"Your shirt's a loss," I tell him. I'd had to cut it off. "And of course it's hot for a jacket." He'll have to be topless for a while.

I settle down and look at his back. Several of the cuts look red and infected, and I'm not surprised that he was in bad shape. I take a fresh cloth and dip it in water, making sure he sees what I'm doing. He might have to go to a doctor, when he's not likely to blurt that he's not from Earth.

I wish I knew a doctor who could deal with such a patient. But then again, I don't deal with regular doctors much.