“Hey, listen,” Victor says, “I’m kind of screwed for this exam tomorrow.”
“I know what you mean.”
“No, that’s not…” Victor picks at the cuticle of his fingernail, and I wince. I hate it when people do that. “I can’t focus, and I havesomuch to study before the exam tomorrow morning.”
“Right… okay…”
“So,” he says.
“So.”
Victor groans. “Please, Abe. I’m never going to pass the anatomy final without some help. And I need a good grade on this one, or else I’m screwed. Conlon’s gonna fail me—he’s not messing around. I’m desperate. You gotta hook me up.”
Hook him up? Isthatwhat this is about? He wants me to sell himdrugsin the middle of the hospital? I shake my head in disgust. “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.”
“Oh, come on,” he grunts. “I know you work at Kovak’s clinic.Everyoneknows. Give me a break.”
Everyone knows. Everyone in the school thinks I’m a freaking drug dealer. That’s my situation right now.
Suddenly, the test tomorrow doesn’t seem nearly as important as my reputation.
“Listen to me, asshole,” I hiss at Victor. “I amnota drug dealer. You need to pull yourself together and get some help. But you’re not getting anything from me. Not one damn pill.”
“But—”
I take a step toward Victor, and he flinches. I’m not much taller than him, but I’m a lot bigger. I could destroy him if I wanted, and he knows it. I am done messing around. “Not one damn pill,” I repeat in a firm voice. “You understand?”
Victor looks like he’s going to protest again but thinks better of it. He nods and then scurries away. I watch him disappear down the hallway.
That’s when I make an important decision. I am done with Kovak and all his bullshit.Done. And he needs to understand that.
So I leave all my books behind in the library, get in my car, and drive to Kovak’s clinic.
31
Kovak is working tonight.
Of course he is. It’s the night before the biggest exam of the year. Why would he give up the opportunity to make a few bucks off some desperate medical students like Victor?
But the clinic is quiet when I come in. He’s got somebody in the examining room with him, but the waiting room is empty. It’s perfect.
I check under that potted plant, and sure enough, the key to his desk drawer is still there. I remove it and fit it into the bottom drawer. The drawer slides open, revealing the gun that is still inside. I pick it up, feeling comforted by its weight. I don’t know for sure that it’s loaded, but I’m willing to bet that it is. I drop it into my coat pocket.
And then I wait.
After about five minutes, Kovak emerges from the examining room with his patient. The patient looks like a student, although even younger looking than the ones in my class. Maybe he’s from the college.I push away a surge of disgust.
Kovak looks surprised by my presence. Surprised, but not particularly concerned, especially since I had the wherewithal tochange into a pair of scrubs. “I didn’t think you were working tonight, Abe,” he says as the student dashes out the door to the waiting room, leaving us alone.
“I wasn’t.”
“Ah,” Kovak says, although he looks confused. Still not that concerned.
Then I pull the gun out of my pocket and point it at him.
Now he looks concerned.
“Abe,” he gasps. “What are you doing?”
