I woke up crying. I'm not sure if I ever actually fell asleep. I drifted. I think someone picked me up, covered me with something. It was coarse. Tasted like sweat. A horrible noise, like the bray of a donkey. Was it coming from me? It ripped through my throat, up from my heaving, blistering, bursting chest. Blood and pus and saliva and snot, that was me. My arms shook uncontrollably. Somewhere deep inside I retreated, trying to distance myself from this mess. If I got too close it might actually start to hurt.

I was set down on cool metal. The surroundings were pitch black. Somehow it was comforting, like a cool balm on the skin. Aloe Vera, thick and yellow. Break it and smother it on you when you get a sunburn. Never could get it to grow up here.

Figures in the corner of my eye spoke and gestured, yelled even. Furniture rustled. Gloved hands curled around my shoulder, careful to touch as little of my skin as possible with latex fingers. With a quick move I was on my back staring up at the blue-green hair. Puffy as a cloud. The face was concerned. Cute even. I think she poked me a few times. Her mouth moved. She had such a cute mouth. Plump. Blue like a raspberry. Like that blue raspberry ice cone you get from that little trailer at the corner of Main Street in August when everything's hot and school's back. Everything was a little blue, outlined like a comic strip.

The ceiling moved and the wheels rattled a little, wobbly. She was still talking, yelling to the other figures. Then the last sliver of light vanished. A warm weight settled beside me. And coolness spread over me, into me. I let out a breath, finally feeling my spirit settle and stretch itself over my limbs again. My inner ears shuttered, then like a whoosh of wind they were clear again, clear enough to hear my own panting breath and a smaller, faster little puff. I sat there, assessing my situation. Was anything broken? I didn't feel any pain. My fingers moved. My toes moved. I pushed myself to a sitting position, looking around. The room was empty, except for a few cabinets. Everything was still outlined in blue and otherwise mostly colorless. I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision but it only became brighter.

"Me-meep," A tiny squeak came to my attention. I looked down to find none other than the tiny dragon sitting there, looking up at me with eyes that glowed a soothing purple. I felt a surge of some kind of emotion that caused me to swoop him up and hold him close to my chest, feeling his fast little pulse against his warm scales and my skin. My fingers, which had been human flesh corn dogs only moments ago had shrunk back to their original size without so much as a blister or scar . I raised one up to look at it, turning it in front of my face.

Caedmon didn't like that I became distracted. "Meep!" he said, grabbing my thumb with a paw, his claws popping out as he pulled my thumb down to his face and bumped his nose into the palm of my hand.

I felt like crying more than anything but I choked out a giggle as I pet his head. "You want more pets huh," I mumbled before looking around. "Where... where is everyone?"

Before I could get a sickening claustrophobic terror the door opened, letting in just a little light. The puffy hair announced it to be the puffy haired lady I'd seen before. The one who I had kinda thought was the angel ushering me to heaven. She was squinting. "Justin?" She called, looking somewhere to my left.

She needs glasses if she really can't see me. "I'm here," I croaked, then realized right after I said that that giving away my location was probably not the best thing.

"How do you feel?" she asked, her voice lowering an octave, taking on a motherly tone as she stepped further in as if she had been acting on a dangerous dare.

Somehow the simple question seemed absurd. Caedmon turned and his deer ears curled back, his lips raising in a snarl. His muscles bunched against me as if preparing to spring off. I stared at her for a moment. "Are you... guys gonna... kill me?" I asked, my voice sounding pathetic and weak.

She stiffened as if physically hurt by my words. "No." she shook her head violently. "We're not going to kill you. Oh honey," she stepped again, her arms out and searching for me. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. It never should have happened. Oh honey." Her wandering hand found the metal rod at the foot of my hospital bed and she followed it up, hand over hand.

