Doctor Frigo (27 page)

‘Then it is as I told you, Doctor. From what you say this nervous trouble can only be the result of fatigue and overwork.’

‘Not
only
that, Doña Julia. With these nervous conditions involving the muscles the actual causes are obscure. Naturally, the public hears more about those which affect children and young adults, and progress is being made, but about causes there is still uncertainty.’

‘But the condition
can
be treated?’

I avoided a direct answer. ‘Rest, massage and massive injections of certain vitamins are indicated at present. But the greatest need is for patience. These things which arrive slowly are often slow to go away. The most important thing is that he should rest.’

The last statement at least was no lie. It was a pity that, in the circumstances, it had to sound foolish.

‘But how, at this time, is he to rest?’ she demanded. ‘Knowing what is to be required of him, how can you ask such a thing?’

‘I understand the difficulties, Doña Julia. But at least we can all see that as far as possible he conserves his energies.’

‘Is that why you have agreed to come with us?’ asked Paco suddenly.

Doña Julia stared. ‘What is this, Paco? The Doctor is to come with us? If this is true why wasn’t I told?’

‘I only heard myself a short while ago,’ he said. ‘I was with Don Manuel when Delvert telephoned. The Doctor, at his own request, is to be given leave.’

‘But this is splendid!’ She gave me a brilliant smile. ‘So Don Manuel changed your mind after all.’

I did not have to look at Paco to be aware of the malicious twinkle in his eyes; I could sense it. He might not know exactly who or what had ‘changed my mind’ but he would certainly know that it hadn’t been Don Manuel.

‘The hospital owes me leave, Doña Julia. This seemed a good time to take it.’

‘Then you will be able to see that he does not overtire himself and that the régime is continued.’

‘I hope so.’

‘You must be very firm,’ she said. ‘Don Manuel is too casual about himself. He allows others to tire him. There must be strict dicipline.’

‘Which I will need help to enforce, Doña Julia. And now I think I had better start laying down the law to the patient himself.’

‘Yes, of course. But you will be staying for lunch. Now we shall be able to make it a celebration.’ She went towards the servants’ quarters calling loudly for Antoine.

This time Paco climbed the stairs with me. We went very slowly and halfway up he stopped.

‘What is it called, this trouble of his?’ he asked.

I had hoped to avoid using the direct lie, but now there seemed no way out of it.

‘It’s a form of muscular dystrophy. There are several. With middle-aged men this one is not uncommon.’

‘I should be interested to read the consultant’s report, Ernesto.’

‘I doubt that, Uncle Paco. It’s a highly technical document.’

‘Technical jargon always interests me.’

‘Well, I’m afraid I haven’t got it with me. These things go into the hospital dossier normally, and are confidential. I wasn’t proposing to trouble Don Manuel with it.’

He didn’t press the matter, but I have been warned. As far as Uncle Paco is concerned, my sudden conversion to the Democratic Socialist cause is suspect.

My patient seems to have no such doubts. He came towards me with arms outstretched and a broad smile on his face.

‘Ah, my dear Ernesto, what an excellent day it has turned
out to be!’ He embraced me and then took both my hands in his. ‘And how does it feel to become an adventurer?’

‘Is that what we are, Don Manuel?’

‘Some more than others, but all of us a little.’ His laugh was euphoric. ‘I feel well today, let me tell you, so you do not need to ask.’

‘I can see that. All the same …’

‘Yes, of course. You have had the report. Sit down, Ernesto, and tell me about it. I liked that Grandval of yours, a warm man. He has been able to explain, I hope, how we can stop this tongue and face of mine continuing to misbehave themselves.’

‘He has identified the reason for their misbehaviour, yes. Correcting it, Don Manuel, you may find a laborious process.’

‘But it can be corrected, eh?’

‘I propose that we make a start today, if you agree.’

‘I am in your hands, Ernesto. Whatever you say should be done shall be.’

