CHAPTER 21
Bart tapped his pencil on the desk. “So, Doctor, let me get this straight. What you’re telling me is that you don’t know.”
“Now that’s not exactly what I said. What I said was, I can’t explain it.”
“Explain, know, what’s the diff?”
“The difference is that I know what’s going on, I just can’t explain why it’s happening.”
Bart sighed, dropped his pencil on the desk, and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. “Alright, tell me again. But simple English please. All those big terms you used before fly over my head. I’m only an accountant, not a medical scientist.”
He watched and read the man’s anger as the doctor paused to glare at him. Fine. Let him be pissed off. I don’t care. “Well?”
“It’s like I said before. For some reason, when I took my readings with the electroencephalograph, the rapid fluctuations of voltage, between parts of the cerebral cortex, that are detectable, are at an accelerated rate. In short, her brain waves are greatly enhanced. Her mind is operating at an incredible speed. This has resulted in other aspects of her physique also benefitting from an enhanced pace. Like her health. Those parts of her body designed to correct deficiencies in her system are operating at such a level, she is the picture of perfect health. The only quirk is she’s put on better than twenty pounds since her pre-flight weigh in, but damned if I can see where.”
“So, what…she’s some kind of super woman?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
He returned to a normal sitting position and picked up the doctor’s file. “Okay, leave this with me. Have you told her yet?”
“I was going to do that next.”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t at this time—at least for a couple of days. Give me a chance to investigate this from my end. Will that make a difference to her?”
The doctor pulled at his chin, obviously in thought. “No, I don’t think so. If anything, she should only get better. But at some point, I need to tell her. I have a duty.”
“Fine. It’s our little secret for now. Two days is all I ask. Then you can tell her and all the world to your heart’s content.”
The doctor exited Bart’s office and he reached for the phone. “Yeah, Frank? Can you come see me in my office? Just come see me.”
He picked up his pencil and began the drumming once more as he waited for Frank. It was only a matter of moments before the research head came into his office. He rose, switched the pencil into his left hand, and offered a handshake. “Sit down, sit down. We need to talk.”
After Frank gave him a weak handshake, he sat in the empty chair across from Bart’s desk, but avoided eye contact. Did he know about Brooke’s condition already? No. The doctor said I was the only one who knew. So what’s bugging him? “How are things going, Frank? I haven’t had a chance to go over your reports lately.”
Frank hesitated before answering. “I’m sorry, Bart. My apologies for not coming to you sooner.”
Now his curiosity was really piqued. The pencil back in his right hand, he had been drumming again but he stopped. “Sooner? What am I missing here?”
Frank wrung his hands. “It’s Brooke. I should have told you. But I was afraid those guys from Drumdat would show up again.”
“Why? What did Brooke do? Did she hide something from them?”
“No. Nothing of the sort. It’s just…well…she’s completely rebuilt the file—from scratch.”
“From scratch? What do you mean from scratch?”
“Just that. She’s managed to recall every aspect of the methanogens from Mars. Right down to the smallest detail. I didn’t think it was humanly possible. No one can recall that much. I don’t know if it’s all accurate, but the rest of the staff combined couldn’t refute any of it. They think she’s bang on. So we’ve been running hypothetical analyses on them ever since.”
He placed his finger on his lips in contemplation and started drumming again. He sighed. “Okay, Frank. It’s okay. After what the doctor told me about her freakish physical health, I’m not surprised. You keep working with that data. I don’t think Drumdat’s boys have a claim to it. But let’s keep this under wraps for a couple of days. And your staff as well.”
“Will do. Mum’s the word.”
Frank got up and excused himself. As the door closed, Bart threw his pencil in the air. As it hit and clattered across his desk, he rose and left his office. He waved to his secretary. “I’m going down to the cafeteria for a coffee.”
He trudged in, grabbed a coffee, and while he was at it, a jelly doughnut. These will be the death of me. Looking for somewhere to sit, he spotted Jesse Cain and Robert Tangler at a table not too far off. He moved near. “Mind if I join you gentlemen?”
Jesse pulled one of the chairs out. “Sure thing, Bart. How’re things at the upper end? You still fighting for pennies with Congress?”
“If they made them anymore, I’d take them, what with the price of copper these days.”
Robert laughed then pointed at his doughnut. “You know, those things are going to be the death of you. You need to eat smart.”
Bart took a bite. “Mmm, they still taste good. You know, that’s exactly what I was just thinking. You must be a mind reader.”
Robert held up his hands in a defensive posture. “You’re looking at the wrong person. You should try Brooke for that skill.”
His hand halfway back toward his mouth for another bite of his doughnut, Bart froze it where it was. Could it be true? “Reading a man’s mind is a simple thing. The female sex has been doing it since Adam and Eve. They call it woman’s intuition. My wife knows the second I’ve done something wrong.”
“Hmm…I don’t think so. We were having dinner and it seemed every time I thought of something, she said it.”
“And she does this all the time?”
“No, just the one night. It was kind of spooky, really. I’m thinking it was a freak thing.”
Jesse leaned in. “What’s freaky is how quickly she recovered from the trip. I’m only now getting my legs back, and it’s been months. She was out dancing her first night home.”
Robert gave his elbow a nudge. “That’s not true. She didn’t leave the base for a week. She had to go through the same recovery program you did.”
“Yeah, but that’s just it. She’s out in a week. Maybe less. It takes time, and you know it.”
Robert slumped in his chair and took a sip of coffee.
Jesse sighed. “I’m sorry, Rob. I didn’t mean it that way.”
The report on Tangler’s condition popped into Bartholomew’s head. “It’s been two years now, Robert. How is the recovery coming?”
“Doc says I’ve gained point oh four percent bone mass over the last six months. So I suppose that’s something.” Robert reached to put his coffee cup back on the table, fumbled it, and it spilled. He tossed the empty on the table. “Oh hell, you know my stats. There’s no sense bullshitting anybody. I’m not getting better. Okay?”
Jesse rose, placed his hands on the Robert’s shoulders and started to rub. “Easy, Rob. I shouldn’t have blurted out like that. We all know what you’re going through.”
Bartholomew patted Robert’s forearm. “Have faith. You know we’ll move mountains to help you.”
Robert pulled away. “Yeah, well you better get Brooke to help you there, too.”
Bart sat back and sighed. “I can understand you being a little jealous, but be happy she is healthy. After what she went through, it could have been a lot worse. She almost died out there.”
“No, you don’t understand. Listen, Brooke would have my nuts if I told you this, but the other day, I could have sworn I saw her move the salt shaker without touching it. Promise me you won’t say anything.”
Now how did Frank put it? “Mum’s the word, Robert. Mum’s the word.” He rose. “Well, gentlemen, my doughnut’s done and I need to get back on the job. Take care of yourselves. America needs its heroes alive and well.”
He turned and headed back toward his office. And the hits just keep on coming. So what next, she can fly?
Comments (0)
See all