Author's note: There is some mild medical stuff in this chapter—nothing too graphic! Ignis starts his slow return to the realm of the conscious in this chapter. As always, thanks for reading and commenting—it is appreciated!

The mild sedative put Ignis into a "twilight" state of consciousness. He was aware of what was happening around him, but he felt numb and placid. It ensured that he wouldn't panic and attempt to remove his IVs-or the bandages around his eyes. Confident that his patient was stable both mentally and physically, the doctor decided to inform Ignis of his condition and ask a few questions. Julia stood next to the doctor, making notes in her patient's file.

"Can you hear me?" The doctor asked, calmly.

"Yes." Ignis replied, barely moving a muscle. He felt very disconnected from himself and the situation.

"What is your name?" The doctor wanted to assess his mental state and memory first.

"Ignis Scientia."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Altissia." Ignis found it difficult answering even simple questions.

"Good. Do you remember being injured?"

"N-no. I can't remember…" It scared Ignis that he couldn't remember anything. It was as though his memories were water slipping through his fingers.

"That's alright," the doctor leaned towards Julia, and said quietly, "post traumatic amnesia." She nodded and added the note to his chart. Ignis had overheard. Amnesia?

"What happened to me?" Ignis wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer.

"Severe ocular trauma. Your left eye was badly burned. I could not determine the cause-anything you can remember would help." The doctor reported in a matter of fact tone. Ignis knew this news was very troubling, but he couldn't feel anything. Not physically, not emotionally. The morphine and sedatives were insulating him.

"Your left eye, thankfully, wasn't as badly damaged but the iris is scarred." The physician continued.

"When will my eyesight return?" Ignis asked hazily. There was a long pause. Much longer than Ignis had hoped for.

"I cannot say for certain. Once the bandages come off I will reassess." The doctor didn't want to tell Ignis his true opinion. Not yet.

"How much longer?" Ignis asked.

"Several days or so." Julia interjected. That was too much time as far as Ignis was concerned, but he could barely move his fingers at the moment.

"Prince Noctis…." Ignis began, his voice still weak and soft.

"Prince Noctis is safe. He's in much better shape than you, in fact." The doctor replied bluntly.

"You don't need to worry about his majesty right now," Julia explained, "you must rest and recover." The doctor made a few notes about dosages and left the room.

Ignis heard footsteps leaving the room. He didn't know Julia was still there. Suddenly, he felt isolated and claustrophobic. Everything was dark. He just wanted to tear the bandages from his eyes and see. Even with the heavy dose of sedative, his heart rate was increasing.

"Ignis," he turned his head toward the voice, "I'm still here." Julia said as she gently squeezed his hand. It comforted him.

"Would you like me to stay for a while?"

"If it's no trouble," he replied. He didn't want to admit just how panicked he was beginning to feel. It wasn't like him to request anything, but the thought of being trapped in permanent darkness was overwhelming. He needed the company now.

"It's no trouble at all." She kept holding his hand and waited for him to fall asleep.

Ignis spent the next couple of days gradually waking. The sedative was wearing off and his mind was becoming more and more alert-much to Julia's chagrin. Ignis was quickly becoming one of her favorite patients, but also one of her most difficult. She could already tell he pushed himself too hard and had a strong stubborn streak. Those weren't necessarily bad traits, but when you are trying to get your patient to rest and recover, it can lead to more than a few arguments.

Julia arrived early in the morning to change Ignis' bandages. As she expected, he was already asking to leave his room. He was sitting on the edge of his bed when she entered.

"Nurse-

"Julia. Please, just call me Julia."

"Julia, I need you to bring me my clothes." Julia could predict where this was leading.

"As I told you last night, your clothes are being mended and cleaned. I'll bring them to you in due time."

"You have astonishingly inefficient launderers at this hospital." They both knew the clothes were clean and ready to be returned. Julia had no intention of bringing them back until she was certain he was ready to leave the hospital.

