I actually managed to sleep that night. I woke up after a couple of hours clutching the screen with the words ‘I want him to die’ written on it but hey, at least I got some sleep?

It helped. My brain felt clearer, my body moved easier and I was able to sit up without straining too hard. My knees barely wobbled when I stood to go to the bathroom too!

Chal entered just as I was climbing back into bed.

“I see you managed to get some sleep. How are you feeling now?”

“I did! I’m feeling way better. Can I leave now?” I asked eagerly.

He chuckled as he walked over to the waiting medBot.

“Let me give you a once over with this thing and we’ll see. I’ve got all of your meds for the next week sorted already.”

I nodded, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and holding out my right arm for him to attach the pads of the machine to me. The weirdly jelly-like texture was cold against my skin but it was strangely soothing to watch my strong, regular heartbeat on the screen.

“Have you experienced much pain since you woke up?” Chal asked.

“Hmm… not really. A little bit I guess when I’m moving around too much but it seems okay today.”

He made a note on the screen before turning back to me.

“Any confusion? You’ve been able to recognise people okay?”

“I mean, I’ve been pretty confused but I think that’s normal. I can recognise my crew and like Andy and Captain Aquila but I don’t think I’ve really met anyone else here?”

Chal raised an eyebrow.

“Apart from me.”

“Obviously I recognise you, Chal!” I protested with a laugh.

“Mmhmm. Just double-checking. Any weakness in your legs? Numbness or tingling in your extremities?”

“Umm… Some weakness in my legs but no real tingling or numbness.”

Chal regarded me carefully.

“That’s to be expected since you’ve spent the last few weeks unconscious. If you do develop any of those symptoms, speak to Cory and come to the medBay immediately.”

I could feel that Chal was leading up to me being able to leave and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on my face.

“Alright, alright. I get it. You can’t wait to be rid of me.”

I grinned cheekily but didn’t reply.

“Oh, that silence cuts me. But alas, you won’t be free of me yet. Andy’s asked me to walk you to the war rooms for a meeting first thing.”

I sat up straighter. Interest warred with anxiety within me.

“What about?” My voice came out high pitched.

“Nothing scary! Just your future plans.”

That filled me with fear. I had my to-do list but no concrete ideas for what I wanted to do next. I’d agreed to keep training and studying to become a fighter but I wasn’t sure beyond that. Hell, I wasn’t even sure what I had to do to become a fighter.

I nodded, anxiety clouding my thoughts again.

“I’m almost finished my shift here anyway, I’ll walk you down. Do you want to walk or shall I grab a wheelchair?”

I bit my lip.

“I think I’d like to walk. That might help?” I said uncertainly.

Chal nodded and gently pulled the pads from my arm, seemingly satisfied with the readings from the Bot.

“I’ll go get you a change of suit and your meds then we can go.”

“Thanks.”

He left the room and I rubbed the sticky residual on my arm distractedly. I needed to ask Andy what I had to do to become a fighter, what the plan is to rescue Peggy, what we were going to do about the Council and (if I got the courage) I had to tell him about what was going on at the base. I needed to find a way to contact Sammy too, I could talk to Andy about that too.

The noise of the door opening broke me from my thoughts and I smiled at Chal as he returned, his arms full.

“Medication and a drink for you to take now and then the rest have the times you need to take them on the container.”

He held out a small cup to me with a handful of multicoloured pills and a bottle of water. I took them from him, swallowing them before stopping.

“Wait, what are these all for?”

“Antibiotics, vitamins and painkillers mostly. Now that you’re up and moving around you don’t need to have anything to prevent blood clots or atrophy which is great because those are in short supply. Demand has been slightly higher than normal recently.”

I bit my lip as guilt shot through me.

“Now go! Get changed, my shift was over hours ago!”

I jumped down from the bed as Chal left once more and stepped into the bathroom. Splashing water on my face, I stared into the mirror. It was hard to reconcile the person in the mirror with the image I had of myself in my head. I’d expected to look different. I’d spent the last however long in a coma but I didn’t. Not really.

