They don't mind sitting on the dirty ground; they've been on dirtier, and it's better than trying to stand right now anyway. They shake their head once he stops speaking, and they try to swallow but their mouth is so dry.

"I have a mutation in my heart," they start slowly, trying to make sure each word is clear and easy enough to understand. "You have it backwards. If I get too stressed, my heart beats faster, and it makes more electricity. Inside of me." They reach into a pocket and their hand comes up dry, and their stomach sinks. "Damn it," they say under their breath, words that don't feel comfortable coming out of their mouth and yet here they are anyway.

"Do you know what a beta-blocker is?" they ask, their ruined eye focusing on the med student who they are hoping covered cardiovascular health already.