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  About Pennsylvania’s Finest

  Philip Drummer is a newly crowned physician fresh out of medical school. His surgical internship takes him to the prestigious Philadelphia General Hospital where he begins training under the famous Dr. Richard Knight. Dr. Knight is an old school cardiac surgeon whose interests include fast cars and beautiful women. Phil and his fellow classmates soon begin to experience the raw brutality of a one-year surgical internship. They quickly discover that the elder Dr. Knight is obsessed with a surgical mortality ranking that is published in the Philadelphia Chronicle every other year. This ranking compares Dr. Knight to all of the other cardiac surgeons in the region, and fuels his larger than life persona. Unfortunately for all, Dr. Knight’s patients begin to die at an alarming rate, causing his local aura to suffer. To complicate the matter Phil becomes intimately involved with the current mistress of Dr. Knight. A mistress who lives in an opulent world funded by the wealthy and distinguished Doctor Knight. Phil Drummer soon finds himself fighting for survival in the midst of his powerful mentor’s suddenly confused life. A mentor, who once swore to a Hippocratic oath, yet is inexplicably trying to cope with a series of deaths amid a crumbling reputation. For everyone involved at the Philadelphia General Hospital the situation rapidly becomes a matter of life and death - amid rising suspicions as to the exact cause of each fatal event.

  PENNSYLVANIA’S FINEST

  A NOVEL

  By

  Michael Banas

  Copyright © 2013 Michael Banas

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  About Pennsylvaina’s Finest

  Title Page

  Copyright

  CHAPTER 1 The Hippocratic Oath

  CHAPTER 2 Internship

  CHAPTER 3 Orientation Day

  CHAPTER 4 The Doctor is In

  CHAPTER 5 Doctor Richard Knight

  CHAPTER 6 The Cabbage Patch

  CHAPTER 7 Weekend Off

  CHAPTER 8 Knight’s Machine

  CHAPTER 9 A Fatal Move

  CHAPTER 10 The Autopsy

  CHAPTER 11 The Chronicle

  CHAPTER 12 September

  CHAPTER 13 Birthday Surprise

  CHAPTER 14 Deal with the Devil

  CHAPTER 15 M and M Rounds

  CHAPTER 16 The Knight Prowler

  CHAPTER 17 Information Technology

  CHAPTER 18 The McDuff Empire

  CHAPTER 19 A Matter of Security

  CHAPTER 20 Vacation

  CHAPTER 21 The Fat Lady Sings

  CHAPTER 22 The Token

  CHAPTER 23 New Year’s Reunion

  CHAPTER 24 The V.I.P. Patient

  CHAPTER 25 A Person of Interest

  CHAPTER 26 Surgical Closure

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER 1 The Hippocratic Oath

  It was a hot June day in the City of Brotherly Love as the senior class of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine gathered at the corner of 34th and Spruce Street. It was graduation day for one hundred and sixty students, each having just completed four years of intense medical training. Every student in line represented the dreams and aspirations of a proud family in attendance. Within an hour, they would all be medical physicians.

  The venue was the Irvine Auditorium, which sat majestically in West Philadelphia since 1929. The interior of the great hall was filled with honored guests, relatives and academic staff. Just outside the Irvine, a serpentine line of students formed, each being adorned with a cap and gown. Excitement filled the air amid the graduating class, with each student anticipating a bright future.

  Philip Michael Drummer stood out in line by nature of his height. He was 6 foot 5 inches tall with a lean build and thick crop of black hair. Brown eyes adorned a tanned complexion, which was intermittently freckled in a pleasing pattern. A kind demeanor combined with a caring attitude made him one of the most popular students amongst the graduating class. Phil, as his friends called him, was a product of Northeastern Pennsylvania, having grown up in the anthracite coal region. He represented generations of hard workers who toiled endlessly for the betterment of future generations. Phil Drummer was that future generation, suddenly poised to graduate from Penn Medical School.

  Phil turned around and smiled at his adjacent classmate by nature of the alphabet. Laura Eichler graduated in the top ten of the class. She was smart, good looking and headed to Harvard for a Dermatology residency. She was destined to excel.

  “Are you ready to become a doctor?” asked Phil with a smile.

  “Definitely,” said Laura. “Can you believe four years have gone by so quickly?”

  “Hard to believe,” nodded Phil who fondly remembered meeting Laura on their first day at Penn together. She was a lot like him, having been raised in a small town and possessing unassuming qualities. They became great friends, having toiled through many a lab and lecture next to each other. Phil had only great memories of her.

  “Your family make it in time?” asked Laura. She knew that the trip for Phil’s family represented a major journey.

  “You bet,” replied Phil. “They rolled into town bright and early this morning.”

  At that moment a booming voice at the head of the line yelled, “Class of 2010 look sharp. Congratulations and let’s go!”

  Phil then smiled at Laura and turned towards the Irvine while straightening out his cap and gown. The line slowly lurched forward as the long procession proudly rolled through the lower Penn campus into the Irvine Auditorium. A ray of brilliant sunshine then blessed the class from a blue summer sky above.

