Birds twittering, small, friendly, safe ones from the sound of them. A wide, soft bed this time, although she was propped up on a pile of solid pillows. The room was dark, quiet apart from the birds, and she was alone.
No, she wasn't. She turned to see Logan passed out in an armchair a few feet from the bed. Turning hurt much less than she'd expected...why had she expected it to hurt? She couldn't remember.
Logan woke as she watched him and smiled reassuringly at her, although she could see the stress behind his eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." she croaked, barely recognizing the hoarse voice as her own. "I think I feel better. Where am I this time?"
Logan took a deep breath. "Let's try the short version. The four of you took out the genetics lab at Manticore. On the way out, you were shot by an X7, your genetic twin. We got you back to the van, but you were losing blood and we didn't know if it was safe to return to Seattle. We took you to a clinic that Zack knew of, they're as discreet as you can trust anyone to be. They patched you up pretty well, let us buy equipment and drugs to take care of you here. This is the apartment of an Eyes Only contact, he's out of the country right now. You've been on enough painkillers to keep you mostly asleep for the past few days."
His speech was delivered with a tone that only came after frequent repetition.
"But I thought I was at Manticore with..." she faltered.
"This time. You've been at Manticore, at Crash, in the hospital in Seattle, God knows where else. Unfortunately, the only painkillers we could get for you can create some horrific dreams. I've explained every time you've woken up but you never remember."
"How do I know this one isn't the dream?"
"Oh, I know," Logan sighed. " What if none of this is really happening, and we're all in someone else's head, and they're making us up? I don't know what to tell you, Max." He took her hand, the gentleness in his hand and in his eyes belying the strain in his voice. "This one is real. You're healing quickly, I can give you less medication. The rest will fade, I promise."
Max decided not to wait for the horrible ending of this dream. She forced herself back into oblivion.
No, she wasn't. She turned to see Logan passed out in an armchair a few feet from the bed. Turning hurt much less than she'd expected...why had she expected it to hurt? She couldn't remember.
Logan woke as she watched him and smiled reassuringly at her, although she could see the stress behind his eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." she croaked, barely recognizing the hoarse voice as her own. "I think I feel better. Where am I this time?"
Logan took a deep breath. "Let's try the short version. The four of you took out the genetics lab at Manticore. On the way out, you were shot by an X7, your genetic twin. We got you back to the van, but you were losing blood and we didn't know if it was safe to return to Seattle. We took you to a clinic that Zack knew of, they're as discreet as you can trust anyone to be. They patched you up pretty well, let us buy equipment and drugs to take care of you here. This is the apartment of an Eyes Only contact, he's out of the country right now. You've been on enough painkillers to keep you mostly asleep for the past few days."
His speech was delivered with a tone that only came after frequent repetition.
"But I thought I was at Manticore with..." she faltered.
"This time. You've been at Manticore, at Crash, in the hospital in Seattle, God knows where else. Unfortunately, the only painkillers we could get for you can create some horrific dreams. I've explained every time you've woken up but you never remember."
"How do I know this one isn't the dream?"
"Oh, I know," Logan sighed. " What if none of this is really happening, and we're all in someone else's head, and they're making us up? I don't know what to tell you, Max." He took her hand, the gentleness in his hand and in his eyes belying the strain in his voice. "This one is real. You're healing quickly, I can give you less medication. The rest will fade, I promise."
Max decided not to wait for the horrible ending of this dream. She forced herself back into oblivion.