mind.”
He pushed past Harry and into the room. Richard Cohen, the neurosurgeon, was again checking Evie’s eyes. Sue Jilson was on the other side of the bed adjusting the IV.
“Dick, what happened here?” Sidonis asked.
“Oh, hi, Caspar. This woman a patient of yours?”
“No. She’s … she’s a close friend.”
“Well, her husband is right over th—”
“I don’t want to hear from him, Dick. I want to hear from you. Tell me what happened.”
It was a demand, not a request. Cohen, taken aback by the physician’s aggressiveness, quickly regained his composure.
“You know she was pre-op for repair of a berry?”
“Yes, yes. Or course I know.”
“Well, a little while ago, Sue Jilson, here, came in andfound her unresponsive, with one blown pupil and a systolic pressure of over three hundred. We’ve thrown the whole pharmacy at her and we’ve still had a bitch of a time getting her pressure down to one-thirty, where it is now. Meanwhile, her other pupil’s blown. She has bilateral papilledema indicative of massive intracranial pressure, and she’s posturing.”
“Jesus.” Sidonis looked shaken.
From the doorway, Harry watched, stunned, as the cardiac surgeon reached down and took one of Evie’s hands gently in his. Then, with his other hand, he caressed her cheek. Richard Cohen looked on nonplussed. Sue Jilson was wide-eyed.
“Dick, does she have any chance at all?” Sidonis asked.
To any physician, let alone one of Sidonis’s pedigree, the answer to the question was inescapable. The neurosurgeon looked at him queerly.
“I … um … I don’t think so, Caspar,” he said. “We’re waiting to take her down for a CT and an EEG.”
“Was he in here with her?” Sidonis gestured toward the doorway.
“Pardon?”
It was only now that Harry shook off his own reluctant fascination with what was transpiring and moved into the room. As far as he knew, Sidonis and Evie might have met in passing at some staff party or other. But certainly she had never spoken of the man.
“Caspar, do you know my wife?”
Sidonis whirled like a startled cat. “You know damn well I do. Were you in here with her before … before this happened?”
“Of course I was with her. She’s my wife. Now, just what in the hell—”
“Dick, was anyone else in here after him?”
“What?”
“I said, was anyone else in here with Evie after Corbett?” Sidonis was nearly shouting.
“Caspar, calm down. Calm down,” Cohen said. “Let’s go out in the hall and talk.”
Leaving the respiratory technician behind, the three physicians left the room, followed by Sue Jilson.
“Now, what’s this all about?” Cohen whispered. “Does this have something to do with the meeting this morning?”
Sidonis’s fury was barely under control. He spoke loudly, without regard for Maura Hughes, her brother, or two residents standing nearby.
“All I asked was whether anyone else came into this room between the time Corbett—excuse me,
Dr
. Corbett—left, and the time Evie was found.”
“I think I can answer that question,” Sue Jilson said. “There was no one else. Dr. Corbett didn’t leave until eight-forty-seven. That’s in my notes. The only way onto the hall after eight is through the elevators and past the nurse’s station. Officer Hughes—that’s Maura’s brother, the man with her over there—arrived on the floor around nine-thirty, but we were already in with Mrs. Corbett. You can check with Alice Broglio, the other nurse on the floor, but I’m sure she’ll confirm what I’ve said.”
“I knew it.” Sidonis’s fists were clenched.
“Caspar, will you please tell us what this is all about,” Cohen demanded.
“Ask him.”
“Harry?”
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Harry said.
“Bullshit,” Sidonis snapped. “Evie was leaving you to be with me, and you know it. She told you so last night at the restaurant she took you to. The SeaGrill. See, I even know the place. Now,
He pushed past Harry and into the room. Richard Cohen, the neurosurgeon, was again checking Evie’s eyes. Sue Jilson was on the other side of the bed adjusting the IV.
“Dick, what happened here?” Sidonis asked.
“Oh, hi, Caspar. This woman a patient of yours?”
“No. She’s … she’s a close friend.”
“Well, her husband is right over th—”
“I don’t want to hear from him, Dick. I want to hear from you. Tell me what happened.”
It was a demand, not a request. Cohen, taken aback by the physician’s aggressiveness, quickly regained his composure.
“You know she was pre-op for repair of a berry?”
“Yes, yes. Or course I know.”
“Well, a little while ago, Sue Jilson, here, came in andfound her unresponsive, with one blown pupil and a systolic pressure of over three hundred. We’ve thrown the whole pharmacy at her and we’ve still had a bitch of a time getting her pressure down to one-thirty, where it is now. Meanwhile, her other pupil’s blown. She has bilateral papilledema indicative of massive intracranial pressure, and she’s posturing.”
“Jesus.” Sidonis looked shaken.
From the doorway, Harry watched, stunned, as the cardiac surgeon reached down and took one of Evie’s hands gently in his. Then, with his other hand, he caressed her cheek. Richard Cohen looked on nonplussed. Sue Jilson was wide-eyed.
“Dick, does she have any chance at all?” Sidonis asked.
To any physician, let alone one of Sidonis’s pedigree, the answer to the question was inescapable. The neurosurgeon looked at him queerly.
“I … um … I don’t think so, Caspar,” he said. “We’re waiting to take her down for a CT and an EEG.”
“Was he in here with her?” Sidonis gestured toward the doorway.
“Pardon?”
It was only now that Harry shook off his own reluctant fascination with what was transpiring and moved into the room. As far as he knew, Sidonis and Evie might have met in passing at some staff party or other. But certainly she had never spoken of the man.
“Caspar, do you know my wife?”
Sidonis whirled like a startled cat. “You know damn well I do. Were you in here with her before … before this happened?”
“Of course I was with her. She’s my wife. Now, just what in the hell—”
“Dick, was anyone else in here after him?”
“What?”
“I said, was anyone else in here with Evie after Corbett?” Sidonis was nearly shouting.
“Caspar, calm down. Calm down,” Cohen said. “Let’s go out in the hall and talk.”
Leaving the respiratory technician behind, the three physicians left the room, followed by Sue Jilson.
“Now, what’s this all about?” Cohen whispered. “Does this have something to do with the meeting this morning?”
Sidonis’s fury was barely under control. He spoke loudly, without regard for Maura Hughes, her brother, or two residents standing nearby.
“All I asked was whether anyone else came into this room between the time Corbett—excuse me,
Dr
. Corbett—left, and the time Evie was found.”
“I think I can answer that question,” Sue Jilson said. “There was no one else. Dr. Corbett didn’t leave until eight-forty-seven. That’s in my notes. The only way onto the hall after eight is through the elevators and past the nurse’s station. Officer Hughes—that’s Maura’s brother, the man with her over there—arrived on the floor around nine-thirty, but we were already in with Mrs. Corbett. You can check with Alice Broglio, the other nurse on the floor, but I’m sure she’ll confirm what I’ve said.”
“I knew it.” Sidonis’s fists were clenched.
“Caspar, will you please tell us what this is all about,” Cohen demanded.
“Ask him.”
“Harry?”
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Harry said.
“Bullshit,” Sidonis snapped. “Evie was leaving you to be with me, and you know it. She told you so last night at the restaurant she took you to. The SeaGrill. See, I even know the place. Now,
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