Welcome to the Scrapheap

4.

AN at end of chap- you know what, you know by now. There will always be one, by the way.

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The lights were too bright.

Alex squinted against them, trying to collect his thoughts.

He could hear someone saying something. His name? Why were they saying that?

Where was he?

His body felt numb and floaty, while his mind felt sore and heavy. And the lights were too bright.

He closed his eyes again and turned his head to the side. That was better, but he could still sense the brightness through his eyelids.

After a couple of seconds, his mind caught up a little with what was going on. The indistinct voices slowly came into sharpness that stung his ears slightly.

"Alex, can you give me a sign that you can understand me?"

The voice was familiar. He searched for a name. A weird name, some kind of animal. Dog? No, Wolf, that was it.

Why would he ask such a weird question?

Every time he tried to remember something, it would slip right through his fingers.

"Alex, can you hear me? Can you give me a sign that you can understand me?" the Wolf-voice repeated. He sounded worried. Alex didn't like that. Wolf shouldn't be worried. Wolf being worried... worried him.

He tried to say yes, but all that came out was a sort of grunt.

He attempted it again and somehow managed a soft, halting "Y- ye...s..?"

"Okay, that's a good start. Do you want me to shield your eyes?" This voice was unfamiliar.

He nodded stiffly.

A shadow covered his eyelids.

"You can try and open them now. It's completely normal to be a little light sensitive after a coma."

That word pierced through the fog over his mind. Coma, right, he had been in a coma. He was in some hospital after... after what had happened.

He wasn't ready to touch that part of his memories. He bristled away from them instinctively.

He opened his eyes, just a crack.

Light flooded in, and it was a little overwhelming even with the shade of the stranger's hand. He grunted again. After a moment he adjusted a little more to it and realised that something was covering one of his eyes? The numbness meant he couldn't tell that there was anything there, but half his vision was dark.

"I imagine you'll be feeling confused."

He nodded slightly again.

"All that's important right now is that you understand that you're safe, and we will do the best we can for you. My name is Dr Bai, and Wolf is here with me- he tells me you're familiar with each other?"

Alex realised the doctor was testing his memory. "Yes." The word came out easier this time, but it was still very quiet and scratchy.

"Good. You're doing very well. How are you feeling?"

He considered it. He must be on some pretty intensive painkillers, he couldn't feel... well, anything at all. There was a sense that there was pain, and a lot of it, buried underneath the drugs, but right now the only word that he could think of was "Numb."

"Yes, we've been giving you strong painkillers. It's important to know that you're not in any pain."

Alex thought for a moment, suddenly feeling very, very tired. "What's... wrong? With me?" He asked sleepily.

He felt the doctor's discomfort. "I can tell you about it when you're properly awake. You can go back to sleep, if you want."

He felt like he should be frightened by that, but all he felt was relief that he could sleep. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

"Don't worry. It'll just be natural sleep. He's out of the coma now."

"Alright." Wolf paused. "You're gonna be okay, kid. It's all gonna..."

He fell asleep before he could hear the rest, but it comforted him nonetheless.

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"He's AWAKE? And we MISSED IT?" Eagle sounded equal parts delighted and infruriated.

"Whoa, I wanted you three there too! I didn't get a chance. The doctor saw his brainwaves spike and I wanted to run and grab you but he said it might be overwhelming if there were too many people. He opened his eyes not a minute later. And he only woke up for a tiny bit. He's asleep again now. Proper sleep, that is. He's out of the coma."

"Fine, but the second he's up to it, we're all visiting."

"How was he?" Snake enquired, trying to sound casual to hide the anxiousness (and failing).

"Pretty confused at first. The lights hurt his eyes and it took a minute before he could speak properly. But after that he sounded decently lucid to me." Wolf gave Snake a half smile. "He wanted to know what was wrong with him. The doctor promised he'd explain it when he was more awake. He fell asleep afterwards."

Snake nodded. "It's good he was talking and asking questions."

"Mmm. That's what the doctor said."

"The kid's a fighter," Fox spoke up. "He's going to get through."

"I hope so." Wolf sat down heavily on the bed. "God, I hope so."

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Guten Tag!

I see those little eye symbols. I have readers! Please, give me some feedback. I need to know whether this makes ANY sense.

Don't think there's any warnings for this?

Disclaimer: Still don't own Alex Rider! I'm not sure why anyone would assume this would change!

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