Bad Medicine- A Life for a Life; Bed of Nails; Going Viral

by Puckett, Andrew

  CHAPTER 6

  As I spun round and saw him, another part of me wondered at the rage swelling in my head. He just stood there looking at me, the printout in his hand.

  ‘Give that back now.’ The words forced themselves through my teeth.

  ‘I warned you,’ he said flatly, his eyes measuring me.

  With a growl, I lunged for it — his hand flashed and his fingers sunk into my belly.

  I doubled over, coughing and clutching. His hand went up, but instead of hitting me, he seized my collar and pulled me upright.

  ‘I warned you,’ he repeated. ‘Now, why don’t you be a good boy, take your money and piss off like Ron said.’

  ‘Piss off yourself,’ I groaned, pure bravado.

  With a tinny bang, he shoved me back against Bile.

  ‘Maggots like you and Devlin, you never learn, do you? Now, keep out of my way in future, right?’

  When I didn’t answer, his hand tightened. ‘Right?’

  ‘All right!’ I choked. He let go, and without another word, walked away.

  As I leaned back, trying to recover my breath, a white-coated figure hurried over. ‘Are you OK?’ He touched my shoulder.

  I nodded, still unable to speak. He quickly examined my neck, then ran professional fingers over my scalp.

  ‘Well, there doesn’t seem to be any damage. Someone you know?’

  ‘Sort of.’

  ‘Well, it looked like assault to me.’ He hesitated. ‘I know it’s none of my business, but if you want to go to the police, you can use me as a witness.’ He took a card from his top pocket and scribbled on it. ‘My name’s Dr Wood. You can always find me at this number.’

  I thanked him, climbed painfully into Bile and drove away.

  For once, my place in the trees wasn’t a haven. The trees were just trees in the evening sky, as unreal as everything else around me. The pain in my stomach slowly subsided, but I couldn’t eat.

  I drank coffee, sat down. Stood up again and paced Bile’s narrow floor. What had Dave meant, maggots like me and John? Where was John? Should I go to the police as the young doctor had said? And tell them what?

  What I really needed was someone to talk to, but there was no one. I couldn’t talk to Ron or Carey. Sally was probably trailing her hand in the water by now, from a punt with Phil. Ian?

  No, Ian had troubles enough of his own…

  I had to walk, just walk and think.

  I went across the meadow. Until Jill had died, I’d never really needed anyone to talk to like this because I’d always managed to avoid trouble, or slide around it. Perhaps I should do that now, I thought…take the money and go.

  I found myself in the Perch. The beer went straight through my empty stomach to my head.

  If I did go to the police, I could use Dr Wood as a witness to Dave’s threats.

  I bought another pint. If Sally came with me, we could present enough evidence to warrant them looking into it, surely? Perhaps they could trace John.

  Another point. Who was Dave to push me around? Owed it to my self-respect to stay. I’d talk it over with Sally tomorrow and at lunch-time we’d go to the police station.

  My mind went over and over this until, some time later, I stumbled back through the dusk to Bile, where I fell almost instantly to sleep.

  *

  The storm grew louder and rain poured in through the roof — Bile rocked as the torrent bore us downstream. We were sinking…

  ‘Open up! Come on, we know you’re in there!’ Someone banging on the door. I froze. Dave and his friends?

  ‘Open up, it’s the police!’

  Bloody hell! I fell out of bed, groped my way over to the door and opened it.

  A torch blinded me and a disembodied voice said, ‘Took your time, didn’t you?’

  I put out a hand as though to ward off the beam. ‘I was asleep. What do you want?’ ‘Are you the owner of this vehicle?’ I could make out two shadowy forms behind the circle of light.

  ‘Yes. What do you want?’

  ‘Well, you’re breaking the law, my lad. We’ve had complaints about you.’

  My head reeled. ‘I’m — I’m sorry. Could you turn that torch off, please?’

  ‘How long have you been here?’

  The glare was burning my eyes. ‘Look, why don’t you come in?’ I stepped back and found the light switch.

  ‘Come on, Jim,’ said the other one. The torch went out as they clambered up the steps and pulled the door closed behind them.

