VIII

Six days had passed since Ferro had begun her search for a suitable boy to serve as her ward and she had yet to find such a child that fit her explicit specifications. She had been to all of the hospitals and clinics in Southern and Central Italy that were listed in the dossier Priscilla had prepared for her. While the number of boys seemed to be short demand even in the clinics, they were either too young or too masculine for her tastes.

Now entering Northern Italy, she was not only getting restless, but a bit anxious. Using some directions she received from the innkeeper at her last stay, Ferro was ready to take a gamble on a small clinic in Formazza. Ferro looked all through her dossier and could not find such a clinic.

The innkeeper had stated that it was a private clinic run by a retired doctor. His main patients were those that had trekked through the Alps and either got hurt within Italy's borders; or who were found injured by other hikers and climbers. When Ferro asked how he could run a private facility, the innkeeper answered that he was pushed out by the state as all doctors do when they reach a certain age. The doctor had no discretion towards whom he would take in and that included foreigners. So with the crudely drawn directions in hand, Ferro set out to find this private clinic.

Having to stop and ask directions more than once, Ferro became quite irritated at this act of desperation; but it was either, take this opportunity or chance returning to the Agency to ask Director Lorenzo for an additional week's leave. With the workload almost certainly stockpiling in her office by now; Ferro was quite sure that the Director wouldn't allow such a thing. An hour after asking for directions, Ferro had finally arrived in Formazza. The clinic was easy enough to spot due to the Staff of Hermes insignia on the wall beside the front door. However Ferro was surprised to find that the clinic was a converted two-story house.

Stepping out of her car, Ferro looked like any other tourist as she shed her favorite business suits in favor of more comfortable denim jeans and form-fitting tops. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her purse and identification before giving herself a quick look over in her rear-view mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, Ferro stepped out of the BMW and marched into the clinic.


Walking through the front door, Ferro was shocked to find a young woman come to her side.

"Where are you hurt?" the young woman asked.

"I…I'm not…" Ferro stumbled for an answer before being sat into a chair by the young woman.

"Please ma'am, I'm a professional. Now, were you hiking or…"

"Sofie!" an elderly man called as he strode to the entrance. "There are real patients in need of real care."

"Yes, Doctor; but this woman…" Sofie answered.

"This woman appears to be in…very fine health. You must learn to better discern between the cases and the visitors."

"Yes; Doctor," Sofie answered meekly.

"Now, see to that favorite of yours."

With a nod, Sofie scurried up the nearby staircase to the second floor. Looking toward Ferro, the elderly doctor shook his head.

"Please forgive Sofie, she is a bit overenthusiastic in her duties."

"Oh; that is quiet alright," Ferro answered.

"And I must ask you to forgive me, where are my manners? I am Alfredo Gianessi, and I operate this clinic you see here. Are you here to visit a patient?"

"No, Doctor I am not."

"Ah, then I extend my condolences."

"Excuse me."

"You must be here to identify one of the bodies in the basement."

"What?! No, no; Dr. Gianessi, I am here from the Social Welfare Agency."

"Please Miss, I beseech you. Do not play with an old man's emotions."

"I do not Doctor."

Pulling her identification out of her purse, Ferro held it out for Dr. Gianessi to inspect. After a minute, Dr. Gianessi wiped his brow with a handkerchief and took a seat beside Ferro.

"Forgive me, Miss…"

"Milani, but you may call me Ferro."

"If I had known you were to be arriving."

"I apologize for the intrusion Doctor, but I am only recently aware of this clinic. Now, if I may ask you a few questions?"

"Of course Miss Ferro, ask away."

"How long has this clinic been in operation?"

"We have been in operation since I finished renovating my home; which would be about 8 years ago."

"Excuse me, but your home; Doctor?"

"Yes, after I was…requested to retire from my post in Rome, I came to my family's summer home hear at the foot of the Alps."

"Why would you offer your own home?"

"This clinic is the only medical facility for 60 kilometers, Miss Ferro. Before I built it, there simply was nothing, save for the few retired doctors that remained in private practice."

"I see."

"Also, I was upset at how so few of the hospitals would see foreigners. People are people Miss Ferro, and we are such fragile creatures."

"Do you receive any aide from the State?"

"We receive a small subsidiary from Rome and the EU, but it is little more than a tribute. This place survives by the gratitude of its patients and the hearts of its volunteers."

"Gratitude, Doctor?"

"Yes, this is one of the few clinics that specialize in tending to foreigners almost exclusively. With our proximity to the Alps, most of the Italian Mountain Patrol will bring wounded hikers here instead of taking them all the way to Milan or Torino."

"Why is this Doctor?"

