Doctor Schneider had not been admitted to a hospital. His condition was not something ordinary doctors could treat. When Shade and the old priest found him in the bedroom on the clinic's third floor, he was wearing pajamas and leaning weakly against the headboard, speaking with Miss Annette and Miss Louisa, who had arrived ahead of them.
There were also two chairs beside the bed, clearly prepared for the two gentlemen.
The doctor's bedroom was laid out much like the bedroom of the deceased Detective Sparrow. A four-poster bed with curtains stood against the wall, surrounded by bookshelves, a wardrobe, and a desk. Even the lotus-shaped gas lamp on the desk looked very similar, though the doctor's was clearly more expensive.
Shade spotted the geared knob on the side of the metal device. It meant that the lamp's brightness could be adjusted precisely, making it a typical piece of machinery from this Steam Epoch.
"You're here."
Bill Schneider looked pale as he watched the priest and detective enter. He tried to sit up straighter, but regrettably failed.
Miss Annette and Miss Louisa also rose to say hello to the two men. The former merely met Shade's eyes, as though their conversation last night had never happened. The latter seemed completely recovered. The young ladies had been far luckier than the doctor.
As Shade chose a chair and sat down, his gaze swept over the room. He saw no gifts or anything of the sort. It seemed that the female diviner and female writer had come to visit the patient empty-handed as well, a discovery that made Shade rather pleased.
"I'm glad to see you all here."
The doctor spoke softly as he watched Shade and the priest sit down.
"Bill, stop talking. How is he doing now?"
Priest Augustus asked