  Phil’s first impression of the Irvine Auditorium was the majestic sound of the Curtis pipe organ. This organ boasted 11,000 pipes and was built in 1926 for the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition. The organ was then donated to the University of Pennsylvania, which subsequently incorporated it into the Irvine’s original construction. A deep tone from the organ echoed through the hall and provided a regal aura. Sound waves vibrated through Phil’s body as he continued a procession further into the cavernous building. The coolness of the air-conditioned building was well received by all members of the class.

  Phil looked up into the balcony for his family. It was a Drummer tradition to always sit in the balcony when possible. He soon spotted them. First on the right was his dad looking ill at ease in the crowd. Next to him sat his older brother Joe, dressed in a smart business suit. Finally his Aunt Emma completed the trio, craning nervously forward in an attempt to see her favorite nephew. Phil gave a short wave to the group, being unsure if they actually recognized him as he took his seat.

  The commencement ceremony soon started and progressed in a fashion similar to all commencement ceremonies. The Dean of the school gave a speech mostly touting the greatness of Penn Medical School. The Dean of Student Affairs then lectured upon the talent and greatness of the class sitting before him. Lastly the guest speaker paid kudos to the great Penn Medical School before pontificating upon the sacred life of a physician. The event was academia at its finest with each speaker exalting the prior, thereby justifying their earthly existence.

  Phil’s mind wandered during the lectures. He spotted Amy Bryson who was sitting one row ahead of him, with an attentive gaze fixed upon the speaker. Her silhouette was one of classic beauty that was well known to Phil, since their one-year romance had just ended in an abrupt fashion. Amy was unfortunately headed to Texas for a residency in family practice. The logistics of a long distance relationship in conjunction with waning emotions precipitated th
e breakup that occurred just three weeks earlier. As Phil stared at the dark haired beauty he began to reminisce upon the good and bad days of their torrid affair. He was happily recalling the many good times when Laura Eichler suddenly elbowed him in the gut.

  “Stand up Phil, time for the Oath,” she whispered.

  Phil snapped out of his daydream and stood up with the rest of the 2010 class. The Dean of Students then asked the class to repeat after him in a very serious tone. Absolute silence gripped the auditorium in a manner that temporarily froze time. Then in a tradition dating back to the origins of medicine, the ancient Oath of Hippocrates was recited.

  Phil began swearing to several Greek gods including Apollo and Panacea. However upon hearing the phrase “To consider dear to me, as my parents, him who taught me this art” he lost all concentration. Memories of his deceased mother jolted him with a somber thud.

  Martha Drummer was 58 years old when she died of breast cancer. A mother of two, she always enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. Phil was a senior in high school when she was diagnosed with cancer. He was a junior in college when she succumbed to the disease. She endured multiple operations over a period of three years without a negative comment or complaint. She died on a rainy Sunday morning with her family at her side.

  Phil recalled her intense love for life, which was anchored by God and family. Her strong moral compass helped steer the Drummer family along a path of joy and happiness. She could always find the best in everyone, no matter how deeply it was suppressed. Although only educated through high school, she fiercely encouraged her son’s education and commitment to a medical career. Phil knew that the very moment he was experiencing, his moment, actually belonged to her.

  His mind returned to the Oath hearing “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked,” and again his mind wandered.

  “Why would anyone give a lethal drug to a patient?” he thought. Then he remembered the callous attitude of some of surgeons that cared for his mother. Pompous in nature, they frequently spoke with lack of care and patience, babbling words that were foreign to his family in general. They feigned compassion, but their body language spoke otherwise. He quickly made a personal promise to never act in this manner.

  The oath rambled on and finished with, “If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse by my lot.”

  “Whoa,” thought Phil. “This Hippocrates guy didn’t fool around.”

  Then, at that very moment, Philip Drummer became a medical doctor. He turned to congratulate Laura and they joyfully hugged each other, knowing that their young medical careers had just begun.

  The inner bowels of the Curtis pipe organ then erupted and the applause of the adoring throng was drowned out by the organ’s majesty. Phil slowly walked down the aisle towards the exit as the sun shone through stain glass windows in a mystical fashion. Looking up to the balcony his father and brother were proudly clapping. Aunt Emma was waving her hands and about to become airborne. She then steadied herself to take a photo of the pomp and circumstance with a camera that still used old- fashioned film.

  The scene just outside the Irvine Auditorium was chaotic. Students were hugging each other and trying to find family members. Phil exited to the left as his family exited to the right. He spotted them over the crowd and began to slowly work his way through the swarm. Suddenly he walked into the midst of the Riles family. Frederick Riles III was a fellow classmate of his at Penn Med. They were never good friends but both were heading into the same surgical residency starting that July. Fred Riles came from a fine pedigree in Boston. His father was a prominent general surgeon on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital. From the moment Frederick Riles III was born, he was destined for this exact moment in time.

  “Congratulation Fred,” shouted Phil to his classmate over the clamor.

