* D PLUS 333

Frank Bitner and Dr. Richter met again for dinner at the Hideway. After dinner she pulled several large envelopes out of her bag and placed them on the table. “I pulled their records and looked at them. We could both get into trouble for doing this, HIPPA you know. My specialty is neuro-surgery, I can give you an expert opinion on Adelle. At the time of the injury she could have been helped by micro-surgery, it’s a shame it wasn’t done when she was hurt, it would have had a good chance of success. I understand the problem.  That night was just one that did not lend itself to more than life saving.  With her arm paralyzed for a year she’ll need some real therapy to restore it.  With the time that has elapsed the nerves are probably encased in scar tissue and we’ll get a really bad result. She could come out worse than before. I would recommend against any surgery.”

“How could it be worse than she is now?”

“She could have serious nerve pain and no function.”

“So there’s nothing we can do?”

“There is an experimental program, with an electronic implant, something like a pacemaker that has had very good results. She’ll have to charge an implanted battery every couple of days. And it’s expensive, very expensive.”

“How expensive?”

“Over two hundred thousand.”

“Peanuts.”

She looked at him with awe. “Peanuts?”

“Yes, for her, Peanuts. See if you can find out how we can qualify her for the procedure.”

“I will check.  The surgeon is looking for good candidates and I believe she is one.”

“”Do it.  I will see that the money is available.”

She nodded, “Now about the young girl, the scars, I’m not an expert, but I know enough to tell you any competent plastic surgeon can fix them. At the least they can diminish them greatly. They’ll probably do it in two procedures.”

“How much?”

“I would estimate fifteen thousand total, maybe a little more or less.”

“Do it. Find someone and let’s get on with it.”

“You can’t just order people to have surgery.”

“I’m not ordering them to have it. I just want to make it available to them. I want you to have a plastic surgeon in town contact them and tell them he’s doing it free, all the bills are paid. If they take him up on it, fine, if not that’s fine too.”