The Devil's Hound

Chapter 13 - Monday 6th August Continued

Walking along the second floor corridor towards Doctor Grant's office Nigel glanced into the wards on either side. The patients that had been able to reach the mess hall were yet to return to their beds. In the ward to his left he spotted Nancy loading dirty bowls from the bedbound on to a tea trolley. He took a quick glance around. Apart from the bedbound she was alone. Nigel slipped into the ward and crossed over to where she was in conversation with a woman in the bed before her.

"You haven't eaten all your broth, Mrs Reynolds," Nancy said picking up a bowl from the bedside table. "Do you want anymore?"

Mrs Reynolds shook her head. "That ain't no broth dear. It's just coloured water. I bet it has never seen an animal."

"Only the animals that bathed in it." Nancy said. She poured the left over broth into a bucket of slop on her trolley. There was a splattering sound as chunks of over boiled vegetables and small brown chunks of unidentifiable meat splashed into the bucket. "The meaty lumps are rat."

"Wouldn't surprise me if it was," Mrs Reynolds said. She spotted Nigel. "Looks like you got a visitor. Unless young man you have come to see me?"

Nigel shook his head as Nancy turned to see who Mrs Reynolds was referring to. Seeing him she frowned

"I was wondering if I could have a quick word," Nigel said to Nancy.

From her bed Mrs Reynold's gave him a smile. "Pity, I thought for a moment he had come to see me. Make the most of it dear. The days when young men come calling don't last forever."

"I will keep that in mind. See you at breakfast Mrs Reynolds."

Nancy pushed her trolley out of the ward. One of the wheels made an irritating squeaking noise that would be easily fixed with a bit of oil.

"You need my help already?" Nancy said as Nigel walked beside her.

"I need help getting into the isolation ward tonight."

"What makes you think I can help?"

"You did say that you would help me."

Fearing they had been overheard she glanced furtively around. They were alone. She still shot him a dirty look and pressed her finger to her lips.

"Sorry," he hissed. "Well can you help me?"

"If you think sneaking around here after dark is easy then you're wrong," she whispered. "In every barracks there are two wardens on duty. One stationed at reception the other patrolling the corridors. Not only do you have to get past them but if any of the other inmates spot you they will be rewarded for reporting you to the warden on duty."

"So you won't help me?"

"The best I can do is give you some advice. In each barracks there is an outside door at the back of the laundry room that is never locked. That is your best option. I will make sure the door for the infirmary is left ajar. Now I have to collect the bowls in the next ward."

Nigel watched her push the trolley into the ward on their right then headed for Doctor Grant's office. He was filling out paperwork. He passed Nigel an empty ledger, a small pot of ink and a pen which Nigel tucked into his trouser waist band. Again he warned Nigel to keep the contraband hidden. For a moment Nigel considered asking Doctor Grant permission to stay in the infirmary after dark. But he would want to know the reason why and Nigel couldn't tell him that he believed the man with the broken back was a werewolf. He would not be taken seriously again.

Dismissed Nigel made his way back to the men's barracks. On his return the warden asked where he had been. Nigel explained he had been for a medical. The warden sent him to the kitchens to get something to eat. The kitchens were being scrubbed down by the inmates on kitchen duty. Nigel was given a cold bowl of weak broth, that he suspected were the leftovers destined for the pigs, and a stale crust of bread. It did little to settle his appetite.