Chapter 17

Andrew could not believe how anxious he felt. He was sitting outside Jeffrey Harris’ office clutching a blue manila folder, his palms sweaty and his heart racing. Ten minutes earlier he had approached Jeffrey’s secretary Linda who he knew well and who always greeted him with a smile. She informed him that Dr Harris would not be long and would of course be delighted to see him.

He was the only one in the waiting room. Linda went on with her work, occasionally glancing over at Andrew.

I have got to calm down, he said to himself. He could not remember ever being so nervous, not even before the FRACP clinical examination.

After another ten minutes Jeffrey Harris’ door opened. Jeffrey was looking around and when he spotted Andrew he said ‘Come in Andrew. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.’

Andrew did not reply, he made an attempt at a smile, followed Jeffrey into his office and sat down on the visitor’s chair opposite Jeffrey.

‘How was your holiday Andrew?’ Before Andrew could reply, Jeffrey continued, ‘And I hear congratulations are in order. Very exciting news. Elizabeth sends her best wishes too. She was ecstatic when she heard. When is the big day?’

‘We haven’t set a date yet. It will be this year though. Just not sure when.’

Here goes, Andrew said to himself and before Jeffrey could say anything else, he started. ‘Jeffrey, I have got something I need to discuss with you. Something quite important actually, I…’

Jeffrey interrupted. ‘I know exactly why you are here Andrew. I have been expecting you. It is over a week since you and George spoke to Arthur and I’m surprised it has taken you so long.’

George had promised Arthur that his role would be kept a secret but neither George nor he had made sure that Arthur would not say anything himself. How stupid of them. Arthur probably picked up the phone and called Jeffrey the moment they left his office.

Andrew had a speech prepared but Jeffrey’s comments caught him off guard and he found himself on the defensive and unsure what to say next. He did not have to worry about what to say next because Jeffrey continued.

‘Do you remember the evening you were over at the house for dinner?’

Andrew nodded.

‘You asked me about the trial and about the low dose of Amaradine we are using.’

Andrew nodded again.

‘And after you confirmed that it was Roger Marsden who gave you the information, I knew that it was only a matter of time before you would figure it out. I know how clever you are Andrew. Maybe too clever for your own good.’

Andrew said nothing. His plan of action was in total disarray. He was scrambling for a response but nothing came to mind.

‘Why didn’t you just come to me Andrew, instead of playing Sherlock Holmes behind my back and working with George Edwards? That man hates me. He would do anything to bring me down. He sees me as the person who took from him what he felt was rather his, Head of Unit.’

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, Andrew thought. By now, I should have made my case and it should have been Jeffrey Harris on the defensive trying to explain himself to me. Not the other way round.

‘Jeffrey, I didn’t come to you because I didn’t want to believe it was true. You have been my mentor Jeffrey, my role model. It was inconceivable that you would be involved in something like this. And as far as George Edwards is concerned, you are wrong about him. He tried to convince me to drop the whole matter.’

‘Okay Andrew, it is cards on the table time. Where do we go from here?’

‘An explanation would be a good start,’ Andrew ventured.

Jeffrey did not reply. He reached over to the telephone, pressed a number and after a moment’s delay said, ‘Linda, hold all calls for the next hour.’ A pause, ‘Yes, all calls. I’m not to be disturbed.’

He turned to face Andrew.

‘An explanation. I think it is a reasonable request Andrew. The problem is that the issue has become so complex that I’m not sure I can still distinguish between fact and fiction but I will give it my best shot.’

Andrew relaxed a little. At last he is going to hear it directly from Jeffrey. He felt surer of himself now. Jeffrey certainly had some explaining to do.

‘Let me start by saying that I’m not trying to excuse what I did. It cannot be excused on any moral or ethical level.’

Jeffrey paused as if to collect his thoughts. Andrew waited and said nothing.

‘After Lionel Myer’s case, I was convinced that Amaradine was a potential cure for glioma. I was absolutely convinced. You probably know that four other patients in whom I tried the drug after Lionel did not respond and died, but that did not lessen my conviction. You have no idea how incredibly difficult it was to get the trial up and running. You know that things were not going well and the result of the trial was likely to be negative. We were using too low a dose, we know that now but we didn’t know it then. My conviction about Amaradine was so strong that I would have done anything to prove it. And that is when the idea of doing what would once have been completely unthinkable came to me. I was determined not to let Amaradine fail and I would do whatever I had to, to achieve that.’

‘Hang on Jeffrey,’ Andew interrupted. ‘You are not alone in this. Let us not forget Winston Heathfield. My information is that he was on the verge of losing everything if Amaradine failed. You don’t expect me to believe that he didn’t have a hand in this.’