I was pale and my face was thin but that was it really. They’d kept me well nourished and given me muscle builders so I hadn’t withered away. I almost wanted to look different. I felt different. Pain, grief and guilt had wormed their way so deep into my heart and brain that I felt it should have been obvious on my face. I shook myself out of that thought. There was no point in spiralling any further on it. I needed to go see Andy.

I brushed my teeth quickly and sprayed some deodorant that had been placed on the sink under my arms before changing. Glancing in the mirror once more as I pulled my frizzy dark hair back into a ponytail, I took a deep breath. I needed to be calm, in control.

I could do this.

I almost expected to see Chal waiting in my room once I emerged but he wasn’t there. I shoved my feet into my boots and haphazardly folded the suit I’d just been wearing before dropping it onto my bed. I shoved the screen into the large back pocket and my med boxes into my leg pockets before strolling into the corridor.

I spotted Chal leaning against the doctors’ station and chatting to one of the other people in a long white coat.

“Ready? Okay, let’s go see Andy.”

I nodded and he turned back towards the doctor.

“Ping me if you need me, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Rightio,” the other doctor replied with a quick salute at me.

I copied it hesitantly before following Chal who had begun walking towards the doors at a leisurely pace.

“Don’t you need more than a few hours nap?” I asked, looking at him with concern.

He chuckled and shook his head slightly.

“Aries, I was on the run for a long time. You get used to limited sleep.”

My eyebrows drew together.

“Yeah, but it can’t be good for you. Surely, you know that more than anyone?”

He heaved a dramatic sigh as the elevator came into view at the end of the hall.

“It isn’t but the medical profession has come a long way since the sleep-deprived days of Earthen times.”

“Mmm but still,” I said unhappily.

He didn’t answer, just called the elevator without a word.

I watched the screen above the door as it came down towards us, rolling my shoulders back and steeling myself just in case there was someone already in there.

A middle-aged man with light hair gasped as the doors opened and I prepared myself for his response.

“Doctor Chalamay!” he gasped, staring at Chal with wide eyes.

My steps faltered and I followed Chal into the lift, my mouth hanging open in confusion.

Chal smiled and nodded politely at the man but I was still reeling.

“What?” I demanded.

Chal raised an eyebrow at me in question.

“Chalamay?”

“Yes,” was all he said.

“That’s your name?”

“Yes,” he said again.

“Since when?”

Chal looked at me like I had started speaking another language.

“Since forever. Did you really think I was called Chal? That isn’t a name.”

I had no idea what to say to that. I just assumed it was his name, not a nickname. I’d never suspected anything else.

I was still baffled as I followed him out of the lift and towards the war rooms. I wanted to send a message to my crew and ask them if they knew about this but I didn’t want to wake them. I wasn’t sure if they’d be in the meeting with Andy or not but if they were, I could always ask them then.

The doors to the war rooms opened as we approached. The room was just as overwhelming as the day before but luckily the vault door opened quicker this time.

The smaller room was almost empty today, only Andy, Elliot and Aquila sat inside. Andy smiled as I walked in and I felt myself smile in response.

“Chal! It’s been a while. How are things in the medical bay?” Aquila called over to us, her tone more relaxed than it had been the day before.

“Busy but manageable. We had two discharges yesterday and we should have another two today as this one’s leaving.”

Their eyes turned to me and I felt them scrutinising me closely.

“Wonderful!” Aquila said after a moment, a small smile gracing her face.

“Come sit down, Aries. Chal, are you joining us?” Andy asked.

Chal held his hands up.

“Unfortunately, not today. I need to get some sleep before my shift later today.”

He nudged me into the room subtly and I stumbled forwards towards the table, dropping gratefully into a seat beside Andy.

The walk had been easier than I’d expected but still, my legs were thrilled to sit down.

“Great. Thank you for coming down, Aries. We just wanted to talk to you about your next steps.”