scoonts.theminotaur-第64部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Another　dust　cloud。　Several　hundred　yards　away　and　down　the　hill　slightly。　Something　had　impacted　there。　Rita？　But　there　was　no　chute　visible。
　Mother　of　God！
　He　began　to　run。
　
　23
　
　〃You　still　here？〃　the　doctor　asked　when　he　saw　Toad　leaning　against　the　counter　at　the　nurses'　station。　The　doctor　was　about　forty　and　clad　in　a　loose　green　hospital　garment　with　tennis　shoes　on　his　feet
　〃How　is　she？〃
　〃Unconscious。〃　The　doctor　swabbed　the　perspiration　from　his　forehead　with　his　sleeve。　〃I　don't　know　when　she'll　e　around。　I　don't　know　if　she　ever　will。〃
　〃What's　wrong　with　her？〃　Toad　demanded；　grasping　the　doctor　by　the　arm。
　〃Everything。〃　He　patiently　pried　Toad's　hand　loose。　〃Her　spleen　exploded。　Fractured　skull　with　severe　concussion。　Blood　in　her　urine…kidney　damage。　Broken　ribs；　busted　collarbone；　two　fractured　vertebrae。　That's　just　the　stuff　we　know　about。　We're　still　looking。〃
　〃She　hit　the　ground　before　her　parachute　opened；〃　Toad　explained。　〃The　drag　chute　was　out　and　the　main　chute　must　have　been　partially　deployed。　She　just　needed　another　hundred　feet　or　so。〃
　〃Her　status　is　extremely　unstable。〃　The　doctor　took　out　a　pack　of　cigarettes　and　lit　one。　〃I　don't　know　how　she's　made　it　this　long。〃　He　flipped　the　ash　on　the　floor；　right　in　front　of　the　No　Smoking　sign。　〃The　average　person　wouldn't　have　made　it　to　the　hospital。　But　she's　young　and　she's　in　great　shape；　good　strong　heart。　Perhaps；　just　perhaps。。。〃　He　took　a　deep　drag　and　exhaled　the　smoke　through　his　nose；　savoring　it。
　〃Is　she　gonna　be　able　to　fly　again？〃　Toad　wanted　to　know。
　The　doctor　took　a　small　portable　ashtray　from　his　pocket　and　stubbed　out　the　cigarette　in　it　after　a　couple　more　deep　drags。　He　looked　Toad　over　carefully　before　he　spoke。　〃I　don't　think　you　heard　what　I　said。　She'll　be　lucky　if　she　lives。　Walking　out　of　this　hospital　will　be　a　miracle。　There's　nothing　you　can　do　for　her。　Now　why　don't　you　go　back　to　the　Q　and　take　one　of　those　sleeping　pills　the　nurse　gave　you。　You　need　to　get　some　rest。〃
　The　doctor　turned　away　from　Toad　and　leaned　his　elbows　on　the　counter　of　the　nurses'　station。　〃When　you　get　Lieutenant　Moravia's　emergency　data　sheet　from　the　navy；　let　me　know。　We'll　have　to　notify　her　next　of　kin。　They　may　want　to　fly　out　here　to　be　with　her。〃
　Toad　smacked　the　waist…high　counter　with　his　band。　〃I　am　her　next　of　kin。　She's　my　wife。〃
　〃Oh；〃　he　said；　looking　Toad　over　again；　then　rubbing　the　back　of　his　neck。　〃Sorry。　I　didn't　know　that〃
　〃I　want　to　be　in　the　room　with　her。　I'll　sit　in　the　chair。〃
　The　doctor　opened　his　mouth；　closed　it　and　glanced　at　the　nurses；　then　shrugged。　〃Sure；　Lieutenant。　Okay。　Why　not？〃
　Thirty　minutes　later　Jake　Grafton　stuck　his　head　into　the　room。　He　looked　at　Rita；　the　two　nurses；　the　doctor；　the　IV　drips　and　the　heart　monitor；　then　motioned　to　Toad；　who　followed　him　out　into　the　hall。
　〃How　is　she？〃
　〃She's　in　a　deep　a。　She　may　die。〃　Tarkington　repeated　what　the　doctor　had　told　him。
　Jake　Grafton　listened　carefully；　his　face　expressionless。　When　Toad　finally　ran　down；　he　said；　〃C'mon。　Let's　go　find　a　place　to　sit。〃　They　ended　up　in　the　staff　lounge　in　plastic　chairs　at　the　only　table；　between　a　microwave　oven　and　a　pop　machine。　〃What　happened　out　there　today？〃
　Toad's　recapitulation　of　the　flight　took　thirty　minutes。　After　he　bad　heard　it　all；　from　takeoff　to　loading　Rita　into　the　meat　wagon；　Jake　had　questions；　lots　of　them。
