Free Critical by Robin Cook

diseases caused such a rapidly fulminant course.
    "Not by culture but by a monoclonal-based automate diagnostic system. Both the incision site and the lungs tested positive for methicillin-resistant staph, and interestingly enough, it was a strain associated with what they call 'community-acquired staph,' not the kind of antibiotic-resistant staph that has been plaguing hospitals over the last ten or fifteen years."
    "Which means the patient probably brought the bug in with him rather than acquired it in the hospital."
    "Could be," Laurie agreed. "But there's no way to know. Doesn't this bother you at all? I mean, the victim was roughly your age, had suffered the same injury, and was going to have the same operation at the same hospital. It would sure make me think twice. That's all I can say."
    "To be honest, a postoperative infection had been one of my concerns," Jack said. "Maybe even the biggest, which is why I asked Dr. Anderson about his record and why I have been using antibacterial soap ever since the accident. I'm going to be damn sure I'll not be bringing any bacterial hitchhikers into the hospital if I can help it."
    Jack flicked the back of Vinnie's newspaper hard enough to startle the man.
    "Quit it!" Vinnie groused when he'd recovered from his shock and saw who was the culprit. "Please, God, don't let the self-proclaimed super forensic sleuth insist on breaking the rules by starting early," Vinnie added sarcastically and with seeming disrespect. In point of fact, there was enough mutual respect between Vinnie and Jack to allow for such teasing banter, and technically they were breaking the rules. By decree from Chief Bingham, autopsies were supposed to start at seven-thirty sharp, although they never did. Jack was always early, thanks in part to Vinnie's willingness to cut short his coffee break while all the other medical examiners, including Laurie, were always late because Bingham or the deputy chief, Calvin Washington, were rarely there to enforce the edict.
    "The supersleuth wants the super mortuary tech down in the pit," Jack said to the back of Vinnie's paper. Defiantly, Vinnie had gone back to his reading.
    Laurie asked Riva if she could do David Jeffries's autopsy.
    "Of course," Riva said. "But it's going to be a busy day. You'll have to take at least one more. Do you have a preference?"
    "Sure," Laurie said absently. She was back to rereading David Jeffries's history.
    "Come on, Vinnie," Jack called, leaning on his crutches at the doorway leading into the communications room. Vinnie had become reabsorbed in his paper.
    "I'm here!" a voice called out. "The day can now officially begin."
    All eyes turned to the door leading out to the main part of the ID room. Even Vinnie, who was passive-aggressively avoiding Jack, lowered his paper to see who had arrived. It was Chet McGovern, Jack's office mate. "Have you guys left anything mildly interesting? Hell, I'd have to camp here overnight to avoid getting your rejects." After ditching his coat on an empty chair, he stepped behind Riva to paw through some of the folders. Jokingly, as if a schoolmarm, Riva hit his hand using a foot-long wooden ruler.
    "You're in a good mood, sport," Jack said. "What's the occasion? How come you're here so early?"
    "I couldn't sleep. I met a woman last night at my health club who's an impressive businesswoman. I had the feeling she's a CEO or something. I woke up this morning early, trying to figure out how to get her to go out with me."
    "Ask her," Laurie suggested.
    "Oh, sure, in case I hadn't thought of that."
    "And she said no?"
    "Sort of," Chet said.
    "Well, ask her again," Laurie said. "And be direct. Sometimes you men can be rather vague to protect your fragile egos." Chet saluted, as if Laurie were his superior officer.
    "Come on! You lazy good-for-nothing," Jack said after returning to where Vinnie was sitting and snatching his paper out of his hands. Vinnie scrambled after Jack, who managed to keep the newspaper away