Chapter 20 Chapter Seventeen

Newtown, Massachusetts Thursday, June 8, 2006 seven in the morning When Alexis and the kids left the house the night before, Jack felt uncomfortable.The feeling was even stronger the next morning.Craig didn't know whether it was because he was afraid of testifying in court that morning, or because the effects of the alcohol and drugs the night before hadn't ended. Anyway, he resumed his silence, ignored people worriedly, and followed Jack to Berman's house on the first morning. Seen in almost the same state.Alexis and the kids were still around at the time, so it wasn't too bad.Now that they are not here, the atmosphere is particularly awkward.

When Jack just came out of the basement guest room, he wanted to liven up the atmosphere, but Craig gave him a cold look.Craig didn't speak until Jack helped himself to the milk and cereal. Alexis called, and Craig's voice was a little hoarse and forlorn.He said you two spoke on the phone last night.Anyway, let me tell you, the autopsy will be done. Ok, Jack's answer was succinct.Craig was in such a bad mood that Jack couldn't help but wonder how he would react if he knew he was in his room in the middle of the night to see him and listen to his breathing.Everything was going well at the time, so Jack didn't wake him up as planned.Fortunately, he didn't wake him up. Craig is in a bad state now. This kind of night visit is equivalent to reminding him how dependent he is on others.

Before Craig was ready to go out, he came over to say hello to Jack and make up for his indifference.Jack sat at the dining table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I'm an incompetent host, sorry, Craig's voice is much more normal, without the slightest hint of arrogance or sarcasm.I'm not in a good state during this time. Out of politeness, Jack pushed back his chair and stood up.I can understand what you're going through now.While I myself have not been accused of malpractice, several friends have been while I was an ophthalmologist.I know how hard it is, like a divorce.

It felt bad, Craig said. Craig's next move caught Jack by surprise.He hugged Jack awkwardly.Before Jack could react, he let go again quickly.Avoiding Jack's gaze, he said as he straightened his suit, I just wanted to tell you how grateful you were to come and help.Thank you for everything you do for us.I'm sorry you still have to put up with my tantrum. I'm glad I could help, too, and it's an honour, Jack, trying so hard not to say that sarcasm.He wasn't going to lie, but Craig's change caught him off guard. Can I see you in court today? I'll be there. OK, see you then.

Jack watches Craig leave.He underestimated this man again. Jack went back to the guest room in the basement, packed his things and put them in the travel bag.He didn't know what to do with the sheets and covers, so he tore them off, piled them with the towels, and folded the blankets.He wrote a brief thank you note on a notepad next to the phone and placed it on the blanket.As for the front door key, he thought about it, and decided to keep it, and when he saw Alexis, he would return it to her face to face with the file.He wanted to return the case files after the autopsy was done, so that if there were any problems during the autopsy, he could check the case files and maybe find some clues.He puts on the jacket, with the gun in the left pocket and the phone in the right pocket, and it feels good.

Jack walked up the stairs to the first floor and opened the front door, carrying the duffel bag in one hand and the bulging manila envelope under the other arm.In the past few days he has been in Boston, the weather has been fine.But now the sky is gloomy and raining.Jack looked at the Hyundai, which was about fifty feet away and had to tread water to get across.Jack pulled an umbrella marked Regent|Carlton from the umbrella stand by the door, thinking he could give it back to Alexis, along with the files and keys. Jack held an umbrella and stepped on the water several times before transporting all the things to the car.With everything in place, he started the engine, turned on the wipers, and wiped the fog off the windshield with his hands.Then he backed the car out of the driveway, beckoned to the police officers in the patrol car watching over the Bowmans' home, and sped up the road.

He didn't drive very far, and he had to clear the fog from the windshield with his hands again.While looking at the road, he looked for the anti-fog button on the car.After the defogging function is activated, the fog in the car gradually dissipates.In order to let the fog clear as soon as possible, Jack opened the window of the cab a crack. Jack drove through the suburban roads, and the number of cars gradually increased.The sky was overcast with dark clouds and many cars had their lights on.When the car stopped at the entrance of the Massachusetts highway and waited for a red light, Jack realized that it was rush hour.Looking ahead, the road is crowded with speeding cars, buses and trucks, and the fog is shrouded in a busy scene.While waiting for the green light, Jack cheered himself up and was ready to join the traffic.He knew he wasn't a great driver, and had rarely driven since moving to New York a decade ago.He prefers to ride a mountain bike, even though most people think cycling in New York is dangerous.

Jack suddenly felt something hit his car from behind, sending him bouncing from his seat.No sooner had he recovered than he twisted in his seat and looked out through the water-stained rear window, but could see nothing but a large black car on top of his rear window.That's when he realized that his car was moving forward even though he kept pressing the brakes. Jack turned to face the front, and his heart came to his throat.The car behind was running a red light against him!There was the screeching sound of tires rubbing against the gravel road outside the car window, and the roar of the motor of the car behind.He suddenly became aware of a car approaching from the left with its headlights on and its horn honking as a warning.Then there was a screeching sound of rubber rubbing against the road, and the dazzling lights had turned.

Jack subconsciously closed his eyes, ready to be hit by the left side of the car, only to find that it was just a wipe.In the rain, a car was close to the door on the side of his cab, and the sound of metal rubbing could be heard. Jack let off the footbrake.He felt that the brakes were not working and needed to be stepped on again.But as soon as he stepped on it, his car slammed forward, almost hitting the oncoming traffic.Jack slammed on the brakes again.He could feel the wheels stalling, and he could hear the screeching sound of the tires rubbing against the road again outside the window.But his car was still rushing forward, without slowing down at all.Jack glanced back again, and the big black car behind him seemed determined to jack his car onto the freeway fifty feet away.Just as he was about to turn around and face the front again, he caught a glimpse of the logo of the car behind him.It was raining lightly outside the window, and it was foggy. It was not very clear at a glance, but Jack still remembered that there were a pair of crescent-shaped branches and two guns on the car logo.He suddenly realized that this was the logo of Cadillac.In Jack's view, except in special circumstances, the black Cadillac represented Franco.

Under the Cadillac's powerful horsepower, Jack's brakes didn't work at all.So he simply let go of the brakes and slammed on the accelerator.Hyundai is very responsive.There was another ear-piercing sound of metal rubbing outside the window, and a bang could be clearly felt, and Hyundai finally got rid of Cadillac's control. In desperation, Jack clung to the steering wheel and dashed into the highway traffic with unprecedented courage.At the last minute, he even closed his eyes, because there were no emergency stop lanes on this part of the road, and he had no choice but to pull into the far right lane.Although the drivers in Boston had given him a bad impression of being overly aggressive during his driving these days, Jack still admired them for their high vigilance and quick response.Although the sound of horns and screeching brakes was chaotic, he squeezed into the traffic flow.When he opened his eyes, he found himself sandwiched between two cars, less than six feet from the one in front and inches from the one behind.The scary Humvee in the back is now motionless, the driver must be very angry.

