"María Morales," she said, prepared to play along. "Although I guess you knew that already. Yes, this is my first session. It's nice to meet you." That was a rare outright lie, but again, if that was what it took.... She gave him a small smile and nodded slightly at her braced and bandaged right arm, watching for his reaction. "I'm sorry, I'd shake your hand, but..."

This was her chance, before he got started on any other tangents. "Would you mind if I asked you a question before we got started?" Meche asked. "There was a man admitted at the same time I was--kind of short, big smile; he would've been calling himself 'Manny Calavera.' I haven't seen him in several days and I've been told he's in the infirmary. I'm not asking you to break confidentiality or anything like that, but I've been worried about him. Can you tell me how he is, or is there any way I could see him?"

She didn't realize until she finished talking that she'd been leaning forward in dead earnest--she hadn't meant to be so obvious about her anxiety. Well, her cards were on the table. All she could do now was wait to see how fairly Dr. Wilson would play his own hand.