Chapter 608: Waking Up
Twenty-four hours after Stacey’s initial assessment, Moon began to gently stir in his bed.
He had spent the last day floating between the deep unconsciousness his body had needed and the shallower dreaming state that signaled recovery. The Surpasser healer assigned to monitor him during Stacey’s busy schedule, had been watching for any telling sign, and when the moment arrived, he saw it clearly.
Moon’s fingers twitched against the medical sheet. His breathing changed, and his brow furrowed. Moon’s head turned slightly against the pillow.
The healer stepped closer and cast a quick appraisal skill.
’He’s waking up.’
The reading confirmed what the physical signs had already told him. Moon’s mana channels were still damaged, but his consciousness was rising to the surface.
The healer moved without hesitation.
He cast one of his supportive healing skills, releasing a gentle wave of golden energy that reinforced Moon’s returning awareness and accelerated the transition from unconsciousness to full waking. The energy settled into Moon’s body and eased the fog that had been holding him under.
Then the healer pressed the notification button on the bedside table.
The signal would reach Stacey and Tom immediately. Both of them had been rotating in and out of the medical wing since Moon’s arrival, and both had left standing orders to be alerted the moment his condition changed in either direction.
Moon’s eyes fluttered.
They opened slowly at first, blinking against the ambient light.
His pupils adjusted as his gaze drifted across the ceiling above him, taking in the unfamiliar arched paneling. It wasn’t any room he recognized.
His head turned by a small fraction. His eyes traveled down to his own body, noticing the cords running from his chest and arm to a set of quiet machines beside the bed.
An unfamiliar blue pendant rested against his sternum, glowing faintly.
His gaze settled on the man standing at his bedside.
Moon’s voice came out rough, "Where am I?"
"You are in Ascender Tom’s private orbital. Sir."
Despite being a Surpasser himself, the healer’s tone was respectful.
Moon tried to sit up.
"Agh."
The pain hit him before his shoulders had fully lifted off the pillow, radiating out from the center of his chest across every inch in his body.
His breath hitched and his arm buckled. He dropped back against the pillow with a soft, involuntary grunt.
The healer’s hand rose in a calming gesture.
"Please stay put. Your body is still healing. Your body sustained significant damage during your last engagement, and moving too quickly will only prolong the recovery. Give yourself another few minutes before you attempt anything, including sitting."
Moon exhaled slowly.
He didn’t try to move again.
His eyes drifted across the room, taking in the details.
The last thing he remembered was the immense pain he went through once he made it to the gate. ’Those at the base must’ve brought me here...they did well.’
Moon felt a strange warmth settling in his chest. Those people could have killed him whilst he was in his most miserable, vulnerable state... but they took care of him.
’I picked the right people...’
Naturally, Moon had been cultivating that trust and loyalty through his actions. Not only was he their savior, but he was their leader, a generous one at that.
Staring at the healer who seemed relieved at his waking, Moon realized that he must’ve been unconscious for at least a few days.
"How long."
"Approximately four days since your subordinates found you. One day since your arrival on Earth for advanced treatment."
Moon nodded slowly against the pillow.
His eyes closed for a long moment.
"Ascender Tom has been notified of your recovery. He should be arriving shortly. Please rest until he does."
Moon nodded.
"One more thing. Please do not attempt to use your mana channels at all. Your mana channels are damage, and any attempt to circulate mana through the affected pathways will worsen your condition immediately. The recovery you’ve made so far can be undone in a single reckless cast."
Moon had been quietly turning the thought over in his mind for the past few seconds.
He had been debating whether Cleanse and Minor Mend might accelerate his recovery or whether he should let the healers do their job instead.
The healer’s warning saved him.
"Alright."
Knowing that he could have made his condition worse with a single reflexive cast was sobering.
The healer nodded once and settled back into his position beside the monitoring equipment.
The room fell quiet again as Moon closed his eyes and rested.
◇◇◇◇
It didn’t take long for Tom and Stacey to arrive.
Tom arrived first, as the orbital was located on the rooftop of headquarters. Unlike his usual self, he eased the medical room door open, deliberately resisting the urge to fling it wide as he normally would. The last thing he wanted was to disturb Moon’s rest.
He strode into the room with the same confident grin he had worn during the tournament, no trace of the worry that had been present in the waiting room, a day prior.
He stopped at the foot of Moon’s bed and looked down at him.
"Well, look at this. Sleeping Beauty finally wakes up. And here I was thinking I’d have to plant a kiss on your forehead to break the curse. Would have been a hot scandal, I tell you. My reputation would never recover."
Moon smiled wryly.
"Don’t you see my condition, old man?" He gestured vaguely at himself.
Tom waved a dismissive hand.
"Bah! This is nothing but a little bruising, maybe a limb here or there. You’ll recover in no time, I’ve seen worse patched up in a week. Don’t take too long now. I have plenty of benefits to suck off the Association from your contributions, and I need you back on your feet to keep providing them."
His grin widened. "National hero status doesn’t accumulate itself, you know. You’ve built up a nice pile of it, and my accountants are still working through the conversion tables. But if you spend six months in bed, some other rising star will steal your thunder, and my quarterly projections will suffer. So do us all a favor and recover quickly."
Moon huffed a small laugh.
The laugh hurt a little, but he didn’t care.
"I’ll do my best. Don’t push me too hard, though. I want to see the invoice before I sign anything."
Tom’s grin widened, "Now you’re speaking my language." He said, before letting out a hearty laugh.
Tom pulled up a chair beside the bed, his expression softening by a small fraction.
"Seriously, though. You did good. Really good. Better than anyone had any right to expect. Whatever happens next, know that."
Moon didn’t answer immediately.
He just nodded.
Tom’s grin returned within a heartbeat, saving them both from a moment that might have gotten heavier than either of them wanted right now.