He chuckled. "I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen," he assured her, then handed her the gown and slipped out of the room.

When she had dressed in the gown, he opened the door and entered the room again, then finished off his cigarette and placed an unlit one between his lips. "All right," he said, patting the table. "Up you get and lie down. I'm just going to examine the area and see what I can see before we get more creative."

"Is it a dull pain or sharp?" he added as he waited for her to comply. "Do you have any difficulty using your legs?"