The shift from sitting to standing had Justin clinging to John's coat in order to stay upright, taking a minute until he regained his feet. That and Justin's pale, worn expression had John herding the boy towards the kitchen, picking up Justin's bag and shifting through it. Luther took pains to be subtle in handing Justin a glass of water and a pill bottle before they left Mark's. Turning away and chatting to Mark, he did his best to give the kid some privacy to down painkillers.

"Didn't really peg you as a cat person, Mark."

The man was stooped low to scratch the head of a passing feline. "A friendly stray I met soon after you and Jenny. This little cat would turn up on my door looking for food, purr around my legs, and curl up on my armchair. I didn't even know Alice was female until she had five kittens on my rug."

There was a small splutter. "Alice? Really? I would love to see her reaction to this."

Mark shrugged. "I was originally going to call him Fang. I noticed Justin seemed to take a liking to a few of them? If you want to take a kitten, I've been chatting to the vet and-"

"No, thanks, we're good. Thanks for this. I sort of sprung it on you. I do appreciate your help."

Mark nodded as he glanced back at Justin. "Can you tell me why?"

John saw Justin from the corner of his eye. He moved stiffly as he tugged his bag up off a kitchen chair. Luther could tell Justin was tense under Mark's gaze, retreating further into his coat and fiddling with his sling. Mark had a pitying look as he looked at the boy. The day would have been a long one, for both of them, Mark being particularly troubled with John's new temporary ward. But an explanation would not help matters.

"It's complicated. I'm still working it out."

"... Right. I hope this gets sorted quickly."

"Ta. Come on, Justin, let's go. "

Ripley barely came up to Luther's waist as he passed him in the doorway. Mark came up to the door before John left.

"John. Jenny, she could handle herself. But Justin ... He seems a resilient kid but I hope there is someone there to look after him once this is all over. I'll help out if you need someone, but he looks like he's bonded to you. Good luck!"

And with that, the door was closed and Luther was walking to the car, Justin glaring at the passenger door as he tried to tug it open. Luther unlocked the doors and yanked it open for him. Both of them ignored the awkwardness in their determination to get back to the flat and regain normality.

"Boss, what if he had recognised me? Mr. North – Mark - we met before during that case."

"Justin, he didn't. Relax! Have you been this wound-up the whole day?" Luther glanced down at him as he drove. "Justin, you're safe. Now, what do you want for dinner?"

Justin had to strain slightly to look out the window but soon they were stepping out of the car and walking over to the lifts, back up to the flat with Luther lugging some form of Chinese in steamed up plastic bags.

Stepping inside the door, Justin froze. "Boss..."

Luther peeked around the frame and swiftly pushed Justin in the direction of his own bedroom. "Just get into that room and wait until I fetch you." He stood up and blocked the corridor and waited until the boy had disappeared from view before rounding on Alice. Plunking the food on the kitchen bench, he stalked over until he was in her face.

"It's barely been an hour. What are you doing here?"

Alice smirked. "Ooh, so intimidating. I just wanted to see your new little pet in the flesh. Pictures just don't do him justice, he's adorable."

"Alice..."

"I need to examine him. You barely gave me any details about what happened, and there's only so much I can do without all the facts. Now, let me see him properly and I'll be off."

Silence as they just looked at each other, interrupted only by the hushed creak of a door as Justin crept into the room. Luther called over his shoulder.

"Justin? What are you doing?"

"Boss, that's Alice Morgan. DCU Schenk told me she escaped the prison psychiatric unit last month. What's she doing here – do you want me to call it in?"

"Ah, so this is your baby sergeant!" Justin flinched at that. "Such a sweet, little thing. Just come a bit closer, I need a good look at you before I can help."

"Boss?" And Luther quickly cuts in between them and blocked Alice at the small sound of fright attached to that.

Head titled around to talk over his shoulder, but still watching her, he addressed Ripley. "Justin, I said I had a friend who was helping me look into this. Alice can help, but apparently she's not satisfied with what information I had." Eyes narrowing. "What do you need, Alice?"

"As I said, just a quick examination of your pet and a peek at the medical records. Not much to ask, surely!"

"Why?" Justin had crept closer to be just behind Luther, phone in hand and posed to run.

"I need to know what I'm looking for. Come on." She stuck her hand out towards Ripley. "John's here and you're safe with me. John would never forgive me if I did anything mean to you. "

It was a reluctant Ripley that stepped forward and got within arm-reach. Luther was still skeptical. "I don't remember you having any medical training." Alice gave him a look. "It's been a month since you saw me and I thought it would be prudent to learn something new. Now, sit down. I won't be long."

She got Justin to take layer after layer off until his top half was only clad in a black under-shirt and his plaster cast. He stayed fairly stoic through it all, jumping slightly at the freezing stethoscope Alice slipped under his top, and glaring at the bright elephant-patterned pressure cuff. It was when Alice started tugging off his last layer that he protested.

"Oh, come on, it's hardly something to be precious about. John, grab him a safety blanket or something, your boy's see,s to be shy."

Luther scowled but handed Ripley his old jumper for warmth, patting him on the shoulder in support as Justin flushed in annoyance and discomfort. "Hurry up Alice. Now you're just being..."

With the vest gone John got his first proper look at Justin's chest. The bruises on his left side had started to green around the edge but they were still identifiable as boot prints stomping on his rib cage. But it was the reddish scars that got his attention. He hadn't got a good look at the hospital. Alice pointed at them. "Now what are these?"

Justin attempted to cover them up with his good hand. "Nothing important." They both looked at him. "They're nothing to do with this case."

"Justin..."

"Pell. Cameron Pell. I'm fine. Can I put my shirt on now, please?"

Alice leveled her gaze at Luther. "One of our cases from three, four weeks ago."

Neither men predicted her sudden intense interest. "O, just look at how the scars have aged, barely any fading. And this knife wound is still healing - you can still see the stitch marks. All child proportions-" Quick pat-down to confirm. "But these injuries..." Justin shifted away rapidly and pulled the jumper closer, Alice pulling it aside again to get a better look and multiple pictures on her phone. And Luther could see the way Justin cursed at his inability to win the tug-of-war.

Luther batted her hands away. "Leave off. Anything else, or have you got everything?"

Alice pouted while rummaging in her handbag. "Anyone would think you didn't like me, John. And here I am, being helpful, solving your case for you. I'll even send you a copy of those bruises." She tore a hypodermic needle from its sterile cover. "Now I need a blood sample and I'm done."

"I thought you wanted the medical records."

"I can get those myself. Not my first time pretending to be a doctor. Arm out."

Justin recoiled and Alice's grin got sharper. "O, am I starting to scare young detectives now?" Luther started forward and her tone changed smoothly. "Relax, John, your puppy needs to trust me a bit more, particularly when this case is interesting. Dear, dear Justin, stick out your right arm, count to, oh, forty-seven, and then I'll be on my merry way. You can close your eyes if it makes you feel better."

Justin chewed his cheek and glanced at Luther to check, before shoving his arm towards Alice, who promptly applied a tourniquet with her scarf, dabbed with alcohol and drew blood. She stood up, tucked with vial into her bag and sauntered straight to the door as the boy clumsily tried to stop the bleeding with an immobilised left arm.

"Bye John, bye Justin! Don't be strangers!"

The stunned pair sat as the door swung shut, until Luther moved to clamp a cotton bud over the needle mark.