The Art of Forgetting

by Peter Palmieri

  Lasko startled. He shuffled his papers. “Just a minute! There are still serious charges we haven’t addressed yet.”

  “Dr. Lasko,” Fisk said, “you’ve been calling out an awful lot of numbers but I ain’t heard anyone yell Bingo. Just how many cow pies do we have to step into before we call it a pasture?”

  “There’s the violation of the professional code of conduct,” Lasko said.

  “We’re quite satisfied in that regard,” Feynman said.

  Lasko rose to his feet. “We have yet to talk about the theft. The willful misappropriation of university assets.”

  Fisk sighed. “This is getting to be a bit like the road to Amarillo. Seems we’ve been driving down this dusty highway for hours and hours and we’re still in Texas. Make it brief, Dr. Lasko.”

  “There are five vials of conjugated prion protein suspension that disappeared from Dr. Copeland’s lab,” Lasko said. “This is a biological therapeutic agent developed at our own university which remains its sole rightful proprietor. I suspect Dr. Copeland is in possession of these missing vials.”

  “Actually,” De Luca said, “I got those.”

  Lasko pivoted to face De Luca.

  “You have the missing vials of prion?” Feynman asked.

  “Yeah, you see, Dr. Copeland told me he was worried that Dr. Lasko would destroy them so he entrusted me, being the chief security officer for the hospital, with their safe-keeping.”

  “You have all five vials?” Feynman asked.

  De Luca paused. “I got four.”

  “And where’s the fifth vial?” Feynman asked.

  Lloyd tossed an empty vial down the table. It bounced, swiveled and rolled in a small arc before coming to a stop in front of Dr. Fisk.

  “The way that bounced,” Fisk said, “I’m guessing it’s empty. You have any inkling where its contents might have gone?”

  Lloyd looked at Erin. She nodded.

  “Inside of me,” Lloyd said. “I injected myself with the prions to prove their safety.”

  “Why, this is an unprecedented act of recklessness,” Lasko said.

  “Now hold onto your britches,” Fisk said. “Wasn’t there an Australian fella not too long ago who drank a beaker-full of Helicobacter Pylori to prove it was the cause of ulcers?”

  “Dr. Barry Marshall,” Feynman said.

  “And what happened to him?” Fisk asked.

  “He got sick,” Feynman said. “And then he got better and they gave him a Nobel Prize.”

  “What about that crazy German that performed the first heart catheterization… on himself!” Fisk said.

  “Werner Forssmann,” Feynman said with a snap of his fingers. “He had an OR nurse prepare all the supplies, then he ties her up on an operating table so she can’t stop him. He shoots up a little anesthetic in his arm, snakes a catheter all the way up into his heart. Finally unties the assistant before walking down one flight of stairs to get an x-ray. With the tip of the catheter in his right atrium!”

  “And what did they do to him?” Fisk asked.

  “Nobel Prize,” Feynman said his smile broadening.

  “Seems like we don’t have a stampede of Nobel Prize winners at this institution, now do we?” Fisk said.

  “No,” Feynman chuckled. “Stampede wouldn’t be the right word.”

  Dr. Townshend tilted her head slightly and in a silky voice asked, “And how are you feeling, Dr. Copeland?”

  “Never felt better.”

  “You may choose to make light of the situation,” Lasko said, “but the fact remains that there are still serious questions as to the character and the mind set of this physician. As Chief of Staff I have ultimate authority on matters of credentialing, and at this moment Dr. Copeland’s status remains that of temporary suspension of all hospital privileges.”

  “Where are you taking this, Dr. Lasko?” Feynman asked.

  “I still have a witness to question,” Lasko said. “I call upon Dr. Erin Kennedy.”

  Chapter 45

  Dr. Fisk looked at his watch. The meeting had already lasted longer than anyone had envisioned.

  “Would anyone be partial to adjourning this meeting and convening at a later date?”

  “I want to get this over with right now,” Lloyd said.

  Lasko glared at him with a threatening smile. “So do I, Dr. Copeland. So do I.”

  “But Dr. Kennedy has nothing to do with this matter,” Lloyd said. “There’s nothing she can testify about.”

