Major George Cowley drove up to St Thomas' Hospital so fast that one of his wheels rode up on the curb, and he left the car there, waving his identification and barking, "CI5!" at a security guard who tried to flag him down. He paused to make inquiries at the information desk, then took the lift to the fourth floor where he found Ray Doyle sitting in a waiting room, staring blankly into space.
"How is he?"
Doyle took a deep breath. "I don't know. The doctor hasn't been out yet."
Cowley sat next to the younger man. "What happened?"
"We were out for a run, weren't we?" Doyle spoke slowly. "And…and then Bodie collapsed."
"A shooter? Did you see where the bullet might have come from?" asked Cowley.
Doyle shook his head. "No bullet, sir. He said his chest hurt, and he was having trouble breathing. I got him to hospital fast as I could, and I called you…" His voice trailed off.
Cowley was about to ask another question when a tall man in his early forties entered the waiting room He was wearing a white coat and a stethoscope and he headed for the two men. "Mr Doyle?"
Doyle and Cowley both stood and the older man said quickly, "I am Mr Bodie's superior officer, Major Cowley, CI5."
"Dr Landau." The doctor looked around uncertainly. "Would you gentlemen care to step into my office?"
"Bodie's dead, isn't he?" Doyle's voice shook.
Dr Landau hesitated, then said quietly, "I'm very sorry. There wasn't anything we could do."
Doyle turned away as Cowley asked harshly, "What happened to him?"
"A massive heart attack. I know he was young and very fit but sometimes…" Dr Landau broke off as Doyle started to laugh.
"A heart attack! All the times I scoffed about how he ate and I ragged him about popping off at any moment." Cowley tried to take Doyle's arm and the younger man pushed him away. "If I had known he really would go like this I'd have kept my damn mouth shut." Doyle leaned against the wall, then slid down to the floor, burying his face in his arms.
The doctor looked helplessly at Cowley and the older man said softly, "Leave him to me." Dr Landau left and Cowley sat on the floor next to Doyle. He didn't try to touch the younger man again, nor did he speak. He simply sat there, and the two of them were silent while the world went on around them.