Chapter 51: A Hell Of A Mess

January 19, 1997, Chicago, Illinois

“So what did you tell her?” Kara asked as we walked to get Jessica from the hospital.

“That I’d think about it,” I replied.

“Because neither of the girls is your ‘type’?”

“That’s not the issue at all, Kara! You know me better than that!”

“Sorry,” she replied, “but I think it IS like that. There’s a difference between bonding and dalliances. With bonding, you wouldn’t take that into account. For dalliances, you usually do. Liz is the exception.”

“I have a preference,” I replied, “but it’s not absolute, and Liz is the prime example. And that’s not the issue at all in this case. It’s whether or not it’s a good idea. I think the issue in my mind is that if it developed naturally, after a few months at the Rap Session, that would be different. Which is another reason I wanted to put off the ‘sex talk’ until a couple of months down the road.

“In this case, the issue is Mattie setting it up. I know I agreed to Claire’s request with Mattie, and it was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed myself with her, AND with Becka. But what I keep coming back to in my mind is the situation with Melanie and Jennifer in High School. I get that Mattie wanted to talk to her friends about her experience, but those flashbacks to High School bug me.”

“Did you tell Mattie not to do it?”

“No,” I replied. “And I didn’t tell Claire or Becka not to do it, either. Which was probably my mistake. Or, maybe,” I chuckled, “I didn’t WANT to tell them not to!”

“Now THAT is the Snuggle Bear I know and love!” Kara said with a soft laugh. “And honestly, do you think those girls could get a really good first time from High School boys?”

“Is that MY responsibility?”

“No, but they obviously are looking for something they haven’t found. I’m guessing most of the boys they’re around are like Benji.”

“Probably,” I replied. “I suspect I might have been like him without Melanie and Jennifer.”

“And your goal with the Rap Sessions is to inoculate them against the pervasive culture?”

“Not literally!” I chuckled. “And THAT was not the point of the Rap Sessions.”

“Wasn’t it at least part of it? A way to meet girls who might be potential dalliances? You’ve sort of run out of girls, so to speak.”

“Yes and no,” I replied. “You know I’ve been with several new girls, including a few virgins, without anyone trying to set me up.”

“Are you struggling again?”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Not with dalliances, but with other people trying to set them up.”

“But did Mattie set it up, or was she just the messenger?”

“Just the messenger, according to her. That’s why I said I’d think about it instead of saying ‘no’ right away.”

“So?”

“I think I’m going to tell her they have to come ask me themselves.”

“And if they do?”

“I’ll talk to them,” I replied. “And make an individual decision.”

We arrived at the hospital just as Jessica was walking out, and after hugs and kisses, the three of us headed for home, hand-in-hand-in-hand.

“How was the Rap Session?” Jessica asked.

“Very similar to the one we had with Jorge about lies,” I replied. “It was a good start. I didn’t want to get too involved the first session. We’ll work our way up to more serious topics over time.”

“Walk before you run?”

“Exactly. How was work today?”

“Quiet. I spent most of my shift grading papers and reading medical journals. The big excitement was a jelly bean up a kid’s nose.”

I chuckled, “A boy, right?”

“Of course! Little girls seem to be less prone to shoving stuff up their noses or in their ears.”

“How bad?”

“He’d really jammed it up there, so it took some time to figure out the best way to get it without surgery, but we got it. The ENT Resident was pissed because he didn’t get to do a procedure.”

“You surgeons just LOVE to cut stuff!” I teased.

“I was the one who said ‘no’!” Jessica protested. “I knew we could get it without surgery, and we did!”

“Touchy, touchy,” I chuckled.

“Careful, or I’ll introduce YOU to my scalpel, Tiger!”

“And ruin your favorite part of me?”

“I’m not THAT dumb, Tiger! But there are plenty of parts you don’t need!”

“May I keep them all, please?” I asked.

“If you promise to never, ever tease me again!”

“Uh-huh,” I chuckled. “I’m not even sure I can promise not to tease you for the next five minutes!”

“He’s right, Jess,” Kara said. “He’s worse than Jesse!”

“I am NOT!”

“Are too!” my wives chimed back together.

“I’m going to ask Birgit’s opinion,” I declared.

“Oh, puh-lease,” Kara groaned, “that child would say you walked on water if you were drowning!”

“Is that MY fault?” I asked.

“Yes!” both of my wives declared simultaneously.

“Hmph. I know where I’m loved!”

“I think we hurt his feeling, Jess,” Kara teased.

“Feeling? Singular?” Jessica asked.

“He’s a MAN,” Kara smirked. “One feeling is about all they have!”

“That tears it!” I growled. “Floggers!”

“Oooh,” Kara cooed, “I love a growling tiger!”

“Works every time,” I smirked.

They both dropped my hands and slugged me hard on opposite shoulders. We were at the house, so we went up the steps, went inside, and joined the family for dinner.

January 24, 1997, Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois

“This is a hell of a mess,” Howard said when we sat down in the Officer’s Mess at Great Lakes.

