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

of your peers. You have a list of publications as long as your arm, and in journals that many of them would kill to get their work into, so stop talking nonsense. You’ve always been too modest for your own good. However well you did, it was never good enough for you . That’s one of the reasons I married you. I knew you were never going to end up stalking the corridors of power in a smart suit, checking the New Year Honours list to see if you were on it, but you were clever, funny, imaginative, honest – perhaps too honest for the environment you’re in – and you genuinely cared about sick people and what might make things better for them. That makes you an ace person in my book – unless of course, you don’t get your arse up the stairs in the next thirty seconds and read our children a story, in which case, I just might divorce you and bring in a man in a suit.’
    Simmons smiled and nodded. ‘On my way.’
     
    Later, as they sat having dinner, Jenny asked, ‘Have you heard about the extent of Gavin’s injuries yet?’
    ‘I talked to him this afternoon. He came in to set up some cultures.’
    ‘Gosh, that was keen. You seemed to have enough trouble getting him to come in to the lab when he was perfectly healthy. What’s brought about the change?’
    ‘I don’t think there’s actually been a change, although he was hugely embarrassed about having screwed up the cultures the first time round. It’s true I expected him to be just like all the others, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when he started back in October – you know the sort of thing, in first in the morning, making himself busy about the lab, generally creating a good impression as new students usually do – but Gavin doesn’t think that way. He doesn’t do good impressions. I thought he was skiving but he wasn’t; he was thinking about the project and how best to approach it. He simply didn’t do anything in the lab until he came up with something worth doing.’
    ‘And now he has?’
    Simmons nodded. ‘And I suspect he’ll be prepared to work night and day if necessary to see it through – without any prompting from me.’
    ‘So why was Graham having a go at him?’
    ‘We ask the postgrad students to participate in the undergrad teaching programme – it’s supposed to give them teaching experience . Graham asked Gavin to take a first-year class and he refused. Now Graham’s afraid some of the others might follow suit.’
    ‘That sounds so like Gavin,’ said Jenny. ‘Setting out to make an enemy of the head of department … and you maintain he’s bright?’
    ‘The teaching is voluntary …’
    ‘But surely he can see –’
    ‘That he should play the game?’ interrupted Simmons. ‘Oh yes, he can see that. He just refuses to play it.’
    Jenny shook her head. ‘On his own head be it … but surely the meeting wasn’t all about Gavin?’
    Simmons told her about the BBC planning to visit the department.
    ‘Great. Does this mean you’re going to be on Horizon , holding up a test tube and gazing into the middle distance, while a soothing voice explains just how you made the breakthrough?’
    ‘No, I’ve nothing to tell them.’
    ‘How did I know you were going to say that?’ smiled Jenny. ‘What about Mary’s stuff? You were singing her praises the other day. She’s writing it up for publication, isn’t she?’
    Simmons nodded. ‘Sure, and it’s a very nice piece of work, but it’s technical progress. It’s only relevant to scientists in the field. It has no bearing on anything that would matter to the general public.’
    ‘Couldn’t you sex it up to make it seem that way? You know, Edinburgh scientists in cancer breakthrough … hopefully in three to five years’ time this will lead to significant new treatments …’
    ‘I could but I’m not going to,’ said Simmons flatly. ‘You know how I feel about that rubbish.’
    Jenny looked at him and smiled. ‘God, you rise to the bait so easily. I can never