Jack tried to adjust his speed to keep up with the car in front.Although he felt that the speed of the rainy day was too fast, there was no other way.If he slows down, the Humvee behind him will bump him like that black Cadillac.Now, he was frantically trying to find the Cadillac in the rearview mirror, but doing so was difficult because it required him to look away from the car in front of him.But even though the wipers were running at high speed, the car in front was still a vague shadow.Jack didn't see the Cadillac, but he saw the driver of the Hummer kept throwing his fists at him. Concentrating on driving wasn't the only obstacle in his search for a Cadillac.It was already foggy outside the window, but the water splashed by passing vehicles made the situation even more chaotic.The eighteen-wheelers (each about the size of Jack's car) whizzed by on the wet road, sending puffs of water from the edges of their fenders that made it impossible to dodge. Jack suddenly found that the guardrail on the right side of the road stretched out for a short distance, which seemed to be a breakdown vehicle inspection area.This inspection area is not long, and according to his current speed, he will soon drive through it, so he must make a quick decision.Jack subconsciously turned the steering wheel to the right, rushed out of the traffic, and slammed on the brakes.The car swayed from side to side involuntarily, and Jack struggled to cope. After a fuss, Jack finally stopped the car, but before he had time to rest, he saw in the rearview mirror that the black Cadillac rushed out of the traffic like him. Jack took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion.He slammed the accelerator down.Although the instantaneous acceleration of this car is not amazing, it is quite powerful.The car quickly ran to the guardrail at the end of the maintenance area, and Jack had to suddenly squeeze into the traffic again.Although he didn't close his eyes this time, the driver of the Hummer who followed him was still very angry.The Cadillac was pressing on, and Jack couldn't care less.In fact, it's a good thing for a Hummer driver to be angry.In order to express his dissatisfaction with Jack, the man has been following Jack closely.Under normal circumstances, Jack would find this dangerous and annoying.Now that he is pressing so tightly, Cadillac can drill seamlessly.Cadillac is much more terrifying than this irritated Hummer driver. A few miles down the road, Jack knew, was the ramp, turning from the leftmost lane.Driving further from the ramp is the end of the expressway, and there is a row of toll booths.Jack doesn't know which option is better.The advantage of the toll booth is that there must be staff, even the police; the disadvantage is that there are long queues.Although David.Thomas handed over Franco's gun, and Jack knew that Franco must have a way to get another one.Now that Franco could come up with the crazy idea of ​​pushing him out of traffic, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot Jack.The disadvantage of taking the ramp is that there are few staff and no police; the advantage is that there are two fast lanes and there is no need to queue. As Jack thought about it, he vaguely realized that there was another ramp behind the building next to the highway.He hadn't thought about it just now because he wasn't planning to sprint out of traffic a second time.What he didn't expect was that the Cadillac used this ramp to overtake his car. Jack didn't wake up until the Cadillac pulled up next to him.He found the driver's window open.What's more, Franco is holding the steering wheel in one hand and a gun in the other, and is about to stick out the window.Jack hit the brakes.At the same time, the passenger window was shattered and a bullet hole appeared in the windshield bracket on Jack's left. The driver of the Humvee behind Jack started honking again and again.Jack could understand how angry he was, and at the same time admired him for avoiding collisions again and again.Jack vowed never to complain about Boston drivers driving rudely again. Just after stepping on the brakes, Jack stepped on the accelerator to the bottom again, and then quickly moved to the leftmost lane using the car meeting skills he had just practiced.All the cars were honking their horns in protest.Before Jack could feel complacent, he noticed that Franco's car was also shifting over at a faster speed, and now it was in the same lane as his car, with only one car in between.Jack sees the sign for the ramp (Allston/Cambridge left turn) flash by.Knowing that his economy Accent was lighter than a vintage Cadillac like Franco's boat, and better cornering at high speeds, Jack made a quick decision instinctively.Although there are relatively few vehicles in the leftmost lane, Franco has not changed lanes, perhaps because he is afraid that if he overtakes on this lane, he will be squeezed out of the road at the ramp not far away. Jack stared at the ramp