CRITICAL

ANGELA DAWSON, M.D., APPEARS TO HAVE IT ALL: AT THE AGE OF THIRTY-SEVEN, SHE OWNS A FABULOUS NEW YORK CITY APARTMENT, A STUNNING SEASIDE HOUSE ON NANTUCKET, AND ENJOYS THE PERKS OF HER PROSPEROUS LIFESTYLE. BUT HER CLIMB TO THE TOP WAS ROUGH, MARKED BY A TROUBLED CHILDHOOD, A FAILED MARRIAGE, AND THE DEVASTATING BLOW OF BANKRUPTCY AS A PRIMARY-CARE INTERNIST. PAINFULLY AWARE OF THE ROLE OF ECONOMICS IN MODERN LIFE, PARTICULARLY IN THE HEALTH-CARE FIELD, ANGELA RETURNED TO SCHOOL TO EARN AN MBA. ARMED WITH A SHINY NEW DEGREE AND BLESSED WITH DETERMINATION, INTELLIGENCE, AND IMPECCABLE TIMING, ANGELA FOUNDED A START-UP COMPANY, ANGELS HEALTHCARE, THEN TOOK IT PUBLIC. WITH HER CONTROLLING INTEREST IN THREE BUSY SPECIALTY HOSPITALS IN NEW YORK CITY AND PLANS FOR OTHERS IN MIAMI AND LOS ANGELES, ANGELA`S FUTURE LOOKED VERY BRIGHT. THEN A SURGE OF DRUG-RESISTANT STAPH INFECTIONS IN ALL THREE HOSPITALS DEVASTATES ANGELA`S CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED WORLD. NOT ONLY DO THE INFECTIONS RESULT IN PATIENT DEATHS, BUT THE FATALITIES ALSO CAUSE STOCK PRICES TO TUMBLE, LEAVING MARKET ANALYSTS WONDERING IF ANGELA WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD HER EMPIRE TOGETHER. NEW YORK CITY MEDICAL EXAMINERS LAURIE MONTGOMERY AND JACK STAPLETON ARE NATURALLY INTRIGUED BY THE UPTICK IN STAPH-RELATED POST-PROCEDURE DEATHS. ASIDE FROM THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL CURIOSITY, THERE`S A PERSONAL STAKE AS WELL: LAURIE AND JACK ARE NEWLY MARRIED, AND JACK IS FACING SURGERY TO REPAIR A TORN LIGAMENT AT ANGELS ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL. DESPITE JACK`S PROTESTS, LAURIE CAN`T HELP INVESTIGATING-OPENING A PANDORA`S BOX OF CORPORATE INTRIGUE THAT THREATENS NOT JUST HER LIVELIHOOD, BUT HER LIFE WITH JACK AS WELL. मार्च-एप्रिल २००७ मधल्या एका आठवड्यात एकमेकांना अजिबात न ओळखणा-या तीन माणसांच्या आरोग्याच्या संदर्भात सर्वस्वी अनपेक्षित अशा घटना घडल्या. ह्या घटनांमध्ये दोघांचा जीव गेला आणि शिवाय हजारो लोकांच्या जीवनांवर गंभीर परिणाम झाले. या घटनांमध्ये बळी पडलेल्या लोकांना असं काही होणार, याची पुसटशीही कल्पना नव्हती. या तिघांमधला एक गोरा डॉक्टर होता. दुसरा आफ्रिकन-अमेरिकन असून तो कॉम्प्युटर प्रोग्रॅमर होता. तिसरा माणूस आशियाई वंशाचा होता. व्यवसायानं अकाउंटंट असणा-या या तिस-याची निर्घृण हत्या झाली होती.