"I'd prefer to have my clothes before I go outside, but if you force me to leave in pajamas, then I will." The truth was, Ignis was starting to feel like a prisoner in his room. He didn't even have the comfort of reading. He felt trapped.

"You'll do no such thing. Your mind may feel alert, Ignis, but your body is still recovering. You've been through a great deal."

"When Noctis awakes, I must depart. That could happen at any moment. I must learn how to...navigate without my sight...it may be some time before it returns. " Before it returns. Julia didn't hold out much hope for his sight coming back, but there was a chance and she had no intention of taking that hope from him.

"I understand your urgency, but you must give yourself time to heal." She looked at the nearly untouched tray of food on his bedside table.

"If you want to recover quickly, you're going to have to eat. You've barely touched your breakfast." Her tone was motherly, not angry.

"I don't have much of an appetite," he sounded almost apologetic. Ignis had commanded Noctis to eat his food enough times that it made him feel sheepish to be guilty of meal skipping himself. Julia knit her brow. She expected him to be eating light for a while, but she was concerned it could become a long term problem.

"Your friends told me that you're a fine cook yourself. You must have an excellent palate." She observed.

"Certainly better than average." He replied.

"Maybe that's the problem. Hospital food is hardly gourmet." Ignis wanted to object, but Julia went on. "Would you like me to bring you something from one of the cafes?" It did sound much more appealing.

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"Strictly speaking, no. But you don't have any dietary restrictions right now. There'd be no harm in it."

"If you insist," Ignis replied.

"I will bring you something tomorrow." He could hear Julia arranging some medical instruments-the unmistakable metal clank, as they were placed on a tray. He felt his pulse increase slightly.

"I'm going to have to change your bandages." She'd done it once before, but Ignis was so out of it at the time that he couldn't remember much.

"It will be uncomfortable, but only briefly," she assured him. He straightened a bit. He was tense, in part because he couldn't see what was happening.

"When will these be coming off permanently?" He asked as she began to carefully unravel the bandages. His hair was still a matted mess; she hadn't yet been able to wash it. She expected Ignis to insist he could do that for himself.

"It could be as soon as the next day or two." That was a relief. He hated wearing the bandages. He stayed quiet while she worked, but Julia could tell his discomfort was increasing. The wound around his left eye was a very painful one. She numbed the area around the burn before debridement, but it was painful nonetheless.

"So," she began as she cleansed the wound with antiseptic, "do you have a girlfriend back in Insomnia?" Ignis winced at the question and the antiseptic.

"At present, no." Romance and relationships were not things Ignis spoke about frequently-even to his closest friends.

"Really? I'm surprised. A handsome man like you," she irrigated the wound and carefully cleaned it with a cotton ball. Ignis suddenly found himself feeling defensive.

"I don't have much time for a relationship," it sounded like an excuse, even to him. "I'd like to devote more attention to one than I can at present."

"You don't have to explain-I just thought you'd have to fight off throngs of young women." Julia was quickly discovering, like everyone who knew him, how much fun it was to tease Ignis.

"I can't say that has been my experience," Ignis cringed when he thought of what his comrades would be saying about this.

"You're a romantic aren't you?" Julia asked after a pause.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It sounds like you might be waiting for someone special," Julia took a curette off the tray. Even though most people wouldn't guess it, Ignis did have a romantic streak. He had been taught court etiquette and that included quite a bit of gallantry. While Noctis found it completely outdated and ridiculous, Ignis actually enjoyed being chivalrous. The truth was, though, there was no woman in his life at the moment and he hadn't yet had anything approaching a serious attachment. It's not something he felt like thinking about at the moment.

"If this conversation is designed to help make me comfortable, it is failing." Ignis observed. Julia laughed softly.

"It's not meant to make you comfortable, it's meant to distract you.'

"Ah. A fine strategy." He instinctively pulled away when she scraped the edge of his wound.