ahead, tense all over.His goal is to make a sharp left turn at the ramp without overturning.There are also several bucket-sized yellow plastic tanks at the intersection, distributed in a triangular shape, to prevent passing vehicles from crashing into the concrete base of the ramp and play a buffer role.Jack had to go around these buffer tanks when he turned left.He wanted Franco to be forced to go straight and miss the left turn ramp. At the ramp, Jack turned the steering wheel sharply to the left.He could hear the sharp friction of the tires against the ground, and he could also feel the powerful centrifugal force causing the rear of the car to sway, almost overturning.He tried to step on the brakes, and he didn't know if the result was good or bad.For a moment, he thought only two wheels were on the ground, but the car finally steadied itself and nimbly avoided the bumper tanks, which were still several feet wide. Jack quickly turned the steering wheel to the right, aligned with the lane, and drove straight to the toll booth ahead.He started to hit the brakes and glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see Franco's car hit the bumpers on the side.To his surprise, the Cadillac immediately rolled over, apparently because Franco was eager to catch up with Jack, causing the whole car to roll over. The Cadillac was badly hit, with tires and body debris flying everywhere, and Jack was terrified to think about it.He didn't expect Franco to be so angry that he seemed to have lost his mind. Before Jack's car reached the tollbooth, two staff members left the other drivers waiting to pay the toll and rushed out of the tollbooth, one of them still holding a fire extinguisher.Jack glanced in the rearview mirror, only to realize that the side of the upside-down Cadillac had burst into flames. Jack thought he couldn't help much, so he drove away.As he gradually recalled the whole process from Franco's back crash, he became more and more nervous, and even began to shake all over his body.In a way, the reaction surprised him more than the event itself.A few years ago, he might have enjoyed the process.But now, he felt responsible to Laurie.Laurie was still counting on him to be alive and to be at Riverside Church on time at half past one tomorrow. Twenty minutes later, Jack parked the car in front of Langley Pearson Funeral Home.At this time, he has almost recovered.He realized that it was his responsibility to report the whole story of Franco's accident to the police, but he didn't want to spend his time reporting it to the Boston Police Department.He sat in the car, took out his mobile phone and Liam.Flanagan's business card with Liam's cell phone number on it.Jack dialed the phone, and when Liam answered, Jack heard a lot of noise in the background, as if there were many people talking. Is it inappropriate for me to call now?Jack asked. of course not.I'm standing in line at Starbucks for a mocha crepe.What happened? Jack reported the whole process of his encounter with Franco from the beginning to the very dramatic end. I have a question, said Liam.Did you shoot him with my gun? Of course not, Jack said.He hadn't expected Liam to ask him that question.To be honest, it never occurred to me to shoot at all. Liam told Jack that he would pass on the information Jack had provided to the highway patrol officers and ask them to contact Jack directly if they had any questions. The reporting went so smoothly, Jack was very satisfied.He leaned over to inspect the plastic interior of the car for bullet holes, thinking Hertz would have a problem with it.The bullet holes were relatively smooth, similar to the injection wounds he usually saw on cadaveric skulls.Jack shuddered at the thought that the gun might have hit him in the head.It occurred to him that Franco hitting his car from behind might be a second option.The first option might be to wait for Jack to get out of Berman's house, or even break into Berman's house at night.They may have dropped the plan when they saw the police monitoring the Berman home.Thinking of this, Jack was shocked again.Last night he was pretty sure there would be no more intruders.Ignorance is bliss. Jack made up his mind not to think about these ifs any more.He grabbed the umbrella from the back seat and walked into the funeral home.There seemed to be no ceremony planned today, and the house had returned to its tomb-like tranquility, with Gregorian chants still playing in the background.Jack found Harold's office by himself.The thick curtains are still drawn here. Doctor Stapleton, said Harald, seeing Jack standing in the doorway.I'm afraid I have bad news for you. please!Jack begged.Don't you say that.I've had enough bad times this morning. Backhoe driver Percy.Gallardet called me.The cemetery assigned him other tasks, and after he was done, he would go out and help someone dig a sewer.He said your business might have to wait until tomorrow morning. Jack took a deep breath and looked away for a moment