parka. He explained he had been travelling since the day before and had just flown in and had kept the body wrapped in a tarpaulin. He was tired. He was sweating. And he was glad to be here.
Dr Petrovitch reached for a piece of paper that the American was taking out from his shirt, but the American yanked it back and apologized. It was company business, and the body was outside.
'Fine,' said Dr Petrovitch. 'How did it die?'
'I don't know. I'm a geologist. We found it. Like the mastodon found in permafrost in your country.'
'It is a human body, isn't it?' asked Dr Petrovitch. Suddenly he was experiencing severe doubts about what this man had brought him. A small rented van was parked, blocking access for ambulances.
'Yes, it's in there.'
'How bad is the decomposition ?’
‘ I didn't look at it long. I didn't see any.'
'Uhhum,' said Dr Petrovitch, registering this fact and waiting for the rear door of the van to open. The big American swung the door open easily, and water broke out of the van. Dr Petrovitch saw a brownish tarpaulin. The lights from the hospital glistened off the dark water at the bed of the truck, as though the water had broken out of the tarpaulin itself.
The big American reached inside and, with an effort to get the closed tarpaulin off, ripped a strand of cord with his massive hands. He pulled back an edge to the wall of the truck, and Dr Petrovitch saw dark hair through a smooth covering of ice.
Obviously, the melting process had begun in the truck itself but had not reached the body. With grunts, the American climbed into the back of the truck, and both he and Dr Petrovitch eased the tarpaulin away. The American had amazing strength, and Dr Petrovitch cautioned him not to drop the water-slick ice with the specimen inside.
A small light in the back of the van showed flashes of skin, with very little discolouration.
It was a muscular young m an. There was a wound, Dr Petro vitch found, in the right thigh. It should not have been the cause of death.
That was from a core tube. Went through it,' said the American.
Dr Petrovitch pressed his forefinger into the cylindrical wound. He tried to feel the crack of crystals between thumb and forefinger. It was rubbery. He tried to find a vein, but there was not room enough to do this by eyesight since he was wedged against the side of the van, and the frozen specimen was right against him. If there was a vein at his fingers, it too had yet to be crystallized.
'My God,' gasped Dr Petrovitch, who did not believe in God. 'He's beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ’
Three
In the back of the truck, his knees wet from incredibly cold water that had seeped down his open jacket underneath his pants, and trying desperately to protect the piece of paper authorizing him to leave the drill site far up north.Lew McCardle heard massively confusing comments from the Russian doctor.
'Why not ?' said the Russian. His dark eyes were wide, his face just across the slick ice mound between them, and he was grinning as though Lew was supposed to understand 'why not ?'.
'Can I let it down?'
'Certainly. Do you have sinus trouble?' 'No.'
'Then why not?'
'What, why not ?' asked McCardle.
'Let it down carefully. Carefully. Carefully.'
Lew eased the block down to the cold, wet floor. His fingers were numb. He blew on them. Petrovitch yelled out for a nurse. He yelled out for orderlies. He wanted an assistant. He wanted the hyperbaric chamber. A nurse came with a light sweater over her starched uniform. She wanted to see the patient. Petrovitch said it was none of her business.
Petrovitch said it was an emergency because he said it was an emergency. McCardle squeezed out of the truck. Petrovitch grabbed McCardle. The nurse grabbed McCardle. Lew McCardle asked what was going on.
'Don't ask nurses questions. Give them orders,' said Petrovitch.
'You're accepting the body ?'
'We have. It's mine. Come. We'll get a reasonable nurse. Don't worry, you're part of
Dr Petrovitch reached for a piece of paper that the American was taking out from his shirt, but the American yanked it back and apologized. It was company business, and the body was outside.
'Fine,' said Dr Petrovitch. 'How did it die?'
'I don't know. I'm a geologist. We found it. Like the mastodon found in permafrost in your country.'
'It is a human body, isn't it?' asked Dr Petrovitch. Suddenly he was experiencing severe doubts about what this man had brought him. A small rented van was parked, blocking access for ambulances.
'Yes, it's in there.'
'How bad is the decomposition ?’
‘ I didn't look at it long. I didn't see any.'
'Uhhum,' said Dr Petrovitch, registering this fact and waiting for the rear door of the van to open. The big American swung the door open easily, and water broke out of the van. Dr Petrovitch saw a brownish tarpaulin. The lights from the hospital glistened off the dark water at the bed of the truck, as though the water had broken out of the tarpaulin itself.
The big American reached inside and, with an effort to get the closed tarpaulin off, ripped a strand of cord with his massive hands. He pulled back an edge to the wall of the truck, and Dr Petrovitch saw dark hair through a smooth covering of ice.
Obviously, the melting process had begun in the truck itself but had not reached the body. With grunts, the American climbed into the back of the truck, and both he and Dr Petrovitch eased the tarpaulin away. The American had amazing strength, and Dr Petrovitch cautioned him not to drop the water-slick ice with the specimen inside.
A small light in the back of the van showed flashes of skin, with very little discolouration.
It was a muscular young m an. There was a wound, Dr Petro vitch found, in the right thigh. It should not have been the cause of death.
That was from a core tube. Went through it,' said the American.
Dr Petrovitch pressed his forefinger into the cylindrical wound. He tried to feel the crack of crystals between thumb and forefinger. It was rubbery. He tried to find a vein, but there was not room enough to do this by eyesight since he was wedged against the side of the van, and the frozen specimen was right against him. If there was a vein at his fingers, it too had yet to be crystallized.
'My God,' gasped Dr Petrovitch, who did not believe in God. 'He's beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ’
Three
In the back of the truck, his knees wet from incredibly cold water that had seeped down his open jacket underneath his pants, and trying desperately to protect the piece of paper authorizing him to leave the drill site far up north.Lew McCardle heard massively confusing comments from the Russian doctor.
'Why not ?' said the Russian. His dark eyes were wide, his face just across the slick ice mound between them, and he was grinning as though Lew was supposed to understand 'why not ?'.
'Can I let it down?'
'Certainly. Do you have sinus trouble?' 'No.'
'Then why not?'
'What, why not ?' asked McCardle.
'Let it down carefully. Carefully. Carefully.'
Lew eased the block down to the cold, wet floor. His fingers were numb. He blew on them. Petrovitch yelled out for a nurse. He yelled out for orderlies. He wanted an assistant. He wanted the hyperbaric chamber. A nurse came with a light sweater over her starched uniform. She wanted to see the patient. Petrovitch said it was none of her business.
Petrovitch said it was an emergency because he said it was an emergency. McCardle squeezed out of the truck. Petrovitch grabbed McCardle. The nurse grabbed McCardle. Lew McCardle asked what was going on.
'Don't ask nurses questions. Give them orders,' said Petrovitch.
'You're accepting the body ?'
'We have. It's mine. Come. We'll get a reasonable nurse. Don't worry, you're part of
Similar Books
Different Seasons
Stephen King
Christmas Moon
Sadie Hart
Darkover: First Contact
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Guarded Heart
Jennifer Blake
Moscardino
Enrico Pea
Kickoff for Love
Amelia Whitmore
Fatal Fairies (Renaissance Faire Mystery Book 8)
Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene
When the Fairytale Ends
Dwan Abrams
Killer Gourmet
G.A. McKevett
After River
Donna Milner