Doctor friend

How are you feeling today?" "Oh, not so good," he replied with his trademark candor, plopping down into the chair like it had insulted him. "This cough won't leave me alone, my throat f

cture this-an intrepid hero, a femme fatale, and a treasure map! It's got action, romance, suspense-everything. Guaranteed bestseller!" As I wrapped the cuff around his arm, he launched into a breathless summary of his plot, complete with dramatic hand gestures and impromptu dialogue. I nodded, inserting an occasional "Hmm" or "Sounds brilliant!" at strategic intervals. Honestly, it sounded more like a spaghetti western than a literary masterpiece, but who was I to crush his dreams? "Of course," he added with a sigh, "if I'd won the lottery last night, I wouldn't need to fuss about this book at all, now would I?" "Ah, the lottery," I said, laughing as I recorded his vitals. "The great equalizer. I suppose we've all got our fingers crossed for that magic ticket." "If I'd won," he continued, his eyes