Coma is the first published novel of Robin Cook. The book was published in the year 1977 and was touted as a New York Times best seller and voted as the best thriller of the year.
Plot
Susan Wheeler is a beautiful medical student who is 23 years old. She works as a trainee in Boston Memorial Hospital along with four other students. They take rounds in surgery rooms and operation theaters to make post treatment records on the patients' heath and improvement. Mark Bellows is the supervisor of this group and he works as a surgery resident in the hospital.
The book is the journey of these girls in the hospital and the inner workings of it. As they complete their three month training period, they become confused and are put in jeopardy about the problems they face in that profession which is considered as man's profession. These problems are very well cited.
Nancy Greenly and Sean Berman are two patients who went to comas suspiciously immediately after their respective operations. Nancy goes to coma when her brain didn't get enough oxygen during the surgery. Sean Berman, who comes to the hospital for knee surgery goes into coma after the operation and this case is noted as a very rare case in the history of medical field.
Confused by these coma cases, Susan determines to investigate any possible mystery behind these cases. She studies the medical histories of the deceased. She often misses rounds and classes for doing this and after studying the case files thoroughly, she goes to Jefferson Institute which is known as an intensive care facility.
The institute is specially designed for poor people so that they can cut down the costs of operations considerably. People who are declared brain dead are sent to this hospital and upon coming here she learns that the bodies are being hanged from the ceiling with chains and they move mechanically without almost any human involvement. They are kept in glass rooms till any need for an organ occurs. When required, they remove the organ without any pre permission from anyone and sells it.
Susan also learns that the possibility of going into coma at Boston Memorial is very much higher than anywhere else in the world. She dresses like a nurse to learn more about things deeply and learns some secrets.
The chief of Department of Surgery at Boston Memorial, Howard Stark learns that Susan knows many things and tries to kill her. He decides to put her into coma but all their truths come out one by one.
It is a good thriller book.
