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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] "normal sex," well, clinically it's just as disgusting. His leathery hand absently scratched his scrotum, for the itch was bad tonight. Involuntarily he touched his sex. It was feelingless. Gristle. He remembered that he had not had an erection for months. Well, he thought, it's only the low nutriment diet. Nothing to worry about. As soon as we get out and get regular food, then everything will be all right. A man of forty-three is still a man. Steven came back with the corpse detail. The body was put on a stretcher and taken out. Steven changed the single blanket. In a moment another stretcher was carried in and the new patient helped into bed. Automatically Dr. Kennedy took the man's pulse. "The fever'll break tomorrow," he said. "Just malaria." "Yes, Doctor." Steven looked up primly. "Shall I give him some quinine?" "Of course you give him quinine!" "I'm sorry, Colonel," Steven said tartly, tossing his head. "I was just asking. Only doctors are supposed to authorize drugs." "Well, give him quinine and for the love of God, Steven, stop trying to Page 66 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html pretend you're a blasted woman." "Well!" Steven's link bracelets jingled as he bridled and turned back to the patient. "It's quite unfair to pick on a person, Dr. Kennedy, when one's trying to do one's best." Dr. Kennedy would have ripped into Steven, but at that moment Dr. Prudhomme walked into the ward. "Evening, Colonel." "Oh, hello." Dr. Kennedy turned to him thankfully, realizing it would have been stupid to tear into Steven. "Everything all right?" "Yes. Can I see you a moment?" "Certainly." Prudhomme was a small serene man - pigeon-chested - his hands stained with years of chemicals. His voice was deep and gentle. "There are two appendices for tomorrow. One's just arrived in Emergency." "All right. I'll see them before I go off." "Do you want to operate?" Prudhomme glanced at the far end of the ward, where Steven was holding a bowl for a man to vomit into. "Yes. Give me something to do," Kennedy said. He peered into the dark corner. In the half light of the shielded electric lamp Steven's long slim legs were accented. So was the curve of his buttocks straining against his tight short pants. Feeling their scrutiny, Steven looked up. He smiled. "Good evening, Dr. Prudhomme." "Hello, Steven," Prudhomme said gently. Dr. Kennedy saw to his dismay that Prudhomme was still looking at Steven. Prudhomme turned back to Kennedy and observed his shock and loathing. "Oh, by the way, I finished the autopsy on that man who was found in the borehole. Death from suffocation," he said agreeably. "If you find a man head first halfway down a borehole, it's more than likely that death will be due to suffocation." "True,Doctor," Prudhomme said lightly. "I wrote on the death certificate 'Suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed.'" "Have they identified the body?" "Oh yes. This afternoon. It was an Australian. A man called Gurble." Dr. Kennedy rubbed his face. "Not the way I'd commit suicide. Ghastly." Prudhomme nodded and his eyes strayed back to Steven. "I quite agree. Of course, he might have been put into the borehole." "Were there any marks on the body?" "None." Dr. Kennedy tried to stop noticing the way Prudhomme looked at Steven. "Oh well, murder or suicide, it's a horrible way. Horrible! I suppose we'll never Page 67 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html know which it was." "They held a quiet court of inquiry this afternoon, as soon as they knew who it was. Apparently a few days ago this man was caught stealing some hut rations." "Oh! I see." "Either way, I'd say he deserved it, wouldn't you?" "I suppose so." Dr. Kennedy wanted to continue the conversation, for he was lonely, but he saw that Prudhomme was interested only in Steven. "Well," he said, "I'd better make my rounds. Would you like to come along?" "Thanks, but I have to prepare the patients for operation." As Dr. Kennedy left the ward, from the corner of his eye he saw Steven brush [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |