Page 27 of Private Exhibit
“Do you want me to make that for you?” Devon asked. “I can come in earlier to do that if you want.”
“No, that's fine,” Andy muttered, forcing himself to focus on what he was doing instead of looking over at the boy. He paused, risking a glance in the direction of the desk. “Unless you like to make it a certain way…”
Devon shook his head. “I'll take coffee however I can get it,” he said with a chuckle.
Andy felt his mouth twitch with the urge to smile.Damn it. He turned away resolutely and concentrated on filling the machine, adding enough water and grounds for a full pot before he started it brewing and stepped away.
Devon was already hard at work. The boy had a file open, all the pages laid out neatly across the desk surface. Andy saw a glowing light track down each page from below.
“What's that?” Andy couldn't help asking.
“I'm scanning your handwritten files into the computer and importing the data to the patient's digital file.”
Andy gaped at him. “You can do that?”
“Yeah.”
“Just put down a page and scan it? Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit.” Andy slowly shook his head, watching as Devon gathered up the pages in a neat stack and set them to one side as several digital pages appeared across the desk surface. Devon went through them all one by one, comparing the originals to the scanned data, making corrections as needed.
“It can't always read your handwriting,” Devon explained as he worked. “But this system is great. It brings up all possible words it thinks somethingcouldbe, and then I can figure out, in context of everything around it, which is the right word.”
“Gods,” Andy breathed. “That's amazing.”
Devon smiled shyly. “Actually…” He blew out a breath. “Gods, I may be talking myself out of a job here, but if you want, I can show you how to use the dictation function. Then then computer system can take down everything you say while you narrate an autopsy, so you won't have to write it all down after the fact.”
Andy almost saidyes. Almost. He'd known about the dictation function for years—nearly everyone around him used it on a regular basis—but he'd never bothered other than testing it out one time. The technology was impressively accurate, but even though it would have saved lots of time, the experience didn't work for him. “I have to write things down,” he said, shaking his head. “It helps me really connect with the case, I guess. Helps me remember the details better in the long run.”
“Oh!” Devon nodded. “I get that.”
“I'm sorry to make more work for you–” Andy began, waving at the desk.
“No, it's totally fine,” Devon insisted. “I don't mind.”
“Alright.” Andy paused, clearing his throat, then heard the coffee machine stop gurgling. He went back to the machine and grabbed two mugs. “How do you like it?”
“Um, two sugars and lots of creamer, if that's alright.”
Anything you want, Andy almost said, but stopped himself just in time. He fixed a cup for Devon and set it on the desk, then went back and made one for himself. Andy hesitated there, taking a sip, trying to come up with an excuse to stay there in the room even though he had nothing to do.
A knock sounded on the door.
Andy grumbled under his breath.What now?“Come in.”
The door swung open, and a nurse peeked into the office. “Doctor Gerard? Nina Sampson is here.”
Andy's stomach turned.Shit. He eyed his coffee, knowing he'd have to reheat it later because there was no way he'd be able to finish it now.Gods. Parents were always the hardest. He gave the nurse a nod. “I'll be right there.”
The nurse quietly left, pulling the door shut behind her.
“Who?” Devon asked.
Andy carefully set down his coffee. “She's here to claim her daughter's body.”
Devon was silent for a long moment. “Oh,” he finally whispered. He looked down, idly shifting pages around on the desk.
