The Hospital Murders

erformed the autopsy. His lower jaw lay relaxed against the cushions of his chins. His eyes were peacefully closed. He was asleep. When the Elijah

omfortable office chair and was smoking cigar

ion. He had struck no matches for over an hour. The smoking wa

nd his feet tucked into one of the chair rungs. He watched all of the men and held his eyes past

ded his brow from the glaring light and was soothing it like a man in constant

spoken for

smoke, tension, the odor of forma

a death chamber, and its occupants had

gh prepared for a blow; even in Bear Sterling’

watch that night student nurse...? She is a nie

d his head as thoug

father say ab

et his and h

ion, considering

hat your unders

r. MacA

an checking it all over: Cub, Mattus, Bear, the student nurse, the orderly, the He

acts. There would be no sense in clouding his faculties with hys

to fill the room; it began to su

nd turned to Cub Sterlin

but the Elijah Wilson is my only child .

sir, we u

er MacArthur. Mattus’ manner dropped from him

we do,” h

el-gray eyes were softened by the coming 70 dawn. All

y n

t y

n’t gone to that

ing potion have been administered hypodermi

er was for capsule,”

Mattus’ voice slid into the openin

ogists!” Bear announc

is watch from hi

some sleep and prepare for today. You’ll have a twenty-four hour job ahead of you to

. Tuesday! ... rounds, diagnoses ... they had forgotten

it was opened in their faces b

limp black hair sweated into

e at the convention in Cincinnati, so I did

ct. Its uninterested monot

eyes into the fe

the hell

g upon some organs I sent over to the chemical labo

piring lip and continued i

lieve was administered in powdered form, capsule probably. I have not proceeded with any obscure tests. Dr. Hedd

egular breathing

e keep on searching and consult Dr. 72 Heddis immediately he returns. In the meantime, will you be so kind as t

He turned to face the three men. He stood so erect that his w

that body show a h

di

something ... I can’t seem to

d peered intently at the innocuous findings of the second assistant

pleated with strai

, what he had feared, that the patient in Bed 11, Ward B, Medicine Clinic

ministration Building was open. Exce

n it and said, “Here is

her voice

anced and laid the l

my appointment with the Woman’s Board, and that luncheon engagement with the man from the Duke Fo

by the tall shado

y turned and

d chair and said, “Ca

Peters is demonstrating his new retina operation before some visiting medical students; but Hoffbein, Harrison, and Barton will be here, and we have th

g my teaching round

believ

ngs toward Cub. The young man lit a ciga

ts steely quality under which he always

tomatically and aske

ignatio

en struck by an electric eel. His blue eye

to face the mu

, s

ordered, tearing the envelope into shreds

nything. Fine woman, and great influence in her generation. Sewed her up again. No use. Will probably live several months. Are the ru

ckled easing Dr. Paton 75 into a chair. Then he walked over and s

tremendous discoveries of the ruins of Roman towns which had

anicure, and Dr. Barton came in quietly, nodded, sat down and joined

o Dr. MacArthur; like obedient schoolboys

the occasion justifies the summons. The thing of which Ethridge told you yesterday afternoon, is this morning.... At three A.M. the pati

s voice had become an augu

in the autopsy room. For thirty-odd years his and Dr. Harrison’s great passion had been the Elijah Wilson Hospital. Harrison rose. They met

o scream. Dr. Barton, in the voice he used w

y lau

registe

ing pearl diver and enunciated

tly and Princeton Peters’ peach-blossom face vied with the morning sun. Cub Sterling saw it and winced. Before any

to his brain and into theirs, the report of the second assistant chemist. As he turned the page to Dr. H

ients of a sleeping potion. These ingredients tally with those prescribed in the order filed upon the patient’s chart. Toxicology, like other branches of the Profession, is partly guess work. S

clusions. In the meantime, I repeat, a sleeping potion prescribed in capsule form, which the pharmacy comp

ch may be administered per os, and may have been so administered in the two previous c

of pallbearers as they watch the coffin of a beloved comrade lowered, blanketed the staff. Whatever their petty hates

wrong,” Pri

y hea

o discover it. Something we never heard of, probably.” Dr.