I gave him the same explanation I had given his wife and then went into more detail. I had arranged for a masseuse to visit him daily, and would visit him myself on alternate days to give him the vitamin and other injections at present indicated. His contribution to the treatment must be to limit his consumption of wine to one glass per meal, to take no other alcohol and to take the maximum amount of rest possible. I stressed the importance of rest several times. It was the only piece of honest advice I
could
give him.

By then his normal shrewdness had reasserted itself.

‘A laborious process, you said, Ernesto. Does that mean a long one?’

‘Yes, Don Manuel, it does. You must not expect immediate results. I noticed that you timed yourself when you were speaking the other night. You should continue to do so. It may be weeks before we can look for any change.’ Also possibly true.

‘You realize that we shall be leaving in ten days?’

‘That will obviously be a time of great strain for you. I intend to see that the strain is minimized.’

‘You will become a martinet, Ernesto?’

‘Without hesitation, if necessary.’

‘Have you sedatives in mind? I shall need a clear head.’

‘When you need a clear head, Don Manuel, you shall have it, I promise you. The massage should, of course, be continued. I will get someone from the hospital there. It need arouse no comment.’

The last remark was, I think, the only mistake I made. What I had had in mind was the problem of explaining to another, and doubtless curious, doctor the precise purpose of the massage. Any suggestion that the new head of government was suffering from a chronic illness such as muscular dystrophy would be most inadvisable.

He pounced immediately. ‘No comment? What comment
could
it arouse, Ernesto?’

I managed a smile and an evasion. ‘I’m afraid that I am already beginning to think of the need for safeguarding Presidential dignity, Don Manuel. An attractive masseuse arriving here every evening to treat you will arouse no comment. In the Presidential Palace, with newsmen watching every move, it may be wiser to choose a masseur.’

‘My wife will no doubt agree with you.’

The evasion worked, but it had been an awkward moment. Must be more careful what I say in future. Took his blood pressure – slightly down – then busied myself with the injections.

Lunch was on the terrace. Champagne. Reminded the patient that he must limit himself to one glass.

He grinned at Doña Julia. ‘You see? I am no longer my own master.’

Conversation was about the television and radio recording crews who are to arrive tomorrow evening. Villegas is to make four short speeches annoucing the fall and flight of the Oligarchy, and its replacement by a Democratic Socialist Government under his leadership as President. Elections
for a new Assembly are to be held as soon as an electoral register of all adult citizens can be compiled. Militia to be abolished and replaced by a civil guard which will incorporate the country’s defence forces.

Two of these recordings will be for domestic consumption and will end with appeals for patriotic unity and civic calm. The others will be for the foreign radio and TV media and will invite recognition of a stable and moderate democratic government with a programme of reform and peaceful economic development.

I learned that my adherence to the cause was not the only item of news supplied by Delvert this morning. It seems that the United States Ambassador has thoughtfully arranged to be absent from the capital during the coup. He will be attending a meeting of the Organization of American States in Bogota where, on hearing that the coup has succeeded, he will make an impromptu off-the-record speech anticipating early recognition by Washington of the Villegas government and recommending early action along the same lines by other member states.

Uncle Paco thinks that only Guatemala and Nicaragua will be slow to respond.

Told patient to spend this afternoon resting in bed and arranged with Doña Julia to see that Antoine and the guards were warned to expect the masseuse. Paco tried to bring up the subject of the report again as he showed me out. I said firmly that Don Manuel knew all about it now and that the less it was discussed the better.

Elizabeth still has a bad hangover. How bad I did not realize until I thanked her for bullying Delvert into paying me a fee.

‘What fee?’ she asked dully.

I explained.

She closed her eyes. ‘Oh yes, I remember saying something about that. How much did he promise you?’

‘Fifty thousand.’

‘He didn’t give you anything in writing did he?’

‘No.’

‘You’ll be lucky if you get ten.’

I gave her some soluble aspirin and left.

There is, though, one consolation in all this. For Elizabeth I am no longer that pathetic dupe, that ambitious, deluded Archduke Maximilian who once believed that he could become, in fact as well as name, Emperor of Mexico. I have been demoted. From being The Great Polichinelle, an inflated puppet dancing for French speculators, I have become an insignificant Imperial cypher, the court-appointed physician Dr Basch.

