VailChapter XiV - “tWO FOr the rOaD”

BRADLEY AND MEGYN SIMPSON UNFORTUNATELY HAVE HAD THEIR LIFE TURNED INTO TURMOIL. RUDOLPH AND MICKY, MEGYN’S IDENTICAL TWIN SISTER, HAD THE WED-DING POSTPONED DUE TO MANY ADVERSE CIRCUM-STANCES WITHIN THEIR LIVES. RUDOLPH UNFORTUNATE-LY COULD NOT ESCAPE HIS DRUG ABUSE AND RE-ENTERED TREATMENT IN DENVER. MICKY HUNG IN THERE WITH HIM, HOWEVER SHE BROKE THE ENGAGE-MENT AFTER A BITTER FIGHT OVER THE PLANNED FETAL TRANSPLANT FROM MEGYN’S UTERUS TO MICKY’S WOMB. RUDOLPH WAS SO OPPOSED TO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT JEOPARDIZE HIS FIANCEE’S LIFE AND FERTILITY. DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS TO CONVINCE RUDOLPH OF THE PLANNED FETAL TRANSPLANT’S SAFETY, HE REMAINED UNCONVINCED THAT MICKY’S LIFE WOULD NOT BE IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY WITH THIS PLANNED EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.

PRESENTLY THE PLANNED ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMATOLO-GIST FELLOW BAILED AT THE LAST MINUTE DUE TO HIS WIFE REFUSING TO LIVE IN THE COLDNESS OF VAIL. BRADLEY IS PRESENTLY INTERVIEWING NEW CANDI-DATES. THERE ARE NO SHORTAGES OF POTENTIAL TRAU-MA FELLOWS AFTER TIME MAGAZINE COMPLETED A SU-PERB ARTICLE ON BRADLEY AND HIS RESEARCH INCLUDING THE STMO (SIMPSON TRAUMA MOBILE OR)- WHERE TRAUMA SURGERY IS DONE WHERE THE ACCI-DENT OCCURS. THE MODERN TRAUMA THINKING IS THAT THE GOLDEN HOUR OF TRAUMA IS NOW BYPASSED WITH THE NECESSARY TREATMENT INCLUDING SURGERY DONE ON THE INJURY SITE. INFECTIONS AND NEGATIVE SEC-ONDARY PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES AFTER THE TRAUMA HAS OCCURRED ARE THWARTED. THUS WITH IMMEDIATE CORRECTION OF THE MEDICAL INSULT, THE BODY WILL RECOVER QUICKER. THE STMO PROVIDES AN OPPORTU-NITY WITH VERY EARLY TRAUMA CORRECTION TO NOT UNDERGO THE MASSIVE MULTIPLICITY OF SECONDARY CHANGES WITH INJURY.

THUS FAR THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE WITH A WEALTHY FINANCIER FROM NEARBY EAGLE VAIL, JOSEPH WELCH, CONTRIBUTING “WHAT EVER IT TAKES” TO GET THE STMO ON THE MARKET. THE EARLY RE-SEARCH HAS ALREADY SHOWN SOME SUBSTANTIAL TRAUMA IMPROVEMENTS IN MEDICAL OUTCOMES AND COSTS. THE FINANCIER, THIRTY FIVE YEAR OLD JOSEPH WELCH FROM BOSTON WHO SPENDS CONSIDERABLE TIME IN VAIL AT HIS FAMILY’S ESTATE, IS QUITE WEALTHY

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AND RECENTLY LOST HIS WIFE. TANYA, HIS NEWLYWED SKIED INTO A TREE ON A GREEN RUN THIS PAST MONTH. THE WELCH’S HAD NO CHILDREN; HOWEVER TANYA WELCH WAS PREGNANT WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. THE SIMPSON’S’S AND THE WELCH’S HAD ALREADY BE-COME VERY GOOD FRIENDS.

THE WELCH’S HAD ALSO SUPPORTED THE SIMPSON’S IN THEIR QUEST FOR PREGNANCY – FUNDING MUCH OF THE RESEARCH RELATED TO MEGYN’S FETAL TRANSPLANT TO HER IDENTICAL TWIN, MICKY. MEGYN SIMPSON IS ONE MONTH PREGNANT AND THE GYNECOLOGISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HAVE NOW GIVEN THE GO AHEAD FOR THE PLANNED FIRST EVER HUMAN FETAL TRANSPLANT. WEATHER HAS MOVED IN AND I-70 IS CLOSED TO DENVER. EISENHOWER TUNNEL ISN’T EX-PECTED OPEN FOR 2 OR 3 DAYS. EVENTS BEGIN TO UNFOLD.

INT. EAST VAIL HOME OF THE SIMPSON’S. JOSEPH WELCH WALKS IN AND GIVES THE WEATHER REPORT. THE WIND ALMOST PREVENTS THE DOOR FROM CLOSING. -- LATE AFTERNOON

JOSEPHHERE I AM. HOW IS THE TOP COUPLE IN VAIL DOING TODAY?

MEGYNHEY JOSEPH! HOW ARE YOU?

JOSEPHWITH TONS OF WHITE FLUFFY FLAKES FALLING BY THE TRILLIONS, I COULDN’T BE BETTER. I CAME TO FIND MY SKIING PARTNER, BRADLEY. WHERE IS THE GUY?

MEGYNOH HE’S STILL AT THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS THINKING OF SKIING KEYSTONE TONIGHT.

JOSEPHNO WAY. YOU CAN’T EVEN GET PAST EAST VAIL. VAIL PASS AND ALL OF I-70 TO DENVER IS CLOSED PROBABLY FOR TWO DAYS.

MEGYNOH MY GOD. WE ARE WAITING ON A CALL FROM MICKY. SHE IS SEEING THE FERTILITY FOLKS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO TODAY......AND MAYBE IF HER CYCLE IS READY THIS FETAL TRANSPLANT CAN HAPPEN SOON.

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JOSEPHHOW ARE YOU FEELING?

MEGYNTHIS IS A DOUBLE WHAMMY - JUST COMING OFF CHEMO, RADIATION AND SURGERY FOR GYN CANCER; AND NOW BEING PREGNANT. IT IS LIKE BEING TOTALLY WITHOUT ANY THYROID. ZERO ENERGY.

JOSEPHI GET IT. WELL YOU WON’T GO ANYWHERE TONIGHT THAT IS FOR SURE.

MEGYNOH THERE IS BRADLEY TEXTING. HE’S THINKING OF SKI-ING KEYSTONE AFTER WORK. I’LL LET HIM KNOW THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE IS WITH A SNOWMOBILE.

JOSEPHAND THE VERY BEST MACHINE AT THAT.

MEGYNI ONLY HOPE MICKY DOESN’T CALL TONIGHT. YOU KNOW THERE IS A FINE WINDOW OF A FEW HOURS WHERE ONE CAN ACCEPT OUR BABY INTO HER UTERUS.

JOSEPHWHY DIDN’T YOU GO TO DENVER WITH MICK?

MEGYNTHERE IS A REASONABLE CHANCE I COULD DIE FROM THE OPERATION ITSELF. WE WANTED TO SPEND OUR LAST FEW DAYS POTENTIALLY TOGETHER IN EAST VAIL, OUR HOME. IT IS THAT SIMPLE.

JOSEPHI GET IT, BUT IF MICK CALLS TONIGHT WE HAVE A PROB-LEM HOUSTON.

MEGYNSO ANYWAY, HOW ARE YOU REALLY DOING? I REALLY MISS TANYA AND CANNOT KEEP FROM CRYING EVERY TIME I THINK OF HER. I’M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE DYING, NOT HER.

JOSEPHI’M PICKING UP THE PIECES. WE REALLY HIT IT OFF WELL FROM THE BEGINNING – EVEN THOUGH OUR FAMILIES ESSENTIALLY PLANNED OUR MARRIAGE AND THE NEW BABY WOULD HAVE BEEN A BOY ALSO. IT’S MY PARENTS

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WHOM I’M WORRIED ABOUT. TANYA’S PARENTS AREN’T DOING WELL EITHER. YOU KNOW, WHY WAS TANYA SKIING IN HER FIRST TRIMESTER? I’M STILL HEARING THIS.

MEGYNI GET IT. YOU CAN’T JUST STOP LIVING. TANYA COULD HAVE FALLEN AT SPORTS AUTHORITY SHOPPING, OR AT SAFEWAY. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE WORLD HOLDS FOR US.

JOSEPHWE HAVE SET UP A TRUST IN TANYA’S NAME AND NOW ARE THINKING OF DEVOTING MOST OF IT TO THE VAIL TRAUMA UNIT WITH BRADLEY’S STMO AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.

