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“Two.”

“Well, your father let his insurance payment go for almost a year and a half. Even two months would have been a problem, but at eighteen months there’s nothing I can do.”

“So what does this mean?”

“Well, the good news is, we are going to treat your father for the time he is in the hospital. We will have no ability, though, to get him physical therapy if it turns out that that’s what he needs. You will have to arrange that.”

“Okay,” Kathy said. That didn’t sound so bad to her; maybe her dad wouldn’t need therapy, maybe he would be okay. Then Sue Norgen continued and Kathy heard it, but didn’t. Her brain could not comprehend what came next.

“Kathy, the hospital bill will need to be paid.” Sue looked down at her small screen, confirming the figures before she said anything further. “The bill, including the surgery, including one week of care, no more, will be approximately three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

It was Brian who spoke first. “What did you say?” Brian was now standing.

“The surgery and the one-week stay will be approximately three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” Brian started pacing like an animal. Kathy just sat there, still not comprehending what this meant.

“He has universal care; it can’t be that much!” Brian said.

“He had no care. He let his payments lapse,” Sue replied.

“But he was going to pay them; that’s why he was working at such a shitty job!” Brian raised his voice. “That’s why he got shot!”

“I know it sounds unfair, but I do not make the rules. My job is to collect money so the hospital stays in business.”

“We don’t have the money,” Kathy said. “Are you going to kill him?”

“Of course not, you know that.” Sue got up and went back to her desk. “I am going to send to your screen various plans where you can take out a medical loan, much like any other loan. This can be dealt with in that fashion. Did you ever take out a student loan for college?”

“I didn’t go to college. I had to work.”

“Well, this can be paid back over time by anyone you choose—your father, you, anyone.” Kathy got up. She looked terrible. No color in her face, no expression.

“So I have to borrow three hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”

“Yes.”

“What if they won’t loan us the money?”

“Didn’t you say your father owned his home?”

“Yes, but I think he owes more than it’s worth.”

“Kathy, the medical loans are a bit more lenient because the expense has already been incurred, so I’m sure as long as someone has a job and is willing to make a serious attempt, you will get the money.”

“And what if we don’t?”

“You’re a healthy young woman. Even if your father can never work again, I’m sure you can, or someone else in your family can. And I am sure over time you can pay it back. But I’m not the lender; my responsibility is to the hospital. So when you get home, look over your choices. I can’t imagine that something won’t work out.”

“Can I see my father?”

“Not while he is in intensive care.”

“When can I see him?”

“Go home for now. Look over the material I’ve sent and I will call you and let you know when your father can have a visitor.”

Brian was furious. He wanted to punch this woman in the face. Kathy walked to the door. She honestly felt that if she didn’t take care of the money, she would never see her father again.

CHAPTER NINE

The President had asked for a meeting with several prominent health professionals for Wednesday, the twelfth of June, but something was about to alter his plans.

Wednesday morning, Jack Eller, Brad’s poorest friend, got up early. He had a terrible pain in his right foot. His insurance was the barest-bones coverage the government offered. For a low premium, he was allowed one doctor visit a year, and one visit to an emergency room every three years. Major surgery was covered if three separate medical sources wrote that it was absolutely necessary. Ambulances were not covered, home nursing was not covered, physical therapy was not covered, and the overall deductible was five thousand dollars.

The result of such a stringent plan was that patients simply