stared down from the walls, their painted eyes seeming to judge her plain cloth

shed it open. The air that flowed out smelled

ight, and the only light came from the blinking LEDs of medical machines next

traight to the

iving

lines. Broad shoulders beneath the fine linen sheets. Only

id, voice flat. "Your duties are to car

walked directly to the bedside and picked u

ight frown creasing his

But as her fingers rested on his skin, a strang

lower leg. She pressed her thumb into his calf. Firm. Dense with muscle. Not so

therapists," Arthur said. "They work

pressure steady. All the data pointed to a persistent vegetative state. But her i

out to che

lid when Arthur spoke again. "Miss Curtis

ting Arthur's eyes in the dim light. He was a

"But before I rest, I'd like to pre

arranged in padded compartments were sets of silver needle

ed over the contents

d the kitchen to prepare a decoction of these. A

quest. It was calm,

, then gave a st

Anna looked down at Guy

n," she murmured, barely a breath. "Let's s

inted in the cold light of the monitors. A real patient,