Good Morning...2043?!

Chapter 23 - Recovery [EDITED]

Jonathan POV

I groaned and opened my eyes, a pounding headache echoing through my noggin. "Fucking..." I looked around and found myself in an all too familiar environment. Medical equipment, white walls, blinding lights, squiggly monitor, the first memories of arriving on the base came back, and I winced upon another wave of pain through my head. "Man...they really had to fucking tranquilize me-" "Oh! You're awake!"

I shot up, the sudden voice surprising me. A Corgi in nurse attire had just peeked through the curtain surrounding the gurney, a clipboard in one of her hands. "I'll go inform your squad of your awakening, they've been worried about you, human." I scowled as she causally addressed me as 'human' and watched her leave before slumping back onto the bedding. I was about to try to get up, when suddenly several pairs of thundering footsteps rapidly approached before the curtain was shoved open.

Suddenly, the entire squad, the General, and a few other anthros that I didn't recognize were suddenly surrounding me. I could only look around in shock and surprise. "So uh, what did I become a celebrity?" "Alright back it up people back it up! Give him some room damit!" A wolf with a doctor's coat suddenly started motioning the entire crowd back, which gave me about two feet of grace room. "Jonathan? How're you feeling?"

I turned to the doctor. "Granted doc, I've been living off shit for the past God-knows how long. First thing first, I need a meal, like, right now." I lifted my arm up, trembling, hoping its frail form would demonstrate my urgency. I saw a nurse in the background dash off, assumingely to fetch food. "Jonathan? A-Are you-" "Answers, right now. I had to experience pure and utter torture for the past two or three months. They wouldn't even tell me the date!"

The air was suddenly knocked out of me as a massive hunk of fur enveloped me, and I realized that the entire team was hugging me tightly. "Uh, guys-" "We're so sorry Jonathan, we'll never leave you behind again!" I could feel the tightness in my chest beginning to burn. "Um, that's good and...all but-" "We'll hunt down those FIA bastards, they'll regret EVER messing with Echo Delta Team!" "T-That's great but-" "We even found your rifle! It was a bit dirty but we cleaned it up for you!" "G-guys...need to...breathe. Ack!"

I was suddenly released, allowing me to gasp for air. Coughing, I looked up into the concerned expressions of the team. "I appreciate the cough forgiveness and all but cough try not to kill me while cough cough you're at it, ight?" I could hear murmurs of agreement. "Excuse me, not to interrupt, but Captain Jonathan has just gotten back from a traumatic experience, and needs rest."

I looked up to see the nurse from earlier peeking her head through the door. "Well alright." "We were just finishing up." "See ya later Jonathan!" The team slowly departed the room, and I saw Tammy wink at me before stepping out. "Captain Jonathan, if you will." I turned to see the nurse offering a tray with a few pills and a glass of water. "You'll need to take these pills to counteract the malnutrition and any diseases or infections you may have picked up. You may feel a bit drowsy afterwards, but that means the pills are working."

I grabbed the pills and tossed them into my mouth, quickly swallowing them down with a large gulp of water. Giving the empty glass back to the nurse, she nodded and left the room. I yawned, a sudden feeling of tiredness washing over me. The bedding suddenly felt a lot more comfortable and welcoming, and I settled down, slowly dozing off.

General Trish POV

I could only listen as the reports started coming back. Massive structural damage, more and more human bodies being found, more than an entire USB of incriminating evidence, video, audio, and pictorial, all containing footage of the hellish environment the prison had on humans, civilian and military. I fought back tears, watching more security footage that showed an FIA firing squad, executing human children who were clearly malnourished and weakened.