“Very good, very good,” the Green Doctor said. “But tell me this: what in your opinion is the place of surgery in a Galactic practice of medicine?”
A more difficult question, but one that Dal’s training had prepared him well to answer. He answered it, and faced another question, and another. One by one, the doctors interrogated him, Black Doctor Arnquist among them. The questions came faster and faster; some were exceedingly difficult. Once or twice Dal was stopped cold, and forced to admit that he did not know the answer. Other questions which he knew would stop other students happened to fall in fields he understood better than most, and his answers were full and succinct.
But finally the questioning tapered off, and the White Doctor shuffled his papers impatiently. “If there are no further medical questions, we can move on to another aspect of this student’s application. Certain questions of policy have been raised. Black Doctor Tanner had some things to say, I believe, as co-ordinator of medical education.”
The Black Doctor rose ponderously to his feet. “I have some things to say, you can be sure of that,” he said, “but they have nothing to do with this Dal Timgar’s educational qualifications for assignment to a General Practice Patrol ship.” Black Doctor Tanner paused to glare in Dal’s direction. “He has been trained in a medical school on Hospital Earth, and apparently has passed his final qualifying examinations for the Red Service of Surgery. I can’t argue about that.”
Black Doctor Arnquist’s voice came across the room. “Then why are we having his review, Hugo? Dal Timgar’s classmates all received their assignments automatically.”
“Because there are other things to consider here than educational qualifications,” Hugo Tanner said. “Gentlemen, consider our position for a moment. We have thousands of probationary physicians abroad in the galaxy at the present time, fine young men and women who have been trained in medical schools on Hospital Earth, and now are gaining experience and judgment while fulfilling our medical service contracts in every part of the confederation. They are probationers, but we must not forget that we physicians of Hospital Earth are also probationers. We are seeking a permanent place in this great Galactic Confederation, which was in existence many thousands of years before we even knew of its existence. It was not until our own scientists discovered the Koenig star-drive, enabling us to break free of our own solar system, that we were met face to face with a confederation of intelligent races inhabiting the galaxy—among others, the people from whom this same Dal Timgar has come.”
“The history is interesting,” Black Doctor Arnquist broke in, “but really, Hugo, I think most of us know it already.”
“Maybe we do,” Doctor Tanner said, flushing a little. “But the history is significant. Permanent membership in the confederation is contingent on two qualifications. First, we must have developed a star-drive of our own, a qualification of intelligence, if you will. The confederation has ruled that only races having a certain level of intelligence can become members. A star-drive could only be developed with a far-reaching understanding of the physical sciences, so this is a valid criterion of intelligence. But the second qualification for confederation membership is nothing more nor less than a question of usefulness.”
The presiding White Doctor looked up, frowning. “Usefulness?”
“Exactly. The Galactic Confederation, with its exchange of ideas and talents, and all the wealth of civilization it has to offer, is based on a division of labor. Every member must have something to contribute, some special talent. For Earthmen, the talent was obvious very early. Our technology was primitive, our manufacturing skills mediocre, our transport and communications systems impossible. But in our understanding of the life sciences, we have far outstripped any other race in the galaxy. We had already solved the major problems of disease and longevity among our own people, while some of the most advanced races in the confederation were being reduced to helplessness by cyclic plagues which slaughtered their populations, and were caused by nothing more complex than a simple parasitic virus. Garv II is an excellent example.”
One of the Red Doctors cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I don’t quite see the connection. Nobody is arguing about our skill as doctors.”
“Of course not,” Black Doctor Tanner said. “The point is that in all the galaxy, Earthmen are by their very nature the best doctors, outstripping the most advanced physicians on any other planet. And this, gentlemen, is our bargaining point. We are useful to the Galactic Confederation only as physicians. The confederation needed us badly enough to admit us to probational membership, but if we ever hope to become full members of the confederation, we must demonstrate our usefulness, our unique skill, as physicians. We have worked hard to prove ourselves. We have made Hospital Earth the galactic center of study and treatment of diseases of many races. Earthmen on the General Practice Patrol ships visit planets in the remotest sections, and their reputation as physicians has grown. Every year new planets are writing full medical service contracts with us . . . as Earthmen serving the galaxy—”
“As physicians serving the galaxy,” Black Doctor Arnquist’s voice shot across the room.
“As far as the confederation has been concerned, the two have been synonymous,” Hugo Tanner roared. “Until now. But now we have an alien among us. We have allowed a non-Earthman to train in our medical schools. He has completed the required work, his qualifications are acceptable, and now he proposes to go out on a patrol ship as a physician of the Red Service of Surgery. But think of what you are doing if you permit him to go! You will be proving to every planet in the confederation that they don’t really need Earthmen after all, that any race from any planet might produce physicians just as capable as Earthmen.”
The Black Doctor turned slowly to face Dal, his mouth set in a grim line. As he talked, his face had grown dark with anger. “Understand that I have nothing against this creature as an individual. Perhaps he would prove to be a competent physician, although I cannot believe it. Perhaps he would carry on the traditions of medical service we have worked so long to establish, although I doubt it. But I do know that if we permit him to become a qualified physician, it will be the beginning of the end for Hospital Earth. We will be selling out our sole bargaining position. We can forget our hopes for membership in the confederation, because one like him this year will mean two next year, and ten the next, and there will be no end to it. We should have stopped it eight years ago, but certain ones prevailed to admit Dal Timgar to training. If we do not stop it now, for all time, we will never be able to stop it.”
Slowly the Black Doctor sat down, motioning to an orderly at the rear of the room. The orderly brought a glass of water and a small capsule which Black Doctor Tanner gulped down. The other doctors were talking heatedly among themselves as Black Doctor Arnquist rose to his feet. “Then you are claiming that our highest calling is to keep medicine in the hands of Earthmen alone?” he asked softly.
Doctor Tanner flushed. “Our highest calling is to provide good medical care for our patients,” he said.
“The best possible medical care?”
“I never said otherwise.”
“And yet you deny the ancient tradition that a physician’s duty is to help his patients help themselves,” Black Doctor Arnquist said.
“I said no such thing!” Hugo Tanner cried, jumping to his feet. “But we must protect ourselves. We have no other power, nothing else to sell.”