service before I leave, and that’s going to become a real peeing contest - as you well know. Anyway, I’ve just started to recruit my own replacement, and it now looks like we’re both planning to leave paradise at about the same time now that the hospital is back on a sound financial track. That’s unless they plan to kill me before I can get out of harm’s way.”
“Bill, that’s exactly what my meeting with you is all about, she whispered. I think they do plan to kill you!”
Startled by what she’d just said, Bill stared out at the water speechless, as Mary grabbed his arm, shaking it to get his attention. “Bill, you know that Doc, like anyone else, must protect himself. If he even attempts to expose that Lanin clique - that damned Dinosaur Club would blackball him forever, but I’m sure you already know that. However, he’s willing to secretly talk to you in confidence - after we’ve had a chance to visit. So I guess we both need to talk to you off the record, and he asked me to find out if you’d be willing to keep his confidence, before he tells you anything about what’s really going on here.”
“Mary, you know Doc has my assurance of that,” Bill said to her, “and you can tell him that neither I nor Susan will abuse that confidence. I also understand what you’re trying to tell me, and I’m very appreciative. Hell, I’m really very thankful to you for what you’re telling me - but you need to know that there is much more behind this than meets the eye. To be very honest, I can’t share with you whether it’s a government investigation or not, but the Harrington and Associates have asked me to find out more about all these powerful doctor organizations that are intentionally cooperating with that Washington clique in de-regulating healthcare in America. We know a little bit about all these elite aristocracies trying to deregulate and decentralize our healthcare system through their monopolies, but they apparently include much more than health insurance and these corrupt pharmaceutical houses. Worse yet, they already have far too many politicians and corruptible physicians in their pocket, and believe me their pockets are very deep. But whoever they really are, they’re totally ignoring the medical ethics and the basic principles of our profession, let alone this country’s democracy we’ve held so sacred for so many years. Hell, this powerful aristocracy is completely caught up in an endless feeding frenzy, and they could care less about the working class that built this country. And there appears to be a new breed of doctors that are acting like a bunch of God damned Witch Doctors. Fascists use these same terror tactics to keep people confused while they get what they want, and that’s exactly what Lanin’s cronies are doing. They don’t want medicine to remain a professional science with standards. They just want to be a part of that wealthy upper crust that completely controls our dysfunctional politicians in Washington.”
“You sound just like Doc, Mary said finally grinning to relieve the tension. Bill, I’d like to tell Red that you told me in complete confidence that you’re investigating things for the government. I’d like to tell him the government sent you here to stop any takeover of this nonprofit hospital. It just may give you the time you need to get your butt out of here, before being killed.”
With that, tears once again filled her eyes - “Bill, I just don’t want you to get hurt,” she’d whispered softly.
“Alright - you can do that - but I have a favor to ask.”
Bill remembered how she looked at him and nodded, not knowing what that might be.
“Please don’t let Susan know that Lanin and Hinkley have me on their hit list.”
“That’ll be our secret,” she smiled, nodding to confirm their agreement.
* * * * *
After Susan and Doc returned from fishing, both Mary and Bill ran to check if they’d caught dinner, and once again Bill recalled Susan’s beautiful smile as she lifted a stringer of fresh Walleye out of the holding tank - but it also hurt him deeply to think back to those happy days.
“Guess who caught the first and the biggest Walleye?” she’d yelled, laying the fish down and diving into the cold lake.
“You shouldn’t have to perform surgery on Sunday, - I’ll filet them,” Bill remembered saying to Doc as he picked up the stringer and carried them to their fish-cleaning table where he made fast work of ten thick boneless filets, while the others changed for dinner. When Doc returned, Bill watched him soak the fresh filets in a mixture of milk and eggs before shaking them in a plastic bag filled with flour, salt and breadcrumbs - explaining all the time how an Indian guide had taught him how to make the best shore lunch in America. Then after melting a pound of lard in a huge skillet, they all watched each filet sizzle as he carefully lowered one filet at a time into the pan, which Bill recalled was spattering in every direction.
Mary had prepared everything but the main entree while Bill and Susan helped set the table as they snacked on some hors d’oeuvres, happily drinking and talking about Susan catching the largest Walleye. Then Bill remembered how Doc walked out on the deck and smugly rang a large silver dinner bell, yelling - “Let’s eat.”
It took only a few minutes for them to ravenously devour the delicious Walleye filets, and then as the sun began to inch closer to the horizon, Doc once again started the powerful diesels, pulling the boat off the beach. As the chill of the lake took over, he powered up the boat yelling, “We’ll have some warm coffee and dessert once we’re safely docked.” Slipping on their jackets, Mary, Susan and Bill found a comfortable place at the stern of the boat where they were protected from the wind, watching the rolling wake reflect a spectacular sunset. Then as the sun finally disappeared below the horizon, Doc carefully guided the boat along the stick-like markers back to that shaky dock. Bill could still remember that deathly silence when the diesels stopped - just before the sounds of the night once again felt it safe to take over as the frogs and crickets resumed their evening symphony. Even though they were protected from the wind, Mary hurriedly shut the cool evening air out by closing all the windows, before she served coffee and dessert.
After some casual conversation, Bill remembered how Doc held up one hand to get their attention.
“I apologize for changing the subject,” he’d explained, “but Mary’s probably told Bill that we’ll be leaving North Dakota in January, and the hospital will need to hire a new Nursing Director and a new General Surgeon. Mary and I have talked an awful lot about our retirement years, and I’ve concluded that if we’re to ever enjoy retirement, we need to do it now. I’ve been fighting these Dinosaurs for so long, I’m completely exhausted, and I need to get away from it all. I also have some real fears about what’s going on with these healthcare monopolies, and both you and Susan need to hear some of my concerns.” And as he looked at Bill he whispered, “I hope that what I’m going to tell you will somehow protect you and your family.”
That caught Susan’s attention as Doc paused, taking a quick Scandinavian swig of scalding hot coffee.
“Bill, you’re one of the best damn administrators I’ve ever seen, and I can’t stand to see you get trapped by that stupid-ass Lanin. But let me start by saying it’s very important for me that no one knows what I’m about to share with you.”
“Both Susan and I can assure you of that,” Bill answered as he looked to Susan for approval.
Then after Susan nodded rather cautiously, Doc continued.
“All right, let me tell you I’ve been under some severe pressure to sell my practice to Lanin’s clinic, and I’ve never caved in to his demands before, because I consider his clique to be the biggest conglomerate of corrupt ass-holes on the face of the earth. There’s no one at that damned clinic you could ever trust, and as you already know, many new physicians are either run out of town by their boycotting, or they
