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.But as the lab business grows we will increase your salary until you're back up there and beyond/'"And what is my new salary?""We feel twenty-two thousand would be more in keeping with the job.Naturally, as a stockholder you'll also be entitled to any bonuses or shareholder salary increases."There but for one word they would have had her."Shareholder".Nathan didn't get all the stock with his buy-out.He only got her father's shares.With his original twenty-five percent, plus her father's sixty-five percent, there was still ten percent unaccounted for—the ten percent her father had given to her.Don't panic, live to fight another day.She forced a smile."I guess I'd better get to work."She could see they were disappointed in her reaction.Good, that's how she wanted them.She did not go back to the linen closet for a nurse's uniform.Those days were over.Instead, she went straight to the lab.The technicians looked up when she walked in.Nobody seemed surprised at her demotion, and while she was gone they had moved her things from her office to a corner desk with two windows.Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend more time here.Lab work had always been her favorite part of the practice anyway."Are you okay?"Looking up she saw Gladys, one of the technicians, standing in front of her desk."Of course." And then, changing the subject, "what's happening on that police work Nathan mentioned?""The sperm sample from the dead girl, one of the teenagers missing from South Philly?""Cou1d be," said Missy."Terri DiFranco's her name.They're all done, but Dr.Pollack wants to sign the report himself in case the police should need his testimony."Of course, anything to get his name in the paper, she thought but did not say."What else do we have, Grace?""There's a patient in number two examining room.Dr.Pollack wants you to see him."The patient, dressed in work clothes and boots, was reading a copy of the morning edition of the Globe A lunchbox and hardhat were next to him on the examining table.His chart said that his name was Roland Morris and that he was there for a sperm count.When he looked up from his newspaper uneasiness and surprise crossed his face.She was accustomed to dealing with patients embarrassed at dealing with a woman.She introduced herself and said, "Mr.Morris, your chart says that you're here for a sperm count.Do you have a sample of your semen?""Uh, yeah, sure."He opened his lunchbox and brought out a small jar that contained about a teaspoonful of white liquid.The substantial volume was a possible but not certain indicator of a low sperm count.She held up the jar to the light and noted that the contents were separating."Mr.Morris, when did you do this?""Last night.just before I went to bed.""And where did you keep the jar last night?""In the refrigerator.The lady I spoke to said it would be all right."She didn't ask which lady.That was no longer her job, at least for a while.Instead, she went across the small examining room and took a fresh vial from beside the sink."I'm afraid we're going to need another sample.""You mean right now?""I'm afraid so.For us to do an accurate test we need a fresh sample, not more than an hour old, and one that's been kept warm not cold.It's kind of like hatching eggs.Everything's got to be warm or it doesn't work.""Where do you want me to do it?" he said, the sound of Waterloo in his voice."Right here.I'll leave the room and when you're finished just bring it back to the lab.I'll do the work and Dr."—she looked down at the chart that listed the name of one of the younger physicians—"Dr.Baker will give you the results."Walking back to the lab with the old sample in her hand, she was tempted to take the fresh one and smear it on the toilet seat just before Beverly used it, then listen to her try to explain a black baby to Nathan.While she waited for her patient she called her mother.Careful not to say too much with people around, she merely asked if she could come out for a drink in the evening.Her mother said, "Yes, of course," but there was a moment of hesitation, as if she were going to have to rearrange some plans to accommodate her.Next, she called Felix, reaching him at his construction site.She told him that she had to see her mother early in the evening, but would he come over for a drink later, around midnight? He agreed, although he seemed a bit distant.Must be because he was on the job, she decided.Some ten minutes later her patient was back in the lab with a fresh sample.She sent him back to the waiting room and got to work.She was humming as she poured the fresh sperm into a small graduated cylinder to measure its volume in cc's, then checked the pH balance to determine if it was acidic or alkaline.It was mildly alkaline.Next she placed a drop on a slide and checked the motility of the sperm under the microscope.Noting that approximately seventy percent were active, she turned her attention to the morphology, the shape of the sperms, which gave the configuration of the heads.Sperm with small heads, pinheads as the technicians called them, tended to be too weak to fertilize an egg.Not the case here.She skipped the vicosity test, feeling sure it would properly liquify in an hour but not wanting to spend the time.Then she diluted the sample with five grams of sodium carbonate, one milliliter of Formalin and enough distilled water to bring the liquid to a volume of one hundred cc's, inactivating the sperm so that they could be counted.The count came to slightly over eighty million, which was on the low-normal side.Coupled with the mild alkaline quality, this could explain the family's conception problem.If they were lucky, all that would be necessary for the wife to get pregnant would be to douche with a mild solution of baking soda and water before intercourse.Missy was just finishing the report when her phone rang.It was Kate, the receptionist: "There are two policemen out here about some lab work.""Oh? Well, have them wait a moment," and she sent Gladys out to bring them back to the lab.Both men were in plainclothes—one balding, the other stocky.The balding one introduced himself as Lieutenant Sloan, and the stocky one as Detective Evans."What can I do for you, gentlemen?""We're here for the lab work on Terri DiFranco [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]