Eagle in the Sky - Smith Wilbur - Страница 83

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fierce, and you don't want to be looking into them.  David moved back

and Ruby adjusted the machine.  A roll of graph paper began running

slowly under a moving stylus which settled almost immediately into a

steady rhythmic pattern.  On a separate glass screen a moving green dot

of light began to repeat the same rhythm, leaving a fading trail across

the screen like the tail of a comet.  It reminded David of the

interceptor radar screen on the instrument panel of a Mirage jet.  Ruby

switched out the top lights, plunging the room into utter darkness,

except for the pulsing green dot on the screen.

Are we ready now, Debra?  Look straight ahead, please.  Eyes open.

Soundlessly a brilliant burst of blue light filled the room, and

distinctly David saw the green dot on the screen jump out of its

established pattern, and for a beat or two it went haywire, then settled

again into the old rhythm.  Debra had seen the light flash, even though

she was unaware of it; the pulse of light had registered on her brain

and the machine had recorded her instinctive reaction.

The play with light went on for another twenty minutes while Ruby

adjusted the intensity of the light source and varied the transmissions.

At last he was satisfied, and turned the top lights up.

Well?  Debra demanded brightly.  Do I pass?  'There's nothing more I

want from you, Ruby told her.  You did just great, and everything is the

way we want it.  'Can I go now?  David can take you to lunch, but this

afternoon I want you at the radiologist's.  My receptionist arranged it

for 2:30, I believe, but you had best check with her.  Neatly Ruby

countered any attempt of David's to get him alone.

I shall let you know as soon as I have the X-ray results.  Here, I'll

write down the radiologist's address.  Ruby scribbled on his

prescription pad and handed it to David.  See me alone tomorrow io a. m.

David nodded and took Debra's arm.

He stared at Ruby a moment trying to draw some reaction from him, but he

merely shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes in a music-hall

comedian's gesture of uncertainty.

The Brig joined them for lunch in their suite at the Mount Nelson, for

David still could not endure the discomfort of the public rooms.  The

Brig drew upon some hidden spring of charm, as though sensing that his

help was needed, and he had both of them laughing naturally with stories

of Debra's childhood and the family's early days after leaving America.

David was grateful to him, for the time passed so quickly that he had to

hurry Debra to her appointment.

I am going to use two different techniques on you, my dear- David

wondered what it was about her that made all males over forty refer to

Debra as though she were twelve years old.  First of all we will do five

of what we call police mug shots, front, back, sides and top - The

radiologist was a red-faced, grey-haired man with big hands and heavy

shoulders like a professional wrestler.  We aren't even going to make

you take your clothes off - he chuckled, but David thought he detected a

faint note of regret.  Then after that, we are going to be terribly

clever and take a continuous moving shot of the inside of your head.

It's called tomography.

We are going to clamp your head to keep it still and the camera is going

to describe a circle around you, focused on the spot where all the

trouble is.  We are going to find out everything that's going on in that

pretty head of yours, I hope it doesn't shock you too much, doctor,

Debra told him, and he looked stunned for a moment, then let out a

delighted guffaw, and later David heard him repeating it to the sister

with gusto.

It was a long tedious business, and afterwards when they drove back to

the hotel, Debra leaned close to him and said, Let's go home, David.

Soon as we can?  'Soon as we can, he agreed.

David did not want it that way, but the Brig insisted on accompanying

David on his visit to Ruby Friedman the following morning.  For one of

the very few times in his life David had lied to Debra, telling her he

was meeting with the Morgan Trust accountants, and he had left her in a

lime-green bikini lying beside the hotel swimming pool, brown and slim

and lovely in the sunlight.

Ruby Friedman was brusque and businesslike.  He seated them opposite his

desk and came swiftly to the core of the business.

Gentlemen, he said.  We have a problem, a hell of a problem.  I am going

to show you the X-ray plates first to illustrate what I have to tell you

- Ruby swivelled his chair to the scanner and switched on the book-light

to bring the prints into high relief.  On this side are the plates that

Edelman sent me from Jerusalem.  You can see the grenade fragment.  It

was stark and hard edged, a small triangular shard of steel lying in the

cloudy bone structure.  And here you can see the track through, the

optic chiasma, the disruption and shattering of the bone is quite

evident.  Edelman's original diagnosis, based on these plates, and on

the complete inability to define light or shape, seems to be confirmed.

The optic nerve is severed, and that's the end of it.  Quickly he

unclipped the plates, and fitted others to the scanner.  All right.

Now here are the second set of plates, taken yesterday.

Immediately notice how the grenade fragment has been consolidated and

encysted.  The stark outline was softened by the new growth of bone

around it.  That is good, and expected.  But here in the channel of the

chiasma we find the growth of some sort that leaves itself open to a

number of interpretations.  It could be scarring, the growth of bone

chips, or some other type of growth either benign or malignant.  Ruby

arranged another set of plates upon the scanner.  Finally, this is the

plate exposed by the technique of tomography, to establish the contours

of this excrescence.  It seems to conform to the shape of the bony

channel of the chiasma, except here, Ruby touched a small half-round

notch which was cut into the upper edge of the growth, - this little

spot runs through the main axis of the skull, but is bent upwards in the

shape of an inverted U.  It is just possible that this may be the most

significant discovery of our whole examination.  Ruby switched off the

light of the scanner.

I don't understand any of this, the Brig's voice was sharp.  He did not

like being bludgeoned by another man's special knowledge.

No, of course.  Ruby was smooth.  I am merely setting the background for

the explanations that will follow.  He turned back to the desk, and his

manner changed.  He was no longer lecturing, but leading with authority.

Now as to my own conclusions.  There can be absolutely no doubt that

certain function of the optic nerve remains.  It is still conveying

impulses to the brain.  At least a part of it is still intact.  The

question arises as to just how much that is, and to what extent that

function can be improved.  it is possible that the grenade fragment cut

through part of the nerve, severing five strands of a six-strand rope,

or four or three.  We do not know the extent, but what we do know is

that damage of that nature is irreversible.  What Debra may be left with

is what she has now, almost nothing.  Ruby paused and was silent.  The

two men opposite him watched his face intently, leaning forward in their

seats.

That is the dark side, if it is true, then Debra is for all practical

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