Heart Stopper (4 page)

“Priya, Ms. Whelan is waiting in Room 3. I had to put her in there to give poor Aidan a break.”

Priya grabbed the thin file and hurried out of the office and down the hallway to the room she used for the pacemaker checks
. She tried to gather her thoughts, to focus on the patient awaiting her.

∞

Priya used the room for her research as well as the routine pacemaker checks so there were different versions of the Controllers on trolleys lined up alongside one wall.

“I’m so sorry, Jacintha, things are a bit in a state at the moment here.” Priya placed the file down on one of the trolleys.

Jacintha Whelan put her teeth back into her mouth and smiled at Priya. She sat up straight in the chair. Jacintha’s son, Liam was seated in his usual place at her side.

“Good morning Dr. Joseph, you’re looking a bit better since I saw you in March.” Jacintha turned to Liam. “Isn’t she? Sure, she was so thin then I thought we wouldn’t be able to see her after a while.” She adjusted her glass and stared through them at Priya. “Bit better, but still not as good as before.”

“You know how to make a person feel good, Mam.” Liam had his usual look of apology for his mother’s forthrightness but Priya was used to it.

Jacintha continued with a short pause for breath, “Isn’t it awful, dear, about Dr. Fairer. Scared me when Clodagh said it, it did so. He looked so healthy. Such a handsome man, you know, with that lovely tan and those white white teeth. You know, the Americans always seem to have such lovely teeth. Not like yours Liam, my fault that.” She patted Liam’s thigh.

Priya rolled the trolley with the Controller II on it up to Jacintha’s side using the movement to hide her smile at Liam’s expression. He had stained teeth from his mother taking medication when she was pregnant. He was forty and he still lived with his mother and brought her to every clinic check. Now he had to come for his own checks at the clinic, his mother accompanied him and sat out in the waiting room while he was seen; the girls joked that Jacintha did that to keep an eye out for Aidan.

Priya asked, “When’s your next check, Liam?”

He was Tara’s patient, which seemed fitting considering he had had his heart attack in the room while Tara had been carrying out the check on Jacintha when Priya was on leave following her mother’s death. Jacintha was Priya’s patient; Priya had carried out Jacintha’s monthly checks for the two months post-op.

Liam said, “I had mine in June; Mam’s was delayed so we couldn’t have it on same day as usual.”

Priya said, “Sorry, I think that’s my fault. I was out for a week and somebody here didn’t want to have her check done by Tara for some reason.” Priya smiled at Jacintha. “You know, she’s very good at her job, Liam will tell you that too.”

Jacintha spoke over Liam’s assent. “Sure, she might be good, but I’m happy with you and I just
couldn’t
, you know, after what happened. It was awful! I thought he was gone. All I can say is Thank God we were in here. Trust Liam to have a heart attack in the best heart clinic, he was always such an obliging boy. They had him taken care of so fast. He’s fine now, aren’t you, Liam? One of those pacemaker things in, just like your mother.”

Liam had given up trying to find a gap in which to speak. He just nodded.

Jacintha stopped talking as well while Priya started the check. She used the Controller II that was designed for checks in a clinical setting and worked using wireless technology.

She set up the frequency of the controller to match the frequency transmitted by the pacemaker. Priya rolled the trolley as close as possible to Jacintha’s side and held the programmer wand over Jacintha’s collarbone. There was a beep and the LED display on the wand showed that the controller and the pacemaker were locked onto the same signal frequency.

The controller started the communication by sending an auto-identification sequence to the implanted device that resulted in an identical response from the implanted device detailing its serial and model numbers. The controller then sent an interrogation command that elicited more information from the device including Jacintha’s name, diagnosis and other medical details.

The controller requested information from the pacemaker on any untoward incidents recorded since the last check. It checked on battery power remaining in the lithium battery. Although the device ran on a patented self-sustaining form of energy, the smaller than normal battery was installed in the device as a backup.

That was strange. Priya examined the readings for the battery power. The normal range was between 95% and 100%. Jacintha’s readings showed the remaining power at 90.28%. She repeated the communication. The result was the same.

She checked Jacintha’s folder. The summary results of the controller readings for battery power for all the previous checks were listed as ‘Within Normal Range’. The actual receipt-shaped printouts were stapled to a card at the back of the folder. Each sheet had a line for remaining battery power. Priya was conscious that Jacintha was waiting and decided to examine the figures in more detail later. The battery lasted 6 years so there was no risk, but it should not have been utilized at all. She continued with her routine.

Priya said, “We’ll soon have the new version of this controller on the market. Then you’ll be able to do the checks at home and just send in the readings.”