MEGYNTANYA WOULD BE FOR THAT. SHE REALLY LIKED ALL THAT BRADLEY WAS DOING. AND AS SEVERELY AS SHE WAS INJURED, THE LIFE SAVING IMMEDIATE TREATMENT NEAR-LY WORKED ON HER. IT WAS SO CLOSE BEFORE THE CEREBRAL EDEMA SET IN WHICH ULTIMATELY KILLED HER. BUT I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT BRADLEY’S ON THE SLOPE DECOMPRESSION OF THE EPIDURAL HEMATOMA AND PLACEMENT OF A BRAIN MONITOR DAM NEARLY SAVED HER LIFE. NO ONE ELSE WOULD HAVE COME CLOSE.

JOSEPHYES I AGREE, AND THAT IS WHY OUR FAMILIES ARE SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS TRUST TO HELP OTHERS WHO MAY NEED THE TREATMENT AND BE SAVED. EVEN WITH A HELMET ON, A PRESON CAN SUSTAIN A FATAL HEAD INJU-RY ON THE SLOPES SIMILAR TO TANYA’S.

MEGYNTHAT IS WHAT MY HUSBAND’S LIFE HAS BEEN ALL ABOUT THE PAST FEW YEARS. I REALLY DO THINK NO ONE WILL EVER REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH TIME HE HAS SPENT ON IMPROVING TRAUMA TECHNIQUES. IN FACT THE ONLY THING HE CANNOT CURE RIGHT NOW IS MY CANCER AND THAT BOTHERS HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING.

JOSEPHYOU HAVE HAD ALL THE NEW EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS?

MEGYNMY LORD JOSEPH, I’VE BEEN THROUGH EVERYTHING. WE ARE DONE FOR NOW. WE ARE HAVING THIS BABY AND MOVING ON. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE GREAT

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CREATOR HAS IN STORE FOR ANY OF US EVER. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW IF WE WILL GET OUR NEXT BREATH.

JOSEPHOH THAT IS MY IPHONE. BRADLEY IS STILL THINKING KEYSTONE TONIGHT. I’LL RETURN THE MESSAGE AND LET HIM KNOW IT IS MAYBE A BEER AT THE HUBCAP AND WAR-REN MILLER FILMS.

MEGYNI DON’T KNOW. HE MAY BE SHUFFLING THROUGH SOME OF HIS TRAUMA FELLOW CANDIDATES. HE HAS RECEIVED A TON SINCE THE GUY FROM FLORIDA BAILED SECONDARY TO HIS WIFE REFUSING TO DEAL WITH VAIL COLD, AND NOT HAVING HER FAMILY FROM TAMPA NEXT DOOR. IT WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN FOR A YEAR AND AFTER TALK-ING TO HER I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE REALLY LIKED VAIL. BUT BRADLEY SAYS FAMILY ALWAYS MUST COME FIRST AT THE EXPENSE EVEN OF OUR WORK IN LIFE.

JOSEPHI DON’T KNOW WHERE I’LL BE GOING NOW. I DECIDED TO SIT HERE A BIT. TANYA’S AND MY FAMILY WANT ME TO RETURN TO BOSTON, BUT I THINK I’LL HANG IN THE VAIL VALLEY. I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW MUCH MONEY I REALLY HAD UNTIL TANYA’S FUNERAL. DOESN’T SEEM QUITE RIGHT THAT SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO HAS A YALE LAW DEGREE AND ALL DOESN’T EVEN NEED TO WORK. IN FACT SOME SAY I’M TAKING A RISK BY WORKING WITH OUR ESTATE IN JEOPARDY.

MEGYNDON’T YOU HAVE A FEW WALLS BETWEEN A MALPRACTICE OR PERSONAL INJURY SUIT AND THE TRUST?

JOSEPHOH YES. BUT AGAIN ONE NEVER KNOWS. FOLKS WILL COME AT MONEY IN MANY CREATIVE WAYS IF THEY CAN. WHAT IF I RUN INTO A POOR SOUL ON THE SLOPES INAD-VERTENTLY. POOF, MY TRUST COULD BE GONE THAT QUICKLY.

