The Return of Doctor X Page #2

- That's right.

Did you ever hear of a person surviving

with a deep knife wound about there?

Well, friend, I'd say it's impossible.

But maybe the wound wasn't

as deep as you thought it was.

No, it was at least four inches.

And it was as clean as if

you'd done it with your scalpel.

- Me?

- No, I don't mean you,

but it did look as if it

had been done by a surgeon.

And then the corpse got

up and walked away, eh?

Oh, Mike...

Give me an even break, will you? I

know it sounds as crazy as a loon.

You probably think I'm

the one that's crazy.

But I'm on the level.

I'd take an oath.

If what you say is true, even if

the heart puncture didn't kill her,

- she'd bleed to death.

- That's it.

That's what made the

body look so peculiar.

I never saw a corpse

that color before.

- What color?

- Absolutely dead white.

It looked as if every ounce of blood

had been drained out of her body.

Extreme pallor setting in within

ten minutes. I've never heard of it.

Well, you're hearing about it now.

And when I saw her in the boss' office

she looked exactly as

when I saw her as a corpse.

Clammy.

- Yes?

- Dr. Flegg has arrived, sir.

Thank you, I'll be right there.

I'll tell you what I'll do, Walt.

I'll speak to Dr. Flegg about it.

He's usually in a pretty

decent mood before an operation.

And if anybody can give you an answer,

when it comes to hematology, it's Flegg.

- Hematology?

- Yeah, the science of the blood.

Stick around awhile, will you?

I ain't got any place to

go except back to Wichita.

- Don't forget to ask Flegg, now, will you?

- Right.

Thanks, Mike, I'll give you a full

column write-up for this someday.

- Rodgers get here all right?

- No, Doctor, he still hasn't shown up.

What's the matter with him?

It's time for the operation.

Call his apartment again.

You won't forget to

ask Dr. Flegg about it?

Yeah, yeah, I'll remember. Now go

ahead and get a magazine and relax.

Walnut 43701.

I can't understand what's

the matter with Rodgers.

He's never disappointed us before.

- Well?

- No.

I can try and get

another donor for you.

Can't find another number one

blood type as easily as that.

There are only seven people

in a hundred in group one.

Notify the superintendent.

- Dr. Rhodes?

- Yes?

I was tested last week when

I first came to the hospital.

- I'm in group one.

- You're sure, Nurse?

She's right, Doctor.

Dr. Baum made the test.

I'd be willing to help if I could.

Hey, Mike, you better hurry

up, Flegg's liable to walk out.

- You know him.

- Right, coming.

Take Nurse Vance to surgery and prepare

for transfusion. I'll see you there.

All right, Nurse, come with me.

- Frightened?

- No.

- Ever done this before?

- No.

You'll probably be a

little weak when we finish.

I won't mind.

- Everything ready?

- Yes, Dr. Flegg.

- Took you long enough.

- Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Very well.

I thought you were

going to have Rodgers.

We weren't able to reach him, sir.

- Start the transfusion.

- Right.

- Fine job, Dr. Flegg.

- Yes, worked out rather neatly.

Saved that patient's life.

You're the only man

that could have done it.

Interesting stuff, blood.

Make a thorough study of it, Rhodes.

It's important enough for you

to devote your whole life to it.

I've been doing some research,

not nearly as much as I'd like to.

Good. Stick to it.

It's going to transform the

entire future of surgery.

The day is coming when man

will be able to control blood.

And when that time does arrive,

he'll be able to control his destiny.

Blood is the source of life.

Remember the Bible.

"And the life, which

is the blood thereof. "

Hadn't you better take

a look at your donor?

Oh, yes, yes sir.

- By the way, who is she?

- Girl by the name of Vance,

one of the new student nurses.

- Doctor?

- Yes?

Would you say it's possible

for a person to survive with

a deep incision at the

base of the thoracic aorta?

Why do you ask?

A friend of mine thought

he knew of such a case.

Ridiculous. Tell him to

change his brand of liquor.

- Oh, hello, Doctor.

- Feel a little weak?

I can take it.

I think you better rest an hour or so.

- Drink any of this?

- Not yet.

Here, take it down in one

big gulp. It'll pick you up.

- What is it?

- Come on, drink it.

It's pretty swell of

you to help us out.

- It's part of a nurse's education.

- That's the right spirit.

Say, why haven't I seen you before?

You never looked before.

I guess I've been missing something.

Just one more thing. I have an important

operation scheduled for tomorrow evening

and I'd like your

assistance. Are you free?

- Yes, Doctor.

- Good.

I think you'd better

wear another outfit.

Evening gown. We're going dancing.

I'd like to very much.

But, you know, we nurses...

Yes, I know, Rules for Nurses number

114, "Keep away from staff physicians. "

What's the good of rules

if no one breaks them?

Well, what did Dr. Flegg have to say?

He thought you ought to be more

discriminating in your choice of hooch.

Mike, cut it out, now,

will you? This is serious.

- I'm out of a job.

- Dr. Rhodes.

- Yes?

- Excuse me, I have a message for you.

You're wanted at 438

Gore Street right away.

- The police called.

- The police?

- Yes, Doctor, they said it was very urgent.

- Thanks.

- What's up, Mike?

- I don't know yet.

Look me up next week

when you sober up.

Oh no. Where go the

police, there go I.

I'm Dr. Rhodes. The officer

downstairs sent me up.

Yes, sir. Go right in.

- Dr. Rhodes.

- Come in, Doc.

- Oh, hi, Lieutenant.

- Who asked for you?

Oh, have a heart, will you, Kincaid?

A guy makes a mistake once in awhile.

- What do you got here?

- Now take it easy, big shot.

- He a friend of yours?

- Yeah.

Well, since you're an

ex-reporter, I guess it's okay.

Doc, come here a minute.

You know this fellow?

That's Stanley Rodgers.

How did this happen?

Come here.

You mind telling me what this means?

Yes, simply a memorandum

of an appointment

he had this morning at the hospital.

- An appointment for what?

- A blood transfusion.

- He was a professional blood donor.

- Hey, Mike, come here.

Look at this guy. Look at

his face and look at his body.

- Why, there's no color.

- Yeah.

That's exactly the way Merrova looked

when I found her in her bedroom.

And I suppose this

geezer's alive, too.

Well, I'll tell you,

Lieutenant, there's pro and con.

- Well, Doctor?

- The blood's been drained out of the body.

I know that, but where is it?

That's what I want to find out.

There's only a few stains around.

- I don't know.

- Well, maybe I can help you.

That operation at the hospital

this morning. Did you perform it?

No, Dr. Flegg did. He's one

of our blood specialists.

- But you do operate?

- Why, yes.

Did you take a good close

look at that wound, Doctor?

Yes. Yes, I did.

The coroner tells me

that man wasn't stabbed,

he was operated on with

a surgical instrument.

And by someone who knew how to use it.

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