to calm himself.Harold's overly affable demeanor made the bad news all the more unbearable.Well, Jack said slowly.Let's find another backhoe then.There must be more than one company here. There are a lot of excavators.Ke Parker.Maidow cemetery administrator Walter.Strasser allowed only one company into the cemetery. Is there a rebate?Jack himself knew the answer to that question was self-evident.Only one backhoe is allowed in the cemetery, and nine times out of ten it is used for personal gain. God knows, but we'll just have to wait for Percy.Gallardet is free. Oh shit!Jack cursed.It was absolutely too late for him to have an autopsy tomorrow morning and rush to the riverside church for the wedding at half past one. There's another problem, Hallard said.The Crypt truck won't be available tomorrow.I had to call them again and say we don't have a truck here today. Very good!Jack spoke sarcastically.He took another deep breath.Let's go over things and see what options we have.Is it possible not to go through the Crypt Company?We handle it ourselves. Absolutely not, Harold said angrily.This is tantamount to saying that the burial chamber should remain underground. Hey, I don't care what the state of the tomb is.And why dig out the tomb? That's the rule.This is the top chamber chosen by the late Mr. Stanhope himself.The lid is a whole piece, so pay special attention when opening the coffin. Is it possible to only open the coffin lid without leaving the tomb? It should work, but it might break. So what if it breaks?Jack was getting impatient.He had always found burial eccentric and was a staunch advocate of cremation.He felt that anyone who had seen the hideous face of an Egyptian pharaoh's mummies in a museum should know how foolish it was to try to keep his own body. If it cracked, it would destroy the top cover, and Harald was even more angry. My understanding is that the chamber doesn't have to be dug out of the ground, Jack said.All responsibility rests with me.If the cover is cracked, replace it with a new one.So the Tomb Company should be satisfied. Maybe, Harold softened his tone a little. I went to see Percy and Walter myself to see if this impasse could be broken. what ever.Contact me anytime.I must be present when the coffin is opened. Definitely do it, Jack said.Can you tell me to go to Pike.How to get to Maido Cemetery? When Jack walked out of the funeral home, he was in a very different mood than when he entered.He's angry and irritated now.There are three things in this world that irritate him the most: bureaucracy, incompetence, and stupidity.These three things always happened at the same time, which made him even more unbearable.The idea of ​​opening the coffin for autopsy was first proposed by him.Did not expect to Patience.Getting Stanhope's body out of the ground proved more difficult than he had imagined. He went back to his car.He inspected the car seriously for the first time since the freeway horror and found not only a shattered window and a bullet hole in the windshield bracket, but also a lot of scratches and dents on the left side of the car and a bruised rear , It's still serious, he's worried that he won't be able to open the trunk.Fortunately, he tried it and was able to open the lid, proving that his worries were unnecessary.In the trunk were the autopsy documents Latasha had prepared for him, which he might need.As for how the Hertz car rental company would respond to these damages, he didn't want to think about it, but he was secretly glad that he had chosen full insurance at the time. As soon as he got in the car, he took out the map, followed Harold's direction, quickly figured out the route, and found the cemetery without much trouble.The cemetery is on top of a hill overlooking a seminary.A seminary looks like a university, with many individual buildings.The cemetery in the rain has a good view, like a park, but with more tombstones.The main entrance to the main road is made of stone, quite delicate, and is full of statues of prophets.The small gates of the individual cemeteries are all made of black iron, and if they hadn't been concealed all the time, they would look a bit intimidating.The cemetery is surrounded by fences matching the main entrance. Behind the main entrance is a Gothic building consisting of offices and a compartmented garage.The ground is paved with cobblestones, and several roads lead deep into the cemetery.Jack parked the car, saw the office door was open, and walked in.There are two desks in the room, and one person sits at each desk.There were also metal four-drawer filing cabinets, a long table, and high-backed armchairs.On the wall is a cemetery map with all the cemeteries marked. Do you need help?a woman in outdated clothes asked him.She looked Jack up and down, unable to tell whether it was friendly or unfriendly.Jack felt that manner was peculiar to New England. I'm looking for Walter.Strasser, Jack said. The woman pointed at the other man without looking up, then