Pool_2

stuff go away. Immediacy was a monumental undertaking as it was. After a very long day of surgery, eight operations beginning at seven AM sharp, including three charity cases from the North Ward nonstop until six o'clock in the evening, he was a little annoyed that on top of an impending emergency shunted over from Northeast Mercy, somebody from the North Ward was in the visitors waiting area waiting to have an unscheduled conference with him. Although, a congress woman? What could that be about? Whatever it was, that, the whatever the Mercy kid was, and whatever else might still pop up with a contrary ball busting Melissa at the switch, this night could get interesting. "I need to take a leak and get some food, not take bows," grumbling to his circulating nurse who had slapped the visitor message into his palm as if it were a surgical instrument. "Damn. I'll never get home. .. was up all last night.. need a break.." The adrenaline that had him so pumped was now ebbing as he dragged himself through the staging area. Except for one woman pacing watchfully, the visitor's area was nearly empty. A very distinguished black lady introduced herself, "Hello. Doctor Macaluso! I'm Congresswoman Woodrow?" looking at him expectantly and transparently waiting on him for a spark of recognition, as if he should know who she was. She could see that he was dragging even though he tried to project anticipatory enthusiasm about her visit. Macaluso just offered his hand in a very slow and uneasy way while peering into this lady's borrowed eyes. A very uncertain and slow, "I.. know.. you," trickled from him. "Yes. You do." He wasn't at his sharpest. "Uh. You're with the kids I just operated on? Do you sponsor children? I wasn't aware these kids had sponsors."