Arthur

would only waste time surmising.” Then, as though Prissy’s statement had just reached his brain he turned to him and said, “Yes, he might be wron

speaking, no man spoke, and it was Prissy’s

r ... how was s

n that was not odd. Her spirits were excellent. Eager for Father to go ahead 79 with the operation. He saw her between eig

by the way, wher

tumor, Dr. Paton,”

ur resident ...

ttu

attus, consider her?” Hoffbe

ports her pulse had dropped to around ninety; otherwise

questions which did not flatter h

ned some measure of its equilibr

us saw her and three A

e thing over to the police,” Prin

ving person is 80 aware of the situation,” he pointed the paper at Peters’ face. “Some linen is too foul to wash in publ

the paper

isely

lized he had expressed

lusion, gentlemen?

of the witnesses, I think ... if you can cal

hem quietly ... and separately ... in order to avoid.... We would have questioned them minutely this morning

ard B is waiting. Shall I hav

ub Sterling’s, a slight movement in the

er cruel?” Dr. H

t how else wi

rs interrupted

is cru

en mentioned. It rushed into the face

acuum, Dr. MacArthur

please bring that pup

entered

eton Peters felt she had been nicely brought up; Dr. Harrison’s brain flashed “kitten lined with ox

it down, Mis

is Evel

ance as she took the proffere

e training ... and we regret that it is unavoidable. Will you please tell us plainly ... and as

, her hands folded in her lap,

cine Clinic. Aunt Roenna ... I mean Miss Kerr ... was on the floor and

ton Peters’ voice was

oor nurse in charge,”

ilent in her resentment

y temperatures, counted pulses, pr

err,” Hoffbein began in his me

the underlying resentment of a schoolboy sto

r. Hoffbein. She had

” he interr

red restlessly an

hundred. By nine-thirty I had

have any

d a prescription 83 of Dr. Sterling

know wha

me up from the

duplicate on

ital,” Cub Sterlin

seemed to have lost th

story, child,” Dr

a moment and

temperatures and pulses. The ward was quiet

t trays. Two patients called for bed-pans. The orderly came to tell me t

perfectly quiet, except

isor in Medicine, made her rounds, and told me

closet to prepare the hypodermic Dr. M

podermic?” Dr. M

mixture. She’s

cardiac insufficiency,

n expressed by silence. She see

?” Hoffbein de

e had come into the room he

rned around, and ran to the medicine closet door. There was no one in sight. And then I remembered the boiling syringe and went back

o the ward. There was nobody there, and all of the patients we

had seen anybody a

n her throat and the sev

regained

e say she sa

r. ... Dr. ... Ster

eyes, death-purple, Prissy’s green ones glinting, Hoffbein’s black ones deep as wells and

thur’s eyes re

nswered the in

ranged, gentlemen.

rose and gave him his seat. Dr. Harrison pulled up a vacant chair

Peters and both of them decided t

next, Miss Kerr?”

y and he said ‘No.’ So I went and looked at the pat

suddenly forward.

ged patient see

, s

s voice

d y

ed quickly. Her resp

ctor Ha

retching. The girl

o my desk and finis

t call your

ully. I called in the rounds to my night supervisor and began studying my nursing manual. Three patients rang their bells between

ook at the pat

n Bed 11 was dead. I called my supervisor and failed to get her. I then called the general superinte

ext fifteen minutes. Dr. Sterling and Dr. Mattus r

emaining patients and told them that the patient in Bed 11 had been operated on

l you that?” Cub

hed. For the moment she see

tten. Miss Willis, the n

e any questions any of you gentlemen wish

ve you been

onths, Dr. Harrison.

