Consciousness returned to Kira in fragments of bright, painful light. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out, but her body refused to be ignored. Everything hurt.
Her head throbbed like it had been run over by a truck, her skin prickled, and a sharp sting pulsed through her shoulder. The steady beeping of machines filled the room.
She opened her eyes, but quickly shut them again when the bright lights assaulted her sight. For a long moment, she just lay there, disoriented, trying to make sense of where she was and how she had gotten here.
Then, she sighed and turned her head to the side. Only then did she realise someone was clutching her hand. Derek was sitting in a chair pulled right up to the bed, his large hand wrapped tightly around hers. His head rested on the mattress beside her, eyes closed, face lined with exhaustion.