‘Your information Andrew? Where would you be getting your information, I wonder? Perhaps from your soon-to-be brother-in-law. That low life journalist who has had it in for Winston Heathfield for as long as I can remember. Let me tell you some facts about Winston Heathfield. Yes, he financed the trial, every dollar of it, no one else would. And do you know why he did it. He believed in me. Believed me when I told him that Amaradine would cure brain tumours. I am not naïve, it wasn’t all altruism, and he stood to make a fortune. Nevertheless, he put everything he owned on the line for me and what I was trying to achieve. Do I owe a man like that something Andrew? What do you think?’

Andrew did not reply.

Jeffrey continued. ‘I knew Winston was in trouble. I knew he had it all on the line. Towards the end the man was desperate. The banks were threatening to foreclose. He told me. He kept repeating that he hoped I was right, that the drug would do what I promised him it would. But did it pressure me to doing what I did. Never. So let us leave Winston out of this. The decision was mine. All mine, all the blame is on me. No one else.’

Andrew thought, you have to admire the man. At least he was taking responsibility for his own actions.

‘So here are the facts,’ Jeffrey continued. ‘I did what I did. I’m not proud of it, but look at the outcome. The trial ‘proved’ that Amaradine worked even though the proof was in part false. And soon after, we did realise the dose we used was too low and increased it. Now the drug does work. It cures brain tumours Andrew. You know that, everyone knows that. This is no longer in dispute. Do you know the incidence of glioblastoma Andrew?’

Andrew knew and nodded. Glioblastoma was the most deadly form of glioma with a life expectancy for the patient of no more than six months.

‘Three per hundred thousand,’ Jeffrey answered his own question. ‘Do the sums Andrew. That’s six hundred and sixty six cases per year in Australia alone. Six hundred and sixty six human beings, Andrew, who won’t die each year because of Amaradine. That is just in Australia. Worldwide the figure is seventy thousand per year. Seventy thousand people whose lives will be saved every year. Now let us look at the other side of the ledger. There were fifteen human beings who had unnecessary brain biopsies, were given a drug which they did not need but which did them no harm and I’m sure you already know that none of the fifteen came to any harm at all. There was not one complication. Not one. So how did the two sides of the ledger back up Andrew? You tell me.”

‘So the end justifies the means. That is what you are really saying, isn’t it Jeffrey?’

Jeffrey hesitated. ‘Yes, I suppose I am, although I don’t think it’s quite as black and white as that.’

‘Isn’t it? It is exactly that. You put forward a compelling argument Jeffrey. But let’s take a step back. What if you were wrong? After all it was just one case, Lionel Myer. What if Amaradine in whatever dose, did not work. Lionel Myer’s case may just have been an aberr­ation. A fluke. And what if some of your fifteen guinea pigs, yes guinea pigs Jeffrey, there is no other term for them; what if some of them did suffer complications or died? It has been known to happen with brain biopsies, even in the best hands. Would your argument hold then? Yes, it all turned out well Jeffrey. But it does not diminish what you did and what you did was unethical, immoral and probably criminal.’

Andrew spat out the words with such vehemence. There was silence. Neither man spoke. After a few minutes Jeffrey said, ‘So what happens now Andrew? What are you going to do with the information in that blue folder that you have been clutching so tightly in your hands?’

‘That is the question that has been haunting me for weeks Jeffrey. I know what I should do. I should inform hospital administration, give them the evidence, and make it public. Probably should report it to the police too. But as you just said Jeffrey, it is not black and white, is it? Amaradine works. You have built a world class facility here Jeffrey. There is cutting edge research going on and in all likelihood Amaradine will lead to other drugs being developed for other cancers. If what you did becomes public, it would jeopardise all that. In all likelihood, your department would probably have to close. Amaradine would be discredited despite its obvious success and all the research would likely stop. So now look at my ledger Jeffrey. Do I do the right thing and report you and put at risk everything that has been achieved and whatever may still be achieved or do I do nothing and keep the status quo?’

Jeffrey did not venture an opinion.

‘Neither course of action is acceptable Jeffrey. I can’t put the science at risk but I also can’t do nothing and you can’t be allowed to get off scot free. Here is what I propose. You resign from your position at Prince Charles, retire from practice. By the look of your house, you can afford to. You can claim illness as the reason, that’s up to you. So that none of this ever comes out. I am sure there will be someone else to take your place and the Department’s work will continue.’

‘That someone wouldn’t be you by any chance Andrew?’

Andrew fixed Jeffrey with a glare.

‘For your information Jeffrey, I have already handed in my resignation and have given three months’ notice.’

Jeffrey was clearly taken aback.

‘What will you do? What about your career?’

‘That is no longer your concern. Do we have a deal?’

‘Do I have a choice?’

Andrew’s silence made it clear what his answer was. Andrew stood up and without another word, turned and walked out of Jeffrey Harris’ office, taking care not to slam the door behind him.