Between the Black and Grey (Starlight Brigade AU)

11 - Alive

Am I dead?

I must be, there's no way I survived that.

I can't breathe.

But... I'm so comfortable.

Everything is warm.

I feel like I'm floating.

Yep, I'm dead.

Sung felt himself fading quickly, these last lonely thoughts the only thing to comfort him in his dark and unexplainably warm demise. He tried to think more, but even that was too much effort as he slipped away, his heartbeat slowing and his life draining. When everything else was gone, the only thing tethering him by a sliver to this existence was the warm sensation, barely there but just enough to keep him afloat. He didn't know what it was, but then again his mind wasn't entirely working and he didn't know what anything was. Somewhere in his cold dead body he was probably thankful for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wasn't thinking, he wasn't breathing. His heart wasn't even beating. But he was still there, somehow. He couldn't feel anything but for the warmth, stronger again now and filling his unresponsive body. Like a substitute for life, but not really. Time didn't seem to pass, though it must be because gradually the warmth began to give way to other sensations.

First, a heartbeat, however weak. Second, a breath of oxygen filling his lungs, a feeling that Sung had accepted he'd never feel again. And third, a thought:

Oh my god, am I not actually dead?

At an achingly slow rate Sung became aware of other things. He eventually felt a soft pillow beneath his head and a warm blanket covering his body, and wondered curiously where he was. And how had he ended up here, if the last thing he remembered was floating in cold, uninhabitable darkness, destined to die?

Sound was the next sensation to return, muffled at first. Barely recognisable voices flitted in and out, and it was torture not to be able to reply. None of Sung's limbs were responsive - a luxury he'd always taken for granted. His heart rate was forever slow and each breath felt so weak that it would be his last. Frankly, it was terrifying.

At long last Sung's eyes came back online. Eyelids glued shut still, the only sight that greeted him was the red glow of filtered light through them, but even that was welcome, if only to convince him that there was actually something outside of his bodily prison. If he could smile, he would have.

"He's awake."

The first understandable sentence took Sung by surprise. He didn't immediately recognise who it was, his mind still a little jumbled, but it felt familiar. His heart picked up what little more speed it could muster in an excitement of sorts. Whoever was outside him clearly noticed, and a second voice spoke up.

"Nad will be happy about that."

Nad.

Now it was Sung's breathing that somehow picked up. Nad! He was okay! His plan had worked, they'd escaped! Then, this must be Meouch and Phobos. Once again he wished he could speak, but alas his body remained still and silent. He heard footsteps getting further away and supposed that they were leaving. Perhaps they were going to fetch Nad? Oh, he hoped so. He needed to hear his voice again. Even if he never moved again, that was all he wanted.

"Really? He's okay?! He's alive?"

That definitely sounded like Nad.

"Yeah bud, whatever you did worked."

"Can I see him? Please, if he's awake I want to talk to him. He should be able to hear me!"

"Sure, but try to be careful. None of us really know what's going on here. Not even you."