first love,” the doctors voice receded. He seemed actually to have gone away through an invisible door leaving his empty body sitting there at the desk.
Suddenly he spoke again in a crisp voice. “And so you may well wonder why we concern ourselves with? the matter at all?” He flashed a smile bright and coldi
as snow in sunlight.
Carl shrugged: “That is not my business . . . what am wondering is why you have asked me to come here! and why you tell me all this . . . this .. .” *
“Nonsense?”
Carl was annoyed to find himself blushing.
The doctor leaned back and placed the ends of his fingers together:
“The young,” he said indulgently. “Always they are in a hurry. One day perhaps you will learn the meaning of patience. No, Carl. . . . I may call you Carl? I am not evading your question. In cases of suspected tuberculosis we—that is the appropriate department—may ask, even request, someone to appear for a fluoroscopic examination. This is routine, you understand. Most of such examinations turn up negative. So you have been asked to report here for, should I say a psychic fluoroscope???? I may add that after talking with you I feel
relatively sure that the result will be, for practical purposes, negative.. . . ”
“But the whole thing is ridiculous. I have always interested myself only in girls. I have a steady girl now and we plan to marry.”
“Yes Carl, I know. And that is why you are here. A blood test prior to marriage, this is reasonable, no?”
“Please doctor, speak directly.”