MacArthur said as she r

you are the youngest. Please do not forget that t

s sitting by the door, r

, my dear!

e had told the

waiting the next witness. The horror of

lar looking man with frightened eyes. Everything abo

rthur lo

g, William.

reciation spr

cted, thank you, Doc

ub, and Harrison with a resp

efore he could enter into a personal conversati

usual. And a fright

ow

d then that girl just in here was like a kitten on a brick, sir. Got my hair prickled, so to speak, by runnin

e any bas

pell, so to speak. But, if you will pardon my remarking, sir, I been on that w

liam. I k

Dr. MacArthu

nurse come back?” Hoffbe

dead, sir! I was resting with my eyes shet, s

htened?” Hoff

self to see, sir. It wasn’t till Dr. Mattus came that I could stand away from the wall, s

ng as most of you and I se

ou have always been to it. So you must promise me, upon your oath, before these gentlemen, that yo

e old man’s eyes to h

omise

you, Wi

held the

ted toward it an

hur, do I .

night and e

inute William began speaking that he was innoc

entrance of Peter Rathbone, Chief Pharma

e shook them ou

and assurance. He was a youngish middle-aged man. A spreading part ran up the

his way up at the Elijah Wilson. There was a sense of definite knowledge about the face an

rning, g

a deep reson

ush steeped his 91 face, and he smiled. Rathbone returned the smile, took the ch

thur said

bone, did you check

and so ... but the ingredients from the remainder (I understood from the order that I was to have two capsul

e prescription?” D

assistant, sir. H

en. MacArthur’s, “Yes, Heddis. Are you sure? Soon as possible. Thank you,” h

carefully upon the receiver, Hof

e deadliest poisons. Heddis wi

. Harrison

nge, then,” Bear

mped as though

turned to

idge?” Dr. Harrison put

was giving hypodermic

ose had a dreadful strugg

low ourselves any prejudices, until w

ice wa

saying,

niine and called me twenty minutes ago, and as a result all of the medici

in the pharmacy?” Cub Sterling

None, at

y of this ... coniine?” Cub Sterl

body around and looked through Cub searchingly

and Bear Sterling who had

hard to

ir

oniine diffi

Sterling,” he hesitated as if endeavoring to hide his

rthur in

tities the big pharmaceutical houses h

e person quickly that wa

lemen? I’ll let you know directly I find out. Do you wi

MacArthur turned toward H

Hoffbein inserted. “Check

moved. His incisive uprightness rested them; but he had shot them so fu

ted, her enraged vitals midway between. She had been there as long as any of the

her arm in his, patted

s Kerr, b

“witness chair” and ti

ah Wilson ... in his way. To every other m

she smiled, generally, cocked her h

t for me

natural inclinations. “We want you to tell us exactly what you know abo

last

Than

at the Elijah Wilson is as dear to my heart a

eton came t

know

om, took a snort of

as a patient of Dr. Ethridge Sterling, Senior, under

g I wish you to report upon i

her bosom ag

r met in the nursing profession. And she had been most surpassingly brave th

h us?” Dr. H

ve student nurses into whose records I have gone most

as you call it. Please try to realize that it is not because we suspect yo

ps, “my department has been my

Harrison interposed. “Really Miss Kerr, please stick to what

e h

he patients about the death. Did you?” Cub Sterling

n duty, Dr.

to her over

How should I kno

lk to her o

rely and said wit

, I just answere

explain her state

ue eyes. She dropped the lids instan

through such an orde

nk y

ard, Dr. MacArthur frowned and took up the questio

hypodermic syringes on

e nurse i

access

student nur

s?” Bear Ste

erling. Night as well

s

d her composure. Sh

questioning my n

e discovered the murder, and therefor

he?” Dr. Har

began to t

lavatory

t into the Clinic thi

ant eyes upon Cub S

me at three-thirty and told me. I came over immedi

Thank you”

lized she was use

p. Of course I do not have to ask a person of yo

his cue and o

jestically and sm

y man in the

s’ story, and Dr. Sterling, Ethridge and I went over it with him while we were

’ statement?” Dr

did when he made his rounds, and the next time he saw h

animus against the patients?”