"I'm almost finished," she said soothingly. She switched from the curette to an antiseptic laced cotton ball. A much more comfortable implement. She fetched fresh gauze and started to carefully wind it around his eyes and forehead.

"The wounds are healing quite nicely-better than expected," she said as she finished wrapping the new bandages, "but it's going to be more painful for a while."

Ignis just nodded in response. It was quite a bit more painful after the cleaning and he didn't want to show it. Julia disposed of the old bandages and set aside the tray. She started to review Ignis' medication schedule. Ignis was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Ignis, are you alright? Are you in pain?" She asked. He was still sitting at the edge of the bed, but he was hunched forward more than he had been and a couple of shades paler. The truth was he'd been feeling varying degrees of nausea since he woke up from the coma, but in that moment it was becoming a bit unbearable.

"No-just feeling a little nauseated."

Julia already knew that Ignis had a penchant for understatement, so she knew it had to be quite a bit worse than "a little". She reached for a basin and sat down beside him on the bed. She held the basin in front of him and gently rubbed his back. Ignis fought the dizzying nausea as long as he could, but he couldn't help it. He got sick. He was mortified-it was such an undignified business to begin with, but in front of someone else? Despite the embarrassment, he was thankful for Julia's comforting presence.

"Feeling better?" She asked when it was over. He nodded and she took the basin away.

Ignis was surprised how weak he felt. He eased back into his bed and laid his head flat against the pillows. Maybe he wasn't quite ready to go out.

"I'm sorry for that," he said when he heard Julia re-enter the room.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I'm just glad I was here to help. I am a nurse, remember." She handed him a warm wash cloth and he gratefully accepted it. When he was through with it, she took it back and put a glass of water in his hand.

"Nausea is a side effect of most of the medications you are on," she observed.

"I suspect those dreadful pain pills are to blame." He answered as he eased his aching head back onto the pillows.

"I'll talk to your doctor about changing the dose. And see if he'll order you an anti-nausea drug." More drugs. That's not what Ignis wanted to hear.

"Thank you." He politely replied.

"Get some rest." Julia said as she pulled a light blanket over him. He didn't object this time. He didn't feel up to going for a walk at the moment.

"I'll bring you something to eat a little later." Julia informed him. He nodded and closed his eyes; hoping for some peaceful sleep.

"Hey Iggy, mind if I have some of this?" Prompto asked as he gestured towards a lunch tray by Ignis' bed. There was a bowl of soup and some crusty bread that looked pretty appetizing. Ignis shook his head.

"Help yourself." Ignis replied, assuming his blonde friend was referring to his uneaten meal. He was feeling a little better than he did in the morning. He was sitting up against his pillows, but didn't quite feel like he had the energy to get out of bed.

Gladio walked in with a drink he picked up at a vending machine. He noticed Prompto wolfing in a big piece of bread.

"Prompto, he's supposed to be eating that." Gladio accurately observed.

"He said I could have it!" Prompto replied.

"Feeding Prompto your meals-food that good here?" Gladio said sarcastically.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been able to keep much of it down." Ignis replied sardonically. Suddenly, Prompto wasn't so hungry. He sat the bread back down.

"Now I have to taste it." Gladio said as he picked up the soup bowl and drank from it. It was lukewarm, but it tasted alright.

"It ain't cup noodles, but it's pretty good. You should eat it." Gladio suggested. Ignis was used to telling other people to remember to eat.

"Maybe later."

"Total Noct move." Gladio wasn't pulling any punches.

"I'm not particularly hungry at the moment." Ignis didn't like getting hectored. He wasn't avoiding the food because he was picky. He was convinced he might get sick if he tried to eat. Gladio knew that, of course, he was just afraid Ignis wouldn't start healing if he didn't eat.

"Feeling up to an outing?" Prompto asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Yes, it would be nice to go for a walk." Ignis moved to the edge of his bed and let his feet touch the ground. He was about to stand when Gladio held his shoulder down.

