Afterwards

Dr. Solsen confronted Canergak downstairs, bubbles from below signifying the death of the Swimming Vole below them.  It was very dark down here, and wet usually.  The doctor was not being careful as he carried the strange stone with him from Rasend’s room and held it out towards the man accusingly,  “What did you do to my patient!?”

“I did nothing,” Canergak countered, and before the doctor could argue he continued.  “When I opened the door he was already lying there unresponsive.”

Dr. Solsen felt his intelligence insulted by the response, “Did you think I was going to believe that?”  

“Not without sufficient evidence,”  Canergak admitted.  “As you may have noted that door was wide open for several minutes, but not once was there any noise from within that cell before I entered it or after.  That specimen has always howled with rage and rammed itself against its restraints at the mere sight of me, but there was no reaction at all when I entered its cell tonight.”

Dr. Solsen listened, and was taken aback when he thought back to a few minutes ago.  Rasend had been unusually quiet, not one howl as Cortman had roughed the children, or ever since he had arrived at the scene.  That had been long before Canergak was there, and there had been nothing at all when the shorter man had entered the room…

Canergak nodded as he saw that Dr. Solsen understood, “Whatever the children did, they were the ones who precipitated the specimens condition.” He paused for a moment and then added, “However if they are convinced that I did it, simply because they broke inside, then that should deter future attempts to gain entrance, if the beating they received was not enough.”

Dr. Solsen paused as he re-asses the situation, and then looked back down to the stone in his hand.  Setting his jaw he looked back up, “You may not have done anything to the patient tonight, but you had intended harm when you opened the cell door.”

Canergak did not reply, and Dr. Solsen continued on, “This hospital can be a place of healing, restoration, and learning.  I’ve heard good things have been done here, and I approve of thinking of new ways to help people who are troubled, and that there is much that we do not know about the mind.  But if anything like this happens again, I will see to it that this facility is shut down. Until you have registered to practice medicine in this city you will not come near any of my patients again.”  Dr. Solsen paused to study the man, who was studying him as well, face impassive as his eyes seemed to click about.  

Finally the shorter man nodded, “We do understand one another doctor.  I will not interfere with the treatment of the specimen again, and you will do what you must.  If this place is closed I will simply move on to another country and start again, without interference.”

The doctor was taken aback, but he tried not to show it as the dwarf continued, “I don’t care what you do to the specimens, Doctor.  You can treat them with respect, dress them in flowers, experiment with music and dance, or lobotomize the lot of them so long as you think doing so will help your understanding of the mind.   Or if the specimen has proven that it must be put down.” Dr. Solsen bit his tongue.  He would never recommend such an action. “I will make requests however, and my first is that you attempt to restore the wolf’s mind.”

Dr. Solsen blinked and looked at the confusing man in front of him, very confused.

“I have a vested interest in that particular field of restoration.” With that Canergak moved on, and Dr. Solsen was left to grip his cane and contain his frustration.  Finally he exhaled and went back upstairs.  There was still Cortman to deal with.