Robin Cook

by Mortal Fear

  “That would have been an antibody to the death-hormone releasing factor,” Jason said.

  “Hold it a minute,” Curran said. “Maybe you should . be telling me this stuff rather than vice versa.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jason said. “It’s all finally making sense to me. Please—go on.”

  “Ingelnook must have liked the death hormone better than the elixir of youth,” Curran continued. “For some time he’d been racking his brains about lowering costs at GHP to keep them competitive. So far the conspiracy only involves six people, but there may be more. They’ve been responsible for eliminating a lot of patients they thought were going to use more than their fair share of medical services. Nice, huh?”

  “So they killed them,” Carol said with horror.

  “Well, they kept telling themselves that the process was natural,” Curran said.

  “Some excuse for murder—we’re all going to die anyway,” Jason commented bitterly. The faces of some of his recently deceased patients rose to haunt him.

  “In any case, it’s the end of GHP,” Curran said. “The criminal charges notwithstanding, malpractice claims are through the roof. GHP is already filing for Chapter Eleven. So I think you’ll be looking for a job.”

  “Looks like it.” Then, looking up at Carol, Jason added, “Carol’s finishing her studies in clinical psychology. We thought we’d open an office together. I think I want to get back to private practice. No more corporations for a while.”

  “That sounds cozy,” Curran said. “Then I can get my head and my ticker fixed at the same place.”

  “You can be our first patient.”

  Titles by Robin Cook

  SEIZURE

  SHOCK

  ABDUCTION

  FEVER

  VECTOR

  TOXIN

  INVASION

  CHROMOSOME 6

  CONTAGION

  ACCEPTABLE RISK

  FATAL CURE

  TERMINAL

  BLINDSIGHT

  VITAL SIGNS

  HARMFUL INTENT

  MUTATION

  MORTAL FEAR

  OUTBREAK

  MINDBEND

  GODPLAYER

  BRAIN

  SPHINX

  COMA

  THE YEAR OF THE INTERN