Akira's POV
I woke to the low hum of machines and the feeling of a hand wrapped around mine. The light in the room was soft. My body felt heavy and sore in places I had almost forgotten.
I turned my head and found Kael sitting in the chair beside the cot. He looked tired. Dark circles sat under his eyes and his jaw held a rough shadow of stubble.
"You're awake," he said. His voice was quiet and rough from disuse.
"How long?" I asked. My throat felt dry and scraped.
He reached for a cup of water, helped me lift my head, and held it while I drank. The water tasted clean and cold. When I finished he set the cup aside and kept his hand on mine.
"A week and a little more," he said. "You went under hard after I found you. The physicians said the damage ran deeper than the visible injuries. They told me to prepare for the worst."
