While Justice Sleeps(30)

“This way.” Inside, a woman waited. Dr. Toca introduced them. “Dr. Michelle Knox, and you’ve met Robert Mumford, the hospital’s general counsel.”

“Hello.” Avery turned to Dr. Toca. “When can I see him?”

“As I said, he’s still undergoing tests that will take some time. But I will make arrangements for you to visit as soon as possible.”

Before she could respond, the lawyer spoke: “Ms. Keene, why did Justice Wynn give you his power of attorney?”

“I have no idea,” she replied in stark honesty. “I didn’t know anything about it until this morning.”

“Don’t you find that odd?”

“Of course I do.”

“And?”

“And nothing. All I can do now is what he asked.” Dismissing the attorney, she focused on the physicians. “Beginning with understanding more about what’s wrong with him. What is Boursin’s syndrome? I read a bit on the Internet, but—”

“It’s a rare degenerative neurological disorder. It mimics both Parkinson’s and brain cancer.” Dr. Knox leaned forward from her perch on the couch. “Boursin’s is aggressive and mutable. For months, it’s been attacking his nervous system. He would have been erratic at times, anxious. Short-tempered and hostile, perhaps.”

“He’s rarely anxious, but he’s not known for his patience,” Avery protested.

“Hmm. Justice Wynn developed a brain tumor that has been sitting on his cerebral cortex. In some patients, they display signs of paranoia and irrational fears of others.”

“Like his tirade at American University,” she supplied, but silently considered the strange emails on his computer. Ani Is in the River. Find Ani. Perhaps not a real message at all. “Would he be prone to less public displays?”

    “Yes,” Dr. Knox answered. “A number of patients develop fairly elaborate hallucinations, grounded in their realities. Do you remember something?”

Caution made her respond, “No, I don’t.”

Clearly skeptical, the doctor continued: “Boursin’s affects the emotional centers of the brain, but it does not harm the patient’s intellectual capacity at first. Most of the time, he would appear unaffected.”

“What happens now? How long will he be in a coma?”

Dr. Knox exchanged a solemn look with Dr. Toca, who gave a slight nod. “Avery, Justice Wynn is unlikely to ever wake up. When he developed the tumor, his best option was to undergo radiation therapy to slow the metastases. He refused.”

“Because of the time it would take away from the Court,” Avery guessed.

“He was immovable on that point,” Dr. Knox confirmed. “Justice Wynn’s sense of self-importance is”—she searched for a polite phrase—“formidable—even to doctors. He claimed his absence would set the course of jurisprudence back a century.”

Avery could well imagine the argument, and she cracked a smile. “Maybe not that far, but he did author some critical opinions this term.”

“He allowed the tumor to go untreated,” Dr. Knox retorted. “Against our very strong recommendations.”

Avery nodded. “He’s stubborn.”

“This coma, coupled with the size of the tumor, makes an operation ill-advised. Radiation therapy will not reduce or reverse the damage already caused. Dr. Toca and I believe that at this stage, Justice Wynn’s illness is cutting off oxygen to his brain.”

“Celeste said she wants to disconnect him from life support.” Avery leaned forward. “But based on what you’ve told me, he’s in serious condition, but Justice Wynn isn’t dead yet. Brain-dead, I mean.”

“No, he’s not,” Dr. Toca said quickly. “According to our tests, though, his brain wave patterns are markedly reduced. The tumor is now pressing against his spinal column and reducing the flow of blood throughout his body. He’s on a respirator, and most of his bodily functions are being assisted.”

“Will he recover? Even temporarily?”

“I don’t know,” Dr. Knox answered. “But the prognosis is not positive. He’s in a deep coma.”

    “Other people have come out of comas.” Even as she made the arguments, Avery reeled from the implications. Those people had been in car accidents or plane crashes. They hadn’t ignored a massive growth laying siege to their brains like invading armies. They hadn’t been stubborn old men who imagined themselves to be gods of jurisprudence, invaluable to the progress of humankind and the virility of democracy. The traitorous thoughts shamed her. So much for loyalty.

Looking at the physicians, Avery pleaded, “You have to do something to help him. People do wake up.”

Dr. Toca answered gently, “It is unlikely, Avery.”

Pressing the point home, Dr. Knox added, “For all the progress of medical science, we cannot reverse his condition. He is barely alive.”

“But I just saw him last week. Did he know it would be this sudden?”

Both physicians looked at Mumford, who shook his head. Avery caught the exchange and demanded, “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”

“We don’t have sufficient information—” Mumford began.