The first drawer stayed closed while they read the record.
Eli stood near the transport doorway with the empty cart behind him. Its wheels had been cleaned, its bed padded according to the community’s instructions. He had spent part of the morning making sure the alternate lane remained clear. Now everything he could have wanted for an efficient handover was ready, and the observers were refusing to hurry.
The facility custodian read a code from her ledger. The community observer read the matching dispatch reference from the sheet Sera had brought. An independent witness compared the numbers. Only when both records agreed did the custodian take out the appropriate key.
A representative stood beside the drawer as it opened. She had asked to do that herself rather than watch from the meeting table. The custodian moved aside enough for her to see without touching the contents. There was a sealed tray, a label, and a separate envelope attached to its retaining sleeve. The facility had prepared that tray for a possible family return because its main transport code matched a request already received.
The observer read the tray label aloud.
Sera marked the comparison sheet.
Then the observer lifted the edge of the sleeve without breaking the envelope’s seal and read a second code.
