Karin's fingers tightened on her cap, squeezing drops of salt water to the thick sand beneath her feet. Her dark brow furrowed as she regarded the newcomer, his own black locks surrounded by a cloud of fresh smoke. She had little desire to stride into that airborne morass, but she felt she knew the man from somewhere, certain she had seen him recently and frequently. Too, she hardly wanted to seem rude, or to miss out on an interaction that may be of some potential value, now or later. After all, he might have been a patient once, or perhaps an intern or visiting physician. With this thought in mind she steeled herself, drawing a long, deep draught of clean air before striding up to his side.
"Hello," she said, cautious but pleasant. Her deliberate steps carried her to the very edge of his smoky halo, safely upwind. Her head canted to one side, a guarded smile playing on her lips. "Have we met?"