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Mercy’s welfare cases. Mercy Hospital cared for people without medical cover or the means to pay for it. It left Saint Bartholomew’s free for cases that were more… lucrative . David was surprised at the depth of his own disgust for such a practice. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
    He accompanied Brauer along busy corridors listening intently as he explained where everything was. The building was old and in need of renovation, but he could see that it remained functional. It lacked the ultra modern sterility of Saint Bartholomew’s, but although it didn’t boast the convenience of the latest technology, it was solid where the basics were concerned.
    Rumour had it that Mercy would be closed for good next year and the site cleared for the new stadium currently being planned. Goddess knew the area did need revitalising, but what of the people this place cared for? Saint Bartholomew’s was big—much bigger than Mercy, but it was hard to imagine Brauer and his patients fitting in there.
    “The labs are down that corridor there, and along this one, we have more wards. Would you like to see?”
    “Yes please.”
    Brauer smiled. He had wanted to go in and see someone, and David had realised that. Besides, he would be working alongside the man and needed to learn all he could.
    “There are very few private rooms here,” Brauer said upon entering the ward. “Most of the wards are like this. We have ten beds in each usually, but we sometimes have to slip an extra one in where we can.”
    “Your patients are all non-humans?”
    “Why do you ask?”
    “No reason. I’ve never worked with non-humans before.”
    “Never?”
    “No.”
    Brauer looked stunned. “But Hoberman assured me! He promised me someone that would…”
    “That would?”
    Brauer’s face hardened, his posture now stiff. “Someone who would not find working here objectionable.”
    “Well then, he told you the truth. I volunteered for this, Doctor Brauer—”
    “Alex, please.”
    “Hoberman didn’t lie to you, Alex. I do want to work here. I hope you don’t find my lack of experience in the area a serious problem. I assure you that I’ll hit the books and make up for any lack.”
    Brauer waved that away impatiently. “Not all of my patients are non-human, about half are simply people without the means to pay for good care, but I was hoping for someone with experience of non-human physiology. I’m currently the only one with any kind of real experience in the area and I’m swamped. Well, no matter. After a few months here, you’ll be an old hand. I can still use you, no question about it. I’m understaffed and underfunded. Any help is appreciated.”
    “How do you cover your costs, if I might ask?”
    Brauer looked at him as if evaluating him. “Some of it comes by way of government grants—not nearly enough, not by a long way. The rest,” he shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. “There are a few people—private contributors—that help with funding. They like to remain anonymous. Without them I couldn’t keep this place going for longer than a month or two.”
    David nodded and glanced around. There were twelve beds in the ward, but only half of them were occupied. The mystery of the missing patients was solved when he noticed the gathering at the far end of the room.
    Brauer sighed and shook his head ruefully. “Poker game I suspect.”
    David wandered over to watch while Brauer spoke with the duty nurse about something—a patient most likely, but he didn’t find a poker game. There were two men sitting at a table opposite each other staring. Neither man was doing anything interesting yet the audience was spellbound. The two men were almost vibrating with something—their need to move perhaps, yet both continued to glare hard at each other in silence.
    He watched as the nearer of the two men clenched his jaw and started shaking harder. He was sweating and his fists were clenched now. David thought that perhaps he should