You awake as if from a deep anaesthesia. You have a splitting headache -- you're dizzy, nauseous, your legs are aching, your back is aching and you're freezing cold. It's as if your whole body is revolting against you for refusing to consume anything in the past few days except alcahol. You have been unconsious here in the rain -- it could have been for several hours, or several days. Presently you're stretched out on a wooden bench at a railway station. The sign looming above you says "Heidelberg" -- this must be Heidelberg station, and once again you have no idea how you got here.
 
This is your lowest ebb. You've never felt as miserable as this before, and you probably never will. If you had any strength or motivation now you'd make some move to get out of the rain and dry off, but there doesn't seem to be any point. The rain has totally saturated you and you can't get any wetter. Let's face it, you are dying. You don't have long to go. This is the end of the road for you. You're dying alone and no one will care.


 
 
You look at your wrist and see that your watch is gone. You don't know what time it is -- the cloudy sky yields no clue. It could be any time of day. You look in your pocket and see that you have eighty-five cents -- it's not enough to buy you a ticket back to the city, but it is enough to buy you a Zone 2 ticket which will only take you around this northern area of Melbourne.


 
Well look, you've got to do something. Even if you can't stop yourself from dying, the least you can do is find a place to stay, somewhere out of the cold and the rain. Society has a safety net for people like you -- it's called a psychiatric hospital. If you were to go to one of these places, they would take one look at you and realise that you can't take care of yourself. They would look after you and give you free accommodation -- that's gotta be better than sleeping on the streets.


 
 
Stephen Clark
 

You have several options now. You could go to Larundel Psychiatric Hospital, which is within walking distance of Watsonia station. I'm very familiar with the area so I can show you the way.

Another option is, you could go to My Parents' House which is within walking distance of Diamond Creek station. My parents are very nice people and I'm sure they'd let you into their house if you say you're a friend of me.
  
 

OR -- you could go to the Austin Hospital which is within walking distance of here. You can actually see it through the trees if you look to the north east. I only mention it because it's one of my favourite places in Melbourne.

What's it going to be?