I prefer the new role.

Began handing over case-load to colleagues. Ill-feeling somewhat abated but still painfully jocular. Sample: ‘Obviously someone has died and left you a fortune. Think of us poor devils when you’re counting it.’

Took Elizabeth to dinner at Chez Lafcadio.

Later, in bed with her, wondered briefly if I should ask whether or not Delvert’s statement about her divorce is true.

Decided against. When she wants to tell me, if ever she does, she will.

Saw patient while he was taking his post-lunch bed rest.

Television and radio sessions of yesterday tired him. Crews, he said, were French speaking but man in charge was Mexican. The television speeches were delivered by him sitting behind his desk. The Mexican – clearly a Delvert agent in the know – assured him that they will look as if they had been done with him sitting at a desk in the Presidential Palace. Lighting and other technical problems, including blown house-wiring fuses, caused delays which enabled him to conserve strength and maintain muscular control. Complained of ‘twitching’ in upper right arm though!!

Massage a success. Has convinced himself that he already notices an improvement as a result of it. Gave him injections and left him to sleep until masseuse arrives.

Intercepted on way out by Uncle Paco with a sealed envelope for me which I recognized as having come from the Préfecture.

‘We’ve all had one,’ he said. ‘They were delivered by the guard this morning.’

The letter inside was brief and signed by the sous-Préfet. It informed me that the special arrangements made for those travelling with the party of Monsieur P. Segura on Sunday 8 June had been completed. Members of the party should present themselves not later than 18.30 hrs on that day at the Villa Les Muettes. Baggage should consist of not more than one valise of normal size and a single piece of hand baggage of the type accepted for air travel. No cameras would be permitted. The sous-Préfet assured me of his most distinguished sentiments.

‘I hope they don’t use one of those army trucks to collect
us,’ remarked Uncle Paco; ‘and one valise each is ridiculous. I shall protest about that.’

A photographic session with Elizabeth – six paintings. For a while I almost succeeded in convincing myself that nothing much has changed since the last one.

Last full day at the hospital for eight weeks.

At least, I suppose it will be eight weeks. If Elizabeth’s vision of machine-gun bullets, grenades and mortar shells turns out to have been prophetic, I could be back sooner – or not at all.

Am meeting her at seven.

Have decided to terminate this deposition for the present. If Delvert or Gillon knew of its existence they would certainly be displeased and might well decide to confiscate it. Obtained a shallow carton and some adhesive tape from the dispensary before leaving today. Shall make a parcel of all this paper, seal it up and deposit for safe-keeping in the bank on Monday afternoon.

Have bought a two-franc notebook about passport size which I can carry in my pocket. Even when the need for written evidence of a legal nature is ended – as it now seems to be – I will have to keep some private notes. For one thing, I have promised Professor Grandval that I will send him detailed reports on the patient’s progress. Any case book on that subject will have to be very private.

I depose that all the above is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signed, 31 May, at St Paul-les-Alizés.

Castillo

Patient V again complains twitching right deltoid. Some weakness evident. Not yet palpably spastic.

Patient attributes twitching to stimulus of massage. Now questions its usefulness. In spite of my initial orders to contrary seems masseuse has become talkative to extent of answering his questions. No doubt they were persuasively put, but will again warn her. Reminded V that he has promised patience.

Dinner with Elizabeth.

Our last evening together for some time. And our last meeting, too. Although I will not be leaving until the evening, she refuses to see me tomorrow.

She dislikes all leave-takings, I know; and this one she specially dislikes. To use her own words: ‘I refuse to stand waving a handkerchief and weeping like a fool while my brave little soldier-boy goes marching off to war.’

I pointed out that I wasn’t her brave little soldier-boy,
and that I wasn’t going to war and that I proposed to take a taxi anyway; but she remained firm. I didn’t pursue it. Had no wish to spoil the evening with a row.