Jacintha said, “I like coming in here, do we have to use the home one?”

“Well, your checks are going to go to 6 monthly after this one and it would be better if you had the home controller in between times. You can come in with Liam on his 1-year check in December and hopefully we’ll be able to send ye home with the new controller then. And we’ll see you 6 months later anyway. Don’t worry; I’ll keep an eye out on Aidan for you.”

Jacintha giggled. “Sure that boy is a bit young for me, more your age I’d say. Ye’d be a good match, you with your lovely skin. You Indians girls are so pretty and that boy with his blonde hair, he’s like one of those gods, you know, the ones from ancient times, not the Irish ones, Liam, where are they from?”

“You mean Vikings, Mam?”

“Yes, Liam, Vikings. That Aidan looks like a Viking.”

All the rest of the data was normal and Priya re-set the device. “I think we’d better talk about something else. Must keep your heart rate down while we do this check. Your pacemaker is screaming at me.” Priya laughed. “Just joking Jacintha, we’re done. Everything is normal here.”

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The handheld device beeped as the technician held it over his collarbone. She wrinkled her forehead as she concentrated on the digital readout. The diplomat waited for her to finish setting it up. She would soon explain how he was to use the device. He needed to concentrate; he had never been that good with technology. He managed all right with his PC, but that was the limit of his computer experience. He had watched his grandchildren play with the Wii and marveled at their comfort. He envied that, as well as the ease with which his children and his colleagues at the embassy used their Smartphones and the other gadgets of a modern age that he felt was passing him by. His eldest son had promised him an iPad thing for his sixtieth birthday in a few months. They’d be able to face each other then or something like that. If that involved seeing his sons and the grandkids more often than the one annual visit, then he would gladly learn to use it.

But that was less important than learning to use this device. Even though it was just a precursor to the real one. He had 19 days left.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The black suits wandered towards the gravesite, crows’ feet shuffling along a telephone wire. Priya tagged herself on to the end of the single file procession following the priest threading through the neat rows of headstones, bedraggled flowers snuggled against them, wilting in the evening heat. She smoothed out her suit. She didn’t fit. She’d ironed the trousers and they looked slightly more worn than the jacket that had been hanging up in her closet for years and aired out for her formal interview with Daniel. The interview. Daniel. His lifeless stare. She was starting to sweat again. The heat and humidity of New York had hit her like a wall of wet when she’d come out of the airport this afternoon.

The Fairer family had kept the funeral small, choosing a small chapel and an exclusive cemetery in the Long Island suburbs. They had provided plane tickets for the six clinic staff who had decided to attend, to fly from Shannon to New York on the afternoon of the funeral. James was there, as was Sean, Sheila, Clodagh and Mary. Along with Priya, they were the original staff having been there since the opening of the clinic just over a year ago. Valerie and Gerry Lynch, who had co-founded the Fairer Research Company with Daniel, were there somewhere further up the rows, she hadn’t seen them come in, they had travelled separately.

The staff had lined up in the back row of the chapel, dazed and jetlagged and listened to the priest extol the virtues of their late boss, and his family. None of the family had spoken; she’d glimpsed their rigid black backs in the front row of the chapel. Priya only knew of his family from the occasional remarks Daniel had made. She’d gathered that his mother lived in Connemara and had heard him on the phone to her. His sister worked for the company too, she thought, in some sort of financial capacity. His calls to her had been less frequent. And the grandfather, Daniel Fairer II; she’d looked him up on the internet. What she probably should have done last year when she had gotten the job at the clinic, but she had never gotten around to it at the time, caught up in the excitement, the energy that seemed to surround Daniel. She wished her father were here instead of in India on what was now going to be an annual medical pilgrimage. He should have been here anyway; he knew the Fairers better than she did. She had booked a hotel; she didn’t want to spend the night alone at the house.

 
They had reached the hole in the ground. The line of mourners circled the open grave and she got her first proper look at the family as they stood directly across from her. The tall white-haired figure of Daniel’s grandfather, shoulders stooped inside his black suit. The internet pictures had shown a middle-aged man, strong, tall, important, shaking hands with dignitaries. Most of the photos included Priya’s father. Daniel had mentioned to her once in passing that his grandfather was the most active 85 year old that he’d ever known. The man now looked much older than his years.