"French, Belgian, German, Austrian, Swiss, Spanish, Czech; everybody hikes those mountains Miss Ferro. In fact, the borders that interlace through those mountains are scarcely guarded if at all. It is customary for all hikers to carry their passports with them whenever trekking through even familiar terrain. Hikers get hurt all the time; and Italian Health Care is quite specific in caring for foreigners."

"I understand."

"So, I have answered your questions, now will you answer one of mine?"

"Of course, Doctor."

"Why is the famed Social Welfare Agency interested in my little clinic?"

"We are interested in extending our…services to smaller clinics instead of limiting them exclusively to the hospitals. We at the Social Welfare Agency believe that it will better serve Italy in this manner."

"And make for some excellent public relations while you're at it?"

Looking hard at the Doctor, Ferro was greeted by a sarcastic smile in turn.

"Forgive an old man; Miss Ferro," Alfredo chided in. "It is hard for someone here in the north to not here some of the banter that gets passed around."

"I…see."

"However, it appears as if my prayers have been answered."

"How so Doctor?"

"We have a patient that would be a possible candidate for your Agency, if not for the fact that we have no idea as to who this boy is or where he came from."

"A boy?" Ferro stuttered as she was maintained her composure by a string.

"Yes, he was discovered more than two weeks ago in the Alps. We believe he was a novice hiker who merely lost his way and eventually his supplies. When he was found; the boy was severely dehydrated, malnourished, and worst of all; unconscious."

"Has he made any progress Doctor?"

"Little if any, but it's hard to say. We've given him fluids and Miss Sofie, whom you met just now, has taken it upon herself to feed him thin meal for added nourishment."

"Yet, still no change?"

"I'm afraid not. Normally I would call an ambulance to transfer him to one of the better equipped hospitals in Torino or Milan; but when he was found, the boy had no identification to speak of."

"And so he remains a foreigner until identified or otherwise."

"Precisely; though it didn't help that Sofie suspects that he is Dutch and was very verbal as such."

"I see, m…may I see the boy?"

"Of course, I don't see why not."


As Ferro watched the boy being given a sponge bath by Sofie, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of jealousy. Although handsome in his own right, the boy had many feminine features that set him apart from what she knew. Although a proper measurement would need to be done, the boy looked to be at least 150 cm tall, but no taller than 155cm. Far from what others considered a child, but not quite a man's height as he would still be shorter than herself. The boy also had a thin frame unlike most Italian boy's of his apparent age, save for the fashion models.

It crossed Ferro's mind that it might be due to his lack of proper nutrition, but Ferro was sure that the SWA medical team could maintain this in the least. Ferro's mind was officially made up at the glaringly apparent fresh facial features of the child before her. Although his sandy blonde hair was unkempt, it framed the sides of his face as if to almost present the boy to Ferro. He did not look gruff, nor a product of machilismo; but absolutely and undeniably corruptible.

"Sofie surmises that he is either 14 or 15 years old at the most," Alfredo spoke to the secret delight of Ferro.

"That is very good," Ferro whispered.

"Excuse me?" Alfredo inquired.

"He meets our requirements perfectly."

"Requirements, Miss Ferro?"

"I'm sorry; yes, requirements. Due to the increasing need for the Agency's services, we have been forced to put into practice a set list of…guidelines as it were."

"I see, and you said that he fits these…guidelines."

"Yes, he does indeed. The boy is stable is he not?"

"From what I can tell he is."

"Perfect, I believe this boy deserves what we can offer and in return I can assure that your subsidiary is a simple tribute no longer. The work you do here is obviously important and needs to continue."

"Why thank you Miss Ferro."

"I grant you my word that it will be at the very least a modest increase."

"Wait," Sofie spoke up as she stood. "Does that mean the SWA will come here to treat Stefan?"

"Stefan?" Ferro asked intrigued.

"Excuse her; Miss Ferro," Alfredo chided in. "Sofie has a habit of naming the John and Jane Does."

"I see," Ferro answered. "Sofie, is it?"

"Yes," Sofie answered.

"It would be better for us to take the boy to Rome and treat him there so that he gets the very best treatment we have."

"Doctor," Sofie spoke up. "You can't let them do this. Stefan is comfortable here; there is no need to change his treatment."

"Sofie," Alfredo began again. "Stefan needs specialized care that I cannot provide. To keep him here will only prolong the inevitable."

"But…" Sofie whispered just above her restrained sobs.

"I'm sorry Sofie," Alfredo responded. "But this is the only chance he has of recovering. We can do nothing else for him."

Looking at Ferro once more, Sofie let her see the tears in her eyes before storming off. Turning to face Ferro, Dr. Gianessi was at a loss for words.

"Miss Ferro," Alfredo pleaded. "Please excuse her, she is young and…and…"

"Passionate," Ferro interrupted. "You have nothing to apologize for Doctor. Passion s a good thing to have in her position, it merely says that she cares deeply for the well-being of her patients. I assure you and her, I plan on giving much passion to this boy."