  They were both over six feet, heavy in their dark uniforms, but at least I could see them now.

  ‘Won’t you sit down?’

  ‘We prefer to stand, thank you, sir. Now, how long have you been staying here?’

  I sat on the bed, feeling naked in my pyjamas. ‘This is my third night. Nobody’s complained to me, and — ’

  ‘That’s not the point, sir, you’re breaking the law.’

  ‘Which law?’

  ‘Vagrancy Act,’ said the other promptly. ‘I’m afraid we must ask you to leave. Now.’

  ‘Oh, come on, where am I supposed to go?’

  ‘That’s your problem, sir,’ said Jim.

  ‘Anywhere outside the County boundaries,’ said his friend.

  I sighed. ‘Look, I’m sorry if I’ve broken the law. I’ll go, of course, but can’t you let me stay until tomorrow? I’m not doing any — ’

  ‘No, you leave now,’ said Jim, making for the door.

  ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ said the other. ‘We’ve been told to make sure you’re outside County limits tonight and not parked anywhere illegally.’ He followed Jim to the door. ‘You’d better get dressed.’

  They waited outside while I pulled on some clothes, then followed me as I drove over the bridge.

  God, I was tired! My eyelids felt like sandpaper and I’d certainly fail a breathalyser — perhaps that’s what they want!

  Their headlamps blazed in my door mirror. Where the hell can I go? Even if they don’t stop me, I won’t make it to the next county…

  Instinctively, I drove to the only shelter I knew. Sally’s home in Jericho. They drew up behind me as I switched off the engine, then Jim was beside me.

  ‘You can’t stop here.’

  Quickly, before they could think of the breathalyser: ‘I believe I’m parked legally. If you’ll excuse me, I’m calling on a friend.’

  I locked Bile and went to her door. They followed, waited behind as I kept my finger on the bell…

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘It’s me, Chris.’

  A bolt was pulled and the door opened. She was in a dressing-gown, framed in the light.

  ‘I’m sorry, Sally, but I’ve been evicted — ’

  ‘Do you know this man, miss?’

  ‘Of course I do — ’

  ‘Can I sleep on your sofa, or something, just for tonight, otherwise I’ve got to be — ’

  ‘You’re under no obligation, miss.’

  ‘I know that,’ she said sharply. ‘Come in, Chris, of course you can stay. Will there be anything else, Officers?’ she demanded coldly.

  ‘No,’ muttered Jim, and she closed the door.

  *

  ‘I can’t understand it,’ she said later, after I’d told her what had happened. ‘The police just aren’t like that in Oxford.’

  My brain had begun to function again after a second cup of coffee. ‘They’ve been got at.’

  ‘Oh, rubbish.’

  I repeated what Jim’s friend had said about being told to make sure I was out of the county.

  ‘Well, maybe,’ she said reluctantly, ‘but who?’

  ‘Phil.’

  ‘Now that is ridiculous. Why should — ’

  ‘Listen.’ I leaned forward. ‘Don’t you remember how he kept on at me at lunchtime until I told him where I was staying?’

  ‘Well, yes, but — ’

  ‘It can’t be a coincidence, can it? Does he have any police connections?’

  ‘Not
as far as I know.’ She paused. ‘But Ron has. He’s a Mason, and there are always high-ranking police in the Masons, aren’t there?’

  ‘Phil told him, then.’

  ‘But why, Chris? It doesn’t make sense. Why should they want you to leave so badly?’

  ‘John.’ I looked up. ‘It’s got to be to do with John and his AIDS work. You remember you told me last night you thought he’d hidden his data in the computer?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Well, you were right.’ I told her how I’d found part of it and how Dave had twice threatened me. ‘You’re sure you’ve no idea where Dave came from? Who brought him to the lab? Carey?’

  ‘No, it was Ron, he — ’

  ‘Ron! Maybe that’s the connection.’ I told her how Ron had tried to make me leave that morning.

  She put her hand to her head. ‘No wonder you wanted to speak to me, I’m sorry I put you off. Chris, I think you’ve got to go to the police about his. Oh — ’ she got up from her chair, came and sat beside me on the settee and put a hand on my arm — ‘don’t worry, I’ll come with you. We’ll get that doctor to come as well, they’ll have to listen then.’

