A Fallen HomeKin

PART XI

Warmth embalmed him from all sides; rolling waves of soft heat caressing his skin. Fog drifted past, dipping and diving over the waves. Sound murmured from somewhere, just on the edges of his hearing. He pushed it away and let the waves rock him. They rolled and rolled and rolled until...

Cold.

Why...why was it cold? The draft skittered around him, chasing away the heat and replacing it with something soft, sold, and unmoving. Where...?

The sounds came again, more insistent and pressing into his mind as if he should recognize it. When he tried to grasp it and pull it closer, it slipped through his fingers, momentarily fading into the chill settling in his chest. As soon as he left it alone, it came back, pushing harder at his conscience. It was constant and annoying and...and he didn't want it.

Ached. Something ached. He ached. Everything ached. No...not everything, just a part of him. Where...was it? Fralith cast about for it, senses jumbled and muffled by the fog sloshing in his mind. The ache...the ache...he had to find it. Had to make it stop. Where was it? He couldn't...there. The center of him — his chest — throbbed like a string pulled over a singing bowl; one long vibrating note that shook up all your insides and reordered them.

Why...why did it hurt? Why did he hurt?

Memories flashed past, disjointed sounds and colors flaring briefly before winking out, leaving a vague impression of...of... the sounds came again, this time burrowing into the fog and stretching towards him.

Beep, beep, beep.

What...what was that sound? Why did it...why did it beep?

Beep, beep, beep.

Beeping. The...BeepCorner. BeepCorner. The memories flared, information snapping into place. The shower. Tim. The SleepySilver blob. What had happened this time? It felt different — it was different; he hurt. All the other times when he'd fallen asleep by the SleepySilver, he hadn't woken up hurting. Why did he hurt now? Where was Tim?

Gathering his straight, Fralith pried his eyes open. Blurry. Blurry blobs of light and shapes. He blinked rapidly, clearing his vision. White. White ceiling. Bright. Beeping. Something clear pressing around his nose and mouth.

Tim...? He turned his head. Green. Light-ish green in the place where the wall would be, but it wasn't all wall. It hung like a sheet and rustled as a breeze scuttled by.

Shadows curled in his stomach and he inhaled, breath stuttering. A stab of fire lanced through his chest. Ouch! Biting his lip, he turned his head the other way, hot needles pricking the back of his eyeballs. Tim? Where are you? It...it hurts.

Hunks of metal hunched in the corner next to him, harsh dots of colored light glaring from their forms. The metallic taste in his mouth soured, his guts twisting. BeepCorner. There was a new BeepCorner. But where was Tim? Wasn't he...wasn't supposed to be here? Wasn't he—

Footsteps. Rapid, hurried ones. The green curtain rustled and a form rushed in, going straight for his bedside. Fralith turned his head and a cascade of relief tingled through him. Red hair. Tim. Tim was here. It was safe. He was safe. Everything was going to be okay.

"Brave Bud! You're awake!" Tim leaned over him, grasping his hand and putting his other hand on his face. "Oh, thank God you're awake."

Fralith leaned his face into Tim's hand, half closing his eyes and taking careful breaths. His insides stilled and the shadows ceased. Tim was here. It was okay. Opening his eyes fully, he glanced up at his friend and paused.