turned her attention back to the computer screen. Jack walked over to the man's desk.This man was probably in his fifties and was very fat. It could be seen that he had at least two of the seven deadly sins: gluttony and laziness.He sat at his desk coldly, with his hands folded on his huge belly.Yuanyuan's face was as red as an apple. Are you Mr. Strasser?Seeing that the man was silent and motionless, Jack had no choice but to speak first. Yes. Jack introduced himself briefly, waving his forensic badge as usual.Then he explained that in order to investigate a civil case, he needed to examine the late Patience.stanhope.The procedures required for an autopsy have been completed, and he said that all he needs is the corpse. This question, Harold.Mr. Langley has spoken to me at length, Walter said. Jack asked, did he mention that there was a problem with the timing?We had planned to exhume the coffin today. Mr. Galladet's timing was out of order.I had him call Mr. Langley this morning to explain. I know that.The reason why I came here myself is to see if I can open the coffin for an autopsy today as originally planned, if I pay a proper fee.I'm leaving Boston tonight Jack didn't make it clear in the second half of the sentence.He hopes Walter's weakness is not only gluttony, but also greed. What does it mean to pay an appropriate fee?Sure enough, as Jack expected, Walter was hooked.He winked in the woman's direction, saying that he didn't need to let her know the details. I'm going to pay double the price and pay cash. I'm fine with that, Walter said.But you'll have to discuss it with Percy. Can I switch to another backhoe company? Walter considered the suggestion carefully, and finally declined.Excuse me!Percy and Pike.Maido Cemetery has a long-term cooperative relationship.He understands and respects our rules and regulations. I understand, Jack agreed, thinking that Percy's long-term relationship might have less to do with rules and regulations than with kickbacks.But he didn't want to delve into this issue right now, so he had to get in touch with Percy first.I heard Mr. Galladet is working in the cemetery right now. He took Enrique and Caesar to the big maple tree, preparing for a burial ceremony at noon. Who are Enrique and Caesar? It's our cemetery watcher. Can I drive there? Of course. As Jack drove up the hill, the rain gradually eased and finally stopped completely.This made Jack breathe a sigh of relief.The rain had been pouring in since Franco broke the window of his passenger cab. Jack turned off the wipers.The car drove up the hillside, and the surrounding scenery gradually became clearer.A patch of clear blue sky looms on the western horizon, heralding better and better weather. Jack finds Percy and two others on the top of the hill.Percy sat in the cab of the backhoe, digging a grave.The two men looked on, holding long-handled shovels in their hands.Percy lowered the tip of the backhoe into the grave.The diesel engine of the excavator runs at full power, pulls the dump bucket filled with soil closer, lifts it, and moves it out of the pit.The excavated soil was piled on a large tarpaulin.A white pickup truck was parked nearby, with the name of the cemetery embossed on the door. Jack parked the car, walked over to the backhoe, and called Percy's name, hoping to get his attention.But the roar of the diesel engine drowned out his voice.He had no choice but to knock on the glass door of the driver's cab. Only then did Percy realize that someone was looking for him, and immediately stopped what he was doing, and the roar of the diesel engine quickly weakened.Percy opened the cab door. What's up?He yelled like the engine of the backhoe was still roaring. I have a job and want to talk to you, Jack yelled too. Percy jumped out of the cab.He is not tall and has a peculiar way of walking, reminiscent of a squirrel.He always had a confused expression on his face, his brows were furrowed, and his forehead was covered with wrinkled wrinkles.His hair is short and sticks upright, and his arms are covered in tattoos. What kind of job?asked Percy. Jack introduced himself and explained what had happened in terms better than Walter.Strasser is much more sensational.He hoped to arouse Percy's sympathy, and put Patience.Stanhope's exhumation moved to the present day.Unfortunately, this trick didn't seem to work for Percy. Excuse me, man, said Percy.After the work in hand is done, I have to help a buddy dig a sewer, and take a look at his new twins. I know you're busy, said Jack.But I have already told Mr. Strasser that I would pay double the price, in cash, if the coffin could be opened today. What did Mr. Struther say? He said he had no objection there. Percy raised an eyebrow.He considered Jack's offer carefully, and then said: You mean, you're willing to pay double the price for the cemetery, and double the price for me? The premise is to open the coffin today. I've promised to dig the sewers for a friend, said Percy.Can you