S'haar woke with a start. Something was... off. Her tongue flicked out to taste the air as she took stock of her surroundings. Of course, it didn't take her sleeping brain long to wake up enough to realize what was different.

There was laughter coming from the general area.

With one last glance to make sure Jack was still stable and secure, S'haar got up to see the cause of all the commotion. Em'brel and Angela were watching another movie, but this one was different from the rest she'd seen. It was much lower quality and didn't seem to be telling any kind of story as far as S'haar could tell.

That's when Angela resumed describing what was happening on the screen. "And this was the first time Jack went to the zoo! A zoo is a place where all sorts of animals are gathered together and kept in enclosures accessible by the public, and as you can see, Jack loved all the animals! Going to the zoo was always one of his favorite things to do growing up."

A tiny, younger version of Jack wandered around from one enclosure to the next on the screen. He would sometimes jump up and down in excitement as one of the animals did something nearly imperceptible to the woman watching, but obviously of great enjoyment to the young Jack. These antics were so adorable that Em'brel laughed and clapped in excitement every time.

His favorite animals seemed to be something Angela described as 'big cats.' S'haar was amazed that the humans had managed to capture such obviously dangerous animals, despite being so weak themselves. It brought her mind back to the conversation she'd had with Jack about humans being lower on the food chain of their own world. She could see what he'd meant.

Despite that, these monstrous animals didn't seem to bother the young Jack in any way. When one of the 'big cats' let out a ferocious roar, Jack simply cheered and clapped in excitement, which caused Em'brel to join right in again.

Just then, Angela seemed to notice S'haar and invited her to join in and watch. "I was teaching Em'brel about child development among humans, that brought up the subject of Jack's childhood, and I thought I'd show her some home movies of Jack growing up. Up next is something we call a birthday party!"

What unfolded was a scene of utter chaos. Children were running everywhere. Every once in a while, parents would try to gather the children to play some organized games, but they were always met with mixed results at best and abject failure at worst. Angela continued her narration. "Every year on the same date they were born, humans celebrate their 'birthday.' As people grow older, this tradition often fades to nothing more than a nice meal with friends or family, or sometimes even some quiet time alone, but as children, it is usually a big event filled with lots of noise and excitement."

It amazed S'haar that the humans had enough leisure time to spend on such frivolous pursuits, but that thought was quickly drowned out by how adorable she found the human children.

That was when another familiar face showed up on the screen. Angela appeared much the same as she did now. She gathered the children together, and for the first time, it worked. The AI led them over to a large colorful castle, and when the children climbed inside, the floor seemed to squish under their feet. Soon all the children were bouncing around excitedly. They seemed to be playing some weird game where they'd launch themselves at a sticky wall with a target painted on it, and Angela would award them points based on how close to the center they landed.

Off to one side, one parent was talking to another. "Are you sure that's safe? Having an AI watch the kids? Maybe one of us should be in there, keeping an eye on everything."

Another man with a greying beard and a broad, friendly smile came into the shot. "Nonsense, that's Angela watching them! She'll keep a far closer eye on them than you or I ever could! They're as safe as a bunch of kids bouncing around like little maniacs could ever be!"

This didn't seem to comfort the other adult all that much, but the second man's grin only grew when one child bumped into another, and Angela was instantly there reassuring the injured child, then with a conspiratorial wink to the adults, she took the child's attention off the small bump on his head by telling him she could sneak him a piece of candy a bit early because he was 'such a brave boy.' The effect was instantaneous. The child who'd been on the brink of tears ran off with an excited smile and giggle to get his reward.

Angela's voice was heavy with emotion as she spoke this time. There was some pain evident but also a strong fondness. "The man with the beard is... was our father."

Everyone watched the man quietly as he spoke with various other party guests. He was every bit as quick with a witty comment or lighthearted joke as Jack ever had been, and he even had that same troublemaking lopsided grin Jack got when he was about to say or do something he knew was going to complicate things. He was currently working a grill while passing out food to anyone who wanted it, and even some who were pretending they didn't. S'haar laughed as he practically forced a 'hot dog' onto some woman who was protesting about watching her weight. "I can see where Jack gets it! It's almost like watching an older, more dignified, more confident Jack! I would have liked to have met him."

Angela's smile conveyed a little sadness and a lot of happiness when she responded. "I think he would have liked you two. He would have welcomed you into the family just as quickly as he did myself."

As the scene on the screen changed, Angela's voice changed back to one of excitement. "Oh, you'll find this fascinating! This is a place we call an 'aquarium!'"

