Consciousness was slowly returning. He was feeling foggy, and his head was clearing far more slowly than he would have expected. His mouth was extremely dry, his stomach was queasy, and his body ached. He struggled to open his eyes, but they were still too heavy. Worst of all was his breathing. With every breath he took, it seemed as if additional air was being forced into his mouth and nose. He couldn"t remember where he was, but there was the soft hum of electrical equipment nearby.
He tried to stretch his arms, but something hard and metallic near his sides was significantly limiting his movement. He reached up to his face and discovered an object covering his mouth and nose. Instantly, panic started to build. Forcing his eyes open, he was briefly blinded by light he hadn"t experienced
