Ages passed.
Shadows formed in the white void, weak, pale green outlines, and every time he let his lids crack open, even if it was just the slightest bit, pain shot through his temples and ricocheted around his brain, so he kept them shut. After a while he was able to hold them apart, though only for a few seconds. The forms emerged again, more defined this time: oval, hairless, green. Now he could see faces, three of them. They were wearing full surgical gear, gloves, gowns, masks and caps, so that the only things visible were their eyes. Sounds morphed all around, low and distorted. He felt his body jerk back and forth, as if they were moving something around inside of him.
“. . . eel,” he said. “M’arm . . .”
One of the faces disappeared, then he felt a slight prick in his shoulder,
