Summary

In Chapter 1, an unnamed Dutch family doctor describes how his signature is to see and converse with each of his patients for 20 minutes, even though he can usually diagnose their problems within the first minute or two. He spends the rest of the appointment daydreaming. The doctor remembers how a patient of his, Ralph Meier, passed away 18 months after his first appointment. The doctor had gone to his funeral, where Ralph’s widow, Judith, spat in his face. The doctor is under investigation for malpractice in this case, but he is not worries.

In Chapter 2, the doctor describes how he sees his role: to keep as many patients away from the hospital or other specialists, to keep the system from collapsing due to over-scheduling. He recalls Ralph as a large and indulgent man: a famous actor who passed away in the midst of...