genteel poor, second dispensary admission, and t

h the opening. His wide-set yellow-brown eyes, even in 99 repose, dominated his highly intelligent face. Dr. MacArthur motioned him in

questioner’s voice, so upon a subject of which men spoke in whispe

ests alphabetically. It would have taken two days to reach coniine, if my nose hadn’t been h

as coniine administered per os would be remarked by the patient. Smells like mouse urine. Also acts locally as a caustic. Burning the mou

ly. So did every other man in the room. C

nt would have the agony symptoms penetrate to the drug deadened nerve centers. Before she could rouse herself the paralysis of the peripheral endings of the motor ner

upted. Toxicology was only a branch of the

rich in blood ... liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs ... appeared healthy. But they ...

longer. He screamed, “Of what plan

mlo

Dr. Harrison’s voice

ered the poison went up to him and examined for a little time 101 his feet

le understanding Harrison, also kne

ards in this way, showed us that he was cold and stiff, and he afterwards approached him and

out his han

as weak upon the

” he breat

hooping cough,” Cub St

pupils of Hoffbein’s eyes dilate slightly. Bear Sterling’s eyes were pin points needling th

c alkaloid, or ptomaine, that is 102 formed in putrefaction

gan to squi

sumably combined with lactic acid is colorless

nd leaned close t

on who gave this ... drug ... r

ed his plump thu

of dynamite to destroy a city is that it will explode. Rathbone

d his thic

ology could have made it synthetically. A

rivately until after lunch. Men under a strain as long as this has been upon Ethridge and Dr. MacArthur are not at thei

turned fr

ed me, Mac

“One question before we go. Is

Sterling snapped. “Ther

orget! ... to run away and rest ... made Cub Sterling walk through the grou

down he

m a student nurse that Dr. James was at lunch and Dr. Mattus

ared, whose violet shades sung against the white pill

arette from between

d they quieted my nerves, so your shirt-tail is clear. She let me keep them.... I’ve been thinking

ode over to the bed. His features were flattening. His dark cu

is that I am a tremendously busy man. A Physician-in-Chief works! You are not the only patient in this hospital ... but God knows you are the most petulant! Spending all

owly. When Cub stopped for breath

joyed lying here for ninety-six hours having you throw up to me that the Attorney-General will pay my bills? Do you? There is a rumor that the Attorney-General is going to be i

’ I’ve got to hold my job to meet them and I’ve got to get out to do it! And a

ctedly and she covered

could see her body b

d for an ash-tray, saw none, and vacantly placed the cigarette between his own lips.

as banterin

the City Editor about you every day. Mistake was I ordered no visitors and no flowers and so you thought they had abandoned you. You may stay a month so far as they are concerned

0

ub cut his eye over the body and began talking again. He decided s

tte from his lips

ushed into the situation uninformed. I didn’t know whether you were the king’s mistress or the governor’s. I didn’t care a damn!

breasts became sl

nly one thing I will not do. I will not let you walk out of this hospital until I am absolutely sure that you are perfectly well.

ompletely. He sat

led the pillow beside her upon 107 the bed. Her eyes looked strai

offered to lend me money and d

eartily, and

’s because

anced and the

, will you com

s to his and nod

I may! As often

er lids and filled t

all

er raise her eyes to his again. When th

-a-l

room began cascading around her hair,

d she also knew that something which made her sick with joy was squirmin

108 table up, there’s not much extra space, you know ... but ... oh, by the way ... could

ghed jo

ce was

a knife and fork, ...

trouble you spoke ab

his features and his lef

worry about. Just ..

om under the covers and re

it

d he increased his p

cause everyth

rose a

urvey of the knife and fork situation. That pack

ng the pillows a

ging air and closed the door sec