КатеринаК

→"We were too busy, there was too much to do and not enough time to do it in." She flushed beneath his stare. "Don't look at me like that."

→"But why not? Damn it, Sally, we can operate, save your life. Why didn't you report sick before this?"

→"He doesn't know, doesn't even guess. That is why I wouldn't let him examine me."

→"You knew?" He stared at her, then, obeying some wild instinct to escape, snatched up the bottle and gulped at the spirit. "John?"

→"Yes." She fastened the last button and stepped towards him. "I thought it was that."

→"It's bad, Sally." Fenshaw stared into a corner as she dressed and, from the tone of his voice, she could tell that he was shaken. "My guess is a malignant tumor in the ovary. If I had an X-ray I'd be certain but, even as it is, I'd stake my fife on it."

→She had guessed the verdict. Twenty years in a hospital had made her too familiar with most bodily complaints and she had long ago diagnosed her own symptoms. But even then it was a shock to discover the truth. Fenshaw had been thorough. He had probed and tested, checked and double checked, using all his skill to replace the equipment which would have made the examination easy, and when he was finished neither of them had any doubt.

→* * *

→"Religious?" Fenshaw shrugged. "That would make it worse, but Sally, that's all over now. And what about John? Don't you owe him something, too? Damn it, girl, the man needs you. Why don't you give in? Can't you see that he's in love with you?" Fenshaw gestured towards the couch. "Take off your things and let's have a look at you."

→"Don't!" she pleaded. "It was like a judgment."

→"Then sit down and listen, this nonsense has gone far enough." He waited until she was seated. "First, the mental trouble. What happened, Sally? Did you sneak off together and wake up in your love-nest with the world in flames and his wife a roasted corpse? Was that it?" He nodded as he stared at her. "I thought so. But you can't wash out the guilt that way, Sally. So what, if his wife did die while you were having fun? Is that bad? If he'd been with her he would have died, too."

→"Please." She made as if to rise, then winced as he caught her hands. "Don't! You're hurting me!"

→"So that's it. Who do you think you're kidding, Sally? I may be hitting the bottle lately, but I'm still a doctor and I can tell when a person is ill. You're ill both mentally and physically. Why don't you want John to know?"

→"Just tell Doctor Gibson that you examined me. He may worry about it unless he knows that it has been done."

→"Yes." He dropped the pistol back into the drawer. "Handling guns can be dangerous. They make a man think that he's a God, with the power of life and death. Nasty things, guns, but they have their uses." He looked at the woman. "Well? Do you want me to examine you or not?"

→"Please, doctor. Put that thing away."

→"And a gun is power, eh? Is that it?" Fenshaw snorted. "Well, I've got power, too." He fumbled in a drawer and grinned as he found what he was looking for. "See? Nice and bright and shiny. Loaded in all six." He sobered as he stared at the revolver. "I don't suppose that I'll ever need the other five."

→"How? He's armed, and so are his men."

→"Sure they are. They'd be only too willing to follow anyone who did their thinking for them. It was cretins like that which ruined the world." He burped and reached for the bottle. "One day I'll settle Carl for good."

→"He's got a lot of influence. Most of the people are only too willing to obey him."