“I’m not going to dispute that or try to sugar coat it,” I replied. “But I would like you to consider using a strategy I came up with when you take this to the full board.”

“I’ll listen, Steve, but I have to keep my own counsel on this.”

I nodded, “I understand.”

“Then go on.”

I explained what I’d said to Al about my goals and how I felt they could best be achieved. Howard was quiet the entire time, listening. When I finished, it was more than a minute before he spoke.

“Maybe,” he said. “Maybe. The vacation idea is going to be a tough sell.”

“I honestly think if you play the PR angle, you’ll be able to convince enough Board members. The Board can say that they’re ‘on leave’ until the investigation is complete. The other thing this does is prevent legal action because a suspension will lead to an immediate lawsuit, and neither you nor I can predict how that will turn out, except for one important thing.”

“Bad press all around,” Howard replied.

“And remember,” I replied, “in a civil suit it’s preponderance of evidence. That means a thorough examination of the record, comparing Jessica’s records with every other Resident and Attending. Trust me, nobody wants THAT dragged into public.”

“Careful, Steve,” Howard cautioned.

“I’m just stating facts. I know Jessica’s record is unmatched, and while part of it is luck, she’s never been on the wrong side of a case in an M&M where she was running the trauma. And remember who it was who made the new ER happen. Yes, they’re father and daughter, yes, it might look bad, but in the end, what looks worse?”

“I agree with you on how it looks, but nepotism is a real issue.”

I nodded, “I know. And I also know, because I read through the policies, there is no official policy at UofC which prohibits it. And I know there have been similar situations in the past, albeit public. But, they didn’t violate any policy. And in the end, THAT is where the hospital loses if we go to the mattresses.”

“You know they’ll write a policy immediately.”

“Of course. Policies get written in response to situations like this. And the Board will approve of Jessica working in the ER, with her supervisor being the Chief Surgeon, instead of Al. It’s done that way in other hospitals with spouses, siblings, or a parent and child. Remember, the Match gives preference to married couples to Match to the same city, which often means the same hospital. Clearly, this kind of thing is not only not strictly forbidden, but permitted AND supported by the Match.”

“You’ve done your homework.”

“I’ve been with Jess for over twelve years now, so I’ve learned a few things. And I was with her when she went through the Match. But there’s more to consider.”

“What’s that?”

“You can’t forget all of the OTHER relationships which occur in the hospital. I’m hardly one to throw stones or cast aspersions, but we all know that supervising doctors sleep with Residents and medical students. It’s a fact. Everyone turns a blind eye to that unless there is a complaint, and even then, it’s hushed up. It’s an open secret in the medical community, but not something which gets publicized.”

“Be very careful, Steve.”

“Come on, Howard! You know how this blows up if they try to discipline Jessica in any serious way. I’m not making threats here, I’m simply pointing out the facts about what WILL happen. We both know it, and we both know you have to make that point to the Board because your job, ultimately, is to protect the hospital and ensure it can continue its mission.”

“But still,” he protested, shaking his head.

“Howard, I suggested Malik Washington speak to you because I knew you’d calmly evaluate this and think it through. And consider every angle. Without being dramatic or overly-excited.”

“Logistics isn’t exactly a place you want excitement.”

“Do you know ANYONE in the Navy, except pilots, who WANTS it to be exciting? When it’s exciting, it’s usually because some idiot is shooting at you or your friends!”

“True,” Howard replied. “That was Nick’s point about military strength. Being the strongest is the only way to ensure you don’t have to actually fight. The flaw in Nick’s thinking, meaning no disrespect, was that when you have a strong military, some idiot politician is going to want to use it to prove he’s got a bigger dick than some other politician.”

“I’ve been fighting what amount to a ‘dick size’ wars for years, and not by my own choosing.”

“That asshole who used to own the test engineering company?”

“That’s the one. And the lawyer who was my nemesis until the Outfit decided he’d outlived his usefulness to them.”

“That was crazy! With regard to your nemesis, I know some F-14 and F-18 drivers who would probably happily take care of him for you, if you could get him to take a trip to the Middle East!”

“Tempting,” I chuckled. “So, what do you think?”

“I’ll have to call for an emergency meeting of the Hospital Board and we’ll take it from there.”

“Al’s not going to make any excuses,” I replied. “He’s going to rely on his spotless record.”

“Except for hiding the fact that he’s Jessica’s dad,” Howard said flatly.

“Obviously, but he’s coming forward himself, which ought to count for something.”

“It would have been better to have done so when Jessica entered medical school.”

“Again, obviously; but unless you have a time machine listed on one of your forms, and you can order one for us, that ship sailed long ago.”

“If one existed,” he replied with a deep sigh, “I’d already have used it.”

I nodded, knowing he meant he’d have gone back and prevented Nick’s death, something I, despite my deep dislike for time travel in stories, would have done immediately and without a concern for what a world where Nick Evans was still alive might look like.

“Give it your best shot, Howard. I know it’s going to be tough, but Jess and Al are too good for the medical community to lose over what is, if you look at it from a medical perspective, really a minor error on Al’s part.”

