William groaned as he opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling above. The plaster was peeling from it, a giant piece hanging just above the bed. His body felt heavy and stiff and as he ran his hands over it, he realized he was just in his underwear, covered with a blanket up to his neck.
He pushed the covers off, reaching for his head, only to find it bandaged. His left shoulder was bandaged too, and so were his right hand and wrist. He was just moving them to determine what their condition was when his eyes landed on his chest—dark bruises covered it almost fully from his neck to his hips, their color turning green and yellow at places. To his surprise, despite how it all looked, he felt almost no pain, just stiffness, as if he had spent weeks in bed.
The memories from before rushed into