  Fred Riles was thin and wiry in stature. At six foot tall he weighed at best 160 pounds. Nervous in attitude he was always smartly dressed and well spoken. Wearing wire rim glasses, a conservative theme exuded from his frame. A formal bearing and Boston accent helped to identify him as a product of the finest New England schools that money could buy.

  “Thanks Phil. Congratulations to you,” responded Fred.

  At that moment Frederick Riles II M.D., stepped between the young graduates. “This must be Dr. Philip Drummer,” said the older Riles in a calculated and pleasing tone. “I had dinner with your soon to be chairman last night, Dr. Barnes, and he told me all about you. Sounds like it is going to be a great intern class next year.”

  Phil had never met the older and often mentioned Frederick Riles II. However, he knew that he trained at the Philadelphia General Hospital some twenty five years ago, and since then kept close ties with the current chairman of the program, that being Dr. Michael Barnes. It was obvious to Phil that the younger Riles had his path paved into the Philadelphia General surgical program well in advance.

  “You know Dr. Barnes and I trained together,” said the older Riles not allowing Phil to introduce himself. “We had many a crazy night at the old PGH,” said Riles now chuckling aloud. The term PGH referred to the Philadelphia General Hospital, where Phil and Frederick were scheduled to begin an internship that July.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Riles,” said Phil extending his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Dr. Riles shook his hand and smiled while moving his head right to left. His teeth were over bleached and blinding white. “Good luck young man. Stay away from those young nurses,” said the older Riles. He kept shaking Phil’s hand while looking around at the Riles family members. They all nodded in approval.

  “Thank you sir,” said Phil as he pushed on realizing that the younger Riles had nothing further to say in the vast shadow of his dad.

  Phil then worked his way through the crowd to meet his family, which was standing aside near the curbstone of Spruce Street. Phil went to his dad first.

  “Congratulations son,” said his father extending his hand with a firm grip. “Mom and I are proud of you.”

  Phil’s dad was a hard worker who came from a long line of hard workers. His own father was sent over from Eastern Europe as a teenager and worked the mines in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Phil’s father briefly worked in the mines but was thankfully able to make a living above ground. Hard work was his father’s best friend.

  “Thanks dad,” said Phil understanding his dad was a man of few words. “Thank you very much.”

  He then turned to his brother Joe who was two years older than him.

  “Congratulations doctor,” said his brother as the two shook hands. “I believe I am technically the first one to call you doctor.”

  Joseph Drummer was the smartest of the Drummer boys having excelled throughout school with a love for mathematics. He joined IBM years ago and worked in the Hudson Valley region. He was always sharply dressed in a manner that all successful businessmen were.

  “Thanks Joe D.,” replied Phil. “Thanks again for bringing everyone down to the city.”

  “No problem,” said his brother Joe. “We do a lot of business with the Philadelphia General and I know the route well.”

  Lastly Phil turned to his favorite Aunt who smiled broadly at him with her hands clasped together at her breast. Before he could say anything Aunt Emma burst forward hugging him.

  “Your mother would be proud of you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “So very proud.”

  Aunt Emma Gibson was the slightly older sister of Phil’s mother. The two sisters were inseparable growing up, being the only girls in a family of eight.

  “I know Aunt Emma, I know,” said Phil pretending to be short of breath from the bear hug grip still in effect. “Mom would be proud of all of us.”

  Then without much fanfare the Drummer family turned and began walking home. They slowly proceeded up Spruce Street deeper into the core of West Philadel
phia. Phil’s apartment was just off campus eight city blocks away. Their journey was slow and relaxing, through the Penn campus. Several rest stops were made for Aunt Emma, who was not accustomed to the heat and humidity of Philadelphia.

  Dinner that night was a homemade tray of lasagna since it was another Drummer tradition to never eat out at a restaurant. Soon afterwards the Drummer family departed to return home. Later that evening Phil took a slow, pensive walk through his neighborhood. Record setting summer heat gripped the area, with the evening humidity still high. His stroll took him to just outside the Philadelphia General Hospital complex, which shone bright amid the dark skyline. Phil appreciated a hum of energy and activity emanating from the complex, as weary interns and residents passed by. His orderly mind tried to redefine his sense of presence just outside the institution. Behind him was medical school, filled with years of written tests and boring didactic lectures. Directly in front of him stood the great PGH, one of the true paragons of medicine in the world. Generations of physicians had learned their trade within the walls of the PGH, each then passing down their knowledge to the generation that followed. Phil knew that it was his turn to enter the hallowed halls and learn the true art of medicine. Only then, after five years of training, would he be able to carry a surgeon’s torch of knowledge. Knowledge that permitted him to enter a human being’s physical dimension and reverse a disease process with expertise.

  Sleep did not come easy that night for the newly anointed physician. As Phil lay awake listening to the street noises below he thought of his aunt and father, and how proud they were of him. His dad’s parting advice echoed through his mind as he unsuccessfully tried to sleep. “Work hard and remember where you came from,” was his parting counsel, and mantra for life. Phil then made a promise to himself during the early morning hours, that being to honor this code throughout his career at the PGH. Unfortunately the fitful night continued, as the harsh reality of a pending surgical internship bore down on the young doctor.