  I hesitated. ‘All right.’

  ‘You’re not thinking of running away, are you? Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’d be scared in your position.’

  ‘I had been thinking of running,’ I said, not looking at her. ‘The truth is, I’m a bit of a coward. That Dave — ’ I found her eyes — ‘he really does scare me.’

  She touched my arm again. ‘You’re not a coward, Chris, anyone would be scared by Dave. He scares me, too.’ She gripped my hand impulsively. ‘What I really find so hard to take is that so many people could be involved.’

  ‘Yes. Did Phil say anything about me this evening?’

  ‘I’d rather hoped you’d forgotten that,’ she said, releasing me. ‘No, he didn’t.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Quite sure.’

  There was a silence, then she said, ‘I know what you’re thinking: why did I go out with him again after what I’d said?’

  I shrugged. ‘Your business.’

  ‘Well, if you must know, we had a bit of a scene.’ I said nothing. ‘He made it plain that he wanted more than I could offer, so I told him what I should have told him in the first place. That we could only be good friends.’

  Another silence.

  ‘And he didn’t like that?’ I said at last.

  ‘No.’ She studied her hands. ‘He — he kept bringing your name up.’

  ‘So he did mention me, then?’

  She raised her eyes. ‘I suppose he did.’

  I slowly smiled. ‘Lucky that we’re just good friends, isn’t it?’

  She smiled back. ‘Yes.’

  Our faces moved closer, tilted, our lips just brushed at first, then we kissed harder as our arms stole about each other.

  ‘Well, this is a turn-up,’ she said breathlessly, a few minutes later.

  ‘Is it?’

  ‘No,’ she said softly, ‘not really.’

  ‘I’ve always wanted you,’ I said.

  ‘Then why didn’t you…?’

  ‘John.’ I looked down. ‘And Jill.’

  She took my hand and gently stroked it, lifted it to her lips, then, with her eyes fast on mine, she closed it round her breast.

  CHAPTER 7

  There was almost no reaction to my appearance at work the next morning; Ron grunted, Phil and Carey both ignored me and Dave wasn’t there. Sally and I had come in separately, she on her bike and me in Bile.

  I spent the morning cocooned in the glow from the night, savouring every sensation, every scent, touch and endearment… I hadn’t realized how much I needed her, or was it just that I’d needed a woman? I don’t know. I don’t think I was in love with her then.

  The next surprise came at coffee-time. Everyone was sitting round in silence as usual, when Ron said, ‘I suppose I ought to mention, for those who are interested, that Mr Devlin has at last had the grace to contact me.’

  Half a dozen heads came up, mine included. John had rather slipped from my mind.

  ‘Apparently, he went to visit his mother in Glasgow, then went down with summer ’flu.’

  ‘Did he say when he’d be back?’

  ‘He said he’d try and come back by the end of next week. I’ll say this, he sounded pretty rough — I hardly recognized him.’

  As I sat back, I realized my relief was twofold. Now that I knew he was all right, I wasn’t in such a hurry to see him.

  Immediately after coffee, Ron called Ian and me into his office.

  ‘Have you got that mess in the cell-culture lab sorted out yet?’

  ‘It’s not a problem any more,’ said Ian. ‘Not now that Val’s back and we know John won’t be here.’

  ‘Well, I want you to handle the Special Clinic today and tomorrow. All right? You can start now.’

  Outside the office, we looked at each other. Ian made a face.

  ‘Ours not to reason why, I suppose,’ he said.

  The term ‘special clinic’, a euphemism for VD Clinic, is now itself an anachronism, since it prefers to be known as the Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine.

  Some venereal diseases can be diagnosed microscopically on the spot, enabling the venereologist to prescribe a treatment immediately, which is very useful, since many of the patients simply don’t come back. Thus the need for a small laboratory on-site.

  It’s not particularly demanding work; a nurse brings through a specimen and waits while it’s cultured and examined under the microscope.

  ‘Business is booming more than ever,’ Ian told me cheerfully as we walked over. ‘It’s AIDS, of course. So many people want tests that they’re open six days a week now.’

