Disclaimer: Dick Wolf, ya know the drill, folks. I just had a play date with Bobby.
Characters: Goren, Deakins
Chap. 9 – Scribbles
Later Monday morning.
Eames had warned Katayeva about Goren's driving. Her advice was, "Don't." However, Kat thought she should give Goren the benefit of the doubt. He's already pissed off at me.. Let's not make it any worse. Let him drive. How bad could he be?
"You want me to drive or would you like to?" asked Goren.
"We can take turns? You first," responded Katayeva.
Ten minutes later she was eating those words. Jeez, Eames had been right on the money. Goren tailgated, didn't maintain his speed, slammed on the brakes because he hadn't been focusing, because there was too much other stuff spinning in his brain. When Goren stopped for a red light, Katayeva jumped out of the SUV.
What the hell is she doing now?
Katayeva circled around to the driver's side, rapped her fist on the door.
"Out, Goren, out! I wanna live through my first day at Major Case."
Accustomed to Eames' comments on his driving, Goren laughed and readily got out of the driver's seat. He didn't care if his partner drove. That allowed him to think, to daydream.
When they had swapped seats, Katayeva gave him a look.
"Since you've got my back, Goren, I sure as hell hope you're a better aim with a gun than you are with this vehicle."
"Eames, uh... always drives," informed Goren, as he enjoyed her discomfort with his motor vehicle skills.
"Smart woman," mumbled Katayeva, "OK, we're hitting the dermatologist first?"
Dr. Shari Ackerstein's office was on East 52nd Street. The subpoena for the medical records encouraged the nurse's cooperation. Sister Mary Agnes' file was thin, she'd only been to Ackerstein once. The record indicated that the nun was being treated for eczema on her lower legs. Three prescriptions had been given: Vanos fluocinonide; hydroxyzine HCI, and Keflex. The first was a topical corticosteroid anti-itch cream; the second, an oral anti-itch; and the third an antibiotic to prevent infection when the rash had been scratched.
"Unless the patient was allergic, she wouldn't have died from any of them," said Goren.
"Yep. Let's hit the pharmacy. Maybe we'll get lucky there."
They walked over to the Drugs-R-Us on East 51st, around the corner from the dermatologist's office.
The pharmacist gave Goren and Katayeva a computer print out list of Sister Mary Agnes' prescriptions they had dispensed.
"I'd like photocopies of the doctor's prescriptions she brought in," said Katayeva to Goren.
"Because what was prescribed and what she actually received…" said Goren.
"May well be two different things."
The pharmacist made the photocopies of the prescriptions that Sister Mary Agnes' had brought in to be filled. Goren placed all the paperwork in his leather portfolio.
As soon as they got back in the SUV, out came all the paperwork they had collected so far. Goren handed her the pages from the pharmacy print out and Katayeva read off the drug names so he could compare with the dermatologist's list
"Vanos fluocinonide; hydroxyzine HCI; and …..Veletex," said Katayeva.
"Veletex?"
"It's widely advertised on TV."
"I've seen the ads. Theoretically, I guess that a nun could be taking the Veletex," said Goren.
"Look at these prescription copies," said Katayeva, as she handed them to Goren,.
"Ackerstein writes like a chicken."
"It's a medical school requirement."
"It's a distinct possibility that this nun died of bad penmanship."
"We need to check the PDR entries."
As the pair walked off the 11th floor elevator at One P.P. they ran into Deakins.
"What've you two got on the nun? The Archbishop is on the Mayor, who is on the Chief of D's, who is on me."
"At the moment it looks like she died of bad penmanship."
"What!" said Deakins, "How the hell do you die of bad penmanship?"
"Apparently quite easily."
"Figure it out…soon!" ordered Deakins as he got into the elevator.
"Looks like lunch at out desks. What would you like?" asked Goren.
"What are my choices?"
"Chinese, Italian, deli, fast food."
"Is the Chinese greasy?"
"No."
"I'll take it."
"I'll order, while you get going on the PDR," said Goren.
Katayeva nodded, grabbed the current PDR, found the entries for the three drugs actually being taken by Sister Mary Agnes, making a copy for herself and another for Goren. She placed his copies on his desk, then started reading the fine print for side effects.
Goren returned with the Chinese take-out.
"Whaddya got?"
"Ackerstein prescribed Keflex, an antibiotic. The pharmacy misread her handwriting and dispensed Veletex, an anti-viral used for genital herpes. The dosage on the prescription does not fit the way Veletex comes, it does fit Keflex. The pharmacy technician should have called the doctor, instead he just guessed at both the drug's name and then at the dosage."
Goren continued eating from his takeout container, looking over the PDR copies.
"This isn't indicating any major side effects that would cause her death," said Goren, as he leaned his elbow on the desk with his chin resting on the back of his hand, photocopies spread in front of him.
"Since when does someone like you buy what the drug companies are saying?" grinned Katayeva.
"I didn't notice paranoia on your resume," chuckled Goren.
"Oh, it's definitely there. Check the fine print," laughed Katayeva, "and I'm proud of it."
The two detectives continued chowing down on their Chinese food, while discussing the case. Goren had moved so he was sitting next to his partner, while they searched online.
Katayeva tapped on the laptop's keyboard, Goren pointed to listings onscreen. They had turned up several sites with patients' postings about drug side effects that were not acknowledged in the PDR. It didn't take long to find the entries posted that complained of rapid heartbeat and cardiac arrhythmia in connection with Veletex.
"Now there's a potential killer," commented Katayeva.
"Either the drug company is not reporting it," replied Goren, "or it's a relatively rare side effect which may not have shown up in their clinical trials."
"Are you always this kind to big pharmacia?"
"Nah….I just like to see your face when I say stuff like this," grinned Goren.
That was when Kat smacked him on the arm. Goren just laughed.