“What do you mean by ‘social media’? Like Facebook?”
“The entire gamut: Facebook, my YouTube channel, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest... you name it. But mostly Facebook, which certainly dates me. To tell you the truth, social media has become my game of choice. When I was a teenager in the late nineties I got addicted to SixDegrees and AOL Instant Messenger for social reasons to manage my reputation, or so I thought, which in retrospect was a disaster, as it truly took over my life in a bad way. Now I’m addicted to it as entertainment and to stay connected. I’m fascinated by it like a lot of people. It is certainly driving our culture.”
“You mean you go on it every day?”
“Usually,” Ava said. “And even at the hospital, I occasionally sneak a peek on my mobile in between cases to respond to snaps and tweets. When I’m here in the house, I’m either working out, doing MOCA, eating, or doing social media. What can I say? I’m addicted, I admit, but I tell you, I have learned more about myself doing social media than I would have if I’d spent years doing psychoanalysis.”
“Really?” Noah questioned with skepticism. “I think you’d have to explain that to me. I mean, I use Facebook and Snapchat a bit, but I don’t think I have learned anything about myself from doing it.”
“I’d be happy to explain,” Ava said. “But that will take some time. I think we should stick to the M&M problem for now.”
“You are so right,” Noah said. He felt his pulse rise. As entertained as he was by Ava and her impressive house, it had momentarily slipped his mind why he was there. “Where should we sit?”
“Before we get down to business,” Ava said, “would you like to see some of the capabilities of my computer system, particularly in virtual reality? It will only take a moment if you are interested.”
“Sure,” Noah said. “Why not?”
Ava had Noah sit in the chair in front of the three monitors. Leaning over him, she booted up the system. Noah couldn’t help but notice she had not bothered to put in a decent security code, as she awakened the computer by merely typing the number 1 six times. Yet he wasn’t surprised. When he’d first entered the building he’d noticed her newly renovated house had a modern and highly sophisticated security system.
For the next sixty seconds Noah was treated to a display of graphics and audio that took his breath away. “Okay, I’m convinced,” he said when the demonstration was over. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “It’s terrific, and I’m jealous. I’ve got to have a system like this before I die.”
Ava laughed. She was pleased. “I can put you in touch with the people who installed it if you’re serious,” she said.
“Maybe in a year,” Noah said. He could at least dream.
“Anytime you’re ready,” Ava said. Then she pointed upstairs. “There are two more floors, but it’s just bedrooms and bathrooms, boring stuff. But I will be happy to show it to you if you would like.”
“Thank you, but no, thanks,” Noah said. “I’m overwhelmed as it is.”
“Okay, let’s get down to work. How about we sit in the office? For just relaxing and chilling, that’s my favorite room.”
“Sounds good to me,” Noah said.
They left the computer room and walked back into the study. It was getting dark outside, and through the elm trees in the square Noah could see that lights had come on in the buildings on the other side of the greensward.
“You didn’t say what you would like to drink,” Ava said, but before Noah could respond, she added, “Wait a second! What a terrible host. I didn’t think to ask whether you have eaten dinner tonight.”
“No, I haven’t,” Noah admitted. There were lots of nights he just skipped dinner when he got back to his apartment from the hospital.
“Nor have I,” Ava said. “How about we rectify that? Do you like Thai food?”
“Who doesn’t like Thai food?” Noah questioned.
“I’ll call down to King and I on Charles Street and order take-out. And if you wouldn’t mind walking down there and getting it, I’ll have a chance to jump in the shower and become a bit more presentable.”
“Happy to go,” Noah said. All at once, he realized he was starving.
9
FRIDAY, JULY 7, 9:42 P.M.
When Noah returned with the take-out food, Ava greeted him at the door dressed much more appropriately in a fitted, tailored white blouse and stylishly distressed blue jeans. The outfit had made Noah considerably more comfortable than the clinging yoga pants and tank top. They had eaten the Thai food at a high-topped counter in the kitchen overlooking the small garden. The conversation had remained away from the M&M problem and concentrated on the issue of why both of them thought it best to avoid social ties with fellow hospital personnel. They had agreed it was far too professionally incestuous and could only create problems in the long run, since the hospital was an inveterate gossip mill.
Following their dinner, they had retreated to the upstairs study, taking glasses of wine and settling into the velvet-upholstered club chairs catty-cornered to each other. Despite a couple drinks at the recent Change Party, Noah rarely drank alcohol, as he was never completely sure he wouldn’t be called into the hospital. But given that one of his best chief residents was on call, he was as sure as he’d ever been that he would not be called.
“So,” Ava said, once they were ensconced in the plush easy chairs. “How should we begin?”
“I guess I’d first like to follow up on something you mentioned earlier today,” Noah said. “You said that Dr. Mason was not fond of you. If I am not being too nosy, could you tell me why you feel that way? I mean, everyone knows he frequently asks for you to be his anesthesiologist.”
“You’re not being too nosy,” Ava said. “But before I explain, I also said I believe the man has a dysfunctional personality. To be specific, I believe he has a serious narcissistic personality problem. Actually, I know he has one. Are you familiar with the symptoms?”
“Relatively,” Noah said. He knew a bit about the condition, as did everyone who’d gone through medical school, but his course in psychiatry was way back in second year, some eight years ago.
“Well, let me refresh your memory,” Ava said. “I’m up on it, because having to deal with the likes of Dr. Mason has forced me to go back and review the profile. But before I go any further, I need to make one thing clear. What I am about to say is for your ears only. I want to be certain that nothing will be repeated to anyone, especially to anyone at BMH. Are you good with that?”
“Absolutely,” Noah said with conviction. He was appreciating Ava London more and more. He had come to her home feeling like a defenseless lone warrior facing an imminent crisis and hoping for a lifeline. Now he was feeling as if he had a comrade-in-arms who was a full BMH attending with skin in the game. There was no doubt in his mind that they could help each other, as she seemed to be socially astute, really smart, and possibly as committed to medicine as he was. On top of that, she was far nicer to be with than he had expected and a pleasure to even look at, especially now that she had showered and donned clothes that he didn’t feel embarrassed to appreciate. Noah couldn’t help but notice that she had taken the time and apparently cared enough about his visit to put on a touch of makeup, just enough to accentuate her eyes and complexion.
“People with a serious narcissistic personality problem are like bulls in a china shop,” Ava said. “They cause all sorts of trouble for most everyone they interact with, especially if someone doesn’t feed their insatiable need for admiration or, worse yet, insults or criticizes them. At the same time, they can be very successful, and Dr. Mason is a perfect case in point. He’s a truly famous world-class surgeon. There is no doubt about it, and he gets a lot of deserved kudos for his skill, but it is not enough for him. It’s never enough for someone with his needs. He might be a fantastic pancreatic surgeon, but he is also excessively arrogant, entitled, domineering, and vindictive, and capable of exploding at the slightest provocation.”