MW_Secret_files/Erotic Dreams.pdf - Medwords.com.au

PRACTICE TALES
Missed Murder?
Many years ago, when I was a young and inexperienced general practitioner just
starting my own practice, I always eagerly welcomed new patients, and tried my best
to do everything possible for them.
During this time, I was visited by a man in his early sixties who had a minor
problem. During the consultation he mentioned that he was newly married, and had
just moved into the area with his new wife who was a diabetic. Would I be able to
look after her adequately? Of course!
A week later I was called to the home to see the new wife. Two surprises awaited
me - the home was next door to the largest medical centre in the district and the
new wife was 92 years old!
I felt that I couldn’t comment on the age difference, but I did ask why they had
bypassed the medical centre next door to travel the three kilometres to my surgery.
My ego was further massaged when I was told that my reputation was excellent, and
they felt that the extra journey was worthwhile for my superior expertise!
Over the next few weeks I saw them both regularly. She had the normal heart
problems of an elderly person, and was on insulin injections for her diabetes. She was
also suffering from some degree of dementia, and appeared from her jewellery and
clothing to be quite wealthy. He had been unemployed for some years and was an
invalid pensioner, but I never did find out how he had gained such a pension.
One mid-morning I received an urgent phone call from him - he thought she was
dead.
A quick trip to the house confirmed his fear. She was stone cold. He had gone in to
take her morning tea in bed and she hadn’t responded to him. He had been talking to
her at breakfast a couple of hours earlier, when she had appeared quite well, but had
said she was tired and had gone back to sleep. Now she was dead, and he was
literally crying on my shoulder.
In the rush of coping with an apparently distraught husband, phoning undertakers,
signing forms and with my inexperience, I didn’t doubt that she had died from natural
causes until several days later.
My concern was triggered a week after the funeral when I phoned to give my
further condolences and offer any necessary support. The phone was disconnected. I
drove past the house, and it had a “For Sale” sign outside.
I had a sudden, cold hard feeling in my stomach, returned to the surgery and dug
out my long neglected forensic pathology text. My fears were confirmed - the stone
cold corpse that I had examined should not have been cold at all after only two hours
at the most since death, particularly in Queensland’s summer. The marriage of a
impecunious man to a wealthy woman thirty years his senior suddenly took on a new
light, as did his choice of an inexperienced young general practitioner who was over
eager to please.
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