Chapter 23 · Behind the Red Door

The first thing I felt was the needle in my arm.

Cold. Sharp. Pulling.

I tried to move. Couldn't. My wrists were locked down, ankles too. The restraints bit into skin that felt like it belonged to someone else. Everything was distant, wrapped in cotton. The sedative, probably. I could hear my own heartbeat, slow and thick.

Somewhere past the fog, a machine beeped. Steady. Clinical.

"Mark."

Lea's voice cut through. Close. Too close. I forced my eyes open. The lights above were too bright, white and sterile. I turned my head. It took effort.

She was crouched next to the gurney, her hand already on the IV line taped to my forearm. Her face was tight, eyes scanning me the way she used to check wounded in the field. Fast. Methodical. Looking for the worst damage first.

"Can you hear me?"

I tried to answer. My mouth didn't cooperate. I managed a grunt.

"Good enough." She glanced over her shoulder, toward the door she must've come through. Red light bled in from the edges. "We've got maybe two minutes before someone notices the camera loop. I need you awake."

I wanted to tell her I was awake. Sort of.