corpses. He wondered why Dr. Worth was delaying—hesitating—no, bending over now, and in his hand, ready to give the injection of adrenaline into the cardiac muscles, was …
The response was immediate.
With the aid of the stethoscope Dr. Worth heard Endicott’s heart throbbing again, growing steadily stronger. Quite noticeably beneath the bright white lights a faint flush started to run through Endicott’s skin. Lieutenant Valcour saw it, and he moistened with his tongue the dry pressed surface of his lips.
Dr. Worth straightened up and handed the stethoscope to the medical examiner. “Endicott lives,” he said.
No one had noticed Mrs. Endicott standing in the doorway. No one had even noticed that the door was open. It was her terrific scream, her dropping to the floor, that shocked everyone into instant awareness of her presence. Dr. Worth nodded to one of the nurses. With her aid he lifted Mrs. Endicott and carried her from the room. Everyone else remained quite literally spellbound, still chained within the influence of that extraordinary scream. It didn’t seem more than a second or two before Dr. Worth returned. He went directly to Lieutenant Valcour.
“I have given Mrs. Endicott a narcotic that will keep her quiet for the night,” he said. “It was outrageous—her being here. That guard at the door should have seen to it that it was kept closed.”
“Most outrageous, Dr. Worth. I believe all of us were hypnotized by watching you.”
“And I don’t care what the law is, she can’t be questioned or disturbed in any way at all until I say so.”
“But that is the law, Doctor. You are quite within your rights to dictate concerning your patient.”