smiling and waving, the greeting of royalty to the peasants. There were two bodyguards at his side, a tall, thin man known as the Shadow, and a heavyset man called Rhino. Lou Dinetto was, as always, dressed elegantly and expensively, in a gray silk suit with a white shirt, blue tie, and alligator shoes. His clothes had to be carefully tailored to make him look trim, because he was short and stout, with bandy legs. He always had a smile and a ready quip for the press, and they enjoyed quoting him. Dinetto had been indicted and tried three times on charges ranging from arson to racketeering to murder, and each time had gone free.

Now as he left the courtroom, one of the reporters yelled out, “Did you know you were going to be acquitted, Mr. Dinetto?”

Dinetto laughed. “Of course I did. I’m an innocent businessman. The government has got nothing better to
do than to persecute me. That’s one of the reasons our taxes are so high.”

A TV camera was aimed at him. Lou Dinetto stopped to smile into it.

“Mr. Dinetto, can you explain why two witnesses who were scheduled to testify against you in your murder trial failed to appear?”

“Certainly I can explain it,” Dinetto said. “They were honest citizens who decided not to perjure themselves.”

“The government claims that you’re the head of the West Coast mob, and that it was you who arranged for—”

“The only thing I arrange for is where people sit at my restaurant. I want everybody to be comfortable.” He grinned at the milling crowd of reporters. “By the way, you’re all invited to the restaurant tonight for a free dinner and drinks.”

He was moving toward the curb, where a black stretch limousine was waiting for him.

“Mr. Dinetto…”

“Mr. Dinetto…”

“Mr. Dinetto…”

“I’ll see you at my restaurant tonight, boys and girls. You all know where it is.”

And Lou Dinetto was in the car, waving and smiling. Rhino closed the door of the limousine and got into the front seat. The Shadow slipped behind the wheel.

“That was great, boss!” Rhino said. “You sure know how to handle them bums.”

“Where to?” the Shadow asked.

“Home. I can use a hot bath and a good steak.”

The car started off.

“I don’t like that question about the witnesses,” Dinetto said. “You sure they’ll never…?”

“Not unless they can talk underwater, boss.”

Dinetto nodded. “Good.”

The car was speeding along Fillmore Street. Dinetto said, “Did you see the look on the DA’s face when the judge dismissed…?”

A small dog appeared out of nowhere, directly in front of the limousine. The Shadow swung the wheel hard to avoid hitting it and jammed on the brakes. The car jumped the curb and crashed into a lamppost. Rhino’s head flew forward into the windshield.

“What the
fuck
are you doing?” Dinetto screamed. “You trying to kill me?”

The Shadow was trembling. “Sorry, boss. A dog ran in front of the car…”

“And you decided his life was more important than mine? You stupid asshole!”

Rhino was moaning. He turned around, and Dinetto saw blood pouring from a large cut in his forehead.

“For Christ’s sake!” Dinetto screamed. “Look what you’ve done!”

“I’m all right,” Rhino mumbled.

“The hell you are!” Dinetto turned to the Shadow. “Get him to a hospital.”

The Shadow backed the limousine off the curb.

“The Embarcadero is only a couple of blocks down. We’ll take him to the emergency ward there.”

“Right, boss.”

Dinetto sank back in his seat. “A dog,” he said disgustedly. “Jesus!”

Kat was in the emergency ward when Dinetto, the Shadow, and Rhino walked in. Rhino was bleeding heavily.

Dinetto called out to Kat, “Hey, you!”

Kat looked up. “Are you talking to me?”

“Who the hell do you think I’m talking to? This man is bleeding. Get him fixed up right away.”

“There are half a dozen others ahead of him,” Kat said quietly. “He’ll have to wait his turn.”

“He’s not waiting for anything,” Dinetto told her. “You’ll take care of him now.”

Kat stepped over to Rhino and examined him. She took a piece of cotton and pressed it against the cut. “Hold it there. I’ll be back.”

“I said to take care of him
now,
” Dinetto snapped.

Kat turned to Dinetto. “This is an emergency hospital ward. I’m the doctor in charge. So either keep quiet or get out.”

The Shadow said, “Lady, you don’t know who you’re talking to. You better do what the man says. This is Mr. Lou Dinetto.”

“Now that the introductions are over,” Dinetto said impatiently, “take care of my man.”

“You have a hearing problem,” Kat said. “I’ll tell you once more. Keep quiet or get out of here. I have work to do.”

Rhino said, “You can’t talk to—”

Dinetto turned to him. “Shut up!” He looked at Kat again, and his tone changed. “I would appreciate it if you could get to him as soon as possible.”

“I’ll do my best.” Kat sat Rhino down on a cot. “Lie down. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She looked at Dinetto. “There are some chairs over there in the corner.”

Dinetto and the Shadow watched her walk to the other end of the ward to take care of the waiting patients.

“Jesus,” the Shadow said. “She has no idea who you are.”

“I don’t think it would make any difference. She’s got balls.”

Fifteen minutes later, Kat returned to Rhino and examined him. “No concussion,” she announced. “You’re lucky. That’s a nasty cut.”

Dinetto stood watching as Kat skillfully put stitches in Rhino’s forehead.

When Kat was finished, she said, “That should heal nicely. Come back in five days, and I’ll take out the stitches.”

Dinetto walked over and examined Rhino’s forehead. “That’s a damn good job.”

“Thanks,” Kat said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Wait a minute,” Dinetto called. He turned to the Shadow. “Give her a C-note.”

The Shadow took a hundred-dollar bill out of his pocket. “Here.”

“The cashier’s office is outside.”

“This isn’t for the hospital. It’s for you.”

“No, thanks.”

Dinetto stared as Kat walked away and began working on another patient.

The Shadow said, “Maybe it wasn’t enough, boss.”

Dinetto shook his head. “She’s an independent broad. I like that.” He was silent for a moment. “Doc Evans is retiring, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I want you to find out everything you can about this doctor.”

“What for?”

“Leverage. I think she might come in very handy.”