“What? That isn’t—Dr. Holland wouldn’t do that,” Abner insisted. It wasn’t a lie—the orderlies had given him last night’s bruises. On Holland’s command, but still. The doctor herself had never gotten physical with him. Not like that. “She hates violence. She’s the one who fixes me when I get hurt. Even if I deserved it, like last night.”

He sighed and rubbed his cheek. “With the way this is going, I might deserve it tonight, too.”