“I ah, I’ve lost my arm actually,”

“You’ve lost your arm sir?”

“Ah yeah, well, I know where it is but I don’t have it on me, er, with me –whatever. I can’t get it back, you know, so, I was hoping to get stiched up and be on my way.”

The sound of more typing, then:

“Could you just confirm the last four digits of your social for me sir?”

“Ah, yeah – it’s… 6891.”

“ All right,” she said, “we’re a little behind this morning sir, but if you’ll take a number and have a seat, someone’ll be with you soon.”

“Rite. Thanks very much yeah?”

The window slid closed. The man blew up his cheeks and exhaled under wide eyes. He turned, walked around the table in front of me and we exchanged acknowledging nods as he settled into the seat on my left.

“How are ya?” I said, leaning towards him a touch.

“Oh, you know, all right.”

“What ah… what happened to your arm there?… If you don’t my mind my askin’.”

“Did it myself,” he said turning my way with a little smile.

“No kiddin’.”

“Chewed it off actually.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah, yeah, I ah… woke up next to a freight train with her face bashed in and… Couldn’t face the music.”

“Oh yeah, yeah I hear that.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this is Vegas.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

“You know ah, what happens here-“

“Stays here, yeah. Yeah, I’d like to hope so.”

“Yeah,” I said, and after a silence: “how you feelin’, incidentally?”

“Ohhh, a little light headed. I found a towel in the monster’s bathroom – help stop the bleeding, what not. Not too bad all things considered.”

I made a production out of my acknowledging head nod and we gradually turned away from one another, looking around the room, avoiding eye contact, in mutual understanding. Across from us, slouching invalids nodded off under the sterile halogen. The automatic doors slid open and slid shut. I looked down at the magazines on the table.

A nurse came out through the doors along the wall between my seat and the reception window.

“Misterrrrr… Holyfield?”

“Eyeah,” said the man sitting next to me.

He stood up and wished me a pleasant morning.

“Good luck to you,” I said.

“Have a good one,” he replied and followed the nurse through the swinging steel doors.