Where the Sun Sets
Chapter 10
Dr. Kessler was finishing up for the day. Dropping off the last clip board in
his possession, he said his goodbyes and prepared his exit. For a moment he stopped
for thought and then turned around and headed towards the office of the Chief of Staff
He knocked gingerly on the door.
"Come in." He checked his appearance before entering.
"Morning, Luke, how's the patient?"
"Can I assume you are referring to the gunshot victim?"
"Yes, Antonia or Anthony something. Josephine Ferrero's friend."
"Ah, so your interest lies beyond the surgery?"
"No, sir, I just meant..."
"Never mind, Dal Santo, Antonia Dal Santo. She is doing remarkably well for all
she went through, but she always has been a tough cookie. Are you familiar with the
woman?"
Dr. Kessler was lost in thought. He let his left hand glide him into the chair
in front of Dr. Luke's desk.
"Why don't you have a seat Kessler? Are you getting enough sleep?" Dr. Kessler
looked up but was not seeing what was in front of him. He was lost somewhere back in
time, in his mind. "Dr. Kessler?"
"Yeah...oh, sorry...you said Dal Santo?"
"Yes, do you know her? You seem to have drifted off, I wasn't sure if you heard
me."
"I spent some time in Azerbaijan with an Antonia Dal Santo. Do you think, I
wonder if it could possibly be the same woman?"
"You seem a bit...were you close with this woman?"
"We worked together. I was doing my three year and she was working with some
CARE group. She was remarkable. I thought she was a surgeon. She was extremely well
skilled. I was fascinated by her. But it turned out she was not a practicing doctor
at all, she was just helping out and filled in wherever they needed her. There was
nothing she couldn't do. She was educated in every field you could name. Someone
like that, well it couldn't be the same woman."
"Why is that, do you think?"
"It would be...well why would she be hanging out in New Haven?"
"Our Ms. Dal Santo came back to New Haven, bout, oh, maybe ten years ago. During
the Ferrero stalking I think it was. Seems she and Ms. Ferrero have been friends
since childhood. She came back from the Congo. I believe that was where she was
located at the time. Running a Literacy Awareness Program. The movie star made one
phone call and all the millions of children in Africa got pushed aside. It is quite
a shame. Yes, I believe your Antonia and our Antonia are one and the same."
40