Dr Bob

I turn on the TV in my hotel room. Oprah introduces her first guest, Dr Bob Kreutzfeld. He walks on to the set, tanned, good-looking, and turns on his Hollywood smile for the cameras. Dr Bob’s book “A Cure for Cancer?” has been flying off the shelves; the papers are hailing him a hero on a par with Alexander Fleming, the inventor of Penicillin.

“Dr Bob thank-you for coming on my show.”
“It’s my pleasure to be here.”
“It’s not often I get to interview a real life saver. But that’s what you are. I’ve been reading in the press a rumour that there are plans for a movie about you called “The Miracle Worker?”
Dr Bob smiles, shrugs and says, “Apparently my agent is in talks with the guys in Hollywood. But who knows, in six months this could all blow over and I could be back working at the Nalitt Institute dong what I do best, helping to cure patients with cancer.”
The audience bursts into spontaneous applause. Dr Bob acknowledges the adulation with a smile and a wave. He has quickly grown accustomed to his status as a living saint and the fame that comes with it.
“But does that mean you’ve had to give up your work at the hospital?” asks Oprah.
“Sadly yes. There just wasn’t enough time for it. Just a few weeks after I had written up my results in the Lancet, the media got hold of the story and well you know since then it’s just been crazy. At first I took three months off to turn my findings into my book “A Cure for Cancer”, but then there were the promotions, the book tour, the interviews, I’m sure you get it. And here we are six months later and I just can’t see how I can get back to it. The hospital was really understanding of course. My former cancer colleagues have formally adopted all the methodologies and principles I’ve laid out in my book and the hospital are continuing to pay me to act as an adviser. So they really aren’t missing me too much. And my going opens up a space for a young doctor to join the team of a world class cancer facility that can really change lives. I’m really very proud of all I’ve managed to achieve at Nalitt. And if any of my former patients are watching I’d just like to wish them all the best for their futures I’m sure they are going to be just fine as long as they keep following my treatment plans.”

“Have you heard from Nancy recently? We all saw the amazing story of her wedding to her fiancé Tom who six months ago had given up all hope of ever being able to see his fiancée walk down the aisle. I guess they must be on their honey moon now?” asks Oprah.

A picture of a radiant bride and her husband are flashed on the big screen behind Dr Bob and Oprah. The audience burst into applause once more.

“Yes Nancy was kind enough to invite me to her wedding. Tom even asked me to be his best man. But unfortunately my tour schedule just couldn’t fit in with the wedding. But I did catch it on TV. I thought Nancy looked terrific, it was a beautiful day. “

Nancy looks beautiful; I smile at the screen, that was a truly great day. I turn off the TV; I’ve seen enough of Dr Bob lately. He’s everywhere I go, him and his self-satisfied smile. His smugness is quite irritating. For a moment I am tempted to ring one of those radio phone-ins and tell them the truth. Just for a moment. It would be really dumb. I’ll just have to let this train wreck carry on running down the tracks. The media do love to build you up; I just hope he’s going to be okay in six months time when they drop him like a brick.