-

S'haar was in considerably lighter spirits when She returned to the room later that morning. Watching Angela's saved 'home movies' and listening to her talk about Jack's childhood gave her a more in-depth glance into the mysterious world Jack and Angela came from. There were still many things that made little to no sense to her; in fact, there were more now than when she'd started. However, for one evening, it had felt as though Jack had been awake and by her side again.

She walked over to Jack to begin the routine Angela had taught her. First, she'd speak to Jack. "Hello Jack, do you hear me? If you do, can you open your eyes for me?"

S'haar froze, something was off. She'd done this so many times, it took her a moment to realize what was wrong.

Jack's eyes were open, and he was looking right at her. Realizing he was trying to speak, S'haar leaned in close to hear what he had to say. "Before we continue... Do you think I could get some water... I'm really thirsty."

Before she realized what she was doing, S'haar was crying incoherently and hugging Jack. She knew she was hugging him a bit hard, and he'd likely have a new bruise or two as a result, but she didn't care. He'd just have to deal with it after what he'd put her through. "Is this real? Are you really awake? Say something else, so I know it's not just a fluke!"

Jack's arms hung limply at his side. He wanted nothing more than to hug S'haar back, but his limbs didn't seem to want to respond. He used his words instead, though his voice came out barely above a whisper and seemed to tire him out as though he'd been sprinting. "This is where...I'd normally say... 'something else...' to be a smart ass,...but now's probably...not the time."

S'haar bit back something halfway between a sob and a laugh before responding. "Only you would come back from the dead and have the first thing you say be a bad joke!"

Jack's had that same stupid grin his father had worn in the home movie. "Hey...I wasn't...joking about...the water..."

Em'brel was drawn by all the commotion, but this time she approached the door more apprehensively. After the last few false alarms, she'd grown warier. When she got there, Em'brel saw Jack alert and talking. Although he looked more like someone who hadn't slept in days than someone who'd slept nearly a month away.

S'haar was just getting up to reach for a glass of water she kept in the room for herself when the younger argu'n came rocketing in for her own overly enthusiastic hug. This was followed by more incoherently sobbing speech, with the occasional 'you're awake!' puncturing through the joyful hysterics.

Angela was watching the show with more than a little bit of envy. She wanted her own turn hugging Jack but had to settle for merely enjoying the celebratory atmosphere. Eventually, the hysterics died down, and the other two pulled back so Angela could have her own moment with Jack.

The AI floated right up to Jack's face. "Hey, there little brother, What took you so long? We've been waiting!"

Jack took a deep breath and told his story in agonizing slowness. "Got...lost... Had to...fight with...a god... Walked...forever... Then... climbed...a stupid...mountain... Then...jumped into...an...abyss... Took me...a bit,..but I'm...here now!"

Angela's smile reached her eyes, and her tears were falling freely, though they faded into nothing when they arrived at her feet. "Sounds like you had quite the adventure. I can't wait to hear more. You just better hang around long enough to tell it! Not to mention what you owe these two young ladies for stepping up in your absence! You've got a lot to make amends for!"

Jack nodded weakly before taking another deep breath. "I'm not...going...anywhere...any time...soon!"

Under Angela's careful guidance, S'haar gently lifted Jack into a seated position and helped him drink some of the water he had asked for a while back. He only drank a small amount before he began sputtering and had to stop. S'haar noticed with concern how much lighter Jack had become. In her hands, he felt so much more frail and weak than he ever had before.

S'haar wasn't the only one concerned with Jack's physical condition. Although Angela was already well aware of the atrophy a month in a coma would result in, she was still concerned about Jack's apparent limited range of movement. Furthermore, neither of the other women present was aware of how drastically Angela had to reprogram their implants on the fly to accommodate his slurred speech. In short, she needed to do a full physical and mental evaluation to learn how extensive the damage to Jack's mind and body was, but she decided to let everyone enjoy the moment for just a little longer.

-

Eventually, the morning passed into the afternoon, and the two argu'n realized they were hungry. Before they went and got their own food, Em'brel walked over to the bedside table covered in all sorts of vials of medicine and formulas. She picked up a can and looked at it in a slightly confused manner before speaking. "So, if Jack's awake, does that mean he doesn't need to be fed through his tube anymore?" As she spoke, she looked over at a tube protruding from Jack's stomach that he hadn't noticed until that moment.

Angela seemed to consider the options a moment before responding. "Eventually, we'll want to move him to oral consumption of liquid food before attempting solids, but before we even do that, I want to run a full assessment of Jack's condition. For now, we should stick to feeding him through the g-tube."

