Hypocrite's Isle by Ken McClure Read Free Book Online Page A

Mary collected a variety of instruments and placed them in a glass beaker which she filled a third full with pure alcohol. She lit a Bunsen burner. ‘Flame everything,’ she said. ‘Every time you remove a cap from a bottle, flame the neck to keep it sterile. Every time you use an instrument, take it from the beaker and pass it through the flame so that the burning alcohol sterilises it. After a while it’ll become second nature.’
    Mary took a pair of surgical gloves from the dispenser and put them on before picking up an automatic pipette. ‘How much drug do you want to add to the first one?’ she asked.
    ‘0.5 mils.’
    Gavin watched as Mary set the volume and expertly carried out the procedure. She made sure that she did it slowly enough for him to take in every step. ‘Okay?’
    ‘I think so.’
    Mary did another two before asking, ‘Want to try?’
    ‘Sure,’ said Gavin.
    Mary gave up her seat to Gavin, who sat down and carried out the same procedure but using a different amount of the drug. He did so with a deal less fluidity than Mary, but then he had to think about everything he did.
    ‘Great,’ said Mary. ‘One more and we’re through.’
    Gavin went through the inoculating procedure once more. This time he was a bit clumsy with the automatic pipette and touched the tip against the bench. He was about to continue when Mary said, ‘Bin it.’
    Gavin discarded the tip, using the ejector mechanism, and fitted a new one.
    ‘Never take chances,’ said Mary. ‘Regard all surfaces as contaminated .’
    Gavin finished and carried the culture bottles carefully to the incubator where he placed them on the tilt mechanism, making sure they were seated properly before clicking the door shut and feeling himself relax. He hadn’t realised he’d been so tense.
    ‘Okay?’
    Gavin attempted a smile, but the pain it brought ensured it was short-lived. ‘Thanks, Mary, thanks a lot.’
    ‘You’re welcome. Maybe you should go home now and rest up?’
    Gavin nodded. ‘I’d better just touch base with Frank first.’
    Gavin knocked on Frank Simmons’ door.
    Simmons frowned when he saw Gavin’s face. ‘God, that looks painful.’
    ‘Looks worse than it is.’
    ‘Sit down. Tell me about it.’
    ‘Not much to tell really. I had a bad day, drank a bit too much and got a bit of a kickin’ from three locals who figured I was pissin’ their hard-earned taxes against the wall.’
    ‘You seem to be taking it very well,’ said Simmons, impressed at the way Gavin was seeking to play down such a bad experience.
    ‘It’s an average night out in Liverpool,’ said Gavin, making Simmons laugh out loud. ‘Anyway, I thought I’d just tell you that the experiment is up and running. Mary got me some cell cultures from the Macmillan group after I screwed up big time yesterday.’
    ‘I heard you’d had problems. It happens to the best of us. Cell culture is more of an art than a science.’
    ‘Mary’s just given me a master class in aseptic technique.’
    ‘Good. I’m glad things are starting to move. In the meantime, why don’t you go home and get some rest? There’s nothing much you can do here until the cultures have run their course.’

FIVE
     
     
    Despite the discomfort from his injuries, Gavin chose to walk back to the flat. He’d had more than enough comment about his appearance for one day – if not for an entire lifetime – so the prospect of people staring at him on the bus held little attraction. He wrapped his scarf round the lower part of his face, pulled on his woollen hat with the Nike logo on it and kept his head down as he started out on the forty-minute trek.
    At a little after five he was the first one home, and the flat was so cold he could see his breath as he went around switching on the heating. He held his hand under the hot water tap in the kitchen for a few seconds before conceding that he’d have to wait a while for the water to heat up for the bath he’d been promising