Lost Change

Chapter 95

I didn't wake up so much as I gradually realized that I was aware of the world around me once again. I felt very light-headed and I was tingly all over. Whatever room I was in was dim. My eyes were still having trouble focusing, but it didn't hurt to try, and it seemed more a result of the dim light than anything wrong with my eyes.

It was much easier to think, even though I still felt a little groggy and slow. I was having trouble remembering a lot of details. I could remember finding a ktari... and I could clearly recall that it had been eating shia fruit... but specifics beyond that were hard to remember. Somebody had been trying to keep it as a pet? No... somebody had been using it, to try and confuse me. For... some reason. And... I had been hurt, somehow. My head had been hurting so much...

It felt much better now, though. Minna must have taken me somewhere and gotten me help. That must be where I was now, wherever here was.

A wall of glass curved upwards in front of me. Even in the dim light the air seemed distorted and hazy around me. The glass seemed to curve through the entire length of my vision, probably forming a dome of some kind to cover me. The surface I was on had a soft padding, but I didn't have any other clues as to where I was beyond that.

The air was clean, aside from a faint metallic scent, and each breath felt easy and full. Rich. It was a refreshing change from the air on that ship. Literally. I took a few deep breaths and felt calmer with each one.

The effect wasn't as overwhelming as the sedatives, but it was still obvious that something in the air was acting as a calming agent of some kind. Which meant I was probably in a hospital. But... where? Was I still on the ship? Had Minna gotten me out, or had something happened to her? Had we been separated? Somebody had mentioned something about a reward, a prize for anyone who found a creature that could track sicora. The way that I could. Was I a patient in this dome... or a prisoner?

After a moment I tried to get to my feet to get a better look around... and immediately felt a wave of dizziness just from the attempt. I sank back down onto the padded surface and waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Shh. It's okay." I perked my ear tufts at the sound of Minna's familiar voice above me. She sounded tired and worried, but also deeply relieved. "It's okay. You're safe. Calm down. It's okay."

Her gentle voice added to the relaxed feeling that came with each breath. I felt safe. I was safe. I slumped weakly down and began to thrum softly.

I heard a soft beep come from somewhere in the distance, then Minna spoke again. "Doctor Senica? He's awake."

Minna made a few more reassuring sounds until I heard the sound of a door opening. It was still much too dark to make out who had just come in, but I heard their footsteps approach me. Something passed over the dome and made a few beeping sounds.

I heard a vaguely familiar voice somewhere above me. "This is encouraging. He looks to be in better shape now. Pulse and breathing are still low but are much closer to their resting rate."

"Oh, good. Thank you." There was more relief in Minna's voice. "Thank you." She grew quiet for a few seconds before speaking again, and I could hear more of the weariness in her voice. "Can I take him out now?"

I saw shapes blurring above me beyond the glass, followed by more beeping sounds. "He still needs more treatment. His blood had a lot more of the toxic buildup than we found in the others, and they are only just now recovering to the point where they can handle light." The vaguely familiar voice paused and I heard more beeping. A gentle hissing sound echoed around me and the haze in the air began to clear away. "I do need to take another blood sample to see how much more treatment he needs. A small break should be okay while I do that."