“I know that’s your take, Steve, and I can see your point. I’m just not sure the Hospital Board will see it that way.”

“That’s where Malik, Abe, Gina, Sally, and the other doctors come in with regard to Al, and Neela and the other doctors who trained Jess. Just give them your support, and consider what we discussed about PR.”

“I’ll do my best, but you know I have to look out for the hospital - that’s my duty as a member of the Board.”

“I agree. And what’s best for the hospital in this case is the same as what’s best for Jess and Al.”

“As I’ve said, your point isn’t unreasonable; I just don’t know that it will carry the day. And you can’t make it yourself.”

“Why do you think I’m sitting here, Commander?”

“Oh, I know. And I know how you operate. Just don’t get cute, or you could really mess things up.”

I nodded and didn’t reply, because Howard was alluding to the fact that a lot of people owed me favors of one sort or another, and he knew as well as I did, that I was going to call them in.

We finished our lunch, shook hands, and I left Great Lakes to head back to the office.

January 25, 1997, Chicago, Illinois

When I arrived at Bucktown Bistro on Saturday morning for breakfast with the men, Howard pulled me aside.

“The emergency meeting is set for Monday evening. A number of directors will have to attend by conference call.”

I nodded, “That makes sense. How did you frame the topic?”

“That a senior physician had brought a serious concern to me and that it needed the Board’s immediate attention. I demurred on saying what it was or who it was, because the physician wanted to present the issue to the entire Hospital Board directly.”

“What about getting them the information that Malik is going to submit?”

“It’ll have to be sent via FedEx on Tuesday. I don’t see any way of it not leaking before the meeting if it’s in the hand of a score of people. And you know there are a couple of directors who are unhappy with Al chasing off their choice for medical director.”

“You mean the man who was going to make cronyism the standard for bringing in Attending physicians? That guy?”

“You’ve been in the business world long enough to know that’s how it works, and those directors are businessmen.”

I nodded, “It’s one thing to hire a programmer I know because I like them and think they work well with my team. It’s a very different thing to hire an ER Attending! If one of my programmer friends screws up, nobody dies. With doctors, as with other professions where lives are at stake, it HAS to be credentials and skills, not friendships. And yes, I KNOW that’s the problem with nepotism in the general case, but in THIS specific case, we’re talking about the best young trauma surgeon in the country and one of the best senior trauma surgeons in the country.”

“You don’t have to sell me,” Howard said. “We know which admirals got their flags because they know the right politicians and which ones we’d want to follow into combat.”

“I hear you. The difference between, say, Admiral Bravo and Admiral Chegwidden?”

“The new CBS version of JAG looks to be a whole lot better than the old NBC one. I take it you’ve watched the three new episodes?”

“Yes. And I agree it’s better, at least so far. I hear the Navy is cooperating.”

Howard nodded, “On an episode-by-episode, script-by-script basis. Rumor has it they’re filming next season on several active warships.”

“Cool. Let me know if you need anything for Monday.”

“That’s all up to Doctor Washington. I’m just the facilitator.”

“What do you think the chances are this stays under wraps?”

“What do you think? You know the situation, and you have your theory about keeping things secret.”

I nodded, “I do.”

We went to join the rest of the men for breakfast, but I didn’t talk much because I was thinking about how best to deal with the inevitable leaks that were most likely going to come from Al’s enemies on the Hospital Board. When we finished breakfast, I walked out into the light snow, got into my BMW and headed home. I thought about swinging by the hospital to let Jessica know what Howard had told me, but I figured that could wait until she got home.

“The meeting is Monday night,” I said to Kara when I got home.

“Does Jess know?”

I shrugged, “I’m not sure. Obviously, Malik has to know because he’s going to be there. I’d guess he told Al, but Al doesn’t usually work weekends, and I doubt he’d call Jessica to tell her. I think it’s best to wait until she gets home rather than have her thinking about it all day with nobody to talk to.”

“She’s a nervous wreck.”

“I know, but she’s held it together just fine at the hospital. She’s in full ‘Doctor Jessica’ mode, and even though she’s been a bit too much like that at home, I don’t want to do or say anything which will cause her to crack.”

“What does Howard think will happen?”

“He can’t be sure, which is pretty much where all of us are at the moment. I think my strategy is good, but I’m concerned about a few directors who don’t like Al, and I expect them to leak the story in the most unflattering way possible.”

“What can you do about that?”

“I’m not sure I can do anything, really.”

I had considered having a talk with Stan Jakes at the Trib, but that had all sorts of potential pitfalls and might actually do more harm than good. BUT, if the story was going to get out, then the Trib would have to write something. That meant, at a minimum, I needed to give Stan Jakes a complete copy of the records Malik was going to submit. I had a copy, because I’d wanted to review everything with Jessica, and Al had obliged.

The record was even more impressive than I’d thought, and the only blemish on Al’s record was the period when he was drinking heavily and womanizing, but what was in the official record was very limited - simply a reference to his mentor counseling him on ‘lifestyle choices’. The only blemish on Jessica’s record was her time in Maine, but the records relating to that incident were quite clear - she had committed no medical errors.