When Noah returned with the take-out food, Ava greeted him at the door dressed much more appropriately in a fitted, tailored white blouse and stylishly distressed blue jeans. The outfit had made Noah considerably more comfortable than the clinging yoga pants and tank top. They had eaten the Thai food at a high-topped counter in the kitchen overlooking the small garden. The conversation had remained away from the M&M problem and concentrated on the issue of why both of them thought it best to avoid social ties with fellow hospital personnel. They had agreed it was far too professionally incestuous and could only create problems in the long run, since the hospital was an inveterate gossip mill.
Following their dinner, they had retreated to the upstairs study, taking glasses of wine and settling into the velvet-upholstered club chairs catty-cornered to each other. Despite a couple drinks at the recent Change Party, Noah rarely drank alcohol, as he was never completely sure he wouldn’t be called into the hospital. But given that one of his best chief residents was on call, he was as sure as he’d ever been that he would not be called.
“So,” Ava said, once they were ensconced in the plush easy chairs. “How should we begin?”
“I guess I’d first like to follow up on something you mentioned earlier today,” Noah said. “You said that Dr. Mason was not fond of you. If I am not being too nosy, could you tell me why you feel that way? I mean, everyone knows he frequently asks for you to be his anesthesiologist.”
“You’re not being too nosy,” Ava said. “But before I explain, I also said I believe the man has a dysfunctional personality. To be specific, I believe he has a serious narcissistic personality problem. Actually, I know he has one. Are you familiar with the symptoms?”
“Relatively,” Noah said. He knew a bit about the condition, as did everyone who’d gone through medical school, but his course in psychiatry was way back in second year, some eight years ago.
“Well, let me refresh your memory,” Ava said. “I’m up on it, because having to deal with the likes of Dr. Mason has forced me to go back and review the profile. But before I go any further, I need to make one thing clear. What I am about to say is for your ears only. I want to be certain that nothing will be repeated to anyone, especially to anyone at BMH. Are you good with that?”
“Absolutely,” Noah said with conviction. He was appreciating Ava London more and more. He had come to her home feeling like a defenseless lone warrior facing an imminent crisis and hoping for a lifeline. Now he was feeling as if he had a comrade-in-arms who was a full BMH attending with skin in the game. There was no doubt in his mind that they could help each other, as she seemed to be socially astute, really smart, and possibly as committed to medicine as he was. On top of that, she was far nicer to be with than he had expected and a pleasure to even look at, especially now that she had showered and donned clothes that he didn’t feel embarrassed to appreciate. Noah couldn’t help but notice that she had taken the time and apparently cared enough about his visit to put on a touch of makeup, just enough to accentuate her eyes and complexion.
“People with a serious narcissistic personality problem are like bulls in a china shop,” Ava said. “They cause all sorts of trouble for most everyone they interact with, especially if someone doesn’t feed their insatiable need for admiration or, worse yet, insults or criticizes them. At the same time, they can be very successful, and Dr. Mason is a perfect case in point. He’s a truly famous world-class surgeon. There is no doubt about it, and he gets a lot of deserved kudos for his skill, but it is not enough for him. It’s never enough for someone with his needs. He might be a fantastic pancreatic surgeon, but he is also excessively arrogant, entitled, domineering, and vindictive, and capable of exploding at the slightest provocation.”
“Which is why he has earned the nickname ‘Wild Bill,’” Noah said.
“Precisely,” Ava said. “He is a walking time bomb.”
Noah found himself nodding in agreement. What Ava was putting into words was exactly his take on Dr. Mason and the reason he was terrified about the upcoming M&M Conference. There was no doubt in Noah’s mind he was going to be in the unstable man’s crosshairs.
“Unfortunately, I am one of those people who have insulted him,” Ava said.
“Literally?” Noah asked with astonishment.
“No, not literally,” Ava said. “He has tried to come on to me multiple times. He has even called me twice here in my home in the evening, asking to come over with the excuse that he was in the neighborhood and wanted to talk about a patient. I have never been interested in a social relationship with anyone at the hospital, much less someone like Dr. Mason. There was no way I was going to allow him into my life, especially with him being married on top of everything else. I’ve tried to be diplomatic, but it’s hard, because he is so cocky and insistent and incapable of taking no for an answer. I am sure he has taken my continued refusal as an ongoing insult, especially now that he is backed into a corner with this Bruce Vincent case and needs a fall guy or girl.”
“I’m sorry,” Noah said.
“No need for you to be sorry,” Ava said. “The biggest worry for me is that Dr. Mason and Dr. Kumar are really buddy-buddy. I don’t want to lose my job, which might happen if Dr. Mason manages to blame the Vincent death on me. Losing my job would be a personal disaster. From my first year in medical school, it has been my dream to be on the BMH staff.”
“I’m sorry, because it is sexual harassment,” Noah said.
“I agree. Thank you for recognizing it.”
“What I find ironic about your story,” Noah said, “is that the main reason Dr. Mason dislikes me also has a romantic element.”
Ava’s mouth dropped open, and she stared back at Noah in shocked surprise.
“Wait a second!” Noah said, holding up his hands as if to ward off an attack. He laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. There’s no potential romance between Dr. Mason and me.”
“Okay,” Ava said, regaining her composure. “I don’t mean to jump to conclusions, but I suppose you are aware there have been some rumors about you and your social preferences. You are considered a very eligible bachelor, but it is noticed you don’t flirt with any of the available OR women.”
“I’m aware of the rumors, and it doesn’t bother me,” Noah said. “I’m not gay, not that anything would be wrong if I were.”
“Fair enough,” Ava said. “You said Dr. Mason doesn’t like you: explain. I mean, it is common knowledge that you are considered one of the best residents at BMH.”
“Do you remember Margery, or Meg, Green? She was a surgical resident almost three years ago.”
“I remember her,” Ava said. “What about her? As I recall, she left rather suddenly.”
“She certainly did,” Noah said. “She was dismissed from the program. What no one knew was that she and Dr. Mason were having some sort of an affair. The full details were never revealed, but it had to be the case.”