  “But I disagree,” Lasko said. “Dr. Kennedy is a highly qualified medical ethicist. She was an integral part of the Institutional Review Board that reviewed Dr. Copeland’s research so she is well aware of all the facts in question. And to top it off, I believe she may have special insights into Dr. Copeland’s motivations and his state of mind.”

  “Dr. Copeland,” Feynman said, “Once again I want to express the sentiment that the judicial panel has heard quite enough to make a recommendation to the Dean of the Medical School, and from the way the meeting has carried on you may have formulated a fairly accurate idea of which way we’re swaying. There is still the unresolved matter of your hospital privileges, which may not be re-instated unless Dr. Lasko has reached a certain level of satisfaction in his inquiries. Maybe we can take a short break so you can consider your options as to how to proceed.”

  “I’ll tell you what, Dr. Lasko,” Lloyd said. “We continue this meeting right now, on one condition. You obtain the testimony of Dr. Kennedy but then I call you as a witness.”

  Lasko smiled. “You want to question me as a witness?” He jutted out his chin. “Why that would be a thrill I couldn’t deny myself.”

  “So you accept?” Lloyd said.

  “Of course I accept!” Lasko chuckled. He sat back in his chair and folded his legs.

  “Very well,” Fisk said. “Let’s try to get this over with before sundown.”

  “I call on Dr. Erin Kennedy,” Lasko said with a booming voice.

  “We gathered as much,” said Dr. Townshend.

  “Miss Kennedy, I’d like to remind you that even though you haven’t taken a formal oath, you’re expected to answer the questions with complete truthfulness,” Lasko said.

  Lloyd looked at Erin. If she was nervous she gave no hint of it. For a moment, all he could think of was how much he loved her.

  “Yes I understand,” Erin said.

  “Dr. Kennedy, what is your official capacity at the university?” Lasko asked.

  “I’m a medical ethicist.”

  “And what does that entail?”

  “I am consulted to analyze patient care decisions that present ethical dilemmas, I teach medical students, I participate in a variety of hospital committees…”

  “And one of those committees was the Institutional Review Board entrusted in reviewing Dr. Copeland’s application for human research trials. Isn’t that so?”

  “That’s correct,” Erin said.

  Lasko paused and tapped a finger on his lips. “And how long have you known Dr. Copeland?”

  Erin turned to the three doctors at the head of the table. “It’s kind of hard to give a straight answer. We knew each other when we were little kids, we lived in the same neighborhood for a while. But we only just met again a short while ago.”

  “And would you say that you have any insight into his personality… into his state of mind?” Lasko asked.

  “I think I know him just about better than anyone else does,” Erin said.

  Lasko raised his eyebrows with pleasant surprise. Her answer was better than he expected. “Really? And why is that? What exactly is the nature of your relationship?”

  “Well, he’s my husband.” Erin said in a matter-of-fact tone with a little shrug of her shoulder.

  Lasko’s jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “He’s my husband. We just got married, yesterday.” She turned to Lloyd and flashed a bashful smile.

  “Members of the judicial panel,” Lloy
d said with a grin. “According to the procedural rules of this tribunal, which conform to general courtroom procedure as outlined in the university handbook of rules for due process, this woman cannot stand here in testimony against me seeing as she is my wife. Did you see that episode of Matlock, Dr. Fisk?”

  “Why, I don’t quite recall, but it sure sounds familiar. You got any kind of certificate of matrimony?”

  Lloyd pulled a folder out of his backpack and slipped it to the end of the table.

  Fisk opened it, took a look and slid it back. “Well this is one hell of a honeymoon you’re having.”

  “Isn’t it?” Erin said shooting Lloyd a playful glare.

  “It gets better,” Lloyd said. “I promise.”

  Fisk sat back in his chair and said, “Thank you Dr. Kennedy. That’ll be all the testimony we need from you.”

  “It was a wonderful service,” De Luca said to Mr. Murdock. “They picked a great venue.”

  Erin got to her feet, walked around the table and sat next to Lloyd. Lloyd planted a peck on her cheek and without hesitation said, “I call Dr. George Lasko to the stand.”

