Kate Morse nodded with a slight smile. “You’d think with my background I’d be handling this better,” she said. “I’m not, I’m falling apart.”
“It’s different when it’s your own,” said Neef.
“One minute everything’s normal. Our life is going on as usual then suddenly Charlie’s in hospital and he’s dying. I wasn’t ready. I’m not prepared for it.” Kate put her hand to her head and paused as if trying to put her thoughts in order. “The worst thing is not being able to understand it. All right, I know cancer can hit anyone at any time but something tells me that isn’t what happened in Charlie’s case. There’s more to it. The fact that he has the same thing as Melanie Simpson and Jane Lees suggests that he... got it from them?” Kate looked at Neef as if she had just managed to articulate something that had been eluding her. “I know it’s not possible but I’m scared all the same. Tell me it’s not possible.”
“We’ve been considering that the carcinogenic substance was still present on Melanie or Jane, perhaps in their lungs when they underwent autopsy and Charlie contaminated himself with it while working in the lab.”
“I see,” said Kate.
“They’re going to put Charlie in isolation while they conduct another analysis of the path specimens from Jane Lees”
“How long will that take?”
“They’re bringing in extra help. We should know by Friday. We’ve arranged another meeting for then.”
Kate nodded and said wistfully, “Not that any of it will help Charlie.”
“I’m afraid not,” said Neef. “I don’t know if you know this but Charlie wasn’t the only one to be affected in such a secondary way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Frank MacSween’s grandson.”
“Nigel? Oh no.”
“He died at the week-end.”
“Oh, Mike,” sighed Kate. “How awful. What on earth is going on?”
“I wish I knew,” said Neef.
Neef filled the basket of the percolator with coffee taken from the jar on the shelf above the sink and topped up the jug with water. He switched it on.
“I see Neil’s remission is over,” said Kate quietly, looking at the case notes in front of her.
“Afraid so,” said Neef.
“I’m sorry. He’s a bit special to you.”
Neef didn’t deny it.
“And the trial patients aren’t doing so well.”
“Apart from Thomas Downy. He’s doing amazingly well. His tumour is continuing to shrink.”
“Does that mean the trial is a success or a failure?” asked Kate.
“One out of five doesn’t sound that good but it’s better than none out of five and Thomas Downy’s chances before the treatment were zero.”
“How does Dr Pereira feel about it?” asked Kate.
“I haven’t seen him for a couple of days. He seems to spend all his time in the lab working on new virus vectors.”
“That’s dedication for you,” said Kate.
“He’s dedicated to making himself rich and famous.”
“At least he doesn’t pretend anything else,” said Kate. “That’s something in his favour and if what he does works for the patients, does it really matter?”
“You sound exactly like Max,” smiled Neef.
“He makes a change from traditional British hypocrisy.”
“You sound as if you’ve brushed with authority,” said Neef.
“I saw our Minister of Health on television last night,” said Kate. “I don’t think I’d mind so much if politicians were honest about what they were doing. It’s their constant need to dress up shitty objectives with high-sounding motives that really gets my goat. Don’t you think?”
“I’ve stopped thinking about it,” Neef confessed. “I’ve stopped wasting energy being angry. I fight my corner for the unit and that’s it. My world begins and ends at that door. These are the people I care about.” Neef indicated to the children with his arm.
“That’s bad, Mike,” said Kate. “You should have outside interests. You need outside interests.”
“You’re not the first person to point this out recently,” said Neef.
“Let me guess. Miss Sayers?”
Neef smiled and nodded.
“You two get along then?”
“I think so,” said Neef.
“You only think so?”
“I’m just not sure,” said Neef. “Neil plays a big part in our relationship. It’s hard to define how big.”
Kate said, “I’ve had to revise my opinion of Miss Sayers. I doubted her commitment to Neil but I was wrong. I’m told she never misses a visit and Neil absolutely adores her.”
“She’s become very attached to him,” said Neef.
“Oh,” said Kate slowly. “The warnings fell on deaf ears.”
“With a kid like Neil, they were bound to,” said Neef.
“And now you are starting to feel responsible?”
“No,” said Neef firmly. “I thought about that but I have no regrets. It was good for both of them to have known each other.”
“Good,” said Kate, “I’m sure you’re right.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?” asked Neef.
“I don’t think so, Mike but thanks. I’d better get home. Mrs Redpath is looking after the children.”
Eleven
Max Pereira phoned the unit a couple of times during the week to ask about the children on the Gene Therapy trial but did not actually come in until the following Friday morning when he had arranged to meet with Neef and Fielding. David Farro-Jones who had kept up his interest in the trial patients was also invited to attend.
“I just don’t understand it,” said Pereira when they had finished assessing the scans and biochemical tests. “The one I thought might do least well is doing really great while the others aren’t improving at all.”
“Who did you think would do best?” asked Neef.
“Rebecca Daley,” replied Max without hesitation. “I would have bet my ass on the hepatoma getting zapped.”
“The best laid schemes of mice and men, eh Max?” said Farro-Jones, getting a puzzled look from Pereira in reply.
“The question is, how long do we persist with the treatment for the four kids who aren’t getting anything from it... as yet?” said Neef.
“Personally, I don’t think it’s going to work for them,” said Fielding. “I think we might be better off or rather they might be better off if we tried them on Antivulon. John Martin’s still doing well and so are the others. It’s proving much less toxic than conventional therapy so the kids feel better.”
“What do you think, David?” asked Neef.
“I’m flattered to be asked,” replied Farro-Jones. “I have to say, I think Lawrence here might be right. If Gene Therapy had been going to work we should have seen some improvement by now. Sorry Max.”
“You gotta call it like you see it,” said Pereira. “I think I even have to agree with you. I don’t understand it but at least Thomas is getting something out of it.”
“It’s a pity that the failure of the others is tending to detract from that,” said Neef. “Thomas Downy’s progress has been nothing short of remarkable.”
“It’s unfortunate he’s a single case,” said Farro-Jones. “Statistically speaking that is.”
“I don’t think I follow,” said Neef.
“I just meant that, from the point of view of validating the therapy, with only one success it’s impossible to say for sure that Gene Therapy was responsible. The medical community at large might see it as just one of these things. I guess we’re still looking for the break-through, Max.”
“I guess,” said Pereira.
“I don’t think Thomas Downy’s parents are going to be too concerned with statistics,” said Neef. “It’s my guess they’re going to be over the moon with their son’s progress and rightly so. For what it’s worth, Max, no one is going to convince me it was just one of those things. It was Gene Therapy that did the trick. Well done.”