Final Defense
Advisor cleared his throat and stood up. It is my pleasure to welcome you today to the final defense... His introductory speech was glorious, stating how exciting it was to have his extraordinary student arriving at the culminating point of his PhD, and how sad it was to see him leave the lab. We were all very proud of J, especially, I suppose, his wife and parents, when Advisor told us in a few words about his contributions to Science.
J's talk was brilliant, even more so than usual. I smiled to myself as I reckoned how smoothly the carefully rehearsed transitions were going. Although I have worked closely enough with him that I could have given this talk myself, I felt captivated again by the power and coolness of it all. This is hot science, I reflected, wondering how on Earth I would be able to pull off such a performance in a year from now.
J finished his talk a bit earlier than planned, having spent a great deal of energy walking us through the beauty of his research, slightly flushed under his heavy costume jacket and tie in the warm, stuffy room. His acknowledgments were very heartfelt and I got a bit emotional as the attendance's gaze turned to me when he gracefully thanked his officemate and collaborator.
Then the questions started. At first the exchange was smooth, questions and answers easily flowing back and forth. Then I frowned. How odd, I thought, that he should stumble over a question I know he could readily and profusely answer. Arguments came to my own mind while I recalled him answering very similar inquiries at a conference a few months back. I blamed it on stress when he asked his interlocutor for clarification, and started feeling slightly uncomfortable on his account.
That's when the chair he had his hands on starting swaying. By the time I realized what was happening, I was frozen on my own seat a mere foot from him, unable to move. Get up and help him! was all I could think and I was unable to do it. R, who was seating close too, got up and caught J just as he was falling. Advisor sprung out of his chair. Soon two medical students where by his side, as well as his mother, taking his jacket off, trying to give him water. "Someone call 911!" said Advisor, and R got to the door. That's when I snapped back to action and yelled at him to run upstairs and go through the secretary.
The paramedics took seventeen minutes to arrive. I could have walked to the closest firefighters station in half that time. The whole thing was a fiasco. Seven PhDs in a room, a collection of incredibly smart people, and we were stunned. J slowly came back to consciousness, laughing weakly at a joke Advisor made to release the tension. Whispers filled the room as we tried to comfort one another.
Later on, the committee agreed to pass J, who they already knew to be fully deserving of his degree, without further examination. People started to leave the room. I turned off the projector, lifted the screen back up, put his computer in sleep mode, shocked my fingers while unplugging the appliances under the gaze of six paramedics. By then J was back on a chair and talking with us.
"Well, congratulations, Dr.!" cheered one of the guys. We had a round of applause. "While we are still all here, we have something...", I started. My voice broke down. "Hell, you scared the shit out of me", I half-cried, handing him over the card signed by all the lab members and the gift certificate we got him.
Tonight, when we'll be celebrating at his place, all that will be far behind. In the meanwhile, I still feel not very steady myself.
