12

“He offered how much?”
“Twenty million, not much from the captive tower, but he knows we’ll pass on that amount,” Artemis said. She sat across from Wylie in his office. “But, I think he might get it, if he gets us into a courtroom up there, locals stick together. Maybe a lot more…”
“Not sure I agree, assuming we can get that far, likely move to change of venue,” Wylie said. He sucked in a deep drag of air from his former smoker’s mouth. “If they can prove no intent to harm, it’s a reasonable standard of care – we’ll get our experts to corroborate it – we’ll be all right, I hope. Unless our witnesses blow us up?”
“I don’t think juries like seeing innocent human beings on life support,” Artemis said. “Right?”
“I understand,” Wylie said. “But they didn’t execute a DNR before they walked into that hospital, bad on them.”
“He’s got something else,” Artemis said, flatly. “He knows twenty million for a global settlement seems like a steep number, but after it gets hashed out, not much left, he’s waiting for a bigger pay day.”
“That’s my thinking,” Wylie said. He gripped his nose with thumb and forefinger. He paused. “He knows we’ll deny him the offer, something else out there, bigger problem.”
“Trying to set us up for bad faith?” Artemis asked.
“If it’s just what you’ve seen,” Wylie said. “He’d have taken the per occurrence limits, what’s it, a million per? Twenty millions just enough to temp us, he’s smart.”
“Yeah, he’s also hooked into all the locals,” Artemis said. “Hospital takes the first million per with a ten million aggregate, we’ve reinsured past with a million buffer, towers a half billion over all the coverages. We split the liability tower, two hundred fifty million. At least we don’t have to put up with other reinsurers looking over our shoulders, all ours.”
“About ten percent of the overall liability tower?” Wylie said. He crossed his legs, he started to rock back and forth gazing past Artemis. “He’s not interested in settling, he’s waiting us out.”
“Get back up there?” Artemis said.
“For sure,” Wylie said. “Go poke around without asking for permission, find this, what’s his name?“
Wylie leaned forward, and put on his eyeglasses.
“Demetrius,” Artemis said. “A Dr. Demetrius.”
“Yes, that’s it,” Wylie said. “Never heard of a Greek doctor practicing in Appalachia.”
“They think he invented planet earth,” Artemis said. “Staff whispers his name like he’s all powerful.”
“Well, he’s likey are key witness,” Wylie said. “Figure out if he’s useful, or, if we need to hide him. I don’t need that type on the stand, or at a mediation, sinks us even if the facts say otherwise.”
“Got him lined up,” Artemis said. “Meeting with him, and the general counsel, who, by the way, I do not trust.”
“Part of the job,” Wylie said. He grunted. “They don’t need to like us, now its our money exposed.”
“I know,” Artemis said. She almost stood up, but then sat back down. “Question, you have a recommendation for a pediatrician?”
Wylie leaned forward quizzically looking up at Artemis with his hands on his desk.
“You need an OB first, got something to tell me?” Wylie said. He stared over at Artemis. “Maybe you mean a veterinarian?”
“Little girl I came across,” Artemis said. She crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling tiles. “I know, I know, but I couldn’t just leave her to the streets. She’s with me, until I can find next of kin and the like.”
“You know,” Wylie said. He pulled open his middle desk drawer, he picked a leather folder from the paper mayhem. “Most people do that at animal shelters, reason I don’t go inside them. I’d take the entire inventory.”
“I know, it’s stupid, she’s about seven or so, I think,” Artemis said. “I need her checked out, I don’t have any custody. But, you know, I just want to help her out before she ends up in the system. Make sure she’s as healthy as possible, kid needs a break. You know, get her a full physical, bet she’s never been treated, and all.”
Wylie dabbed his forefinger and thumb as he turned the pages for his old school expert witness catalog.
“I know who’ll help you, keep it quiet,” Wylie said. He turned the folder around and pushed it toward Artemis. “Take her to Dr. Langendorpher, I’ll call her. Good physician, knows how to keep things quiet, and for the right reasons, you know?”
“You know I do,” Artemis said. She snapped a photo of the contact information with her smartphone. “Thanks Wylie, I appreciate you sharing.”
“Thirty years in this business should be worth something,” Wylie said. He snapped the folder closed, and stuffed it back inside the desk drawer. “Where is she?”
Artemis opened her purse, and dropped her smartphone inside.
“With Alan over at The Moon, I don’t want to deal with a daycare, like I know anything, they’ll turn me in,” Artemis said. She shrugged. “He’s ex-military, he’ll look after her, safe place for her.”
“Well, bring her in next time,” Wylie said. “I love little kids, they’re honest, they lack a filter. Wish I could have kept mine at that age.”
Artemis got up for the chair, and she hesitated at the office door.
“Wylie, she’s my dead lovers child,” Artemis said. She glossed her fingers over the door knob. “I have a responsibility to protect her, I cannot fail her, or Benjamin.”
Wylie nodded. He got up and sat on end of his office desk.
“I’ll help you,” Wylie said. “Just be careful up there.”

End. Chapter 12.

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