Page:Fantastic Universe (1956-10; vol. 8, no. 3).djvu/67

Rh medical dismissal slip. And also without paying his bill!

Mr. Archer, the Administrator, tried to be patient with Alice Small, day Head in Surgical Ward. "Tell us just what took place. Miss Small."

"We couldn't stop him," Alice said. "Can you stop a tornado?"

"Has he had visitors?" asked Mr. Archer.

"His wife. The first three days. Then he asked could he have a No Visitors sign on his door? I thought it was funny but he said that company tired him. I can tell you his wife didn't like it either, but she left finally. Gracious! If he doesn't go home, what will we tell her?"

The patient did not return to his home. His wife brought a lawyer into it, and the hospital had a lawsuit on its hands. When Dr. Smith was informed of the disappearance of his patient, he appeared undisturbed.

"The man may have gone to the home of a relative. Surely, we know nothing of his private life. Possibly, he simply took this opportunity to escape a marriage in which he was not happy."

It was all mystifying and without precedent. The hospital turned the matter over to its own attorneys, and to all concerned the incident was closed. When, however, three times in three months, the same incident, once involving a woman patient, was repeated, the atmosphere at Watkins General became tense. And throughout the excitement and disorder caused, a few of the younger nurses leaving because they were frightened, only Sara Beals seemed to pinpoint the fact that all four had been patients of Dr. Smith's. She spoke of this to no one, since she was not given to gossip and had never mentioned her observation of Dr. Smith's peculiarity at the beginning of an operation. Having always read mystery tales with great enjoyment, Sara determined to do a little detecting herself. She listed the facts she had in her possession:

1. Dr. Horton Smith has done the surgery on all patients who have mysteriously left the hospital.

2. Dr. Smith bends over the patient immediately after the first incision is made.

3. Dr. Smith has made it a practice to pay a midnight call to his patients on the fourth night after surgery.

Sara had learned this third fact on her list from her good friend Theresa Chase who was on the night shift in Surgical. She had a great deal in common with Theresa since they were both past forty, and sensibly resigned to never marrying or having children. Working together at Watkins since their early twenties, they could relax with one another and discuss personalities without fear of being stigmatized by the name of gossip.

"Dr. Smith's a real considerate person," said Theresa. "Not like the others. They want me to