“You barely got here, and she’s already yours and already driving you somewhere?”I was as surprised at myself as David was. When it came to women, between the two of us, he was usually the one to be assertive and make the first move. But this time, I felt like something was different. I didn’t know what made me act this way, but I didn’t stop to think about it either.
“What’s she doing until ten?” I asked Shira a few minutes later.
“What do you care? She said she’d be here at nine-thirty. Believe me, she will.”
“For me?” I couldn’t quite believe it.
“When I set something up, I do it right. I even put in a few good words for you.”
Chapter 2
Grand Rounds
Grand rounds are the weekly ward round conducted by the department head. Like a flock of geese flying in formation, the department head strode in front, followed by the senior doctors, behind them the house physicians, then … lagging a little and not without apprehension … the interns, and always last, the students. The head nurse walked just a step behind the department head. Trailing the whole flock was the ward cart, moving slowly with the patients’ files stacked on it. Each doctor was expected to know every detail about “their” patients, and all of them – without exception – had to be ready at any moment to demonstrate general medical knowledge, insight, and expertise.In most of the wards I’d rotated through, in school and during my internship, grand rounds had turned into a long ritual of humiliation. Any house doctor, intern, or student – and sometimes even a senior doctor – who lost focus for a moment or showed the slightest sign of ignorance became the department head’s next victim. These heads of department had eagle eyes, and once they spotted their prey, they’d go in for the kill. That day, for the first time in my medical training, I risked being spotted. My thoughts wandered, and I couldn’t focus. My choice to study medicine had come from a sense of calling. I’d been an outstanding science student with impressive technical skills, and my father – an exceptionally talented electrician who, because of World War II, never completed his academic education – had planned for me to be an engineer. But I wouldn’t hear of it. The desire to be a doctor, to heal people, burned in me, and I took my training very seriously.Meeting Lily shook my world. Instead of concentrating on the rounds –or even getting excited about the upcoming trip to Finland – I was thinking about the ride to Ramat-Aviv we had planned in an hour and a half. What would happen? What would I say? I hadn’t even exchanged a single word with her yet. I couldn’t get her image out of my head. Luckily, David and an older intern who had studied in Italy knew all the cases in the women’s ward, so they handled the questions. There was a patient of about forty who’d been admitted with lower abdominal pain; another, a young woman in her twenties, had a high fever of unknown origin; a third had suffered a mild stroke and needed her blood thinners adjusted; and yet another, battling colon cancer, was also struggling with a severe case of pneumonia. I stayed under the radar.On the way to the next room, I gathered my courage and asked the department head straight out what was wrong with Lily.To my surprise, he didn’t look startled by the question – he might even have been expecting it. I realized Shira had already stirred the pot.He stopped the rounds, ignored the rest of the group as they moved on a little, and stood facing me.I felt my face flush, certain everyone could see it.
“We’re not entirely sure what she has,” he said, glancing around as if searching for her somewhere in the ward.
“So what are you debating between?”
“‘Between lupus, an autoimmune disease,” as I already knew, “and vasculitis, also an autoimmune disease but different – or maybe an illness we don’t even know yet.”
“What’s she getting?”
“After her last hospitalization, we stopped almost all the medications. Today I examined her, and she had blood taken for a follow-up. Shira told me you’re interested in her.”
“That Shira…” I muttered in irritation.
“She really does want what’s best for you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’m telling you, from my experience…” The department head locked eyes with me and went on without blinking,
“I’ve seen no small number of patients in her condition – she won’t last two years.”
“What?” I was stunned.
“Believe me, she won’t make two years. Don’t get involved.”
“And she knows?”
“She was the first one I told.”My heart froze, and with it, the whole world. The department head ended our conversation and turned to his deputy, saying in his authoritative voice, “Let’s continue the rounds.” I stared at him in shock. He seemed completely at peace with what he’d said.I waited until everyone had gone into the next room before joining them. My face must have given away the storm raging inside me.
“What’s got you so worked up? What did you talk to him about?” David was standing beside me.
“Forget it – I got myself into trouble.”
“With the boss? What happened?” he asked.
“Forget it – it’s serious.”
“Shhh…” The head nurse hissed, seeing the department head glance our way. Before we’d even finished the next room, I saw Lily walking down the hall toward the secretary’s desk. I checked the clock – nine-thirty exactly. I took a deep breath, signaled to David that I was ducking out, and headed toward Shira and Lily.
“Lily.” She rose, straightened gracefully, and offered me her hand.
“Michael,” I said, a little embarrassed, and took it. The touch of her hand, her fingers, melted me.
“Don’t you want to finish grand rounds?” she asked.
