Since learning about the 228 lobotomies performed last year during what Robert now referred to as “Operation Ice Pick,” Ruth had a niggling unease about Robert’s trips. The holidays put a temporary stay on his travel, but since the New Year, Robert spent more time than ever touring the country in the car he had dubbed his “lobotomobile.” Ruth needed to assuage her concerns.
She was so bundled up that, by the time Ruth reached La Toque Blanche, she was damp with perspiration. She stood outside briefly, attempting to dab herself off, which made her feel silly. She’d never given a second thought to her appearance around Edward in the past. Why was she so nervous?
Calm settled over her the moment she entered the dimly lit restaurant and locked eyes with him. Something about his whole essence gave Ruth comfort—it always had. He had reached out to her after Dr. Moniz had won the Nobel Prize, about four years ago, but she was still hurt by his sudden and complete break with them, with her. She had thought they were closer than that. Truth be told, she also still felt humiliated by the embezzlement scandal at the hospital. Edward had become established and successful in his own right, as both a professor and chair of the Neurology Department at Columbia. Meanwhile, she had taken over Emeraldine’s operations only to have her first assistant superintendent, Roy Haddington, steal from the hospital under her watch. She felt more than fortunate that Charles had helped convince the board it had been as much his mistake as hers, but Ruth knew the truth. She hadn’t spent enough time doing what she needed to do to keep the hospital running. After Haddington disappeared, she doubled her efforts to appease the hospital’s donors and replenished much of the loss from her own pocket. At that moment her job really changed. She hated that she didn’t see her patients much, but it was necessary to keep Emeraldine running smoothly. Making sure that Emeraldine stayed open for her patients was vastly more important than spending time with the patients themselves.
Ruth settled into her job and now had the support of a reliable assistant superintendent, Jeremy Mandrake. His presence allowed her to return her focus to the specifics of her patients. She had noticed that more patients who had lobotomies remained at Emeraldine than she’d expected. It didn’t make sense. If lobotomy was less effective than they had thought, Robert surely wouldn’t continue performing the procedure on hundreds of people across the country. She had tried to reconcile these seemingly discordant facts with Robert, but he had brushed her off. Which led her here. Edward was the only other person she knew who could help her make sense of what she was starting to fear. Maybe lobotomy wasn’t all they hoped it would be.
“Ruth, you have no idea how wonderful it is to see you. I was overjoyed when you called.” Gone was the awkward man-boy who had first entered her office nearly two decades ago; in his place stood a distinguished gentleman, even more handsome with the sprinkle of gray in his temples, the scattering of lines at the edges of his eyes, his fuller, more solid figure. He immediately drew her into a strong embrace. Ruth was taken aback. The Edward she knew was much more tentative and cautious.
He released her, his gaze filled with an adoration that disarmed her. “You look well. Very well. How are you?” He looked affectionately into her eyes and pulled out the blue vinyl chair for her to sit.
“Edward, it is really lovely to see you again.” She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands and then around the room for their waiter. She needed a drink. “Tell me everything. How is Columbia?” She glanced at his left hand and noticed, to her surprise, it was bare. “Still with Rebecca?”
“Rebecca and I broke things off years ago. Soon after—” He looked down awkwardly as if he knew Ruth had heard his fight with Robert that evening so long ago. “After Robert and I parted ways, I never got to apologize for my abrupt resignation. I just felt it would be easier for everyone if I made a clean break.”
“It was a difficult time. And we missed you at the hospital. I missed you. But I came to understand that it was what you had to do. And now you’re chairing the department at Columbia. How wonderful!”
“Yes. My teaching post turned out to be an excellent career decision. But now that I am running the department and still practicing surgery, I am busier than ever. Hence, no ring.” He held up his hand, seeming to know that she had looked. “The truth is that I have found neither the time for a steady girl nor a girl who warrants the time.”