MEGYNI GET IT. WE DON’T HAVE THAT PROBLEM. ALL THEY WOULD GET FROM US ARE LOANS FROM NOTRE DAME, CREIGHTON, AND GEORGETOWN - AND A MORTGAGE ON A LOAN ON OUR HOUSE IN EAST VAIL THAT IS 10% PAID OFF. WE ARE NOT GOOD DEFENDANTS FOR ANYONE. BRADLEY TELLS HIS PATIENTS THAT PLUS THE MOST THEY CAN GET IS $250,000 PAIN AND SUFFERING IN COLORADO. AFTER THE LEGAL COSTS AND LAWYER’S FEES, THEY’D BE LEFT

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WITH POCKET CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE DOCTORS AT VAIL VALLEY.

JOSEPHI SUPPOSE ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS IS THAT YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW THE SKIERS. MOST ARE OUT-OF-TOWNERS AND WANT TO GET HOME DESPITE THEIR INJU-RIES. IT’S HARD TO DEVELOP A RAPPORT WITH THEM IF THEY ARE NOT FROM THE VAIL VALLEY. VAIL FOLKS DON’T SUE VAIL DOCS. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

MEGYNIT’S BEYOND THAT. THERE IS SO MUCH LOYALTY AMONGST THE LOCALS FOR EVERYTHING HERE. PEOPLE WE DON’T EVEN KNOW HAVE SUPPORTED BRADLEY. THE OTHER ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICIANS HERE AT FIRST WERE AT BIT HESITANT ABOUT BRADLEY COMING IN AND DOING THIS TRAUMA PROGRAM WITH FELLOWS AND ALL. HOWEVER NOW THEY ARE ALL ENTHUSIASTICALLY REGARDING THE PROGRAMS WE’VE IMPLEMENTED FROM ADMINISTRATION THROUGH NURSING AND ON TO THE STMO AND ICU CARE RIGHT HERE AT VAIL VALLEY HOSPITAL. IT IS INCREDIBLE! THAT IS WHY THE FLORIDA COUPLE SHOULD HAVE COME. IT IS NICE TO SEE PEOPLE WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HAVE HEARD OF THE PROGRAM SEND IN $5 FOR SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY KNEW OF SOMEONE WHO JUST RECEIVED A CAST IN THE ER BY AN ER DOC. WE COULDN’T HAVE COME TO A BETTER PLACE.

JOSEPHOH I HEAR BRADLEY. HE JUST CHOSE A NEW FELLOW FOR THE PROGRAM. HE HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO MAYBE TAKE ANOTHER LATER THIS YEAR. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHO THE NEW FELLOW IS.

MEGYNI’M CERTAIN HE’LL BE GREAT. WE HAVE EVEN HAD OR-THOPEDISTS WHO HAVE BEEN IN PRACTICE FOR YEARS WHO ARE WILLING TO LEAVE THEIR PRACTICE TO COME AND WORK FOR PEANUTS AND DO TRAUMA RESEARCH. I CANNOT THANK TIME MAGAZINE ENOUGH AS THEY RE-ALLY ASSISTED US.

JOSEPHTHAT IS BRADLEY AT THE DOOR. HE’LL HAVE A TOUGH TIME KEEPING IT OPEN BECAUSE THE WIND AND SNOW ARE SO AWFULLY INTENSE.

MEGYNHEY BRADLEY, HOW ARE THINGS?

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JOSEPHWHY THE FUNNY LOOK BRADLEY?

BRADLEYMICKY JUST CALLED AND THE GYNECOLOGISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY WANT US THERE TONIGHT. MICKY IS SUPER RIPE FOR THE TRANSPLANT.

JOSEPHTHERE IS ONLY ONE PROBLEM. I-70 IS CLOSED, AND FOR A LONG TIME. I FRANKLY DON’T KNOW HOW ANYONE CAN GET ANYWHERE TONIGHT. I DON’T EVEN THINK WE COULD GET TO DOWNTOWN VAIL UNLESS WE HAD A SNOWMOBILE.

BRADLEYI DON’T CARE. SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO GET TO DENVER TONIGHT. WE’LL FIGURE IT OUT.

MEGYNI KNEW WE SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH MICKY, BUT ANY-WAY WHAT WILL WE DO BRADLEY?

BRADLEYI’M THINKING OF EVERY CONTRAPTION VAIL RESORTS, THE HOSPITAL, HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY OF VAIL ACTUALLY HAVE.

JOSEPHYOU BETTER THINK REALLY HARD BECAUSE I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT.

