Part 20 (1/2)
Two minutes later, Special Agent Matthews was informed that the FBI agents he was asking about were more than likely Howard C. Jernigan and Raymond Leibowitz.
”They're with the Anti-Terrorist Group, working out of the Bureau. But they go all over, of course,” he was told.
”Thank you very much,” Matthews said. ”We may have to get back to you.”
”Well?” Davis asked.
”According to the Bureau, sir, there are agents named Jernigan and Leibowitz. They're a.s.signed to the Anti-Terrorist Group working out of headquarters.”
”What?” Davis exclaimed, but before Matthews could repeat what he had told him, he picked up his telephone and issued an order to his secretary: ”Helen, would you please ask Mr. Towne, Mr. Williamson, and Mr. Young to come in here immediately?”
He put the telephone back in its cradle and looked at Matthews.
”There is very probably a very reasonable explanation for all of this, Matthews,” he said. ”Which we shall probably soon have.”
”Yes, sir.”
”When this meeting is over, I want an official report of your meeting with Detective Payne. If what I suspect has happened is what has happened, I'm going to the a.s.sistant director with this, and I want everything in writing.”
”Yes, sir.”
”Good morning,” Amelia Payne, M.D., said as she entered Cynthia Longwood's room.
”What's good about it?” Cynthia replied, tempering it with a smile.
”I've been wondering the same thing. It's still raining and I didn't get enough sleep. When I was in medical school, and an intern, they told us when we entered practice, we could expect to get some sleep. They lied.”
”When were you an intern? Last year?”
”I will take that as a compliment. I don't look old enough to have been a doctor very long?”
”Not even in your doctor suit,” Cynthia said, making reference to the stethoscope hanging around Amy's neck and her crisp white smock, onto which was pinned a plastic badge reading, ”A. A. Payne, M.D.”
”When I finish here, I'm going to make what they call rounds. We take medical students with us. I wear my doctor suit so that the visiting firemen don't mistake me for one of them.”
”Visiting firemen?”
”Visiting distinguished pract.i.tioners of the healing arts,” Amy said. ”Who, when I offer an opinion, take one look at me and decide I couldn't possibly be an adjunct professor of psychiatry, and therefore are dealing with an uppity young female who doesn't know her place.”
Cynthia giggled.
”You don't look old enough to be a doctor, much less a professor.”
”I'm getting perilously close to thirty,” Amy said. ”I got my M.D. at twenty-two.”
”Twenty-two?” Cynthia asked incredulously. ”I thought it took six years Cynthia asked incredulously. ”I thought it took six years after after you got out of college to be a doctor.” you got out of college to be a doctor.”
”When I got my M.D., I already had a Ph.D.,” Amy said. ”I was what you could call precocious.”
”You're a genius?”
”So they tell me.”
”I'm impressed,” Cynthia said.
”On one hand, that's good,” Amy said. ”I'm smart and I am a good doctor. Statement of fact. Keep that in mind when you get annoyed with me.”
”Am I going to be annoyed with you?”
”If you extend my temporary appointment as your physician, if you want me to try to help you, we can count on that happening sooner or later.”
”Why's that?”
”Because what we're going to have to do is get your problem out in the open, and you're not going to like that.”
Cynthia considered that.
”No, I wouldn't.”
”It's your call, Cynthia. First, you're going to have to face the fact that something happened in your life that's made you ill. Next, that you can't deal with it yourself and need help. And finally, whether or not you really believe that Amy Payne-Dr. Amy Payne-can help you.” Amy Payne-can help you.”
”When do I have to decide?”
”First answer that will annoy you: right now. Putting off decisions is something you can't do. That sort of thing feeds on itself.”
Cynthia considered that for fifteen seconds.
”Okay,” she said. ”Okay.”
”Okay,” Amy said. ”Your mother and father are outside.”
”Oh, G.o.d!”
”I called her last night and asked her to bring you some clothes, your makeup, et cetera. You're going to have to deal with them. You don't have to tell them anything that makes you uncomfortable-tell them I said that, if you like-but I think it would help them, and you, if you told them you think I can help.”
”You must have been pretty sure I'd . . . make you my doctor last night,” Cynthia challenged.
”No, I wasn't. Last night, when I called your mother, that was one young female taking care of another. I hate those d.a.m.ned hospital gowns myself.”
”Thank you.”
”I'm going to keep you in here for at least of couple of days,” Amy said. ”But that doesn't mean in bed. If you'd like, put some clothes on, and we can have lunch in the cafeteria. The food isn't any better, but it's not on a tray.”
”Thank you,” Cynthia said.
Amy smiled at her and walked out of the room.