“My name is Dr. Arun Ram. I just spoke with Dr. Shirley Schoener. She said you were imminently coming to New Delhi and are in the middle of an infertility cycle using hormones. She said you will need to have the size of your follicles followed and your estradiol blood levels checked.”

“That’s true. Thank you for calling. I expected to hear back from Dr. Schoener with some numbers so I would have to make the calls.”

“It is no bother. It was my suggestion, since Dr. Schoener said she had been just speaking with you. I wanted to let you know I would be honored to be of assistance. Dr. Schoener told me a little about you, and I am very impressed. There was a time in my early training when I aspired to become a forensic pathologist from watching American TV shows. Unfortunately, I became disenchanted. The facilities in this country are very bad because of our infamous bureaucracy.”

“That’s too bad. We need good people in the specialty, and India would be well served if the facilities and the field were improved.”

“Dr. Schoener had first called a colleague of mine, Dr. Daya Mishra, who is obviously a woman, if you would prefer. But Dr. Schoener said you were interested in someone with admitting privileges at the Queen Victoria Hospital, so Dr. Mishra recommended me.”

“I would be very grateful if you would see me. My husband and I have other business at the Queen Victoria Hospital, so it will be convenient.”

“When are you coming exactly?”

“We are leaving this evening from New York and scheduled to arrive in Delhi late Thursday night, October nineteenth, at twenty-two-fifty.”

“Where are you in this current infertility cycle?”

“Day seven, but more important, on Monday, Dr. Schoener estimated five days before the trigger shot should be given.”

“So the last time you were seen was Monday, and everything was fine.”

“Everything was fine.”

“Then I believe I need to see you Friday morning. What time would you prefer? Anytime is good since Friday is a research day and my calendar is clear.”

“I don’t know,” Laurie said. “How about eight a.m.”

“Eight a.m. it is,” Dr. Arun Ram said.

After terminating the call with Dr. Ram, Laurie called Shirley back and thanked her for the referral.

“You’ll like him,” Shirley said. “He’s very smart, has a great sense of humor and good stats.”

“One can’t ask for much more than that,” Laurie said before ringing off.

With all the calls out of the way, Laurie glanced briefly at her watch. It was time to head over to the company to which India had outsourced its visa service. She got out her and Jack’s passports from her briefcase and wedded them with the photos they’d had taken that morning.