Chapter 6

He opened his eyes to a white ceiling.

It wasn't a tent. Nor trees. That was promising. In fact, it looked like an actual house. That was even more promising. This could be home. Wait, he mentally cautioned himself. He could be dreaming this. Greg closed his eyes. Each time before, nothing changed. Would that be the case now? He opened them.

Still a white ceiling. Excitedly, he turned his head.

A picture of a family of furry creatures was framed on the nightstand.

Greg gave a tired, defeated sigh. This "adventure" was still real. He was still far from home. Now that his brain was working a bit, he recognized the room as where he had settled down for a nap. He saw no clock, but it was dark outside. Probably not even midnight. He pulled the covers back up.

A noise came from beyond the door. Too tired to worry, Greg flopped his head in that direction. The door opened slightly, a white face appearing next to the dark wood.

Aada.

"You awake?" She whispered her words. "I could sense your mind come out of sleep." That would explain her good timing. He let his body settle into the mattress. He wasn't getting up yet. The door opened further, Aada standing there. "May I come in?"

He couldn't stop her. Nor, really, did he want to. Yes, there might be witchy powers at work here, but he still found himself liking her. His right hand found itself rubbing his temple again.

"Sure."

Aada quietly closed the door behind her, blond fur glowing slightly from the lighted hallway before it vanished. He could still see her outline in the darkness. He started to shield his eyes, knowing she would be turning on the lights. He had endured that shock many times in the hospital. Aada, however, was smarter than many nurses. The light came not from overhead or the lamp beside the bed, but from across the room. The dim illumination was the type his dilated eyes could handle, and he opened them fully as the magic woman walked closer.

"Is the light OK?" He nodded, drawing a smile from her. "Good. Don't want to blind you. Did you eat?"

Greg hadn't. It had seemed wrong to take food from these people, this not being some video game where you were free to take anything not nailed down. These people were going to be home in a few days. He shook his head, which given he was still lying down made a noise against the pillow. She nodded.

"Didn't think so. I brought some food for you" Opening a bag he now noticed in her hand, he saw what reminded him of a Japanese lunch box, a wooden container with a flat lid. Realizing lying down was not the best position, Greg scooted himself back on the bed, raising himself up until he was sitting up against the headboard. The fact he was nude, with the sheet now only covering his lap and legs, didn't draw his attention. Aada's eyes, however, took in his exposed skin. They seemed to like what they saw. Her expression changed as she looked down at the food, then back.

Ah. His waking mind understood. He was on the side of the bed farthest from the door. Normally he tended to sleep on whatever part of the bed was easiest to get to. This time, however, it was almost like Greg wanted most of the bed between him and the outside world. He looked down, considering the effort needed to slide over. He wanted that food.

"Stay where you are." Aada walked around the bed. solving the problem. He adjusted himself, hands outstretched as he took the box. He saw the lid was off, revealing a rice and meat mixture, along with veggies and what what seemed to be a butter sauce. As always, he refrained from asking details. He looked up at her.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. May I look at your ankle?" She had wrapped it earlier, but it had begun to ache a bit. He nodded.

"Sure." As he dug into the box with what he could only call a 'spork', he half watched Aada consider the problem. He had turned his right ankle, which was the side away from her. Given her small stature, reaching over him wasn't the best option. She gave a resigned sigh.

"Excuse me for a moment." She walked around the bed. His eyebrows raised as she proceeded to climb into the mattress. Off came the sheets from his body, revealing both bare legs along with the rest of him. She slid forward, both hands gently feeling his bandages. "Hmm."

He turned his attention to the food. It tasted good, although the butter did not seem to be made from cow milk. It was too ... well, best not to think about it.

"Your ankle looks good. Thick bones." Aada had the bandages off, the damaged appendage red but not that swollen. "The salve worked, I think, or at least helped." She drew a small jar from somewhere in her dress. "Let me replace it."

Greg felt cool numbness spread over his ankle. He wished his mind could get some of that. He dug into his meal, feeling he should finish by the time she was done. Not that there should be any hurry.

"There. That should help."

Damn, she was fast. She took her time redoing the bandage, though. He watched as she gently wrapped the off white fabric around his ankle, taking the last few spork fulls of dinner. A small metal clip fastened the last bit as she pulled it tight around him. Putting the dinner box down on the nightstand, he nodded to her.

"Thanks." Greg rotated his back a bit, working out a kink, moving on to his ankle. There was pain in both areas, but bearable. She sat back, straightening, eyes seeming to meet his.

"How's your head?"

He wasn't used to hearing concern here. Not with the sincerity her voice contained. He wondered where Tiana was. Not that she was insincere, but ... Ah, right. Her question. He considered it. How WAS his head? It was a question he actually had to think about. The condition of his mind wasn't helping. Using your brain to asses the condition of said brain wasn't a good idea. Psychologists existed for a reason, even if most it was guess work.

"That bad, huh?" Aada's expression had fallen. He shook his head. The realization that had been a bad move came immediately, hand going again to his temple.

"It's not that. It's just that I have to think about questions like that. All the doctors get upset when I don't answer right away."

"The fact you have to think about it says everything." She scooted up the bed. "May I look?"

He looked at her closely.

"Have a can opener or something?" She blushed under her fur. He blinked. No. Her white furred face WAS turning pink. Not under it, at least not completely, but the fur itself was changing color. He tried to remember if Tiana had done the same with her black furred face. Greg couldn't. Memories from just a few days ago seemed to be fading already.