wait until I finish digging? What time can you finish digging? Percy pursed his lips, nodded thoughtfully, and looked at his watch.It will be about two o'clock. Are you sure you can finish digging by then?Jack asked.He needs to be sure of that. It can be done, Percy said firmly.I don't know what's going on with my buddy's sewer though.If things go well there, I can come over around two o'clock.If it doesn't go well, then maybe when you can come back. But even if you come back late in the afternoon, you will open the coffin, right? Of course, Percy said.As long as you pay me double the price. Jack held out his hand, and Percy shook it quickly.Jack returned to his battered car, and Percy returned to the cab of the backhoe.Before driving, Jack gave Harold.Langley made a phone call. Now that's the case, Jack's tone is very serious, implying that there is no room for negotiation.We plan to open Patience's coffin sometime after two o'clock this afternoon. Can the time be more specific? Specifically, the coffin cannot be opened until Mr. Galladet completes his plan for today.Now I can only tell you after two o'clock. You just have to give me half an hour's notice, Harald said.We will meet at the tomb then. OK, said Jack.He tried his best not to sound sarcastic.Having paid so much money to the Langley Pearson funeral home, he felt that Harold should be busy and urge Walter.Strasser and Percy.Galladett is. Percy's backhoe roared again.Jack began to think about what to do next.He looked at his watch, it was almost half past ten.His intuition told him that at the current speed, if things went well, Patience could be taken away in about three or four o'clock.Stanhope's body was transported to Langley Pearson Funeral Home.At that time Latasha.Dr. Wylie may be available.He wasn't sure if she offered to help out of sincerity, but decided to trust her for now.With her help, the autopsy will be faster, and we can discuss problems together.And he really needed her to bring a bone saw.Although he felt that the brain would not be involved in this case, since he decided to do an autopsy, it would be better to be thorough.More importantly, he felt that a microscope or dissecting mirror might be used, and it would be much more convenient for Latasha to be there.Most importantly, Latasha's boss promised him that he could do a toxicology test, and Latasha could help him contact the Forensic Medicine Department.Jack now suspects the possibility of overdose and wrong medication on the hospital side.In this way, the toxicology test is crucial, and the sooner the better, so that it can be written in the autopsy report. With so much going on, Jack had to face the fact that he might miss tonight's flight from Boston to New York and have to catch a flight tomorrow morning.He knew that the first flight would leave early tomorrow morning, and he would definitely be able to catch the wedding at the church at 1:30 pm, and even have time to go back to the apartment to pick up the tuxedo.The problem was how to tell Laurie. Jack is very clear that it is definitely not appropriate for him to tell Laurie now, and now he is not sure whether he can catch the plane tonight, so he decided not to make this call for the time being, thinking that he will tell her when he has definite news. better. Jack leaned to one side, took his wallet from the back pocket of his trousers, and took out Latasha.Wylie's business card, dialed her cell phone, only to be transferred to voicemail.At this time, Latasha must be in the autopsy room.He left a brief message: The opening of the coffin was postponed, so the autopsy would not be done until the afternoon. If she would help, he would be grateful, and finally left his mobile phone number. After the phone call, Jack began to think about a practical problem.He was not very good at bribery, and the money promised to Walter and Percy just now was obviously too much, otherwise they would not have agreed so readily.The question now is where to get so much cash.Usually he only has twenty or thirty dollars in his wallet, which is obviously not enough.But money is not a problem, he has a credit card, as long as he finds an ATM, there must be no shortage of ATMs in the city. He had dealt with everything he could do so far, and Jack had to go back to court.In fact, he really didn't want to go to court to see his sister being insulted by others.Seeing Craig's retribution at the beginning, he didn't say anything, but he still felt a little gloating in his heart.But that excitement faded long ago.Now Jack is very sympathetic to the Craigs, and he doesn't want to see them being tortured, nor does he want to see Tony.People like Fasano downplay their relationship for self-interest. However, Jack told them that they would go to court, and they both thanked him in their own ways.Thinking of this, Jack started the car and made a three o'clock U-turn.Once out of the cemetery's elaborate stone gates, Jack pulls over to look at a map.He soon discovered