Prophet (42 page)

“Good evening,” said John, “and welcome to NewsSix at Five.”

Camera One, head-on to Ali. A graphic of Slater and Wilson nose-to-nose appears over her left shoulder.

“The gloves came off again in the race for governor as Hiram Slater and challenger Bob Wilson exchanged verbal punches over the issue of parental consent and this state’s reproductive privacy laws. Todd Baker has that story.”

Todd Baker’s prerecorded package begins to roll.

Video: Governor Hiram Slater addressing a huge luncheon crowd.

Todd Baker’s voice over the pictures: “Addressing the National Freedom League, Governor Hiram Slater minced no words in defending the pro-choice legislation he has championed during his administration.”

Sound comes up as the governor speaks: “Bob Wilson claims he wants to protect families, but what he really wants is to tear away a woman’s right to control her own body. I’d like to remind Mr. Wilson that you, the people, spoke when you approved the Reproductive Privacy Act and guaranteed every woman’s fundamental right to abortion,
free from interference by the state, the church, the family, anyone. And I think you should remind him as well and tell him where you stand when you go to the polls in November!”

Cheers, cheers, cheers.

Video: Bob Wilson addressing another crowd, a huge BOB WILSON FOR GOVERNOR banner behind him, framed by red, white, and blue balloons.

Todd Baker’s voice: “But at a rally today at the Pendergras Hotel, Bob Wilson called for a moratorium on the privacy law, insisting that the law comes between parents and their children.”

Sound comes up for a Bob Wilson sound bite: “A child needs her parents’ permission just to receive an aspirin from the school nurse, and yet she can be driven to a clinic by that same nurse to undergo a risky medical procedure without her parents’ knowledge or consent. And what if there’s a complication? The abortionist can hide behind Hiram Slater’s favorite law while the parents are left to bear the pain and expense of repairing the damage. If this is the law of the state, then we need to have another law; if this is what our governor stands for, then we need to have another governor.”

Cheers, cheers, cheers.

Todd Baker, standing in the lobby of the hotel, microphone in hand: “And it isn’t over yet. With less than two months before the election, the candidates are going to get all the mileage they can out of this issue as if emotion meant votes, and right now there is plenty of emotion. At the Pendergras Hotel, this is Todd Baker for NewsSix.”

Camera Two, head-on to John, close up.

With a deep, quaking pain in his stomach, John pushed himself objectively onward and read the copy from the teleprompter in front of the camera lens. This was it.

“Well, as if to underline the debate over parental consent, one family confronted that issue head-on today in an unsuccessful attempt to pierce the veil of privacy at a local clinic. Marian Gibbons is live in front of the Women’s Medical Center . . .”

Mardell held her hand out to the anchor’s right, and they turned their eyes in that direction. On television screens all over The City they appeared to be looking at a large, rectangular screen perched on the end of the news desk. Marian Gibbons was on that screen looking
back at them, microphone in hand, the Women’s Medical Center behind her.

“. . . and has the latest on that. Marian?”

Marian went to full screen and began her package. “John and Ali, this was another case of anti-abortion sentiment still at work even in the face of strict laws protecting reproductive privacy.”

A cassette began to roll.

Video: Head-and-shoulders shot of Deanne Brewer standing on her front porch, the front door just behind her.

THE BREWER KIDS
knew better than to talk over the TV when Mom was on the screen, but they still jumped, pointed, and squeaked in excitement.

MARIAN’S VOICE OVER
Deanne’s talking head: “Max and Deanne Brewer lost their daughter to toxic shock syndrome in May of this year, but they are convinced the Women’s Medical Center is to blame.”

Deanne’s voice comes up to volume: “. . . we saw part of the autopsy report, and it said Annie died from a septic abortion, and we didn’t even know she was pregnant . . .”

Video: The Women’s Medical Center.

Marian: “The Brewers had themselves appointed as personal representatives of their daughter’s estate in order to gain access to confidential records at the Women’s Medical Center.”

Video and sound of Alena Spurr, director, Women’s Medical Center, her office walls in the background: “Mrs. Brewer presented us a legal request for her daughter’s records, so of course we cooperated, and of course we didn’t find anything . . .”

