September, Chapter 17: Patrick, Chapter 18: Armando, Chapter 19: The Committee Summary and Analysis

Patrick's central line is now totally blocked. Javier and his department chairman, Jan Van Eys, must now debate whether to put Patrick through another surgery. The chapter focuses in part on the stress that Javier deals with at his job. Cases like Patrick demoralize him and worry his wife Roseanne. The matter of Patrick's surgery cannot be decided by Javier alone, however. He must deal with Dr. Richard Andrassy, Hermann's chief pediatric surgeon. But they do not get along. Dr. Andrassy and Javier decide to continue to find new IV lines in Patrick's already overused veins, a temporary fix. But it is better, they think, than another surgery.

Chapter 18 notes that Armando is finally able to eat and he can talk with his breathing tube and an...