that there was a shortcut to downtown Boston, instead of going back the same way past the funeral home. Driving on the road, Jack found himself still in the mood to laugh.He didn't laugh out loud, but suddenly felt like laughing.He's been in Boston for two and a half days, wracking his brains with a ridiculously boring malpractice lawsuit, getting slapped, punched, nearly shot, threatened by a thug in a black Cadillac, and yet Now, nothing is done.There was a peculiar dark humor to the whole thing, which made him want to laugh. He thought of one more thing.As he stayed longer in Boston, he became more and more worried about Laurie's reaction, so that he became less and less willing to talk to Laurie for fear that she would lose her temper.He wasn't worried about not going back.If the autopsy dragged on like this, he might be forced to fly back to New York tomorrow morning, which meant he might miss the wedding.Of course, this possibility is very small, because starting from 6:30, there is a flight to New York every 30 minutes.Still, the possibility of missing the wedding cannot be completely ruled out, but he isn't worried.This lack of worry made him doubt his subconscious motives.He loved Laurie very much, he was sure of that, and he also believed that he would like to remarry very much.But why didn't he worry about missing the wedding? Jack didn't know how to answer the question, other than to say that although he usually acted carefree, life was much more complicated than that.In fact, his personality has many aspects, some of which are suppressed by him subjectively, so he doesn't show it easily. 現在既沒有追車，又沒有雨霧，也不是上下班高峰，傑克很快就開到了波士頓市區。儘管這條路他從來沒有走過，卻無意中找到了波士頓公共綠地和波士頓地鐵總站，中間隔著一條查理斯街。一找到這兒，就等於找到了以前停過車的地下停車場。 傑克停好車，轉身回來向管理員打聽附近有沒有提款機。按管理員所指的方向，他來到查理斯街的商業區，發現他買辣椒噴霧器的那家五金店對面就是提款機。傑克按提款上限取了現金，然後沿著頭一天來買辣椒噴霧器的路線步行去法庭。他走過燈塔山，沿途漂亮的聯排別墅帶來一種和諧的美感，很多人家的窗臺上還放著精心栽培的花箱，裡面開滿了鮮花。最近下了幾場雨，把街面和磚砌的人行道沖刷得乾乾淨淨。天空依然陰沉沉的，讓他注意到前幾天陽光燦爛時沒有看到的景觀：十九世紀流傳下來的煤氣燈都亮著，顯然一刻都沒有停息過。 到了法庭門口，傑克又猶豫起來。從表面上看，法庭裡的情景與頭一天下午他離開的時候一模一樣。只是證人席上的蓮娜換成了克雷格。法庭上還是那些人，態度也沒有明顯變化。陪審團還是無動於衷，一個個像是紙糊的假人，只有水管工助理還在孜孜不倦地檢查自己的指甲。法官正在全神貫注地看桌上的文件，旁聽席上的人倒是很認真。 傑克打量了一眼旁聽席上的人，看見亞歷克西斯坐在老地方，旁邊有一個空座位，顯然是為他留的。旁聽席的另一邊佛朗哥的老座位上坐著安東尼奧。他比佛朗哥小一號，但比佛朗哥帥多了，身上是法薩諾團隊的標準著裝：灰色西裝，黑色襯衫配黑色領帶。傑克有充分理由相信這幾天佛朗哥不會再出來活動了。他開始回想自己跟安東尼奧有沒有過節。他同時在考慮佛朗哥和安東尼奧有沒有參與恐嚇克雷格家的孩子們。 亞歷克西斯坐在這排的最裡面，是離陪審團最近的一個座位。傑克慢慢靠近她，邊走邊跟其他旁聽者說借過。看他走近，她拘謹地笑了一下，讓傑克覺得事情不妙。她把自己的東西收攏，騰出地方來讓他坐。兩人握了握手他才坐下。 How about it?傑克側過身，低聲問她。 現在藍道夫做交叉詢問，好多了。 Tony.法薩諾提問的時候怎麼樣？ 亞歷克西斯飛快地看了一眼傑克，暴露了她內心很緊張。她的面部肌肉有點僵硬，眼睛也比平常睜得大，兩手緊張地交握著，放在膝蓋上。 情況不好嗎？Jack asked. 很糟糕，亞歷克西斯說。唯一值得慶幸的是，克雷格的證詞和調查取證時一致，沒有自相矛盾的地方。 他沒有發火吧，藍道夫都給他排練過了。 庭審開始大概一個小時之後，他就開始發火了，然後越來越厲害。托尼知道他的弱點，一個都沒有放過。最糟糕的是克雷格說，為了照顧病人，醫師不惜犧牲自己的生命，托尼根本沒有資格批評他們，也沒有資格質疑他們的專業素質。他還說托尼是個靠攛掇病人家屬打官司發財的卑鄙小人。 這可不好，傑克說。就算是真的也不能這麼說。 還有更糟糕的呢，亞歷克西斯抬高聲音說。 不好意思，後排傳來一個聲音。有人拍拍傑克的肩膀。 我們聽不見證詞了，旁聽者抱怨道。 對不起，傑克說。他轉身問亞歷克西斯，要不我們到大廳裡繼續談吧？ 亞歷克西斯點點頭，顯然是很想休息一下。 他倆站起身，亞歷克西斯把東西留在座位上，兩人慢慢移動到中間過道上。傑克推開法庭沉重的大門，儘量不發出噪音。他倆在大廳裡找了一張皮面長椅坐下來，不約而同地弓起背，胳膊肘放在膝蓋上。 我就搞不明白，亞歷克西斯小聲嘀咕著。這麼多人來旁聽這個該死的官司，能聽出什麼名堂來。 聽過幸災樂禍這個詞嗎？Jack asked.半小時前他還想到這個詞，當初他聽說克雷格官司纏身，就有點幸災樂禍。 你倒說說看，亞歷克西斯回答。 是德語，表示以別人的困難或不幸為樂。 我不記得這個德語詞了，亞歷克西斯說。但這個意思我很清楚。幸災樂禍這麼普遍，應該有個英文詞才對。小報不就以這個為賣點嗎？其實我知道這些人為什麼熱衷於看克雷格受罪。他們一直覺得醫師是成功人士，高不可攀。我跟他們計較什麼。 Are you in good health? 除了有點頭疼，其他都還好。 How are the children? 顯然很好。她們覺得是在度假，既不用上課，又可以在奶奶家玩。到現在，沒人打我的手機。我的號碼她們三個都記得，要是出了什麼事，我早該知道了。 今天早晨我過得驚心動魄。 Yeah?屍檢進行到哪一步了？我們都盼著發生奇蹟呢。 傑克把今天早晨麻薩諸塞州高速公路上發生的事情描述了一遍。聽著聽著，亞歷克西斯的嘴越張越大，顯然是又吃驚又害怕。 那你沒受傷吧，最後傑克說到佛朗哥的車翻得頭朝下，她關切地問。 我很好，不過我租的那輛車可慘了。佛朗哥肯定傷得不輕，現在可能在醫院裡躺著呢，說不定還被捕了。還記得昨晚到咱家來的那個波士頓員警嗎？我把事情的經過都跟他說了。我想當局肯定不贊成在麻薩諸塞州高速公路上隨便開槍。 天哪，亞歷克西斯同情地說。沒想到他們會對你下手，真對不起。我覺得我有責任。 別這麼說！這都是我自己招來的，跟你沒關係。發生了這麼多事，倒是更讓我下定決心做這個該死的屍檢了。 現在進行到哪一步了？ 傑克說了他和哈樂德．蘭利、沃爾特．斯特拉瑟以及珀西．加拉德特打交道的經過。 Gosh, Alexis said.費了這麼大周折，我希望屍檢能有重大發現。 I also hope that. 這下有可能要明天早晨才能坐飛機回紐約了。你能接受嗎？ 不接受也得接受啊，傑克聳了聳肩。他不想討論這個棘手的私人問題。 新娘子勞麗也沒意見？ 我還沒有跟她商量呢，傑克回答。 OMG!亞歷克西斯大吃一驚。我可不想跟新嫂子一上來就把關係弄僵了。 還是回到剛才的庭審吧，傑克想換個話題。剛才你說到克雷格的證詞還有更糟的？ 他先是罵托尼是個攛掇病人家屬打官司發財的卑鄙小人，然後又開始教訓陪審團，說他們跟他不是一個層次的人。他們從來沒有像他救佩欣斯．斯坦霍普那樣救過人，所以根本沒有資格評判他的行為。 傑克大吃一驚，一隻手拍著前額說，藍道夫就看著他這麼胡鬧？ 藍道夫已經盡力了。他不停地提出反對，可無濟於事。後來他又試圖讓法官宣佈休庭，可法官問克雷格要不要休息，克雷格說不要，然後接著往下說。 Jack shook his head.克雷格最大的敵人就是他自己。but But what?Alexis asked. 克雷格說得有道理。從某種程度來說，他說出了所有醫師的心聲。我敢說，任何一個打過治療失當官司的醫師都是這麼想的，只不過他們比較有頭腦，沒有說出來罷了。 哎，他確實不應該說出來。換了我是陪審員，本來是來履行公民義務的，遭到這種責難肯定氣得夠嗆，也更願意相信託尼對整個事件的解釋。 這是最糟糕的部分嗎？ 很多部分都很糟糕。托尼讓克雷格承認，當晚出門診時確實擔心佩欣斯病情突變，這點跟蓮娜的證詞相符。另外他確實懷疑佩欣斯突發心臟病。他還讓克雷格承認，從佩欣斯家開車去音樂廳比從紐頓紀念醫院去要快。他很想在音樂會開始之前入場，可以向眾人展示漂亮女友。更糟糕的是，他讓克雷格承認在蓮娜面前說過很多佩欣斯．斯坦霍普的壞話，包括說佩欣斯死了對所有人都有好處。 天哪，傑克搖搖頭說。這可不好！ 確實不好。現在大家都認為克雷格是一個傲慢無情的醫師，滿腦子想得都是怎麼才能按時帶情人去音樂廳，根本不考慮病人的死活。藍道夫最不願意看到的就是這個結果。 傑克直起腰。藍道夫交叉詢問效果如何？ 最確切的說法是企圖彌補損失。他試圖在原告提出的每一個問題上為克雷格恢復名譽，從ＰＰ，也就是問題病人編號到佩欣斯．斯坦霍普去世當晚的所有細節。你進來的時候，克雷格在說他到佩欣斯家看到的症狀，和喬丹．斯坦霍普電話上告訴他的症狀不符。藍道夫讓克雷格告訴陪審團，他和喬丹通電話時並沒有說佩欣斯．斯坦霍普突發心臟病，只說要排除這種可能性。當然了，這與喬丹證詞中所說的不符。 你覺得陪審團對克雷格的證詞反應如何？交叉詢問和直接詢問時的反應有區別嗎？ 他們比以往更加無動於衷，不過這有可能是我太悲觀了。看過克雷格在直接詢問時的表現，根本沒法樂觀。藍道夫前面的仗越來越不好打。今天早晨他告訴我，想讓克雷格說說自己的經歷，以便反擊托尼對他的人身攻擊。 也好，傑克說。儘管他對藍道夫的安排並沒有多大熱情，可對亞歷克西斯的同情心依舊沒變，覺得說句安慰她的話也好。兩人回到法庭原座位上，傑克不禁暗想，如果原告勝訴，對亞歷克西斯和克雷格的關係將產生怎樣的影響。