"Something is wrong here." Rhys frowned, scanning the faces of the other researchers under the few lab lights that still worked, casting a thin, uneven glow across the room.
Every one of them was familiar to him. He knew each of them.
Suspicion stirred as he asked, "How long have I been gone?"
Dr. Mara caught the confusion in his eyes and answered calmly, easing the edges of his disorientation. "It's only been a week, Mr. Rhys."
She and the other researchers moved forward carefully but with urgency. Their boots and suit fabric whispered against the metal floor as they closed in on them.
Dr. Mara reached Adyr's body and checked him. Her gloved fingers found his pulse at the side of his neck while her other hand pressed lightly against his chest, counting the rise and fall. "Pulse is present, but irregular. Respirations are shallow, yet stable. No external trauma." Relief softened her voice.