  “There is no stand,” Lasko said, “I’m sitting right here.”

  “Dr. Lasko, are you familiar with the university’s policy on conflicts of interest as they relate to the office of the Chief of Staff?” Lloyd asked.

  “Of course I do. I had a formal audit of my associations and affiliations when I was elected to the position a couple of months ago.”

  “So you are aware that any conflict of interest, financial or otherwise, would be grounds for your dismissal from that office,” Lloyd said.

  “I thought we were going to discuss my impression of your professional competence,” Lasko said.

  “What is your association with Cardio-Prime Technologies?” Lloyd asked. From the corner of his eye he saw Mr. Murdock pull out a pocket sized agenda and a tiny pencil from the breast pocket of his jacket.

  “I had a long relationship with Cardio-Prime,” Lasko said. “I held some of the early patents on their electrodes which have since been supplanted with newer technology. I served as a vice-president of development, with a few other noted physicians – it’s largely an honorary distinction, you see. Most recently I was on their speaker’s bureau. But I’ve severed all ties with the company.”

  “You had a sizable financial stake in the company as well, didn’t you?” Lloyd asked.

  “I see your new wife has prepped you very well. Let the record reflect that I don’t begrudge her. After all, my financial stake in the company is a matter of public record that I was happy to disclose. But as Miss Kennedy can ascertain, I divested all my holdings in Cardio-Prime Technologies.”

  “Let the record reflect,” Lloyd said, “that my wife’s name is Doctor Kennedy, that she holds a Ph.D. in medical ethics and is entitled to the respect which that title confers. And let the record further reflect the fact that she is simply ravishing.” Erin pinched his leg under the table.

  “I’ve got no argument there,” Fisk said nearly smiling.

  “So you have no active relationship and no financial stake in Cardio-Prime Technologies?” Lloyd resumed.

  Lasko turned to the panel with opened hands and a steady smile. “None at all.”

  “And when did you first find out that Cardio-Prime was going to acquire DynaStim Therapeutics?” Lloyd asked.

  Lasko looked like someone had just socked him in the gut. “I’m sorry?”

  “When… did you… find out about the acquisition?”

  “I assure you, this has absolutely no relevance to the matter at hand,” Lasko said alternating eye contact with each of the judicial panel’s members.

  “Once that cat’s out of the bag, sure is tough to get her back in, ain’t it?” Fisk said.

  “I object to this line of questioning,” Lasko said.

  “Dr. Copeland,” Feynman said, “where are you going with this?”

  “I’m about to show how Dr. Lasko tried to block my research as a result of a financial conflict of interest,” Lloyd said.

  “I thought Dr. Bender sabotaged your research,” Townshend said.

  “He did. But it wasn’t enough to simply poison my mice. He had to orchestrate everything to make sure my research would never have a chance to resurrect. In Dr. Lasko he found a silent partner, someone who would unwittingly aid him, driven by his own motivations.”

  “And what are Dr. Lasko’s motivations?” Dr. Townshend asked.

  “Power and greed,” Lloyd said.

  “He’s delusional,” Lasko said. “He’s fabricated this intricate conspiracy out of a few haphazard coincidences.”

  “When did you discover that Cardio-Prime Technologies was interested in acquiring DynaStim?” Lloyd asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re still under oath.” Lloyd said. “Do you want me to repeat the question?”

  “Cardio-Prime is a large company,” Lasko said. “They have subsidiaries all around the world. Sure, I may have heard of an acquisition here and there but I couldn’t possibly keep track of all of them. And I’ve never profited from that knowledge.” Lasko thumped his fist on the table.

  “Tell me about DynaStim,” Lloyd said.

  “Are you talking about that little outfit in California?” Lasko shrugged. “I caught drift that Cardio-Prime had some interest in them about a year ago and promptly forgot all about them. I have no interest in them.”

  “What are they developing?” Lloyd asked.

  “How should I know?” Lasko said. “I told you, the entire thing slipped my mind.”

  “Let me refresh your memory,” Lloyd said. “They make pacemakers. But not just any old pacemaker. They developed deep brain electrodes designed to stimulate the hippocampus as a treatment for dementia. That’s why you had to stop my research. They’re still in phase one trials and you wanted to make sure they’d get to market with a treatment for dementia before I did. Just think of all the money you would have made.”

