“I am—” he croaked, searching for the rest, but it died on his tongue. Helen hesitated; the record offered no name. His wristband bore only a number: Patient #4211 — Found near Old Coast Highway, 2008. Beneath it, a faded note explained the trauma. No ID found; presumed coastal storm victim.
He tried to lift his hand; tremors rippled through his arm. They were not the random spasms of weak muscles, but something almost intentional, as if he were tracing invisible lines in the air. His eyes flicked toward the window. “Still…moving,” he mumbled, the phrase collapsing before it formed.