　They　had　been　talking　for　over　an　hour　when　a　young　enlisted　man　opened　the　door　and　stuck　his　head　in。　〃Captain　Grafton？　There's　an　Admiral　Dunedin　on　the　phone　for　you。〃
　〃Tell　him　I'll　be　right　there。〃
　On　the　way　down　the　hall　he　told　Toad；　〃You　go　check　on　Rita。　I'll　see　you　in　a　bit。〃
　The　phone　was　in　the　duty　officer's　office。　Jake　held　it　to　his　ear　as　the　air　force　officer；　a　woman；　closed　the　door　on　her　way　out。　〃This　is　Captain　Grafton；　sir。〃
　〃Admiral　Dunedin；　Jake。　We　got　your　message　about　the　crash。　How's　Moravia？〃
　〃In　a　a。　It's　an　open　question　whether　she'll　pull　through。　She　ejected　too　low　and　her　chute　didn't　fully　open　before　she　hit　the　ground。　She's　got　a　fractured　skull；　damaged　spleen　and　a　variety　of　other　problems。　Five　or　six　bones　broken。〃
　〃And　Tarkington？〃
　〃Not　a　scratch。〃
　〃So　what　happened？〃
　〃Well；　sir；　the　way　it　looks　right　now；　the　fly…by…wire　system　is　suspect。　We　were　having　troubles　with　the　control　inputs…they　were　too　much　at　low　speeds…so　we　went　with　new　E…PROMs。　Now；　all　those　parameters　are　supposed　to　be　trouble…shot　and　double…checked　on　the　bench　test　equipment　and　all　that；　but　something　went　wrong　somewhere。　The　plane　got　away　from　Rita　in　a　high…G　maneuver　and　went　into　an　inverted　spin。　She　recovered；　then　it　departed　again　when　she　pulled　G　on　the　pullout。　ing　out　of　the　second　spin；　she　just　ran　out　of　sky。　It　flipped　on　the　pullout　and　Toad　punched。
　〃Hindsight　and　all；　they　should　have　ejected　on　the　second　departure；　but。。。　They　were　trying　to　save　the　plane。　Now　it　looks　like　Toad　may　have　punched　too　late　for　Rita。〃
　〃How's　Tarkington　taking　it？〃
　〃Blaming　himself。　I　might　as　well　tell　you；　if　you　didn't　know；　they're　married。〃
　There　was　a　pregnant　silence。　〃I　didn't　know。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Did　that　have　any　bearing　on　this　accident？〃
　〃Not　that　I　can　see。　They　stayed　with　the　plane　because　it　was　a　prototype　and　they　were　trying　to　save　it。　Rita　thought　she　could　save　it　all　the　way　down。　The　last　departure　at　five　thousand　feet　above　the　ground　made　it　a　lost　cause；　so　Toad　punched　them　both　out　while　they　still　had　a　little　room　left　in　the　seat　performance　envelope。　Apparently　they　were　closer　to　the　edge　of　the　envelope　than　he　thought。〃
　〃TRX　doesn't　have　another　prototype。〃
　〃I　know。　We're　going　to　have　to　go　with　the　data　we　have。　I'll　get　started　on　the　report　as　soon　as　I　get　back　to　Washington。　But　I　would　appreciate　it　if　you　would　get　a　team　of　experts　from　the　pany　that　made　that　fly…by…wire　system　out　here；　like　tomorrow。　Have　them　bring　their　test　equipment。　We　need　some　instant　answers。〃
　〃You　have　the　box？〃
　〃One　of　them；　anyway。　It's　a　little　mashed　up；　but　all　the　circuitry　and　boards　appear　intact。　I'm　hoping　they　can　test　it。〃
　〃Why　not　just　put　it　on　a　plane　to　the　factory？〃
　〃I　want　to　be　there　when　they　check　it　out。　And　just　now　I　can't　leave　here。〃
　〃I　understand。〃
　They　talked　for　several　more　minutes；　then　hung　up。　Both　men　had　a　lot　to　do。
　Toad　wandered　the　corridors；　looking　in　on　Rita　from　time　to　time。　A　nurse　was　with　her　every　minute。　The　evening　nurse　was　a　woman　in　her　thirties；　and　she　never　gave　him　more　than　a　glance。　Rita　was　in　good　hands；　he　told　himself。　But　she　didn't　move。　She　just　lay　there　in　the　ICU　cubicle　with　her　eyes　closed；　her　chest　slowly　rising　and　falling　in　time　with　the　mechanical　hissing　and　clicking　of　the　respirator。　The　IVs　dripped　and　the　heart　monitor　made　its　little　green　lines　on　the　cathode…ray　tube。　What　be　could　see　of　her　face　was　swollen；　mottled。
