"You're feeling burned out, so you've stopped working...to start working," Yoshi said wryly, as Shinobu passed her with the armful of books. "Very reasonable."

"Don't be smart," Shinobu retorted, dumping the books into the chest, which seemed bottomless. "But yes."

Yoshi stifled a laugh. Shinobu clucked her tongue, and went rifling through the gathered skirt belted around her torso, producing a rolled-up sheaf of papers from some inner pocket. This, she thrust at Yoshi. "Look, then. I've got a study approved for the Enodia All-People's Health Project!"

Yoshi took the papers, which turned out to be a slim magazine that had been folded over to a rather plain full-page ad for an umbrella study. Yoshi read it over with some puzzlement.

"A public health initiative?" she said. "Since when were you interested in medicine?"

As she said that, though, one of the papers came free--there was a letter tucked behind the magazine. She looked it over; it was an offer letter addressed to Shinobu, approving her study addition to the All-People's Health Project. The effective date--August 1, 2007--and the study name were both printed in bold:

"'Mind the Gap: a study of medical and mental health practice gaps in a mixed-species cohort,'" she read aloud, and looked up at Shinobu. "Oh."

Shinobu looked positively thrilled as she took the papers back from Yoshi. "Do you know, there really isn't much literature on mixed-species people like yourself? Much less real data! Only folk beliefs and anecdotes. Certainly nothing solid enough to base medical decisions on." She waved the papers in her paw. "So I aim to fix that somewhat with this study! And it'll be a change of pace! Instead of pouring over dusty old books, I'll get to interview study participants! Good, eh?"

Yoshi tried not to look apprehensive, because Shinobu was in her mind the all-time champion of putting one's foot in one's mouth. "Er...yes!"