Page 33 of Protecting Silver
“How well do you know this doctor in charge of the lab?”
“We’re colleagues. I wouldn’t say I know him well, but we talk, and he was able to get me a membership to his gym. I’d like to say we’re friends, or heading in that direction.”
“So, you can talk to him without feeling awkward?”
“What are you getting at, Silver?”
Patch watched as Silver drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She looked at him, took one hand in hers, and while looking into his eyes, said, “Have him check your blood for genetic markers. I don’t know what else to call it. I’m not the doctor here.” She smiled at his grin.
“I understand. Go a few steps further than what that website can do.”
“Exactly. We already know that it’s going to take four to six weeks to get the results back from the website, and that’s after they send you the stuff, then you send it back. I don’t know for sure, but I’m assuming that it might take that long, or longer, to get the genetic markers back from your blood.” She shrugged again. “But, then again, what do I know?”
“A lot,” Patch said as he leaned in, and gave her a quick kiss. “I hate to sound like a whiny child, but when can I see you again?”
“Do you want to come over tonight? We don’t have to go out to dinner. After my conference call, I plan to go grocery shopping. We can cook something here.”
“Steaks and veggies, along with a baked potato?”
“That sounds good. I don’t have an outdoor grill, but I have the grill pan for my stove.” She pointed to the appliance, and Patch rose to his feet and went to inspect it. He nodded as he turned to her. “This will do perfectly. I’ll grill.”
“Deal,” Silver laughed as she rose and went over to give him a hug. It took ten minutes for Patch to finally leave with the promise that he would be back after hunting down his colleague. Before he left, he made sure he had her cell phone and house phone numbers programmed into his phone. With one last kiss, he left her to do her work thing, while he left to do what he needed to do. He climbed into his truck, and pulled his phone out to make a call before leaving the parking lot. Nodding as he hung up, he started his vehicle and made his way to the hospital. On the way, he realized that Silver’s place was closer to his work than his was. He wondered what it would be like to live with Silver on a permanent basis. If his sleep the night before was any indication, then he didn’t know if it was the great sex, or the woman herself that had relaxed him enough for him to get the best sleep he’d had in years. Shaking his head, he pulled into the employee parking lot of the hospital, and made his way into the hospital through the employee entrance.
Chapter 17
Patch enteredthe lab and stood just inside the door, looking around. “Help you?” a man with a paper lab coat, gloves, and face mask asked him.
“I’m looking for Aderly.”
“Go back out the door you came in, go down the hall to the second door on the right. That’s his office.”
“Thanks,” Patch called to the man, then stepped back out into the hall. As he stood before the door to Aderly’s office, he raised his hand to knock, and realized it was shaking. He shook his entire body, then knocked. He opened the door at the call, and it surprised him at how neat and organized the office was.
“Patch, welcome,” Kevin Aderly said as he rose to his feet and studied Patch. “Come in, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I have coffee or water.”
“Water will do.” Patch took the seat before the desk, and took the bottle of water from him. He waited until Aderly settled back behind his desk and leaned back in his chair.
“I have to say, I was surprised to get your call. I know we meet at the gym on occasion, but what’s up?”
Patch drew in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “What I’m about to tell you, only a handful of people know.”
“And you want me to keep this strictly confidential? Doctor/patient confidentiality.”
“Yes, please.” Again, Patch drew in a deep breath, rubbed his sweaty palms on the thighs of his slacks, and let the breath out in a rush. “I grew up in the foster-care system. I was talking to my girlfriend last night, and she suggested I sign up for that ancestry website and get my DNA tested.”
“Okay,” Kevin said, and waited for Patch to continue. When he didn’t, he frowned. “Do you want my opinion of that site?”
“I do, then I was wondering if you could draw my blood and I don’t know, maybe compare what you get to what they get, and Silver said something about genetic markers.”
Kevin nodded and sat forward in his chair. With his arms resting on his desk, he continued to nod. “First, even though I’m the head of the lab, and work with blood samples every day, what we do here isn’t the same as what they do.”
“I think I know the difference, but could you explain it to me?”
“Here at work, we draw blood samples and check for illegal drugs, any problems with the blood. We do not run DNA or genetic markers unless specifically asked. When we do the DNA, nine times out of ten, it’s for a criminal case.” At the confused look on Patch’s face, he leaned back in his chair again to explain. “Rape kits, assaults, we process for any foreign DNA. Though we don’t run the results against the criminal databases, we do enter them into the computer and let the police to the rest.”
“Oh, okay, I thought you took the samples from the rape kits, and the assaults, but passed them off to a state crime lab or something.”
“No, we’re accredited to take the samples and run them. Now that you know what we do, and so far as long as I’ve worked here at the lab, we have never entered anyone’s DNA into a database that would be like that website you mentioned earlier. I’m sure you know that DNA cannot be altered in any way, shape, or form.”
