‘My name’s Vicki. I can get you tea, coffee or water. Here’s the form and a pen. Our next available counsellor will see you. It’ll either be Mr Packham or Mr Maclure, as the other counsellors are busy. It should only be a few minutes, anyway. Are you carrying a weapon? Only I’m supposed to ask. Also, if you’re currently under the influence of either drugs or alcohol?’

She handed Osaki a clipboard and visibly sniffed the air. Checking for alcohol fumes, Osaki guessed, and not subtly. It was like being back at home with his parents in Tokyo. He bowed his head, realising Vicki was still waiting for a response.

‘No alcohol. No drugs,’ he said, ‘and no weapons. You can check if you need to.’

‘That’s not part of my job,’ Vicki replied. ‘You can hand the form to the counsellor when they come to get you.’

Vicki had reached into her pocket and was reading text messages before Osaki had even begun reading through the form. It was all standard questions. Name, address, date of birth, doctor, current medication, addictions, next of kin – all clearly prefaced with the fact that no information at all needed to be given for Reach You to provide assistance. Osaki began writing his name, looking up when he heard voices from the other side of the door.

‘Vicki, I have asked you not to use your mobile while you’re at work. It’s really important that we focus on the people we’re trying to help and there’s a confidentiality issue, as you know,’ a deep voice rumbled.

‘I was just texting my mate. I didn’t realise I couldn’t even do that,’ Vicki responded. ‘And I’ve already added this file to Mr Packham’s list, so maybe we should just leave it for him.’

‘If someone’s waiting, we just get on with it. Take the file back off Charlie’s pile. It’s not a big deal.’

‘No, but Charlie hasn’t seen that many people today. I thought I’d share the cases out a bit better.’

‘Vicki,’ Maclure said patiently. ‘We’re not on commission. It’s about not keeping people waiting. Now, what’s happening?’

‘He’s filling in the form.’

‘It’s helpful if you stay with people until one of us can get to them, to set them at ease and offer a friendly face. You know that.’

‘I was just getting him a coffee,’ Vicki replied.

Osaki couldn’t remember asking for coffee. Presumably it was a mistake. It sounded to him as if Vicki was new on the job. At least she had a job. Osaki would have given anything to have been offered work. Perhaps then his wife would have become less dissatisfied with him.