“4722.”

Mara looked toward the boy.

She had known her children before those numbers existed.

The numbers had helped keep their records connected when nobody present knew their names with certainty.

Now both kinds of knowledge could belong in the same chart.

She asked about their feeding, their sleep, and the treatment they had received.

The nurse answered within her role and arranged for the medical team to discuss the questions that needed a clinician.

Elena stopped by after finishing her shift.