Badou raised an eyebrow. "I can see how they'd get that impression."

He was a veritable wellspring of sympathy but he was still sitting here, which was saying something.

He shrugged, returning to the previous topic. "No offence, but I don't think it matters how dedicated he was. I've had a visitor; my partner from back home. He's..." Badou hesitated, but he doubted he'd ever see Haine here as a patient so it probably didn't matter much what he said to Alle. "It's a long story but what they did to him would be the same as ripping Halle out of you. I don't think there's a whole lot they couldn't do if they wanted to."