MEGYNBRADLEY, WE’LL ALL DIE OUT THERE TONIGHT. THERE ARE PLOWS OUT, BUT THE ROADS WILL BE BLOCKED - ESPE-CIALLY AT EISENHOWER TUNNEL.

JOSEPHONE CANNOT EVEN GET OVER VAIL PASS - LET ALONE PAST COPPER AND THEN CLIMB THE TUNNEL IN THIS WEATHER. YOU’D BE CRAZY BRADLEY.

BRADLEYYES, I WOULD BE CRAZY. BUT THEN AGAIN IT IS JUST OUR JOURNEY IN LIFE. THERE WAS SO LITTLE OF A CHANCE OF MEGYN GETTING PREGNANT, AND NOW WE HAVE PHYSI-CIANS WHO ARE TREATING US WITH COMPASSION WHO MAY GIVE US A CHILD, OUR DREAM. WE ARE GETTING TO DENVER TONIGHT. I DON’T KNOW HOW, BUT WE WILL DO IT.

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JOSEPHI’VE GOT A FRIEND WHO RUNS A SMALL AIRPLANE AND HELICOPTER SERVICE. MAYBE HE HAS ANSWERS.

MEGYNONE OF THE NURSES ON THE FLOOR AT VAIL VALLEY HAS A CLOSE FRIEND THAT RUNS A HUMVEE SERVICE IN THE MOUNTAINS. THEY SAY THEY CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING.

BRADLEYAND I KNOW A WILDERNESS GROUP WHO MOONLIGHTS ON THE SLOPES DOING HIGH ALTITUDE RESCUES. THEY ALWAYS HAVE IDEAS. I REALLY DON’T THINK WE CAN FLY. IT’S TOO WINDY AND THE VISIBILITY IS POOR. THIS IS WHEN ALL THESE RESCUE CREWS END UP DYING THEMSELVES.

JOSEPHI AGREE. LET’S ALL GET OUR IPHONES GOING AND SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN. I’LL LET YOU TWO GET YOUR THINGS PACKED.

MEGYNTHEY HAVE BEEN PACKED FOR DAYS. WE ARE READY TO GO ON A MOMENTS NOTICE. I JUST HAD A FUNNY FEELING MICKY WOULD BE READY. OH THE FERTILITY DOCS ARE CALLING US NOW.

BRADLEYI’M CERTAIN THEY ARE SAYING GET HERE ASAP RIGHT?

JOSEPHWHAT A NIGHT TO NEED YOU TWO IN DENVER. WE COULDN’T HAVE CRAFTED WORSE WEATHER.

BRADLEYWE FRANKLY KNEW GOING INTO THIS THAT THIS IS WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF WE CHOSE TO GET PREGNANT AND DO THE FETAL TRANSPLANT.

JOSEPHSO I GUESS I DON’T UNDERSTAND ALL THIS, BUT FROM WHAT I REMEMBER IN COLLEGE BIOLOGY, DOESN’T THE BABY GROW INTO THE SIDEWALL OF THE UTERUS AND THEN IT’S LIKE EMBEDDED WITH A PLACENTA. HOW THE HECK ARE YOU TRANSPLANTING THE BABY FROM MEGYN TO MICKY?

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BRADLEYIN A NUTSHELL JOSEPH, MEGYN’S UTERUS IS REMOVED INTACT AND PLACED INTO MICKY’S UTERUS. EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS FROM BOTH HAVE BEEN HARVESTED AND WILL BE PLACED INTO THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE TWO WOMBS. THE BLOOD SUPPLY OF MEGYN’S WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE WALL OF MICKY’S, AND MICKY’S UTER-INE BLOOD SUPPLY WILL BE SEWN INTO MEGYN’S WOMB. THIS WAY THE DOCS ARE TRIPLE CERTAIN THAT THE INITIAL FETAL GROWTH WILL CONTINUE AND THE STEM CELLS WILL PROVIDE IN TIME MEGYN’S PLACENTA A BLOOD SUPPLY - THUS FEEDING MEGYN’S BABY WITHIN MICKY.

JOSEPHEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE?

BRADLEYNO, BUT WE’RE GIVING IT A SHOT. THIS IS WHAT MICKY AND MEGYN WANTED. WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE. MICKY DIDN’T WANT THE IN VITRO, BUT WOULD ACTUALLY AGREE TO THIS. THIS MAY IN FACT GIVE US A BABY WHEN THE EGGS FROM THE IN VITRO MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN HARMED FROM RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY.

