The Courage Tree - Diane Chamberlain [127]
Joe winced. “That must hurt,” he said, surprising himself with his sympathy.
“Well, it did at first, but not now,” Lucas said. “Now I’m just happy for her.”
“So…I’m not following you about the herbs,” Joe said.
Lucas nodded. “I knew I was on to something with them,” he said. “I also knew that no one would listen to a botany professor’s theory on using herbs in treating end-stage kidney disease. So I did some research into physicians who might take my work seriously and who would be willing to take the risk of…posing as the head of the study, when I was actually the one doing the research behind the scenes.”
“Are you saying that Schaefer’s study is really your study?” Joe asked, incredulous.
“Yes. Schaefer agreed to head up the study after I told him about the results I’d had with Jordan. He doesn’t really get it, though, but that doesn’t matter, as long as he’s got me working behind the scenes. Herbalina’s working, Joe, whether you want to believe that or not. I don’t care if Schaefer gets the credit for it. I just want to help those kids who are suffering like Jordan and Sophie did.”
Joe shook his head. “You are even more of a crook than I thought you were,” he said angrily. “You lied every which way about the study and you took those children—those little lives—and cut them off from treatment that was proven to work and put them on—”
“The formula we’re using still needs a lot of work.” Lucas ignored his outburst. “And I’d like to find out why it doesn’t work with adults and how I might be able to change it to make that happen. But my time’s running out. I should be getting dialysis four times a week now, for four or five hours each time. It’s getting harder for me to find a way to earn a living with that sort of interruption in my work, and it eats away at my research time, as well. The formula needs tweaking, but I’m having trouble putting enough time into it these days to do what needs to be done.”
Joe shook his head again. “This is just…My mind is boggled, Lucas,” he said.
“Back to you and Sophie for a minute,” Lucas said. “I really wanted to find out if you might have had any children with kidney disease. So, when I found out that you did, I had to figure out a way to get Sophie into the study. I wanted my niece to have a chance at getting P.R.E.-5. That’s Herbalina.” Lucas looked a bit uncomfortable. “I knew how to garden,” he said, “but I certainly didn’t have the background to get the job at Ayr Creek. So I had a friend fake the Monticello reference for me.”
“Man, you are just…You don’t quit, do you? You develop some secret formula, and that gives you permission to break all the rules.”
“I know it must seem that way to you, Joe,” Lucas said. “And maybe you’re right. Maybe I do think that what I’m doing is important enough to allow me to break a rule or two. But the fact is, I got Schaefer to believe in P.R.E.-5. Actually, he and I had planned to do the study under both our names, using his first to give it credibility. But when I found out about Sophie…well, she wouldn’t have been allowed in the study if I had been one of the researchers, since she’d be a relative.”
“You are absolutely crazy.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Lucas grinned. “I think you’re in for a surprise. Schaefer’s having a press conference this afternoon to announce the two-month results of the study. The results are excellent, across the board. Better than even I had expected.”
“I won’t believe it until I hear someone other than Schaefer—or you—say that the stuff has some merit.”
“I think you should watch the press conference then.” Lucas still wore his grin.
“Will it be on the news?” Joe asked.
“Should