(1987) The Celestial Bed by Irving Wallace Read Free Book Online

one male in the surrogate group. She spoke to him directly, trying to keep her tone even. ‘Mr Brandon, there is no such thing as too small. Certainly you know that. I’m sure my patient will, eventually, do as well as anyone — as even yourself.’
    Still annoyed, Gayle turned away from him to conclude with the others.
    ‘Tomorrow, you all begin. I hope you derive as much happiness from what you will be doing as I have up to now. Dr Freeberg has already wished you luck. To that I can only add, I wish you success.’
    At promptly three thirty in the afternoon, Suzy ushered Adam Demski into Dr Freeberg’s office.
    Freeberg shook hands with the first patient who had come to his Hillsdale clinic several days earlier. He greeted the man cordially, and pointed him to a comfortable chair across from his desk.
    Returning to his own swivel chair, Freeberg was secretly pleased that Demski had arrived at all today, let alone promptly. After their first meeting, Freeberg had wondered if this patient, referred by a Chicago psychoanalyst, would go through with it and actually show up. In their first confidential meeting, Demski had been diffident, nervous to the point of being almost inarticulate, and only after the most artful questioning had Freeberg been able to learn the details of his patient’s impotency.
    At the end of the initial meeting, Freeberg had packed Demski off to get a physical examination from Dr Stan Lopez, the general physician he trusted and intended to use in all his cases. The purpose had been to learn if Demski’s condition was organic or the result of psychological factors. Demski’s personal physician in Chicago had indicated that he had found no organic problems during earlier examinations. Still, Freeberg had to be doubly certain of this and had requested Dr Lopez to reexamine the patient. If the problem did have some organic cause, Dr Freeberg had expected to divert Demski to physicians who would treat his sexual dysfunction from a medical view. If, on the other hand, his visitor’s problem were psychological, Freeberg planned to go ahead and apply sex therapy with the use of his most experienced sex surrogate.
    This afternoon’s second meeting was for the purpose of reviewing Dr Lopez’s report on Demski’s physical condition and then introducing him to Gayle Miller and discussing with him the procedure that would be followed in surrogate treatment.
    Through the thick lenses of his spectacles, Freeberg could see that Demski was again exceedingly apprehensive. Demski, rather anaemic in appearance, sat uneasily in his chair, his lanky frame fidgeting as he kept his gaze fixed on the carpet.
    Running his fingers through his bristly, unruly dark hair, Dr Freeberg then stroked his short greying beard as he once more scrutinised the results of Dr Lopez’s physical report.
    Wearing his most engaging smile, Freeberg said, ‘Well, Mr Demski, I think I can reassure you about one thing. Your disorder has no organic basis. That is something to be grateful for.’ He tapped the report on his desk. ‘Dr Lopez seems to have done a very thorough job. I see he even had an excellent urologist, Dr Gerald Clark, look you over.’
    Demski nodded. Then he said, ‘Yes.’
    ‘All right,’ said Freeberg, ‘let’s consider Dr Lopez’s findings together, just to be sure I’ve not overlooked anything.’
    Demski nodded unhappily. Somehow, Freeberg could see, his patient did not feel reassured.
    Freeberg brought the physician’s report up closer to his myopic vision. ‘I see you were tested for the possibility of undiagnosed diabetes. Such a condition could hurt your blood vessels and possibly make normal physical response difficult. But Dr Lopez
    tells us you are not a diabetic. So we can rule that out. Next - ’
    Freeberg’s eyes ran down Dr Lopez’s report.
    ‘ — he looked into your vascular condition.’
    ‘Vas’cular?’ asked Demski, puzzled.
    ‘Like hardening of the arteries — the penile arteries —