JOSEPHWHY DIDN’T YOU JUST DO EMBRYONIC ADOPTION WHERE YOU JUST TRANSPLANT SOMEONE ELSE’S FERTILIZED EGGS INTO MICKY?

BRADLEYWE DIDN’T WANT TO RISK MULTIPLE BIRTHS AND ALL THE ATTENDANT PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

JOSEPHI GET IT. BUT WHAT ABOUT MEGYN? SHE MAY DIE FROM ALL OF THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT DOCTOR?

BRADLEYAGAIN THIS IS HER VERY WISH, AND I’M CARRYING IT OUT. FRANKLY JOSEPH, MEGYN IS MOST LIKELY IN HER FINAL DAYS. SHE PUTS ON A FRONT. I THINK I CAN CURE AL-MOST ANYTHING, BUT HER CANCER IS ONE THING I COULD NEVER CURE. I DID EVERYTHING AND TALKED TO EVERYONE AROUND THE WORLD. I GUESS AS SAD AS IT IS, THIS WAS MEANT TO BE. LIKE YOU, I WILL PROBABLY BE WITHOUT A WIFE SHORTLY.

MEGYNREMEMBER THOSE WILDERNESS GUYS YOU KNOW ON THE SLOPES BRADLEY?

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BRADLEYYES, THEY ARE ON THE PHONE RIGHT? THEY JUST TRANS-PORTED SOMEONE LAST WEEK IN A LITTLE LESS SEVERE WEATHER. THEY DID IT WITH A SNOWPLOW ALL THE WAY TO DENVER. IS TAHT WHAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING?

MEGYNNO, THEY WANT TO USE YOUR STMO. THEY SAY IT IS FASTER - AND WOULD BE EVEN BETTER TRAVELING I-70. AND IF WE END UP OFF THE ROAD, WE CAN CLIMB BACK ON WITH ITS CLAWS. THIS CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND GETTING THROUGH I-70 WITH SNOW WOULD BE EASIER THAN TRAVERSING THE MOUN-TAINS WITH THIS VEHICLE. BESIDES IF WE WRECK WE CAN CORRECT WHATEVER IS WRONG MEDICALLY RIGHT THERE.

BRADLEYSOUNDS GOOD. IT’S FULL OF DIESEL FUEL AND WILL TRAVEL UP TO 50 MPH. I THINK IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

JOSEPHWHY DON’T YOU AND I GO RETRIEVE THE STMO AND THEN WE’LL HEAD OUT.

MEGYNWE ARE TAKING ONE OF THOSE WILDERNESS RESCUERS WITH US, RIGHT?

BRADLEYNO, NOT ONE, BUT TWO. THERE IS ROOM. JOSEPH YOU’VE BEEN BUMPED. I’LL CALL WHEN WE GET TO DEN-VER. IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE 4 - 5 HOURS IN THIS BLIND-ING STORM. WHO KNOWS? AT LEAST WE WON’T HAVE TO BATTLE TRAFFIC.

MEGYNBRADLEY, PUT YOUR ESSENTIAL STUFF BY THE DOOR. PACK YOUR ROSARY YOUR GREAT GRANDMOTHER GAVE YOU, AND I’LL LET MICKY KNOW WE’RE ON THE WAY. SEE YOU WHEN WE GET BACK JOSEPH.

BRADLEYI’LL LET THE CLINIC KNOW I WON’T BE THERE INDEFINITE-LY. IF I ONLY HAD A FELLOW, HE COULD SEE ALL MY PATIENTS.

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MEGYNREMEMBER THE OTHER ORTHOPODS SAID THEY’D SEE YOUR PATIENTS ANYTIME. THIS IS THE TIME TO USE THEM. BESIDES, NO ONE IS GOING TO A PHYSICIAN’S OFFICE OR SURGERY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THIS WEATHER.

JOSEPHI’M OUT OF HERE. I’LL HAVE THEM MENTION YOU GUYS AT MASS TOMORROW. GIVE ME A CALL WHEN YOU GET TO THE UNIVERSITY. I’LL WATCH YOUR HOUSE. TAKE CARE.

MEGYNGOOD BYE JOSEPH. SEE YOU IN A FEW DAYS OR IN AN-OTHER WORLD.

the eND - Vail XiV

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