從十六年前他第一次見到克雷格起，傑克一直不看好這段婚姻。克雷格和亞歷克西斯是在波士頓紀念醫院實習的時候認識的。兩人訂婚的時候曾經到傑克家做客。傑克覺得克雷格非常自我，令人難以忍受，而且除了醫學沒有別的生活內容。現在傑克有機會深入他們的生活，發現雖然目前局勢非常嚴峻，但他倆有很強的互補性。亞歷克西斯從小就有點情緒化，喜歡依賴別人，與自戀的克雷格剛好取長補短。在傑克看來，兩人在很多方面都可以互補。 傑克在椅子上坐穩，儘量讓自己舒服一點。藍道夫筆直地站在講臺前，散發著一貫的貴族氣質。克雷格坐在證人席上，身體微微前傾，肩膀有點塌。藍道夫的聲音抑揚頓挫，口齒十分伶俐。相比之下，克雷格的聲音顯得有點平淡，像是吵過一架，現在已經筋疲力盡了。 傑克感覺到亞歷克西斯的手在他的胳膊肘和腰間摸索著，然後往前移動，抓住了他的手。他回握了一下，兩人相視而笑，但笑容轉瞬即逝。 博曼大夫，藍道夫拉長聲音說。四歲時你得到一個玩具急診箱，開始跟父母和哥哥玩打針遊戲。從那時起，你就想成為一名醫師。不過據我所知，你之所以會選定這個助人的職業，是因為童年的一次特殊經歷。你能把這件事的始末告訴法庭嗎？ 克雷格清清嗓子。那時候我十五歲，上十年級，是校足球隊的經理。其實我很想加入球隊，但是人家不要我。這讓我父親很失望，因為我哥哥是明星隊員。所以我只好當球隊經理，其實就是負責給隊員們送水。比賽暫停的時候，我就拿上水桶、勺子和紙杯衝進球場送水。有一次輪到我們隊踢主場，有個隊員受傷了，教練請求暫停。我照例拿上水桶衝進球場。等我跑近一點，發現受傷的隊員是我一個朋友。於是我放下水桶，扔下等水喝的隊員們，徑直衝到朋友身邊。眼前的景象讓我很難受。他的腿傷很嚴重，穿著釘鞋的腳歪在一邊，疼得直打滾。他那麼痛苦，我卻無能為力。這件事對我觸動很大。當時我就決定，不光是想當醫師，而是一定要當醫師。 這段經歷真讓人傷心，藍道夫說。但也確實很感人。這個決定不是出於同情心一時衝動，而是真的激勵你走上了艱辛的從醫之路。博曼大夫，對你來說，成為醫師的過程並不是一帆風順的。童年經歷所激發的助人欲望必須足夠強烈，才能促使你不斷跨越障礙，走向成功。你的經歷像荷拉修．阿爾傑的小說一樣催人奮進。你願意跟大家說說嗎？ 證人席上的克雷格明顯挺直了腰。 Objecting, Tony yelled and stood up.該事實與本案無關。 大衛森法官摘下老花鏡。請雙方律師走近法官席。 藍道夫和托尼順從地走到法官席的右邊集中。 listen!大衛森法官用老花鏡指著托尼說。你的原告直接質詢部分是圍繞克雷格的人品展開的。當時賓厄姆先生一再反對，我還是讓你進行下去，因為你說這點與本案關係密切。我也同意你的說法。但我要一視同仁。陪審團有權聽博曼先生陳述他從醫的動機和過程。你聽明白了嗎？ 明白，法官大人，托尼說。 還有，被告論證這個問題的時候，我不想聽你一再提出反對。 我明白，法官大人，托尼說。 兩人各自回到原位，即托尼回到原告席，藍道夫回到講臺前。 反對無效，大衛森法官大聲說，好讓法庭記錄員能聽見。請證人回答剛才的問題。 你還記得剛才的問題嗎？asked Randolph. 記得，克雷格說。可從何說起呢？ 從頭開始吧，藍道夫說。據我所知，你父母並不贊成你學醫。 至少我父親不贊成，我們家他說了算。他並不喜歡孩子，尤其不喜歡我。我哥小倫納德是足球和曲棍球天才，而我不是。我父親覺得我是個膽小鬼，有幾次當著我的面也這麼說。我母親很怕他。有一次她無意中說出我想當醫師。父親揚言只要他活著，我就休想。 這是他的原話嗎？ 一字不差！我父親是個水管工，鄙視所有專業人士，覺得他們都是騙錢的。他絕不允許自己的兒子變成這些人中的一員，更何況他自己高中都沒有畢業。事實上，據我所知，我父母的親戚中，連我哥哥在內，沒有一個上過大學的。我哥後來跟我父親一樣，也成了一名水管工。 也就是說，你父親對你的學術興趣並不贊成。 克雷格苦笑了一下。小時候我不得不在衣櫥裡看書。有幾次被父親逮著我在看書，而不是在做家務事，他就追著我打。成績單也要藏起來，不能給父親看見，因為上面全是Ａ，所以要讓母親偷偷給我簽字。其他同學都是因為成績太差才不敢給家長看成績單。 等你上了大學，情況是不是好一點？ 有些方面好一點，其他方面更差。他很討厭我，對我的稱呼從膽小鬼變成傲氣鬼。他羞於跟朋友談起我。最要命的是，我申請獎學金需要填家庭經濟狀況表。他不但拒絕填表，讓我拿不到獎學金，而且一分錢都不資助我。 那你的學費問題是怎麼解決的呢？ 靠貸款和獎學金，而且我什麼零工都幹過。就這樣，我還保持了平均分四．〇的好成績。最初幾年主要是在餐館打工，洗盤子做侍者。臨畢業那兩年在實驗室裡打工。一放暑假，我就到醫院裡打工。我哥哥有時候也會接濟我。不過他那時候已經成家了，自己也不寬裕。 你對醫學的嚮往和你助人的欲望是不是支撐你度過了這幾年最艱苦的日子？ certainly.特別是暑假期間在醫院打工的經歷。我很崇拜那些醫師和護士，特別是那些實習醫師。我迫不及待地想成為其中的一員。 等你上了醫學院，情況是不是好一點？經濟方面是更加困難了，還是有所緩和？ 困難多了。開銷更大。而且跟大學相比，課程更緊了，基本上天天有課，任務很重。 What about you? 我儘量借錢；不夠的部分就靠在醫學中心打工，什麼工作都幹過。值得慶幸的是，那裡打工的機會很多。 你哪來的時間打工？很多人都認為醫學院要全力以赴。 我基本上不睡覺。當然啦，也不是完全不睡，身體吃不消。我學會了隨時隨地打盹。確實很難，但上了醫學院，總覺得曙光就在前面，所以不覺得太痛苦。 你都打過什麼工？ 都是醫學中心常見的工作，比如抽血，驗血型，血液配型，清理動物的籠子。總之任何能在晚上幹的工作。我甚至還在醫學中心的廚房幹過一陣。到了醫學院二年級，我找到一個非常好的工作，協助別人研究神經細胞和肌肉細胞中的鈉離子通道。目前我還在做相關的研究。 排程得這麼緊，你在醫學院的成績如何？ very good.我的成績排在全班的前百分之十，還是阿爾法｜歐米加｜阿爾法榮譽學術協會的一員。 你覺得你最大的犧牲是什麼？長時間缺覺？ no!是沒時間社交。同學們都有時間互相交流，討論。醫學院的生活非常緊張。三年級分專業，我不知道是應該選擇基礎醫學研究還是做臨床，當時很希望能跟其他同學討論一下兩者的利弊，聽聽大家的意見。但我沒有這個時間，只好自己做決定。 你是如何決定選擇臨床的？ 我覺得我喜歡照顧別人，做臨床能給我一種直接的滿足感。 也就是說，跟病人接觸讓你覺得愉悅，有滿足感。 Yes.還有隨時做出各種診斷的挑戰，以及縮小範圍，確定病因的樂趣。 不過你最珍惜的還是與病人接觸、幫助病人的機會。 No, Tony said.他顯得越來越煩躁。資訊重複。 反對有效，大衛森法官的聲音有點疲憊。賓厄姆先生，沒必要糾纏這個觀點。我相信陪審團已經明白你的意思了。 說說你做實習醫師的經歷，藍道夫說。 那段時間很愉快，克雷格說。說著他坐直了身體，肩膀也挺直了。因為成績好，我被分配到最負盛名的波士頓紀念醫院實習。那裡的學習環境很好，而且我開始拿工資了，雖然不多，但至少有錢了。同樣重要的是，我不需要付學費了，這樣就可以一點點地償還從大學到醫學院積累起來的高額債務了。 醫師和病人之間必須建立緊密的連繫。你是否一直覺得和病人在一起很愉快？ Yes.到目前為止，這是讓我覺得做醫師最有滿足感的部分。 成為主治醫師之後呢？據我所知，你好像有點失望。 一開始並不失望！一開始主治醫師的生活讓我有一種夢想成真的感覺。很忙碌但很充實。每天我都迫不及待地想去上班。不同的病人對我的業務水準是很大挑戰。他們對我的努力也很感激。但是後來保險公司開始拖欠醫藥費，經常對收費專案提出不必要的質疑，讓我們越來越難以為病人的利益考慮。收入開始減少，支出卻一直在增加。為了收支相抵，我不得不提高生產力，也就是提高單位時間的接診量。提高接診量並不難，但時間長了，我越來越擔心診療的品質。 據我所知，這時你的行醫方式開始發生轉變。 徹底的轉變。一位德高望重的老醫師在從事管家醫療，但身體不太好。他找到我，提出讓我做他的合夥人。 很抱歉，打斷一下，藍道夫說。你能再跟陪審團解釋一下管家醫療這個詞嗎？ 管家醫療是一種行醫方式。患者交一定的年費，醫師同意限制接診量，為病人提供更好的服務。 這裡所說的更好的服務，是否包括出門診？ 可以包括。由醫師和病人協商決定。 你的意思是說，通過管家醫療，醫師可以根據病人的需要來提供醫療服務。Yeah? Yes.良好的醫療服務有兩個基本原則：病人福利原則以及病人自主原則。單位時間裡接診太多的病人跟這兩條原則相抵觸，因為實在太匆忙了。醫師趕時間，就要加快門診的速度，導致病人不能充分陳述病情，而診療的關鍵依據往往就隱藏在病人的陳述裡。而如果是管家醫療，我就可以根據病人的需要和願望，靈活安排診療的時間和地點。 博曼大夫，你覺得醫學是藝術還是科學？ 絕對是藝術，但是建立在科學基礎上的藝術。 嚴格按照書本，能夠成為一個好醫師嗎？ cannot.世上沒有兩個一模一樣的人，必須按照每個病人的特點確定診療方案。而且，書從寫作到出版有個滯後期，書中所包含的資訊可能已經過時了。醫學知識更新的速度是極快的。 行醫過程中需要判斷力嗎？ certainly.醫學上每個決定都需要很強的判斷力。 根據你的判斷，二〇〇五年九月八日晚上，針對佩欣斯．斯坦霍普的病情，最好的選擇就是出門診？ Yes. 你能否跟陪審團解釋一下，為什麼你覺得這是最好的選擇？ 她痛恨醫院。我都不願意讓她去醫院做常規檢查。每次去過醫院都會加重她的病情，也會讓她變得更焦慮。她更希望我去她家裡。在她去世前八個月，我基本上每週去她家門診一次。每次都是虛驚一場，其中有幾次喬丹．斯坦霍普在電話上都說她覺得自己快不行了。九月八日晚上，沒有人告訴我她覺得自己快不行了。我確信這次門診像往常一樣是虛驚一場。但作為一個醫師，我不能完全排除她確實病危的可能性。此時最好的選擇就是直接去她家。 萊特納小姐在證詞中說，你在去她家的路上提到，這次門診可能真的有情況。Yeah? Yes.不過當時我並沒有說我覺得這種可能性極小。我只是說我有點擔心，因為我注意到斯坦霍普先生的聲音裡比平常多了一絲焦慮。 你有沒有在電話裡告訴斯坦霍普先生，你覺得斯坦霍普太太是心臟病突發？ 我沒有這麼說過。我告訴他，任何胸部疼痛，都必須首先排除心臟病突發的可能性。但之前斯坦霍普太太也有過胸部疼痛，事後都沒有大礙。 斯坦霍普太太有沒有心臟方面的問題？ 她去世前幾個月，我曾經為她做過一次壓力測試。結果模稜兩可，不足以說明她有心臟方面的問題。但我極力主張她去醫院，由心臟科醫師做一個更為深入的檢查。 你跟病人建議過嗎？ 我多次向她建議，可她一再拒絕，因為做檢查必須去醫院。 最後一個問題，博曼大夫，藍道夫說。是關於你診所裡ＰＰ，也就是問題病人編號的。這樣編號的病人得到的照顧更多還是更少？ 當然是更多！這些病人的問題在於，無論他們的病痛是真的，還是他們臆想出來的，我都無法減輕他們的症狀。作為醫師，我覺得這是一個很大的問題，因此才用問題病人編號，以示區分。 謝謝你，博曼大夫，藍道夫說著收拾好講臺上的筆記。Questions are over. 法薩諾先生，大衛森法官大聲說。你有什麼問題要問被告嗎？ 當然有，法官大人，托尼咆哮著跳起來，衝向講臺，像一隻追趕兔子的獵狗。 博曼大夫，說到ＰＰ病人，二〇〇五年九月八日晚，你和當時的同居女友開紅色保時捷車去斯坦霍普家途中，是否跟她說過你無法忍受這樣的病人，覺得疑病症跟裝病一樣可惡？ 克雷格雙眼直盯著托尼，法庭上一片寂靜。 博曼大夫？Tony asked.是不是像童謠裡唱的那樣，你的舌頭給小貓叼走了？ 不記得了，克雷格終於開口了。 不記得了？托尼做出非常驚訝的樣子。拜託，博曼大夫，這個藉口太牽強了吧。你在醫學院的時候可是成績優異，以博聞強記著稱啊。萊特納小姐作證的時候可是記得一清二楚。在接到傳票的那天晚上，你跟萊特納小姐說過你痛恨佩欣斯．斯坦霍普，她死了對所有人都是好事。這些你總該記得吧？托尼靠在講臺上，皺起眉頭，滿臉疑