"I know."
"I guess I just stopped thinking because I was afraid to think."
"Where does Ansaldo fit into the picture?"
"I came with him because I admire his skill as a doctor. I can learn things by working with him. He's fantastically good, Matt."
"How long do you know him?"
"Not long. He came to New York about six months ago to operate on a drunk who'd been my patient for months. The patient had fallen down a flight of stairs on my day off. Ansaldo invited me to be one of the nurses when he operated on the patient's spine. Are you interested in operations?"
"A little. Why?"
"It was amazing. I thought I had seen some good surgeons at work. But Ansaldo is more than good, Matt. He's great. After that first operation, I was his nurse for all of his New York operations. And naturally, I jumped at the chance to come along. I'm a perfectionist, Matt. Some day, some day soon I hope, I'm going to go back to medical school. I've been saving every spare penny I could. And what I'm learning from Ansaldo couldn't be taught in any school."
"You amaze me," he said, honestly. It was hard to doubt her. He prodded her for details of Ansaldo's skill. She answered him earnestly, and with increased enthusiasm.
"But wait," she protested, finally. "I don't see why I should be telling all about myself. I haven't talked like this to any man for years."