BooksBarbecue
Back Going Under
Chapters (70)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. DEDICATION
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I BIRTH
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. PART II LIFE
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. PART III DEATH
  42. THIRTY-FIVE
  43. THIRTY-SIX
  44. THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. THIRTY-NINE
  47. FORTY
  48. FORTY-ONE
  49. FORTY-TWO
  50. FORTY-THREE
  51. FORTY-FOUR
  52. FORTY-FIVE
  53. FORTY-SIX
  54. FORTY-SEVEN
  55. FORTY-EIGHT
  56. FORTY-NINE
  57. FIFTY
  58. FIFTY-ONE
  59. FIFTY-TWO
  60. FIFTY-THREE
  61. FIFTY-FOUR
  62. FIFTY-FIVE
  63. FIFTY-SIX
  64. FIFTY-SEVEN
  65. FIFTY-EIGHT
  66. FIFTY-NINE
  67. SIXTY
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  70. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is the problem with medicine. Too many decisions are made in big meetings by doctors who have never met the patient. They look at pictures and read blood results, but they have no idea who the patient is or even what they look like. I wonder how Mrs Wilde would feel if she and her husband had to drive all the way back to the west of the middle of nowhere after being told that no one is prepared to operate.

‘The tumour IS very close to eloquent brain,’ the Shark says, glancing at Dr Prince, then back at the MRI. ‘What if he wakes up and you’ve destroyed his short-term memory?’

This is a loaded question. Everyone knows that there was a big complication earlier in the year and the mud is still being slung. Everything is suddenly very quiet. I try not to breathe too loudly. I look over at Dr Prince.

‘Well?’ The Shark smiles, and the tension in the room increases. I’m reminded of hyenas circling a wounded tiger.

Dr Prince looks at the MRI, considering. He clears his throat.

The Shark’s lip curls slightly in anticipation.

‘I’d definitely have to make sure I had a coffee before the operation,’ Dr Prince says seriously.

I snort into my quiche and try to turn it into a cough as the Shark glares.

‘I don’t think the executive would take kindly to another big complication,’ he says darkly. ‘If you operate and make him ECOG 2 he won’t even be able to tolerate chemorads. Then where will we be left? Tread carefully, Jack.’

I don’t understand the neurosurgical jargon, but I’m in no doubt as to the barely veiled threat left hanging in the air. I sneak a look at Dr Prince, whose face is completely expressionless.

‘I think it’s worth going in with the ventriculoscope,’ he says evenly.

The Shark’s only response to this is to nod tersely.

After the meeting, I’m walking along the corridor back to the ward when I notice someone has fallen into step beside me.

‘What do you think, Katarina?’ Dr Prince asks. ‘What would you do?’

I feel momentarily disappointed that we’re back to Katarina, not Kitty, then remember I’m an idiot and answer the question. ‘Well, seeing as I’m an expert …’ I say with a grin, then, anger rising, ‘I think it’s shit that they can make all these decisions and write him off so quickly when they’ve never even met him! I mean, I know it’s in a weird place for a GBM, but the tumour’s isolated—why can’t we just have a look? If there’s nothing to be done we can close up, but at least we’ve tried!’