There's another scientist across from him, as it turns out. Vanessa is no fighter either, but she tried, and she has bloody fur, scuffed paw pads and a torn ear to show for it – not to mention the sorry state of her once-smart purple dress.

By the look of things she's been awake for a while already, though; when her cellmate stirs her ears prick up automatically, and although she winces at the movement of the ear that's been injured, she gives him a tired, half-amused smile.

"Good morning, Doctor," she says, sitting up a little. Her tail, curled by her feet, twitches, tense.