Chapters 30-31 Summary

Chapter 30 begins with a description of the home of Dr. Oreshchenkov, who is seventy-five years old and retired. It is Saturday, and Dr. Dontsova has come to visit him at his home, and he knows it must be bad news. Just by being in his home, Dontsova feels better. Dr. Oreshchenkov has been jailed and persecuted many times in his career, just because he believes he should be able to have a private practice, and he has a low opinion of the type of doctor called an honored scientist. In this small town where he spent his life, Dr. Oreshchenkov had once saved the life of a VIP's son, and then more influential people came to him, and soon he found he was allowed to have the private practice he wanted all his life. Dontsova tells him of her symptoms, and...