2030_ The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks [31]
Kathy didn’t know the answer but she knew what to say. “Yeah. They got ’em.”
“I can’t believe I got shot. I just can’t believe it. That’s something that never would have happened at GM.”
“Don’t get nostalgic for GM, Dad, they were pricks. They were the reason you had to take this stupid job.” As soon as she said it, she realized it was mean. “It wasn’t stupid, it was just beneath you, that’s all.”
“I know what you meant, honey. It was stupid. But it was work.” Her father yawned and let out a groan.
“Why don’t you rest now. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, honey. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She gave her dad a kiss.
As Kathy walked out of the hospital she ran into Sue Norgen. At first Sue didn’t recognize her, but after a second she remembered. All Kathy said was, “I’m trying to get the money.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you that. I was just going to ask how your father was doing.”
“They’re one and the same, aren’t they?”
“Kathy, I don’t make the laws, I try to enforce them on behalf of my employer.”
“Oh, why didn’t you tell me that before?” Kathy said sarcastically.
Sue nodded with that small smile people give when they have nothing more to say. As she walked away Kathy almost felt like apologizing, but she didn’t. She still had no idea what she was going to do. She almost felt jealous of her father because, at least for the time being, his brain was not consumed with this insurmountable debt.
When Kathy parked her father’s car in the underground garage of the office building, she began to sweat. It wasn’t that hot; she was just anticipating the meeting that was about to take place.
She had gotten the name of a lawyer who possibly could help out with the medical bills. Many people missed payments and still were able to recover some insurance money, or so she had been told, so it was certainly worth a meeting to see if this firm could intervene. They advertised that if they couldn’t, there would be no fee, so what was the downside? Kathy thought about waiting until her father was out of the hospital, but it would be horrible to be shot and come home to a $350,000 bill. Maybe she could make some headway here and actually give him some good news.
She took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked down the hall to the office of Payton, Grace, and Osborne. These were medical lawyers who advertised heavily. She felt a little stupid going to someone whose commercial she had just watched, but she thought that if they had enough money to advertise, they must be good. And again, if they couldn’t help, it was free. She opened the door and the waiting room was empty. There was no live assistant. A face on a screen welcomed her and asked, “May I help you?”
“I’m Kathy Bernard. I have an appointment.”
“Yes, you do. Have a seat, please.”
Kathy sat down and waited about fifteen minutes. She picked up one of two readers and scanned various news sources, not really paying much attention. It was all about the earthquake anyway, and she had seen enough of those terrible images. As she put down the device, the door opened. “Miss Bernard?”
“Yes?”
“Kevin Booker. Won’t you come in?”
Kathy walked down the hall to Kevin Booker’s office. Kevin was a paralegal, not even a junior partner. Where’s the guy in the ad? Kevin’s office was small but comfortable.
“Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
“Some earthquake. Can you believe it?”
“It was horrible.” This had now replaced the weather as the official conversation among strangers. It was how people would greet each other for months.
“Too bad we can’t sue God, huh?” Kevin laughed at his joke. Kathy smiled and wished she were dead. “So tell me in a nutshell, how can we help you?”
“My father lapsed in his health coverage, and he was shot on the job, and now they are saying that universal care will pay nothing and we are stuck with the bill.”
Kevin looked genuinely concerned. “I’m very sorry. Is he all right?”
“Well, they think he’ll live, but no one knows how much care he’ll need.”
“What is the bill now?”
“Three hundred and fifty thousand.”
Kevin nodded.