Chapter 19 Chapter Sixteen

Newtown, Massachusetts Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Nine: fifty-five at night It's time, too, was all Laurie said. Jack was taken aback.Compared with last night, Laurie's greeting took a 180-degree turn, which foreshadowed that the subsequent conversation would not be too pleasant. It's almost ten o'clock!Laurie grumbled.Why did you call only now?It's been eight hours since you left a message on my voicemail. Sorry, Jack tried to sound a little guilty.It's been a bit weird tonight. The remark was also deliberately understated, but it was not the same as Jack's usual cynical jokes.After the plane crash, he gradually became indifferent to everything, and his cynical attitude gradually turned into a self-preservation instinct from then on.He is trying to overcome this bad habit.He forced the gangsters to break into the house and threatened the children. Later, with the timely intervention of Lu, he told Laurie all about the process of the Newton police coming to deal with the door. His words were as gentle and concise as possible.Then Jack told her about Tony.How Fasano threatens him, and the conflict with Franco.When he called Laurie last night, he hadn't said anything about the fight with Franco.

It's unbelievable!After a while, Laurie said.It sounded like she wasn't as angry as before.How are you? My lips are swollen and I have a few bruises on my cheeks.I've had worse injuries playing basketball though.I'm fine. I'm worried about this guy named Franco.Sounds like the man is crazy. I'm worried about him too, Jack said.He originally wanted to tell her about the gun, but on second thought, it might make her more nervous. What do you think scaring the kids is Tony.Did Fasano have someone do it? Jack repeated a portion of himself and Liam.Flanagan's conversation.

How are the children? After what they've been through, they appear unusually calm.Maybe it has something to do with their mother being a psychiatrist.Alexis is really good at teaching.She took the kids to stay with their grandparents, Craig's parents, for a few days.You know, before the youngest child left, she calmly told me that she was sorry that my child died in the plane crash.I didn't expect her to say that at all. The kid sounds calm and precocious, said Laurie.For the Bermans, this is a good thing.Well, let's talk about our own business.When is the latest you can come back?

The worst outcome could be tomorrow night, Jack said.Do an autopsy, write up whatever it finds in a report, and send it to Craig's attorney.Although I would have been happy to testify, Craig's lawyer said the judge would not agree, so there was no delay in testifying. You're too tight for this, too, said Laurie.I will never forgive you in my life if you leave me alone at the altar at the wedding.Please remember this. As I said, this is the worst possible outcome.Maybe at three or four o'clock tomorrow afternoon I will be able to go back. Promise me, don't do anything stupid.

Jack felt he had many ways to refute that statement, but he held back.I must note that, to reassure her, he added that the Newton police had promised to step up surveillance. Jack felt that Laurie's anger had calmed down, so he added a few sweet words just right and said good night to each other.Then he made two more phone calls and briefly reported to Lu and Liam.Flanagan's meeting, and thanked Lou for his timely help, telling him to meet him at church on Friday.Then he called Warren and told him that not only was David a great golfer, but he had saved him when it mattered.Jack had to hold the phone away from his ear while Warren spoke.Jack also told him to meet him at church on Friday.

After all the phone calls, Jack had a chance to enjoy the surrounding scenery.A scimitar crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating the black treetops.Although the sky was whitened by the lights of downtown Boston, a few stars could still be seen shining in the sky.Jack took a deep breath, the cool and fresh air invigorating.The sound of dogs barking in the distance made the night even quieter.Jack doesn't know what will happen tomorrow.Will there be violence at the exhumation site?he does not know.But he was glad Liam had insisted on letting him keep the gun.He patted his pockets. The gun was heavy and strong, and he felt safe, even though he knew the statistics said it wasn't necessarily safe to own a gun.Jack suddenly felt a sense of destiny, no matter what he did, what should happen will always happen.He shrugged, turned and entered the house.

Neither Alexis nor the children were home, and Jack felt like an intruder.As he closed the door, the house felt eerily quiet, although he could hear Craig and Randolph discussing in a whisper in the study.He walked into the dining room and opened the refrigerator.There is a lot of food in the refrigerator.He quickly made himself a sandwich, opened another beer, and carried it to the couch.He turned on the TV, turned down the volume, scanned the channels, and chose a news station to eat and watch, but he always felt like a stranger intruding into a forbidden area. After he finished his sandwich and drank more than half of his wine, he heard a commotion in the study, obviously the two were arguing about something.He quickly turned off the sound of the TV and listened carefully.It reminded him of peeking into Craig's emergency kit and almost being spotted by him.A few minutes later, the front door was slammed shut so loudly that even Jack could feel the shock.A few minutes later, Craig entered the restaurant.He was clearly very angry, you could see it in his every move.He threw some ice cubes into an old-fashioned glass, slammed the glass door of the cupboard, poured a good amount of Scotch into the glass, and walked over to the couch with the glass and bottle.

do you mind if i sit downCraig pointed to the couch where Jack was sitting. Of course he didn't mind, Jack didn't understand why Craig was asking his permission.He moved to the end of the couch, turned off the TV, and turned to face Craig.Craig plopped down, glass and bottle still in hand. Craig took a big sip of the wine, gurgled it for a long time before swallowing it, and then stared at the empty fireplace in a daze. How's the rehearsal going?Jack asked.He felt the need to talk to Craig. Craig just smiled contemptuously. Do you feel ready?Jack continued. I think everything is ready.But it's the same as not saying it.