Mother and daughter, she couldn’t make out which was which at first look. Both wore black veils. She saw a glimpse of gray hair peeking out from under a hat. The mother was surprisingly sleek. That was the only word Priya could think of to describe her. Very different from the impression she’d gotten from the overheard phone calls. Her black suit was beautifully cut, Priya knew nothing of fashion, but it seemed to sit so well on her slim frame. Priya rubbed at her own ill-fitting suit. She looked at the sister. Dark, dark hair. She searched for her features through the dark shield. The woman was staring right at her. Priya dropped her gaze immediately, her sudden fright too obvious, her own veil non-existent.

A woman, American, intense.
No!
Priya’s eyes jerked back up. The woman was still staring at her through the veil. The mother turned and spoke into her daughter’s ear and the stare was broken.

The priest raised his hands.

∞

Priya stole frequent looks at Daniel’s sister as the priest droned out his lines.
What was her name? Rain
? She remembered Daniel calling her that on the phone. At the time, she had thought it was such a New Age hippy type name for a financier. Each time she looked at Rain, she was caught. Her mind fidgeted with the permutations. Rain was definitely the woman she’d met in Massimo; she had to be. And from the glares she was receiving, felt even through the veil, Priya was at a disadvantage. Priya didn’t remember what she’d done, Rain obviously did.

The graveside ceremony seemed to drag on for hours, but twenty minutes after they’d arrived at the cemetery, the priest said the final words as the coffin was covered with dirt.

∞

 
“It’s Reyna actually.” The woman’s grip was firm, the palm dry and cool.

Priya felt the heat in her face and cursed the two red spots that she knew were now appearing on her cheeks. Reyna was only about 6 inches taller than Priya, but seemed to tower over her.

“Sorry, I’ve heard Daniel on the phone to you before and he called you Rain, I remember because I was thinking at the time that it was such a hipp…” She stopped and felt her cheeks burn harder.

“He liked to make fun of the name Leo and my mother decided to give me, Rain, I changed it legally a few years ago, it’s now Reyna, R-E-Y-N-A. Perhaps you might remember that for a better reason?”

Priya couldn’t see if the eyes behind the black glasses were smiling or not. She stared at the features of the face, which were striking in their sharpness. She looked down and realized her hand was still in Reyna’s. She snatched it back. And this time there was a slight curve to Reyna’s lips.

“I really must go and express my condolences to your mother.” Priya looked around the study of the Fairer mansion. The mourners had been conveyed to a very expensive area of New York, the houses hidden behind high walls and reached by long driveways. The rest of the staff were at the buffet table in the adjoining room. While the funeral itself had been kept small, the gathering afterwards at the family home was packed. Daniel’s mother was at the other end of the study, in conversation with a couple, her head bent attentively.

Priya started to turn, but Reyna placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. Priya felt the hiss of air in her ear as Reyna leaned in and whispered, “So, was it quick? Painless? Were you enjoying yourself with your boyfriend when he died?”

“What?” Priya turned and found herself just a few inches away from Reyna’s face. The mirrored glasses reflected the whites of Priya’s eyes. “He wasn’t my boyfriend.” Her voice came out a lot higher than she wanted. She lowered it. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“I left you at his apartment. My mother finds him dead the next day. She thinks a woman had been in his bed with him. You never mention it to anyone that you were there.”

“
You
never mentioned that
you
were there! Look, I was never in bed with him. I found him there. I know I shouldn’t have left like that, but he was dead and I just panicked. I know I made a mistake. And he wasn’t my boyfriend!”

“That’s not what he told me.”

“What are you two talking about?” The voice interrupting was soft, but Priya jerked back in surprise. “I didn’t realize you knew each other.”

Reyna turned slowly to face her mother. “I’ve heard so much about her I just had to introduce myself.”

The slim gray haired woman held out her hand to Priya. “My daughter has terrible manners. I’m Catherine, Daniel’s mother.”

Priya’s hand shook as she accepted the proffered hand. “Priya Joseph. I work at the clinic in Galway.”

“Joseph… so you’re Joe, sorry, P.T. Joseph’s daughter?” Catherine’s eyes were warm and she smiled as she spoke.

“Yes. Actually, that’s how I first met Daniel.”

 
“Don’t you mean that’s how you got the job?” Reyna cut in.

“Rain!” Catherine glared at her daughter. “Priya, I’m so sorry. Rain is not dealing very well with Daniel’s death.”

“Mother, its Reyna. And yes, I’m not ‘
dealing’
as you say. I’m surprised you are.” Reyna turned to Priya. “Excuse me, I must go and talk to my grandfather.
He’s
not dealing very well either.” She turned abruptly and walked away from the two women leaving Priya staring after her in shock.

Catherine placed her hand on Priya’s arm. “Why don’t we go and get a drink dear?”