　So　after　looking　yet　again　at　Rita　and　her　bandages　and　all　the　equipment；　he　would　wander　off　down　the　hall；　lost　in　his　own　thoughts。
　Hospitals　in　the　evening　are　dismal　places；　especially　when　there　aren't　many　visitors。　The　staffers　rush　on　unknown　errands　along　the　waxed　linoleum　of　the　corridors。　In　the　rooms　lay　the　sick　people　with　their　maladjusted　televisions　blaring　out　the　networks'　mixture　of　violence　and　edy　and　ads　for　the　consumer　trash　of　a　too　wealthy　society。　The　canned　laughter　and　inprehensible　dialogue　float　through　open　doors　and　down　the　dean；　sterile　corridors；　sounding　exactly　like　the　insane　cackling　of　a　band　of　whacked…out　dopers。　No　one　in　the　captive　audience　laughs　or　even　chuckles　at　the　drivel　of　the　screens。　It's　just　noise　to　help　survive　a　miserable　experience。　Or　background　noise　while　you　die。
　Toad　hated　hospitals。　He　hated　all　of　it…the　pathetic　potted　plants　and　cut　flowers；　the　carts　loaded　with　dirty　dinner　trays；　the　waiting　bedpans　and　urine　bottles；　the　gleaming　aluminum　IV　frames；　the　distant　buzzer　of　someone　trying　to　summon　a　nurse；　the　moans　of　some　poor　devil　out　of　his　head；　the　smell　of　disinfectant；　the　whispering…he　loathed　it　all。
　He　relived　the　final　minutes　of　the　flight　yet　again。　It　didn't　matter　that　he　was　in　a　hospital　corridor　with　the　TV　noise　and　the　nurses　talking　in　the　background：　he　was　back　in　the　plane　with　the　negative　Gs　and　the　spurning　and　Rita's　voice　in　his　ears。　In　his　private　world　the　events　of　seconds　expanded　into　minutes；　and　every　sensation　and　emotion　racked　him　more　powerfully　than　before。
　He　found　himself　in　the　staff　lounge。　He　hadn't　eaten　since　breakfast；　but　he　wasn't　hungry。　He　got　a　pop　from　the　machine　and　sipped　it　while　he　inspected　the　bulletin　board。　Apparently　management　was　having　the　usual　trouble　keeping　the　staff　lounge　dean。　And　the　bowling　league　still　needed　more　people。　e　on；　people！　Sign　up　and　roll　a　few　lines　on　Thursday　nights　and　forget　all　these　bastards　here　in　the　hospital　for　a　little　while。　They'll　still　be　here　on　Friday。
　He　thought　about　calling　Rita's　parents；　and　finally　decided　to　do　it。　He　tried　for　three　minutes　to　persuade　the　long…distance　operator　to　bill　the　call　to　his　number　in　Virginia；　and　when　she　refused；　called　collect　No　one　answered。
　Back　down　the　corridor　to　check　on　Rita。　No　change。　Another　glance　from　the　nurse。
　He　walked　and　walked　and　flew　again；　spinning　wildly；　out　of　control；　the　altimeter　winding　down；　down；　down；　out　there　on　the　very　edge　of　life　itself。
　
　〃So　what　are　the　possibilities？〃　Jake　addressed　the　question　to　George　Wilson；　the　aerodynamics　expert。　The　group　had　watched　the　videotape　made　by　the　chase　plane　flown　by　Smoke　Judy。
　〃It's　an　inverted　spin；　no　question；〃　Wilson　said。
　〃Why？〃
　〃The　plane　has　negative　stability。　All　these　low…observable　designs　do。　The　fly…by…wire　system　is　supposed　to　keep　it　from　stalling　and　spinning；　and　obviously　it　didn't。〃　Everyone　there　knew　what　the　term　〃negative　stability〃　meant。　If　the　pilot　released　the　controls；　a　plane　with　positive　stability　would　tend　to　return　to　a　wings…level；　stable　condition。　Neutral　stability　meant　that　the　airplane　would　stay　in　the　flight　attitude　it　was　in　when