Free F Paul Wilson - Novel 02 by Implant (v2.1)

and headed for Duncan 's office. This was it. She'd been in his
office before, many times, but usually just a quick stop before surgery to
discuss some potential problem with one of his patients. This was the first
time he'd actually called and asked her to his office.
                 He's
going to fire me.
                 Financially,
that would not be a catastrophe. She wasn't getting paid all that much here and
she could take an extra shift as house doctor at Lynnbrook. But still . . . Her
throat constricted.
                 Fired
. . . being fired by anyone from any job would hurt. But to be kicked out by
Duncan Lathram . . .
                 Devastating.
                 She
wasn't going to back down, though. Not when she was doing the right thing. But
how to explain it to him? From what she could see, the days when doctors could
focus solely on their patients and ignore what Washington was up to were gone. Dead as the Jurassic
age.
                 For
their patients' sake as well as their own, doctors had to get involved in the
process. And any doctor who thought otherwise was a dinosaur, already extinct
but simply unaware of the fact.
                 Sure,
she thought. That's it. Tell Duncan he's the best surgeon alive, but he's a
dinosaur. He'll definitely want to keep me on then.
                 Gin
forced a smile as she approached Barbara's desk.
                 "He's
expecting me."
                 "I
know, " Barbara said. "He told me to hold his calls." Oh, great.
                 Gin
hesitated at the door, then pushed through.
                 Duncan 's officer was a spacious quadrangle with
floor-to ceiling glass along most of the far wall. The last of the morning sun
was slipping from the room but still shining brightly on the oriental rock
garden and koi pond outside.
                 Very
little of the off-white walls was visible, the few sections not obscured by
mahogany bookcases filled with medical texts and surgical journals were studded
with plaques, degrees, diplomas, and certificates from licensing and specialty
boards. An oversized antique partners desk stretched before the window-wall. A
glorious Persian rug covered most of the hardwood floor.
                 The
wall on the far right angled to a large cabinet custom-built for the narrow
corner. Duncan had the cabinet open and stood before it
now, his back to her, engrossed in whatever he was doing.
                 He
half turned as she closed the door behind her.
                 '"Good.
You're just in time" He motioned her closer. "Come watch this."
A little off balance from the casual greeting, he seemed a changed man since
this morning, and more than a little unsure of herself, she complied. As she
approached she heard a whirring noise, like an electric drill. When she reached
his side she was startled to see what he was up to.
                 Grinding
coffee.
                 '"Just
got these in," he said. "Costa Rican La Minita Tarrazu. A superb
batch of beans." He dumped the ground coffee into the open end of a chrome
funnel set in the top of an insulated carafe.
                 Gin
didn't see any white inside the funnel. "You forgot the filter."
                "Don't worry. It's in there. I
use a gold mesh filter. Paper soaks up too many of the oils that give a coffee
its character. Remember that. Always use a gold filter. And here's something
else to remember." He reached into the little microwave to his left and
removed a half-quart Pyrex cup full of steaming water. He took two tablespoons
of water and added them to the cone.
                 "Always
wet your grounds first. Give them about thirty seconds to swell, then add the
rest of the water. But not boiling water. You don't want scalded coffee. Bring
the water to a boil and let it sit for about a minute, then