The Alcoholics Read Online Free PDF Page B

walked down the mezzanine until he came to the padlocked door of a one-time linen closet. He unlocked it and stepped inside. He emerged with a shot-glass full of one hundred-proof bourbon. Jeff Sloan gulped it eagerly. Doc handed him a small ivory-colored pill.
    "No," he said, answering the suspicious question in the other's eyes. "It won't make you sick at your stomach. It won't put you to sleep."
    Sloan tossed the pill into his mouth. He expressed effusive thanks for the drink, and headed down the hall toward his room. A few steps away, he turned grinning and brushed his hand across his forehead in a gesture of exaggerated dismay.
    "Say, that's the real stuff, Doc! What brand is it? Think I'll lay in a few bottles when I get home."
    "I'll write it down for you," said Doctor Murphy smoothly.
    He re-locked the door of the closet, carefully testing the lock afterwards. He went down the stairs, started to enter the dining room, then turned abruptly in the opposite direction. He had almost forgotten about the General. The old boy had, or had had, a constitution like iron but it was being seriously strained.
    The General was lying on a table in a small examination room. Doc took his blood pressure, then, since he had no stethoscope with him, he laid his ear against the old soldier's chest and listened to his heart.
    He straightened again, frowning indecisively.
    "Well, Doctor. Would you say I was alive?"
    "Oh, nothing as bad as that," said the doctor. "I was just wondering what to embalm you with."
    "Mmm." The General pursed his lips thoughtfully. "If I might make a suggestion, I believe that one of the time-tested fluids is-"
    Doc laughed, tapered the laugh into a severe frown. He was going to have to stop clowning with the patients, dammit. What the hell was he running, a circus or a sanitarium? It was all right to joke a little, but this incessant gabbing and horsing around was going out the window. As of right now!
    He rang the bell for Rufus, stepping out into the hall when he heard the attendant approach.
    "The General is pretty run-down," he said, dropping his voice. "How's our plasma holding up?"
    "Well-uh-uh-" Rufus started to scratch his head, then quickly dropped his hand as doc's eye caught his. "Why'n't we sock him with insoolim, Doctuh? 'At start 'im to eatin' good."
    "Don't think he can take an insulin shock," said the doctor, nodding appreciation for the suggestion. Rufus had plenty on the ball, if he'd only use it. All that had got him sore with Rufus was the latter's bollixing around with that correspondence school crap instead of using his very good common sense. "Guess we'd better make it plasma."
    "How about goo-clothes? We 'travenize him, huh, Doctuh? Give him nice goo-clothes brek'fuss-"
    "Glucose!" snapped Doctor Murphy. "Can't you remember anything at all? Not goo-clothes, for Christ's sake! Glucose! G-l-u-c-o- -"
    "Yes, suh," said Rufus, quickly. "I go get it right away."
    "You will not! And stop telling me what to do, dammit! His system won't burn up a good load of glucose, so… Oh." he said tiredly. "No plasma? They didn't-wouldn't fill our order?"
    "Yes, suh. Sure would stop tradin' with that outfit, if I was you, Doctuh. Ain't a bit dependable no more."
    "Yeah. Well…"
    "Doctuh… Maybe-well, me'n General's same type, an'-an' if he wouldn't mind takin' blood from-"
    Doc Murphy let out a happy roar. "Mind? Why in hell should he? Why-"
    "Why, indeed?" called a reedy voice from the examination chamber. "He would, on the contrary, be delighted, grateful and-uh- flattered."
    Rufus beamed. Doctor Murphy clapped him on the back.
    "Go on and get breakfast over with-General, you lie there and rest; we'll see you in thirty minutes or so-and… Miss Baker down yet?"
    "No, suh. She havin' some coffee in her room."
    "Good! I mean-uh-well, good."
    They walked down the hall together, the doctor apologizing-very handsomely, he felt-for his tirade of the day before. The trouble with Rufus, he declared, was that