  “I’ll say it again.” Lasko lifted his fist in the air but this time he placed it back quietly on the tabletop. “Not a penny of assets of that fledgling company is in my name. And that’s the truth.” Lasko said.

  Lloyd leaned over the edge of the table. “Who’s Victoria Hampton?”

  Lasko’s gaze seemed to hover unfocused over the table.

  Lloyd locked his eyes on Lasko’s. “Who’s Victoria Hampton?”

  “She’s my wife,” Lasko said in a subdued voice.

  “Mr. Murdock?” Lloyd asked, turning to the man in the beige suit sitting next to De Luca.

  “That’s all I need for now,” Murdock said.

  “Can someone explain what’s going on here?” Fisk said.

  “I’m John Murdock. I investigate securities fraud for the SEC.”

  Fisk rubbed the nape of his neck. “SEC?”

  “The United States Securities and Exchange Commission,” Murdock said.

  “I know what it stands for,” Fisk said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Dr. Copeland contacted our regional office. I’m afraid there’s overwhelming evidence implicating Dr. George Lasko in insider trading and securities fraud. Our agents were able to secure a manifest of investors from DynaStim Therapeutics in San Diego. A Mrs. Virginia Hampton is listed for a cool one-point-eight million.” Murdock slipped the small agenda back in his coat pocket. “Nice to be handed such a gift on a silver platter. Saves us months of work.” Murdock got to his feet. “Dr. Lasko, we’ll be in touch very soon. In fact, a team of special investigators is waiting at your lovely home as we speak. Thought we’d spare you the perp walk in front of the hospital.”

  Murdock shook De Luca’s hand and walked out of the room. There were a few tense moments of silence. Then Lasko rose, grabbed his possessions and left without saying a word. When the door shut behind him, Fisk let out a long whistle.

  Townshend smiled. “Good riddance!”

&nbs
p; Fisk looked at Lloyd. “Dr. Copeland. I have a reputation for being a cold-blooded son-of-a-bitch, and I’d sure like to keep it that way. But seeing as this is a closed meeting let me say that I’m glad things turned out the way they did. You got some real chutzpah… for a Yankee.”

  “Why, Dr. Fisk,” Feynman said, his eyes losing some of their sadness, “I never thought I’d see the day when I’d hear you speak Yiddish.”

  “Yiddish?” Fisk said. “That there’s a cowboy word.”

  “Dr. Copeland,” Feynman said, “let me offer another cowboy expression. Mazel Tov! May the two of you enjoy peace, happiness and prosperity. You are free to leave while we deliberate and come up with the wording of our recommendation.”

  Lloyd and Erin got to their feet and hugged. De Luca walked around the table and stood behind Lloyd. Lloyd turned and shook his hand.

  “Are you kidding?” De Luca said. “I’m Italian.” He smothered Lloyd in a bear hug. Lloyd patted his back stiffly with a flat hand. De Luca finally let go and said, “Make sure you come by the café’. I still have to give you your wedding gift.” He kissed Erin on both cheeks and left with a skip in his step.

  “I guess the meeting’s adjourned,” Dr. Townshend said.

  “You took the words right out of my mouth,” Fisk said.

  Lloyd stuffed the textbooks in his backpack and zipped it shut. When he and Erin reached the door, Fisk called out with a smile, “Oh Dr. Copeland! You better starch that white coat and spit shine your boots. I expect to see you back on the ward, pronto.”

  “After our honeymoon,” Lloyd said.

  Chapter 46

  “Yeah but, will you marry me now?”

  She released her grasped and peered into his eyes. “What do you mean, now?”

  “Let’s get married, right now,” Lloyd said.

  “This isn’t Vegas. You can’t just –”

  “The Cubs have an away game today. I sort of reserved Wrigley field.”

  Erin stared at him. Smiling, she rested her fingertips on her temple. She shook her head and said, “You’re nuts. You’re absolutely nuts! So that’s why you’re all dressed up. Look what I’m wearing.”