I could have run, I guess. I could have bolted right then in there. This lady was obviously blind as a bat. But something in me just fell flat. I sat there as she felt my hand, then reached up and took my shoulder in her slender white hand. "I'm so sorry honey. It won't happen again." She gasped when my arms went around her and I hugged her, my body shaking slightly. Caedmon squeaked and growled and crawled up to my shoulder. Her body was stiff for a second before her arms snaked around me and she held me in return. Her embrace was warm and real. The first kind touch I'd experienced since I was dragged into this mess.

After a minute we both let go and I felt my body finally release and relax. "Thanks," I whispered. This wasn't like me. I don't hug strangers. It was a little embarrassing.

She nodded and patted my side. "Honey," she said. "I'm glad you're feeling better. We're going to find a way to make sure that you never feel something like that again, okay? What's going to happen is we're going to ask a few questions, take some blood, and then put you under for a simple little procedure. You won't feel anything. You'll wake up and you'll not know that anything happened to you. But we won't start until you're ready, okay. You need some more time?"

She was saying some scary stuff but her tone made me relax. I inhaled slowly. "Okay. I... I guess.... I'm ready."

"Okay," she smiled. "My name's Miss Tracy, Justin. I'm the facility's Head Doctor. I'll make sure you're well taken care of." She stood up. "I'm going to need the light on, but we'll have it only as high as you can handle."

The light was off? The thought should have occurred to me earlier. "Oh-okay," I said, giving a little nod as I pulled Caedmon to my chest.

She walked over and turned the light knob slowly. "Tell me when it starts to hurt."

I sucked in my breath before feeling a slight burn after a few notches. "That's good."

She pulled her hand back. "I'll be right back, okay?" She opened the door only to find General Landin already standing there, his hand on the knob. She startled. "General Landin!" she said. "Haven't you done enough damage already? Out!" She said with vehemence.

He ignored her as he stepped right beside her and walked over towards me. I flinched, remembering his face in the Teletubbie sun of death.

"Kid." he sighed. "I didn't expect you to run."

I looked down. Caedmon hissed and jumped right at him, sinking his little fangs in General Landin's hand. The General chuckled and pinched his jaws, forcing them open. He held him by the head like a snake as his little claws scratched at his forearm. "He's a protective little bugger. Sturdy too. You two healed in no time when outta the light."

I had the urge to punch him for holding Caedmon like that but I didn't move at all. My muscles tensed and my fists balled around the cheap sheet of my hospital bed.

After an awkward moment of silence besides Caedmon's hissing, General Landin let out a deep sigh. "Mardu's really... he's... he's a mess over what--what happened to you," he said, every word coming out of his mouth as if he had a Sour Head melting on his tongue. "Didn't know that would happen, kid."

I looked at Caedmon, who had curled himself completely around the General's hand in an attempt to get away. The General's head dipped as he followed my gaze. He released Caedmon, letting him tumble between my knees. Standing to his knees, he let out a low sigh. "Don't go runnin' away again, kid." He grunted before walking out the door. He paused, his form blocky in the light. Then he shut the door after himself.

I realized I hadn't been breathing the entire time he was in here and let out a soft breath. Dr. Tracy returned with a small tray. "He didn't bother you did he?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I have good news. You've already received your shot so you have one less owie to face," she smiled. In the lighting I could finally see more of her. She was probably late thirties with laughter lines and a spray of freckles under her clover green eyes. She looked like the sweet kind of mom that could kick butt to protect her kids. "Just a little stick," she said, wiping down the inside of my arm with a cool antiseptic wipe. The needle stung a little and I tried not to wince. Caedmon snarled and his ears pulled back. I grabbed him before he could defend me against her. "Be good," I whispered to him, trying not to look at the blood.

"Now, since I already got this needle in you, I'm going to inject a little something that'll make you very sleepy," she said softly. "Are you ready?"

I wasn't ready. But I sucked in a breath and nodded. Cold flooded through my veins and my hold released on Caedmon. I dimly saw her hands pick up a frantically flapping Caedmon before I sunk deep.

I didn't even get to ask her why.