As Darque started to awaken, voices were coming from the direction of Penny’s bed, so he moved his head and forced one eyelid open so he could try to focus on what was happening. There was a doctor and two nurses around her, but he distinctly heard Penny’s voice, and that was enough of an incentive for him to force his other eye open. When they were finished taking care of Penny, the doctor, having noticed that Darque had returned to life, came over and sat on the bed beside him.
“She looks good,” he began. “Her speech, hearing, and vision are all normal, and her internal organs are all functioning without any apparent problem. Her arm will have to stay restrained for a while, and her chest will have to remain taped, but recent x-rays show that her ribs are already beginning to heal. Othe