Video: Alena Spurr going through the files in the back office of the clinic, thumbing through hundreds of folders. A reenactment.

Alena’s voice over the video: “We do keep thorough records, and there is simply no record of Annie Brewer ever being here, ever receiving our services.”

Video and sound of Deanne Brewer on her front porch: “I went and talked with a young lady who was there at the clinic, who saw
Annie get an abortion there, and that’s how we found out who was responsible.”

Video and sound of Alena Spurr in her office: “We have offered our services to hundreds of patients over the years, and not one of them has ever complained of mistreatment.”

Video: The pro-lifers out on the sidewalk holding their signs and stopping patients to talk with them.

Alena’s voice over the video: “What’s really tragic is how these people are being used by the enemies of choice. The anti-abortionists are grabbing at anything they can find now.”

Video: Shots of the clinic, of patients (their faces turned away from the camera) approaching the door.

Marian: “So who is the eyewitness the Brewers claim saw their daughter receive an abortion at the clinic?”

Video and sound of Deanne Brewer: “I can’t say who it was. She wanted to remain anonymous.”

Marian: “And what about that autopsy report indicating Annie Brewer died from a septic abortion?”

Video: Pages of the handcopied autopsy report being slowly turned for the camera.

Marian over the video: “All Deanne Brewer could show us were five pages supposedly handcopied from the original autopsy report. But where is the original?”

Video and sound of Deanne: “Well, the hospital can’t find it. They’ve lost it or something.”

Marian’s voice, interviewing Deanne from off-camera: “Well, what about the pathologist who performed the autopsy? Couldn’t he explain the cause of death?”

Deanne gets flustered and looks down. “Well, we couldn’t find him either. He doesn’t work at the hospital anymore.”

Cut to Alena Spurr in her office: “It’s harassment, pure and simple. They can’t prove one charge they’re making and yet they come in here and harass us, intimidate us, and scare our patients. You know, we have had trouble with the Brewers before.”

Video: Old footage from the governor’s kickoff rally. Max Brewer scuffling, slugging it out in a near-riot as an older man stands above the crowd on a planter and hollers. A circle highlights Max so he can be
picked out visually.

Marian over the video: “Indeed Max Brewer was arrested and jailed for trespassing on clinic property and later was ejected from Governor Hiram Slater’s campaign kickoff rally for assaulting the participants.”

Back to Marian live, in front of the Women’s Medical Center: “So, John and Ali, if nothing else, today’s incident serves to remind us that the abortion battle is far from over, despite the recent public approval of laws protecting the rights of women.”

John was ready with the scripted question, written for him by Marian Gibbons. “So, Marian, are the Brewers now satisfied that the Women’s Medical Center was not at fault in the death of their daughter?”

Marian answered from the screen, “Well, John, when I asked Mrs. Brewer that question she said they were not yet satisfied and would keep fighting to find out what happened. So unfortunately the Women’s Medical Center is bound to see some more trouble before this is over.”

“Okay, Marian. Thanks.”

Camera One head-on to Ali. “A semi truck carrying two thousand live chickens caused a real flap when it overturned on Interstate 40 . . .”

John flipped the page of his script. That was that. Funny how so much struggle, pain, emotion, and information could be hyper-simplified, skimmed, and spit out in under two minutes. It went by so fast he had no time to think about it. He had no time even now. The next story was coming up, and it would be his turn in front of the camera. He’d have to ponder all this later.

MAX AND DEANNE
just sat there as Ali talked about the body found near Interstate 40, and John introduced a story about an Army Surplus store’s fiftieth anniversary, and then Ali talked about a house fire. They couldn’t think of a word to say; each was afraid of what the other might be thinking.

Twelve-year-old Victoria spoke up first. “Mom . . . did you do a bad thing?”

“No, honey . . .”

Max slammed the arm of his chair and then leaped to his feet. “Son
of a—”

“Okay, kids.” Deanne roused the children. “Go on into your rooms and work on your homework. Supper will be ready soon.”

They went. Daddy was angry, and Mommy was crying. It was best to get away from them for a while.

CARL TURNED AWAY
from the television and stared at his canvas, just stared into the white, featureless expanse. He was trying to see his vision again, his goal, his project as he’d imagined it.

It was gone. He couldn’t recall it.