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intervene, but neither man was really doing anything. He looked around in puzzlement and shivered at the audience’s intensity. His short hairs lifted. Something was happening here, but what?
    “What are they doing?” he said.
    “Hmmm?” an unshaven man in the audience said.
    “What are they doing?”
    The man eyed him up and down. “Are you new?”
    “Doctor Lephmann—David.”
    “Nice to meet you. The name’s Howard—gallstones you know.”
    “Gallstones?”
    “Yeah, it hurt like a sonofabitch, but the Doc fixed me up. I’m outa here tomorrow.”
    “What are they doing?” David said nodding back to the centre of everyone’s attention.
    “They’re only playing.”
    “I don’t I understand.”
    “Shifters are always doing this kind of thing. You know anything about shifters?”
    David looked again. The men were shifters? He was fascinated by the thought. He had only been here an hour and already he had met non-humans—his first as far as he knew. They were still sitting as before, but as he had noticed earlier, the man closest was sweating heavily. His opponent seemed to be sitting at his ease now. He must be winning.
    “Are you one as well?”
    “Me?” Howard snorted. “Nah, but I know a couple.”
    “Really? I thought they kept to themselves.”
    “They do, but a friend of mine got himself bitten and we kind of stayed in touch. He introduced me.”
    “I see, and by playing you mean what exactly?”
    Howard waved a hand at the sitting men. “See, what you got to understand about shifters is that they ain’t human. They look human, but they aren’t. You know how wolves run in packs?”
    He nodded still watching the show.
    “It’s the same with shifters. They stick together mostly—look out for each other, but the strongest always leads. The strongest has to prove it over the others. They call that one the Alpha. Shifters are always fighting for status, but there’s more than one way to fight. They have their own magic you know.”
    “Magic? I didn’t know that.”
    Howard shrugged. “Not magic like you mean, Doc, but they do have power. Shifters always recognise it and will submit if he’s weaker, but if they’re closely matched…” he gestured at the pair sitting at the table.
    “They fight?”
    Howard nodded. “To the death sometimes, but mostly it’s like this. They push at each other until one submits.”
    “I can’t let them hurt each other. Not here.”
    Howard eyed him sideways. “Never get between two shifters Doc—never, but you don’t have to worry. Like I said, they’re just playing.” Just then, the sweating man slumped back gasping. “See what I mean?”
    The two men grinned at each other and the audience began to disperse.
    “Is the game over?” Alex said as he arrived. “I’ve told them there’s a time and place for that kind of thing. A hospital is definitely not it.”
    David smiled. “It’s over.”
    “Shall we continue the tour then?”
    “By all means.”
    Brauer led the way out.
    * * *

3 ~ Georgie
    David signed the page, and turned to the next. He read it quickly, added a short note to the end, and dated it. Paperwork was one thing that had not changed when he took his new position at Mercy Hospital. Sometimes he felt less like a doctor, and more like some kind of administrative assistant.
    He turned the page and sighed in relief. He was done for the day. A yawn surprised its way out of him and he leaned back in his chair. It was strange how quickly he had become accustomed to working with Alex Brauer. Just a month had passed, and already he knew that he did not want to leave Mercy. He liked Alex, and he especially liked the way his friend treated his patients—with skill and impartiality. Alex had taught him a lot during his time here, and he looked forward to learning more.
    Alex Brauer was a fount of information. He had yet to find a question his friend could not answer. How had he learned so much about other species? How had he known