A wry grin crosses Septimus's face at that--the kind of grin that hides pain, because what else can you do with anger like that but smile just to spite it? "The third floor is mostly administrative. The damage wasn't so bad to collapse the entire structure, and much of the third floor is intact. Most of the damage was done to intensive and in-patient care. Mine happens not to be on top of that."

Pure luck, but he won't object. He knows better.

"And counter-intuitive though it may seem, professionalism is important right now." Of this the Legion captain in him is quite certain. "The luxuries and trappings, those don't matter. But it helps provide an illusion of order--and one that can be built into reality. Knowing where to find authority is comforting to most; seeing it hasn't fallen to chaos is even more vital."

Somewhere in his tone and bright green eyes is a mix of grim defiance and vicious satisfaction. Even if that part of the structure happened to have been lost, Septimus would have set aside a small area for hospital central command. If nothing else, he needs somewhere quiet and with warning of interruption to do administrative business.