"Julia said you should use a wheelchair-just for now." Gladio explained. Ignis sighed.

"If those are the terms of my release, then I will acquiesce." Ignis didn't want to admit that he felt too weak to stand for long anyway. Gladio helped him to the wheelchair. Prompto took the handles.

"We can't leave the hospital, but there is this outdoor porch thing-

"A colonnade," Ignis explained. There were many beautiful ones in Altissia. He tried to ignore the overwhelming sadness he felt when he thought about never seeing one again.

"Yeah, one of those. We can go there." Prompto said.

"It would be good to get fresh air," Ignis agreed.

Prompto wheeled Ignis, a little too quickly, out of the ICU and out towards the colonnade. Prompto chattered the whole time mostly about food and a little about dogs and occasionally, King's Knight. It was the kind of vacuous small talk that Ignis thought he hated, but found himself more and more thankful for it. It distracted him, and comforted him.

Gladio was mostly quiet. He was observing Ignis, trying to assess his good friend's condition. He was very troubled. Ignis seemed tired and weak. His mood was very low-as it would be for anyone in his situation. Gladio thought when Ignis awoke that he would make some kind of miraculous recovery-eyesight and all. It was not a realistic hope, but if Ignis didn't make major improvements quickly, there was no way he could join them when they left for Tenebrae. He didn't say any of this, but he was sure Ignis must be thinking it too.

"Here we are," Prompto reported as they stepped out into the colonnade. He parked the wheelchair close to the edge with a great view of the ocean. Ignis couldn't see, but he could still feel the warmth of the sun and could smell the sea air. Prompto sat on the ledge, enjoying the view. Even in its damaged state, Altissia was beautiful. Ignis quietly enjoyed the feeling of sunlight. The warmth lifted his spirits.

Gladio leaned over the ledge and stared. He had no love for the city. It might be beautiful, but not to him. It was a place of pain and destruction. He wanted to leave it as soon as possible.

"Hey Ignis, what is the name of that one soup you make with the potatoes?" Prompto asked, always thinking about the next meal. He didn't reply. "Ignis?"

"He's asleep." Gladio observed. Ignis had dozed off.

"Should we take him back?" Prompto asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, probably." Gladio sounded a little defeated.

"Maybe I'll just let him nap here for a bit. I think he wanted some fresh air."

"Alright. Just don't leave him out here. I'm going to go check on Noctis." Gladio patted Ignis' shoulder and walked down the colonnade towards an exit. Prompto returned to gazing at the view. Ignis woke up about twenty minutes later.

"Napping, not eating right. I think you and Noctis switched bodies." Prompto observed.

"Very funny."

"We better head back. You were only supposed to be out for an hour." Prompto pushed him more slowly on the return trip; he knew Ignis didn't want to go back to his room.

"Prompto, I have a request." It was strange for him to ask for anything.

"Yeah?"

"You said you wanted to help me more."

"You heard that?"

"I have a memory of it, yes." It was getting more difficult for Ignis to separate his coma-state memories from his "real" memories. He hadn't yet told his friends about any of what he had experienced. He suspected they would dismiss it as a dream, but it certainly didn't feel like a dream to him.

"Well I guess I have to now." Prompto said lightly.

"Once these bandages come off, I will be allowed to move more freely. I'm going to need a little help at first, would you be willing to assist me?"

"Of course, buddy. It will be fun." Ignis doubted that very much, but he was thankful for the help.

"Thank you, Prompto."

"I do have one request."

"What's that?"

"Save me any and all pudding they give you. I don't know what it is about hospital cafeterias, but they always have the best pudding." Ignis couldn't suppress a smile.

"That is a deal I can happily accept." Ignis relaxed his head against the back of the chair and thought about how one might recreate the unique, synthetic flavor of cafeteria pudding.