I awoke to bright lights in my eyes and found myself in the infirmary, IVs extending from my arms and a bandage on my forehead. Apparently I’d cracked my head when I passed out.

One of the med techs noticed my return to consciousness and came over to me.

“Welcome back to the land of the living! How do you feel?” she asked.

“Surprisingly rested,” I replied.

“And it’s no wonder. You’ve been unconscious for two days.” She leaned over me and began removing the needles from my arms. “As soon as you feel able, Captain Harrigan wants you to report back to the bridge.”

I nodded in assent, and as soon as I was free of the lines, I swung my legs out of bed and began to dress. The tech continued to talk.

“The captain must have been really worried about you,” she explained. “He was down here to check on you every few hours while you were out.” The surprise and curiosity in her voice was understandable. So far as anyone knew, Harrigan was close to no one.

I bid her farewell and made my way back up to the bridge.