KAEL'S POV
The first thing I registered was the ceiling as my eyes slowly opened, the amber strip lighting running along the base of the walls.
I stared at it for a moment without moving, letting my mind do the work of assembling where I was and how I had gotten here before my body submitted its full report.
The base.
I was in the base.
The second thing I registered was Enzo.
He was sitting in the chair beside the cot, forearms resting on his knees, watching me with the particular patience of someone who had been watching for a while and had decided not to rush the process.
"How long," I said.
My voice came out rougher than expected, it was dry, the voice of a man who had been unconscious long enough for his throat to forget what speaking felt like.
"Six hours," Enzo said.
