Aleigha woke up in the clinic, with the bright lights above her burning her eyes. They were directly above her, reminding her of when her tonsils were taken out. Right before they gave her the anesthesia to knock her out for the surgery, she had stared up at a set of bright lights above her. This felt just like that. She squinted and then looked around her, trying to see where she was. Her eyes were having trouble adjusting to the light.
Medic Kaul was at her side, scanning her with a handheld scanner. His face was grim as he moved the device from her head to toe. Niki was sitting in a chair beside her, her face was pale with trails of dried tears on her cheeks. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying for an extended period of time, which was something she never did. She never cried in the first place. Something terrible must have happened to her.
