he turned back to the witness. ‘You wear the bracelet because it is important that the transplant be done right away, is that correct?’
‘Yes, precisely.’
‘And I assume that you would encourage others to do the same—to make those kinds of arrangements so that people who need these transplants can have them?’
‘Yes, of course. Thousands of lives are saved every year. There is a tremendous need.’
‘In other words, Dr Steinberg, there is no objection to the use of other bodies? In fact, if I understand you correctly, the lives of thousands of people depend upon it?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Very good,’ said William Darnell with a sidelong glance at the jury. ‘And in fact, Doctor, there are cases where to save the life of one person, the organs of another person are taken while that other person is not in every sense of the term quite dead—isn’t that true?’
There was an audible murmur in the courtroom, the expression of a collective doubt, an instinctive disapproval.
‘What is the medical definition of death, doctor? When the heart stops beating—or when there is no more activity in the brain? Isn’t that when a heart is taken, a heart that can save another life? Because if you wait much longer, it can’t be used; because if you wait much longer, it won’t have the gift of life…’
‘Yes, but I—’
Darnell shook his head.‘It doesn’t matter. Forgive me, Doctor, I got a little ahead of myself.What I need to ask you about is the condition of those you examined. And I have just a few follow-up questions from what Mr Roberts asked.’
Darnell stood next to the counsel table, glancing down at his notes. ‘James DeSantos was the first person Mr Roberts asked about. He is the well-known movie actor, isn’t he?’
‘Yes.’
‘He was rather seriously injured, was he not? I believe your testimony was a broken ankle, broken teeth, ulceration and even blindness?’
‘Yes, but fortunately the blindness was only temporary.’
‘So his vision is fully restored?’
‘No, not quite. He still has partial blindness in his right eye. He can see out of it, but his vision in that eye is blurred.’
‘And his ankle? I don’t think you mentioned it—I noticed Mr Roberts did not ask about it—but that was a compound fracture, was it not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Meaning…?’
‘The broken bone punctured the skin. With that kind of break, if it is not set properly at once, it won’t heal right.’
‘Which will affect the way he walks?’
‘Yes, but with physical therapy…’ ‘I understand. Do you know how his ankle was broken?’
‘He said it happened when he jumped into the boat. He landed on it, and it twisted under his weight.’
Standing at an angle to the witness so he could see the jury, Darnell lifted an eyebrow and nodded slowly. ‘An accident, then. No one broke it for him. And what about his teeth? Another accident?’
‘As far as I know.’
‘As far as you know.Yes, of course. One other question about Mr DeSantos: his wife was on that voyage with him, was she not?’
‘Yes, according to what I’ve read.’
‘You didn’t examine her, though, did you?’
‘No, she was not one of the survivors.’
With a rapid stride, Darnell went across to the counsel table where he appeared to study a page of longhand notes.
‘Aaron Trevelyn,’ he said, his eyes still on the page. He looked up, a strangely pugnacious expression on his smooth, round face. ‘May have suffered some memory loss? He was a member of the crew, was he not? Or is that one of the things he has managed to forget?’
‘I’m just reporting what I observed,’ said Steinberg, stiffening.
‘What you observed? Or what Mr Trevelyn claimed?’ asked Darnell with a wrathful look that changed almost immediately into an apologetic smile. ‘You may be wondering why both the prosecution and the defence have concerns about what Mr Trevelyn can or cannot remember. I’m afraid that will have to remain a
‘Yes, precisely.’
‘And I assume that you would encourage others to do the same—to make those kinds of arrangements so that people who need these transplants can have them?’
‘Yes, of course. Thousands of lives are saved every year. There is a tremendous need.’
‘In other words, Dr Steinberg, there is no objection to the use of other bodies? In fact, if I understand you correctly, the lives of thousands of people depend upon it?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Very good,’ said William Darnell with a sidelong glance at the jury. ‘And in fact, Doctor, there are cases where to save the life of one person, the organs of another person are taken while that other person is not in every sense of the term quite dead—isn’t that true?’
There was an audible murmur in the courtroom, the expression of a collective doubt, an instinctive disapproval.
‘What is the medical definition of death, doctor? When the heart stops beating—or when there is no more activity in the brain? Isn’t that when a heart is taken, a heart that can save another life? Because if you wait much longer, it can’t be used; because if you wait much longer, it won’t have the gift of life…’
‘Yes, but I—’
Darnell shook his head.‘It doesn’t matter. Forgive me, Doctor, I got a little ahead of myself.What I need to ask you about is the condition of those you examined. And I have just a few follow-up questions from what Mr Roberts asked.’
Darnell stood next to the counsel table, glancing down at his notes. ‘James DeSantos was the first person Mr Roberts asked about. He is the well-known movie actor, isn’t he?’
‘Yes.’
‘He was rather seriously injured, was he not? I believe your testimony was a broken ankle, broken teeth, ulceration and even blindness?’
‘Yes, but fortunately the blindness was only temporary.’
‘So his vision is fully restored?’
‘No, not quite. He still has partial blindness in his right eye. He can see out of it, but his vision in that eye is blurred.’
‘And his ankle? I don’t think you mentioned it—I noticed Mr Roberts did not ask about it—but that was a compound fracture, was it not?’
‘Yes.’
‘Meaning…?’
‘The broken bone punctured the skin. With that kind of break, if it is not set properly at once, it won’t heal right.’
‘Which will affect the way he walks?’
‘Yes, but with physical therapy…’ ‘I understand. Do you know how his ankle was broken?’
‘He said it happened when he jumped into the boat. He landed on it, and it twisted under his weight.’
Standing at an angle to the witness so he could see the jury, Darnell lifted an eyebrow and nodded slowly. ‘An accident, then. No one broke it for him. And what about his teeth? Another accident?’
‘As far as I know.’
‘As far as you know.Yes, of course. One other question about Mr DeSantos: his wife was on that voyage with him, was she not?’
‘Yes, according to what I’ve read.’
‘You didn’t examine her, though, did you?’
‘No, she was not one of the survivors.’
With a rapid stride, Darnell went across to the counsel table where he appeared to study a page of longhand notes.
‘Aaron Trevelyn,’ he said, his eyes still on the page. He looked up, a strangely pugnacious expression on his smooth, round face. ‘May have suffered some memory loss? He was a member of the crew, was he not? Or is that one of the things he has managed to forget?’
‘I’m just reporting what I observed,’ said Steinberg, stiffening.
‘What you observed? Or what Mr Trevelyn claimed?’ asked Darnell with a wrathful look that changed almost immediately into an apologetic smile. ‘You may be wondering why both the prosecution and the defence have concerns about what Mr Trevelyn can or cannot remember. I’m afraid that will have to remain a
Similar Books
