“You do that,” Lou replied in a near whisper. “You do that.” He turned to Cap. “Good thing it was your recovery program at work just then, and not mine,” he said. “I would have decked him.”

“And that would have brought my leg back, right?”

“Duncan, you’re the best, do you know that?”

“Besides, I don’t like to think of the leg that’s gone. I’d rather focus on the six inches my surgeons left behind. I keep feeling the rest, though. I keep feeling the phantom limb pains. I’m told this is normal, so maybe the leg will be with me for a long time.”

“Only you would think like that,” Lou said. “You know, I heard there’s a rowing club on the Potomac that allows amputees in their shells. How do you think we’d do as a two-man crew?”

Cap held Lou’s hand in both of his.

“When are the next Olympics?” he asked.

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

An open letter of thanks to the nurses, doctors, and staff at White Memorial Hospital, and all those who played a part in defeating the Doomsday Germ, especially those who helped in the development of PHAGECIL.

My recent infection came close to killing me but all it did in the end was to strengthen my faith and my gratitude.

The death of my patient and friend Becca Seabury, and my own devastating illness and recovery, helped me better appreciate the gift of every single day, and the beauty of being able to care for others. I cannot wait until I am able to return to nursing again.

With all that in mind, I wish to announce my marriage, six months earlier than planned, to ANDREW GULLI of Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the day following my recent discharge from the hospital.

God Bless You All.

—Jennifer Sarah Lowe-Gulli, R.N.

Also by Michael Palmer

ALSO BY MICHAEL PALMER

Political Suicide

Oath of Office

A Heartbeat Away

The Last Surgeon

The Second Opinion

The First Patient

The Fifth Vial

The Sisterhood

Side Effects

Flashback

Extreme Measures

Natural Causes

Silent Treatment

Critical Judgment

Miracle Cure

The Patient

Fatal

The Society

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MICHAEL PALMER is the author of seventeen novels of medical suspense, all international bestsellers. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages. Extreme Measures was the basis for a movie starring Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman. Visit www.michaelpalmerbooks.com.

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Cover designed by Rob Grom

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ISBN 978-1-250-03092-4 (hardcover)