It’s morning. The man with the tussled black hair sits on the balcony and looks out over Boston. He’s in a wheelchair, the result of a horrific metro crash a month ago that’s he lucky to have survived. He’s surrounded by his family – his mother, father, and two sisters. They look upon him with a mix of love and hope and despair and pity.

The man groans. His eyes flitter. His doctor mutters something about the man’s mind. How it’s trying to access something that isn’t there: his memory.

Jonas is only one case in what is rapidly becoming a trend: amnesiacs who have unrealistic expectations of having super powers.

“I’m gonna go for a fly for a little bit. Clear my head,” he says and pulls himself toward the ledge. The fall would definitely kill him. His father, an enormous man with thick bifocals and a kindly demeanor, grabs him and eases him back into the chair. He rubs his shoulders.

“Not today, Jonas,” he says. His voice cracks. Jonas’s sister excuses herself and breaks into tears in the hallway. No one outside says a word.

“Amnesia has been around for most of recorded history,” says Dr. Nardeep Patel, an expert in brain disorders. “But it wasn’t until about five years that we started to see cases of amnesiacs who believe that their amnesia qualifies them for some sort of superhuman powers. The truth is: only 15% of cases really end up having lava-breath or electro-hands. And 99% of those cases were people who worked in secret government laboratories.”

Dr. Patel continues: “In the past three months, we’ve seen thirty instances worldwide of amnesiacs tossing themselves off tall buildings, electrocuting themselves, or setting themselves on fire. Only two of them survived. And only one of them turned out to be superhuman. And he just robbed a bank.”

Dr. Patel and his team study amnesiacs at the laboratory inside Massachusetts General Hospital. Today, a new patient has been brought in named Sharon Rooth. She’s pretty, with long red hair and a broken nose. She recently awoke from a seven-month long coma.

“Where am I?” she asks.

“You’re in the hospital, Sharon,” Dr. Patel replies. “You were in an accident. We have reason to believe you might be suffering from retrograde amnesia. Do you know your mother’s name?”

Sharon looks at Dr. Patel, then at her mother, who stands in the doorway, her hangs wringing a rolled-up magazine. A look of terror crosses her face. Dr. Patel takes a step towards her, “Sharon…”

Sharon jumps to her feet and cups her hands together. “FIRE BLAST!” she screams. Her mother runs out of the room. Dr. Patel’s team restrains Sharon. “FIRE BLAST! FIRE BLAST! FIRE BLAST!” she continues in a shrill voice.

Dr. Patel sighs. He puts on his reading glasses and flips through Sharon’s chart. “Everyone wants to be something…” he starts. In way, he’s the real superhuman of this tale. The man with the infinite patience.