∞

 
Priya allowed Catherine to lead her on a slow amble towards the bar built into one wall of the study. Their passage through the guests was hindered by condolences offered every few feet. People stopped Catherine to shake her hand, introducing themselves, their names usually prefaced by Doctor. Priya wondered at their curious looks at Catherine, who seemed to sail oblivious through them, her course firmly set.

“Brandy, my dear?” Catherine was already pouring herself a Hennessey, the smooth golden liquid settling into the full curves of the beautifully delicate brandy glass. Catherine held up the glass to the light, the broken light bouncing and sparkling in her eyes. “Waterford Crystal,” she said, “Only the best for the Fairers.”

“Actually, I don’t like brandy.” Priya scanned the bottles on the thick wood counter. “Perhaps a port...?”

Catherine poured the drink into an equally beautiful glass and handed it to Priya.

“Slainté.” She clinked her glass off Priya’s and took a tiny sip. “So, Priya, what did you make of my daughter?” Priya could see now that Catherine’s eyes were slightly glazed, the pupils wide, but her voice was steady.

Unlike Priya’s. There was a quiver in Priya’s voice when she spoke. “She’s obviously upset at what’s happened.”

“And have you two met before today?”

Priya gulped down some port.
Should she admit to meeting Reyna that night in Massimo? How much did Catherine know of her daughter’s movements?

Catherine seemed to take pity on Priya. She said, “Reyna was staying with me in Connemara when she came to Ireland. She was supposed to meet Daniel at the pub on Friday night. Perhaps you met her there. Daniel mentioned he had to go to somebody’s birthday party there, somebody from the clinic. I assume you would have been there for that.”

Priya felt her face go hot again. She was grateful for the air-conditioning without which she would probably have been sweating profusely. As it was, she could feel a light sheen on her face.

“Yes, it was Tara’s birthday. And Daniel didn’t turn up; he was supposed to be there. I might have seen Reyna there. She did seem familiar when I saw her today.”
Was she babbling? Could Catherine see through her feeble words?

“I guess he must have been dead by that stage.” Catherine took a long swallow of the brandy emptying the glass. She poured some more out for herself. “My son, the world-famous cardiologist, dies from a heart attack. He wanted to be a famous doctor so much; he wanted to be just like his grandfather.” Another sip. “Not like his father. He didn’t want to be like his father. Though who could blame him. Leo was too different for all of them. The Fairers.” Catherine almost spat the last word out. Then her tiny burst of anger seemed to fade and she mumbled, “But I was wrong, wasn’t I.” She brushed at a wisp of silver that had escaped from her neatly styled hair.

Priya glanced around the room. Nobody seemed to be listening. She wanted to be back home, in her little cocoon. She looked for Reyna, but there was no sign of her or her grandfather. Priya felt a jolt in her stomach,
what had happened with that woman?

 
“She’s probably with her grandfather sorting out the rest of the day, and the week, and probably the next few months.”

Priya brought her attention back to Catherine immediately. “I wasn’t looking for her.” She was annoyed with herself for stammering.
What was wrong with her?
“I was just admiring the room; it’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. But you’d be surprised at the things that have happened in this room.” Catherine looked around the room as if seeing for the first time. “He was standing right there.” She pointed to the antique desk that they could just see through the crowd. Priya noticed a dark wood rocking horse under the desk. The light darted off the intricate saddle on the rocking horse, the mute sheen of its rosewood body blending into the paneled landscape.

“Daniel?” Priya asked.

“Yes, my 9 year old boy. My beautiful baby boy. He chose to stay here, with his grandfather. I had to leave him. I had to go. I was pregnant with Rain, Leo was going.” Catherine’s eyes were focused on the rocking horse. Its one visible carved eye stared into the distance. “Leo was going, with or without me. Tell me Priya, how is your father doing?”

The sudden change of topic threw Priya off her train of thought. “He’s fine.” She hesitated when she saw the question in Catherine’s eyes. “Well, not really. He’s doing his duty in India at the moment; he’s going to go there for a month every year to help out at a clinic there.” Priya’s face tensed. “He’s trying to work through his guilt I think. My mother was treated at that clinic and they screwed up. It had nothing to do with him; they were only on holiday there. And he didn’t want to offend the ‘great’ doctor that ran the clinic. He questioned him, but not enough. So she died. And I was too busy getting my act together in Ireland with the new job and … other stuff. Wanted to prove everyone wrong. Didn’t realize how serious it was.” She stopped. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this to you, today. I haven’t spoken to anyone about it.”