  ‘Don’t they set aside times for the AIDS people?’

  ‘Sure, but they don’t turn them away at other times, otherwise they’d only go and donate a pint of blood to get the test done, and risk passing on the virus that way.’

  *

  It happened about half way through the afternoon. The laboratory was a small, enclosed area off one of the consulting rooms, and within easy reach of the other two. Ian was flirting with one of the nurses, who was young and pretty, while I was at the microscope, searching for Gonococci.

  ‘Oh no! No!’ A woman’s voice from the adjoining room — we all looked at each other.

  Then there was a scream and a crash as something hit the floor.

  The nurse pulled open the door and leapt to the aid of a colleague struggling with a woman of about thirty, who was still emitting gurgled screams.

  ‘D’you think we should help?’ asked Ian in an undertone.

  ‘No. They know what they’re doing.’

  Already they had the woman in a chair, where they pulled up her sleeve and administered a sedative.

  The door behind us opened and one of the other consultants looked in.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Patient got hysterical,’ I said. ‘Seems to be under control now.’

  ‘Thank God for that! Better get back to mine before they go the same way.’

  As he withdrew his head, the nurse came back.

  ‘Are you all right?’ said Ian.

  ‘Yes, thanks.’ Her voice shook and her hair was dishevelled. ‘We’ll get her over to Casualty in a minute. Have to bring her through here so as not to alarm the other patients.’

  ‘What was it?’ I asked quietly.

  ‘Can’t you guess? She’s just been told she’s got the AIDS virus.’

  I thought about that for the rest of the afternoon. It brought it home to me more than anything else could that John’s discovery meant more than kudos for him, or Carey’s pride, or profits for firms like Parc-Reed.

  Sally and I stayed in that night. In fact, as soon as I got back (she was there before me) we wordlessly went to her room and spent an hour or so rediscovering each other. Then, after a quick meal, went back to bed in case we’d mi
ssed anything.

  *

  On Friday morning Ron called me to his room and told me that since they were still short-staffed, I could stay on for the time being, provided I worked exclusively at the clinic. It was tempting to prod him about why he’d changed his mind, but I decided not to risk it.

  As I walked over to the clinic, Dave fell into step beside me. I hadn’t known he was back and nearly levitated with the shock.

  ‘So you’re staying on for a while, then?’

  ‘That’s right,’ I replied, trying to control my voice.

  ‘I’m going to find Devlin’s data one way or another.’ He paused. ‘Perhaps we could do a deal.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I said. Suddenly, I wasn’t so frightened of him.

  ‘I’d think about it if I were you. Seriously. You can always find me — ’

  ‘I still don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I stopped and faced him. ‘You must speak to him about it when he comes back.’

  His eyes narrowed but he didn’t try to follow me as I walked away.

  I saw him again that evening. Sally and I were at Brown’s, a large eating house apparently peculiar to Oxford and Cambridge. Not surprisingly, a lot of the customers are students, but the food is good and cheap and the atmosphere cosmopolitan and heady.

  Sally suddenly looked past my shoulder. ‘Isn’t that Dave over there?’

  I turned in my seat. He was leaning against the bar, watching us. Sally waved and he raised a hand in reply.

  ‘This is getting farcical,’ I said, and told her what had happened that morning.

  ‘You know what it is,’ she said, looking at me. ‘He thinks you’re in touch with John.’

  ‘D’you know, I think you’re right. The stupid thing is that I couldn’t help him find John’s data, even if I wanted to.’

  ‘I could.’ Her eyes were fast on my face. ‘I bet I could work out his password.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Because I know him, I know how his mind works.’

  ‘Go on, then.’

  At that moment, a waitress came up and asked whether we’d like to see the menu again.

  ‘Yes, please,’ said Sally, then to me, ‘later. First things first.’

  We didn’t talk about it again until the next evening, Saturday. We’d spent the morning in bed and the afternoon in a punt on the Cherwell, in the gloriously unreal world above Magdalen Bridge of sunlight and hanging leaves, tree roots dipping into dark green shadows, and laughter, sharp on the water. In the centre of a city and yet miles from anywhere.