"Paul Preuss - Rhea's Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Preuss Paul)

RHEAтАЩS TIME
PaulPreuss




The execution was set for March 29th, at 9:00A .M. This delay(whose importance the reader will
grasp later) was owing to thedesire on the authoritiesтАЩ part to proceed impersonally and
slowly,after the manner of vegetables and plants.

тАФJorge Luis Borges, The Secret Miracle

Rhea K. (a pseudonym) is a geologist in her early thirties with a firm reputation in biostratigraphy, which I
gather is a field of study that tries to impose order upon the chaos of the EarthтАЩs jumbled rocks by
examining the remains of life, if any, that can be detected in them. Her photographs reveal an attractive
womanтАФstriking, reallyтАФwith blue eyes, reddish blond hair in loose curls, a sunburned, lightly freckled
complexion; of medium height, slender of build but strongly muscled. In this shot sheтАЩs wearing
lederhosen, a white cotton sleeveless undershirt with no bra, and clumpy boots, and there are some
rather frightening mountain peaks in the background, which I suppose she has just climbed or is about to.

Her problems began in what appeared to be a straightforward way. With hindsight, of course, we note
that matters were not as simple as they seemed. Her case has come to me because . . .

YouтАЩre too tired to be precious, Rowan; just write the truth and clean it up later.

DECEMBER 17, 10:30 P.M.
The end of a typically foul New England winterтАЩs day, and my distinguished colleague, formerly professor
and hetman of neurology, has at last made his getawayтАФwell tanked on very fine old sherry, with
handshakes and relieved smiles all aroundтАФto that renowned research institution in Manhattan of which
he is to be the next president. Rhea was his patient, so-called. After so many months and so little change
in her condition, her care has become a matter of roteтАФif not a silent reproach.

He dumped her on me. He did not fail to let me know, as he left, that he would understand completely if I
recommended that she be transferred to custodial care. Free up needed space in the neurology wing, old
boy; or in other words, old boy, the record will show that I tried, you failed.

So now the partyтАЩs over and IтАЩve just spent an hour reviewing her medical history. More hole than
doughnut.

Patient involved in skiing accident near Geneva, December 29th of last year. No immediate symptoms.
Two days later, at New YearтАЩs Eve party, patient complained of severe headache, soon lost
consciousness. On arrival at ER, patient was in coma; blood pressure and heart rate low, respiration rate
low, and (odd note) body temperature elevated to forty degrees C (104┬░F).

CAT scan, NMR, spinal tap, the full menu. Contusion above left eye, subdural hematoma of minor extent
over the right visual cortex, but other than presumed blow to the head, no sign of injury. Brain structure
normal. Blood chemistry normal. No tumor. No infection. Neurosurgeon decided against intervention
(correctly, for within a few days the hematoma was reabsorbed).
Only the EEG admitted a problem: the electrical activity of her left hemisphere was essentially flat, while
that of the right hemisphere was chaotic. I have the plots in front of me now; I can call up the whole