A pathologist examines two dead young women and passes sections of organs to pathology for examination. The pathologist examines the specimens and questions the accuracy of the collection of tissue. When the collection has been confirmed the answer is devastating. The impact of this finding stretches far beyond the lives and families of the two women.
“Remember when you made the speech for the president? You gave the general the paper for the draft and every woman in the room did too?”
“Yes, so?”
“I’m running for re-election, for a second term, you knew that, didn’t you?”
“I was probably knew it at one time but I really don’t follow the politics in Pennsylvania closely, let alone any other state. I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t important that you didn’t know, I sometimes think everyone revolves around my political career. That’s a failing of many in this town. What’s happened, maybe you remember I was the next to last one to give the general a paper, I was just ahead of the gal who came up from the back of the room.”
“I was too busy and emotional to notice. It was a really tough time for me. I envy people like you who can get up and sound intelligent in front of a group.”
“You did that night. I would hate to run against you. But back to me, The press wasn’t too busy to notice I didn’t come up till late and the man who’s opposing me found out about it. Couple that with not getting pregnant on four tries to implant and he has a dynamite campaign issue. His people claim I supported the legislation but I’m somehow avoiding doing my duty. He’s killing me at the polls but worse, he’s making even my friends think I’m a hypocrite. I told my husband I would have the press bring cameras and film me being implanted the next time so they all know.”
“That’s a little extreme isn’t it?”
She started crying. “What’s worse, I’m a failure there too. I can’t get pregnant. You probably don’t understand that.”
“Actually I do. I deal with women who have problems getting pregnant all the time. It sounds like the problem is not what others think of you but what you think of you. That can be devastating. Let me guess, the doctor says there isn’t any reason you can’t get pregnant but you don’t. I see it all the time. It’s not new, I just haven’t seen a conscript that way before but I guess it was bound to happen.”
“What can I do?”
“What does your doctor say?”
“He says I should be able to get pregnant. He thinks it’s too much stress.”
“That may be true. I hate that excuse from a doctor because it is an easy one to give when you can’t figure out what is wrong. It doesn’t help the patient. But in this case it may be and I think the stress may be cumulative, the campaign, the not getting pregnant, the bad press, pressure from friends, on top of each other. I guess you can’t get away for a while?”
“No way. The way things are going I may loose this election, but I’ll loose it without running away.”
“Were are you now?”
“In Washington.”
“Would you want someone else to examine you? Just a second opinion?”
“Sure.”
“Could I get your records to look at?”
“I’ll have my doctor FAX them to you. I’ll have him give your office a call for the number. I have a half day off tomorrow morning, could you work me in then to see me?”
“Sure, tomorrow is a day off, I’ll just come in to see you and then we can go out for lunch if you have time.”
“Make that brunch and you’re on. What time?”
“How about eight.”
“Eight it is.”
Alpha Four Chapter 01: Two Autopsies
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