What advice did Randolph give you? Craig forced another laugh.It's all the same old stuff.Don't pick your nose, don't fart too loudly, don't laugh at the judge. I'm serious, said Jack.I really want to know. Craig stared at Jack, the original nervous look disappeared little by little.It's the same old thing, I mentioned it at lunch, and it seems that I added a few new ones.Let me try not to stutter and not laugh where I shouldn't.Do you believe it?No matter Tony.No matter how Fasano attacks me, I have to accept it calmly.Also, to look hurt, but not angry, so that the jury will sympathize with me.can you imagine

I think he has a point. Craig squinted at Jack.You make sense, I don't. I hear you arguing loudly.Of course, I can't hear what you're saying specifically.Do you have a disagreement with Randolph? No disagreement, Craig said.It's just that he pissed me off.Of course, his purpose was to upset me.He was impersonating Fasano at the time.The problem is, I testify under oath, I can only tell the truth, but Tony.Fasano is not.That is to say, he can make up facts and say whatever he wants.I have the cheek to accept it.But I can't.I can get mad at Randolph, it's hopeless. Jack watches as Craig finishes his glass of wine, then pours another.He knew that really good physicians like Craig had some personality flaws that made them vulnerable to malpractice defendants and were not good at defending themselves when they testified.He also knew that doctors who were not good at business tried their best to build a good relationship with patients to make up for the lack of professional standards and avoid lawsuits.Even when these physicians are defendants, they will be brilliant enough to compete for an Oscar when defending themselves.

