Fight For Freedom |4| The Ascension

Chapter Thirty Nine: Eye Didn't See That Coming

Warmth. That was her first thought. She could feel herself drifting awake the way warmth flowed into a room. It was slow, but this convection current of consciousness felt like stepping into the sunlight, letting the rays purify you, bringing that familiar warmth to your bones.

The way she became aware of things one by one, it was almost like she was floating down a stream--a living Ophelia discovering the world anew. For instance, the first thing she became aware of outside of her own body was the comforting pressure of a hand in hers. It was a familiar experience, and she was sure she remembered something similar in her past.

This feeling only increased when her other senses began to function. There was the distant sound of squeaking wheels on vinyl floors, of doors swinging gently shut, and of hushed voices talking in another room. And the smell, that too was alarmingly familiar, a mixture of chlorine and latex. This was a hospital, then, and judging by the dryness of her mouth, she was a patient.

Ah, and now the familiar memory flooded back to her--that of another hospital years ago, of her sister, and a man who wasn't yet her husband, and, stranger still, some cats. She remembered the tightness of her chest like it was yesterday, and though she didn't feel that anymore, the pressure of a familiar hand and a hospital bed were all too real.

As she regained full consciousness, she started to pick up other details, like the regular pulses in the hand she felt. Her fingers twitched, itching to hold his hand properly, and another noise reached her: his now alert breathing as he leaned forwards. Her fingers twitched again, and her brow creased with the exertion, but she suddenly found him reacting, his hand lifting hers and pressing it to his lips softly.

"Welcome back, beautiful," he murmured, and she could hear the relief in his voice. Her lips twitched into a smile and her eyelids flickered, recoiling against the bright sunlight filtering through the windows. "Sorry," he mumbled, and after an oh-so-familiar buzz, the sunlight was blocked by the blinds.

She tried opening her eyes again and this time was greeted with the sight of her husband's grinning, if tired, face. It took a moment, but once the realisation hit her, she couldn't prevent her eyes from welling up, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks. Her vision blurred so fully she couldn't see her husband's expression morph into one of concern as his spare hand moved to cup her cheek, brushing the tears away with his thumb. "Hey, sweetheart, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

She shook her head gently, leaning into his touch as she spoke, her voice barely reaching a whisper. "You're so beautiful."

His brow furrowed, his lips parting slightly in confusion. Then his eyes widened, and he looked at her, truly looked at her, for the first time since she'd opened her eyes. "You mean...?" He trailed off, not daring to believe it.

"Yes," she managed, laughing as the happy tears made trails down her face. He made to lean forward and kiss her, but she turned her head away. "You really don't wanna do that."

He frowned. "What, why?"

"I haven't brushed my teeth in..." She blinked. "How long ago was Berlin?"

"Five days," he answered.

"Wow," she mumbled. "I haven't brushed my teeth in five days. This is like the Kraken of morning breath."

He chuckled softly, looking at her with such adoration in those green eyes. "Oh, Kez. You've just regenerated multiple times in one go. It's not your breath I'm worried about." He leaned forward again, slowly so as to give her the chance to refuse, and pressed his lips against hers with the lightest of touches. He felt her smile against him and he kissed her again, and again, and again until she was laughing once more.