As he woke up again, his thoughts were clearer. His mind worked easier. He didn't move through a blurry fog even though his memory was still just a black hole. Maybe he got better but most likely, it was the medication which had ran out. It had been the pain that had woken him up. There was a constant throbbing at the back of his head and as he focused, he found an agonizing burning sensation at his right side, also his right arm and part of his right cheek. As he looked for other sources of pain, he found the rest of his body throbbing as well. Everything felt swollen, thick and heavy.
Carefully, he opened his eyes. He was covered by a thin blanket. His arm right was completely bandaged and the part of his left foot which was sneaking out of the blanket, was placed in a plaster cast. It must be broken. His left arm was indeed swollen and showed a lot of heavy bruising but no open wounds. An intravenous line went from the lower arm to a bag hanging next to his bed which he identified as isotonic saline. The right side of his face was also covered by bandages and he could see the white tissue below his eye. As he tried to move his head, he noticed the first time that he was held in place by a cervical collar. His mouth felt dry, and as he tried to swallow the slabby saliva, a sharp pain shot through his throat. He could breathe well enough but his throat must have been bruised as well.
He heard the door open and from the corner of his eyes, he saw a group of people in white coats entering the room. An older man, two younger adults, a blonde woman and a redhaired man, he identified as interns, and the familiar nurse approached his bed.
"Good morning," the older man started, "I see you're awake."
He opened his mouth and tried to greet him but he only managed to produce a hissing sound which hurt terribly. The doctor shook his head, bend over him and examined his throat.
"Don't try to talk, Sir. Your throat needs more time to heal. I am Dr Roberts. Nurse Rebecca here –" he nodded in the direction of the nurse – "told me about your system, so we will try to make use of it the best we can. Is that alright?"
One blink.
"Excellent. We only have time now for a quick morning round but I will come back later and explain your situation further. Does that sound good to you?"
One blink.
"Thank you. Alright, let's get started. Emmerson?"
The redhaired intern stepped forward. Something about Emmerson reminded him of … The quick memory flash disappeared before he could take a closer look at the picture in his mind.
"John Doe, the seventh, about twenty years old, came in four days ago with heavy bruising of upper body, especially throat, chest and left arm, second degree burns on his right arm, right side and right cheek, left leg broken, and a cracked skull," Emmerson started. "In an emergency surgery, internal bleeding was stopped successfully, the damage to his lungs and heart repaired, and blood flow to the left arm reestablished. The patient remains critical but stable. Apparently, the patient suffers from memory loss."
Dr Roberts watched his reaction and nodded. "Yeah, quite a list," Dr Roberts sighed. "Honestly, we didn't think you'd make it. We lost you twice during surgery but you kept fighting your way back. I'm slightly optimistic but you'll keep taking it slow, will you?"
One blink. He tried opening his mouth and licked his lips. Dr Roberts nodded. "We can try later to give you some water but be warned: with your swollen throat it will hurt like hell. Did your memory return by any chance?"
Two blinks.
"I'm afraid, we have to keep calling you, John Doe, the seventh." Dr Roberts must have caught some of his slight reactions or he was used to it by now, as he immediately responded to the question in his head. "The seventh because we had another six patients before you that which identities could not be acquired either. There has been a terribly accident at a massive scale and unfortunately, a high rate of casualties – "
"Dr Roberts?" someone at the door interrupted. "Emergency in room 246."
That voice. He had heard that voice before. He couldn't turn his head but something told him, he knew that woman. It felt familiar, friendly even.
"I'll be right there." Dr Roberts gave him a last look. "I'll return as soon as possible."