Not a good prospect, Craig went on, the expression on his face not angry but frustrated.And I still don't think Randolph is the right case, despite his experience.He is so pretentious.Tony.Although Fasano is a bit ruffian, he can lead the jury by the nose. The jury will know the truth eventually, Jack said. Another thing that bothered me about Randolph was that he kept talking about appealing, and Craig didn't seem to hear what Jack was saying.Towards the end of the rehearsal, he brought this up again, and I just couldn't stand it.I can't believe he's bringing up the appeal at this time.Of course, I knew I should consider appealing.I also know that I should think about what to do with the rest of my life.If I lose the lawsuit, I will definitely not be able to continue working as a doctor. That's a shame, Jack said.The medical industry cannot lose a good doctor like you, and neither can your patients. If I lose the lawsuit, I will worry about whether he will sue me for every patient I face in the future, and let me experience this kind of suffering again.The past eight months have been the most difficult period of my life. What can you do without being a doctor?You still have a family to support. Craig shrugged.Maybe help pharmaceutical companies do research.There are still many opportunities.I know several people who went to pharmaceutical companies.Another possibility is to do research full-time. Do you think you can be willing to do sodium channel research full-time?Jack asked. Sure, it's interesting.Although it is only a basic research, it can be applied to clinical practice soon. Big Pharma is definitely interested in this space. no doubt. Change the subject, Jack said.When I was saying goodbye to everyone outside the door just now, I suddenly thought of a question and wanted to discuss it with you. what is the problem? It's about Patience.Stanhope's.I have studied her medical record several times, and it contains all your diagnosis and treatment records, but the information on the hospital side is only the admission form of the emergency room. Indeed, there is only an admissions form.She died before she could go through hospital procedures. I know this.However, apart from the items mentioned on the admission form, there were no other test forms and no list of medicines.I'm wondering if it's possible that the hospital made a big mistake, like prescribing the wrong medicine, or overdosing.If this is the case, the person who made the mistake must be very tempted to cover it up, and would love to see you made the scapegoat.I know the idea is a bit far-fetched, but it's more believable than doctors ganging up on you to vent their dissatisfaction with the steward's medical care.What do you think?It can be seen from the intimidation encountered by several children this afternoon that someone very, very did not want me to do this autopsy.If Fasano wasn't the mastermind behind it, the motive might be more than money. Craig was stunned for a moment, carefully considering the question.This idea is really bold and interesting. During the investigation and evidence collection stage, the hospital is obliged to provide all relevant materials. It should be, Craig said.Your idea is a bit untenable, because from the beginning to the end, I have never left the patient.If there is an overdose, or if the wrong drug is prescribed, the patient's condition can change significantly.but none.She was in a coma from the time I saw her at the Stanhope home until she was finally pronounced dead, unresponsive to any form of medical treatment. All right, said Jack.However, I will consider this possibility during the autopsy.I was going to do a toxicology test, but if there is a possibility of an overdose or the wrong drug being prescribed, the test results will be more convincing. What can a toxicology test find? Commonly used drugs.If the concentration is too high, it can also detect unused drugs. Craig finished his second glass, looked at the whiskey bottle, and decided not to drink a third.He stood up.I'm really sorry that I failed to fulfill my duty as a host.But I have an appointment with my favorite sleeping pill, and I'm on my way. Mixing alcohol and sleeping pills is not a good thing. Yeah?Craig asked haughtily.I do not know how! See you tomorrow morning, Jack said.He felt that Craig's words seemed provocative, and it was not worth responding at all. Are you worried about those bad guys coming back?There was a tinge of mockery in Craig's tone. Don't worry, Jack said. I'm not worried either.At least not until the autopsy is done. Have you changed your mind?Jack said. Of course I changed my mind.You tell me the chances of finding relevant evidence are slim.Randolph said that whatever was found would not affect the trial, because the judge would not believe it. I said there was little chance of finding relevant evidence before someone broke into your home and warned you not to let me do the autopsy.But that doesn't mean anything.It's all up to you and Alexis. She has made up her mind. It's still up to you to decide.You tell me, Craig, do you want me to do an autopsy? I don't know what to think, especially after two scotches. Then tell me your final decision tomorrow morning, Jack said.He's getting impatient.Craig is not at all a likable guy, with or without the two glasses of wine. What kind of person makes a point by terrorizing three kids?Craig asked. Jack shrugged.There is no need to answer this question at all.He said goodnight to Craig, who staggered out of the house. Jack sat on the couch with his head thrown back and his body stretched as far as possible so he could barely catch a glimpse of Craig walking up the stairs unhurriedly.It seemed to him that Craig was already a little dyskinesia from drinking too much, and he didn't seem to know where to put his legs.The nature of the doctor made Jack feel that he should go to Craig's room in the middle of the night to check, but in Craig's view, this kind of concern was tantamount to admitting that he was helpless, which was a shameful thing.He felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Jack stood up and stretched, feeling the weight of the pistol at his waist.Even though he wasn't afraid of someone breaking in, the gun felt reassuring to him.He looked at his watch. It was too early to go to bed.There wasn't much good shows on TV either.Since he had no better choice, he had to take Craig's file and go to the study, where he sat in the same chair as usual, turned on the floor lamp, and looked for the emergency room medical records in the file. He pulled the record out of the case file, sat firmly in the chair, and was ready to study it carefully.He had read it roughly before, especially the part related to cyanosis.This time he wanted to study word for word.But he couldn't concentrate, and his eyes couldn't help looking at Craig's old emergency kit.Suddenly, he thought of a new idea, maybe the results given by the portable assay instrument were inaccurate. Jack went to the door first, trying to hear if Craig was still walking upstairs.Even though Craig had hinted that he didn't mind Jack checking his emergency kit, Jack still felt a little uncomfortable.When he was sure that Craig was still, he took the emergency box off the shelf, opened it, took out the tester, and read the attached instructions carefully. He found that the tester works on monoclonal antibiotics with high accuracy. .That is, the chance of the result being inaccurate is almost zero. Well, well then, said Jack loudly.He put the instructions back where they were, put the assay kit back at the bottom of the emergency box, where there were three empty vials, and put the emergency box back on the shelf.Stop thinking about it, he thought. Jack went back to his chair and looked at the medical records, but he couldn't find anything suspicious anymore.Just like his conclusion after watching it for the first time, the cyanotic part is the most worthy of scrutiny. Suddenly, the two telephones on the two desks rang loudly at the same time, which was particularly harsh in the quiet night, which frightened Jack.The phone rang relentlessly, and Jack counted to the fifth, thinking that Craig might have fallen asleep and missed it, so he got up from his chair, turned on the lamp on Alexis's desk, and looked at Caller ID.The name on the screen is Leonard.Boman. On the seventh ring, Jack was sure Craig wasn't going to answer the phone, so he picked up the receiver.As he expected, the call was from Alexis. Thanks for answering the phone, Alexis said, after Jack had said hello. I'm waiting for Craig, but I think he's drunk and drugged and probably asleep by now. Is everything okay?Alexis asked. All is well, Jack said.How are you? good.With so much going on, it's not easy for the kids to keep this up.Christina and Megan are already asleep.Tracy was watching an old movie on TV.There's only one room and everyone sleeps together, but I figured it might be good for everyone. Craig was a little hesitant about the autopsy. Why?Isn't it all set? He was a little worried, thinking about the kids, but he had already had two shots of scotch at the time.He said he would tell me the final decision tomorrow. I'll call him tomorrow morning.I feel that the autopsy is all the more justified by the intimidation that took place today.My children and I moved to my grandparents with this in mind.You get ready for an autopsy.I'm going to convince Craig. The two chatted a few more words, agreed to meet in court the next day, and then hung up the phone. Jack sat back in his chair and tried to concentrate on studying the case file, but he couldn't calm down.When he thought of so many things that would happen in the next few days, he couldn't calm down, worried that something would happen.As it turned out later, his concerns were justified.