Jack was somewhat unsettled to experience how he'd been fed over the last month. With a surety of movement that could only come from repeated practice, Em'brel pinched the feeding tube before inserting a syringe into the end of the tubing. She then poured a measured amount of water into the line and lifted the line to simply let the contents drain into Jack's stomach. Em'brel then repeated the process with a can of formula, although it took a little longer to drain. The process completed, Em'brel flushed the tube a final time with more water before securing it back against Jack's stomach.

The look in Jack's eyes clearly conveyed his thoughts about how humiliating he found the whole experience to be, and despite otherwise enduring the experience stoically, his gaze wasn't lost on others in the room. Angela instructed S'haar to carefully pick Jack up, guiding her to lift with one arm under his legs and the other supporting his back while his head rested against her neck. She then had the woman carry Jack over to the med-bay and set him in a large scanner.

That completed, Angela shooed the other two women out. "Go and get yourselves some lunch. That'll give me a chance to give Jack a proper preliminary analysis."

S'haar looked like she wanted to protest when Angela simply looked her in the eyes and asked, "Please?" With another moment of hesitation, S'haar nodded and left the two siblings in peace.

Finally, alone, Angela turned to Jack. "Ok, I'm going to ask you to perform a series of physical motions, then we'll move onto a set of questions you'll need to answer. I already know that much of what I ask will be beyond your ability to perform right now. Just do your best, so I can measure how extensive the damage is. Remember, there is no timer, so take, however much time you feel you need."

Angela waited for Jack's slight nod of understanding before turning on the scanner and making her first request. "First, I want you to simply open your fist and spread your fingers as far apart as you can."

Jack's arms trembled, and his fingers twitched, but they refused to straighten. After a few seconds of this, Angela stopped him. "Ok, that's fine, that's pretty much what I expected. Next, I want you to flex your toes."

Jack felt tears begin to burn at the edge of his vision from the frustration born of his inability to accomplish even these basic tasks, but he slowly blinked them away before setting his face into a mask of determination and went about attempting the next deceptively impossible task.

-

After a while, Angela appeared before the two argu'n women who were eating their meals halfheartedly. Immediately, they looked at the AI with a hunger that had little to do with physical appetite. Both started speaking simultaneously before Angela shushed them down. "Ok, you obviously noticed how rough Jack's current condition is. Despite waking up from his coma, Jack still has a ways to go down his road to recovery. His muscles atrophied roughly how I expected them to, but his brain also sustained substantial damage."

S'haar and Em'brel both looked like they were ready to burst into a series of demanding questions when Angela held up a hand to request further silence as she continued. "Despite all that, there is good news too. The damage to Jack's brain seems to be almost entirely centered around his motor functions. With time, physical therapy, and a bit of luck, Jack should recover most, and possibly all, of his motor skills."

Again, the women looked ready to fly into a series of questions, but it was Angela's smile that stopped them short this time. "The rest of his mind, his knowledge, and personality, seems almost entirely intact. The Jack we know and love is still in there. He's just a prisoner in his own body for the moment."

At her next simulated breath, the room was so quiet Angela had no problem finishing her explanation. "Jack's going to need our help a little longer. For a week or two, he'll need help with even the simplest of tasks. He won't be able to feed himself, bathe himself, or even use the restroom without assistance. Even after that, it'll probably be a month or two of physical therapy before his muscle mass is restored to its normal levels. I'll have to teach one of you how to care for Jack until he can take care of himself again."

Both S'haar and Em'brel shot to their feet and shouted simultaneously, "I'll do it!"

Angela was about to make what she thought was the obvious choice when Em'brel followed up with a quiet but firm, "Hear what I have to say before you decide!"

S'haar looked almost ready to physically fight for her right to care for Jack but visibly restrained herself while Angela nodded to the younger argu'n. Em'brel took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking.

Nodding differently to S'haar, she began. "We all know the relationship you have with Jack. You have been Jack's right hand since you met him. You are his bodyguard, his translator, and your feelings for each other are obvious to anyone with eyes to see."

S'haar looked a bit confused that Em'brel seemed to start her explanation by proving what an obvious choice S'haar was, but the younger argu'n was far from finished. "But you forget one crucial thing. You're forgetting Jack."

At that, S'haar started to look like she was ready for a fight again, but Em'brel pressed on. "Think of how he feels right now. He's broken, inside and out, and completely helpless. Despite his feelings for you, no BECAUSE of his feelings for you, you're the last person he wants to be a burden to. His eyes practically screamed his humiliation while he was being fed in such an undignified manner with us in the room!"

Em'brel's voice lost some of its energy, but as her voice softened, her resolve strengthened. "What's more, no man should have to experience the first intimate touch of his love be cleaning him after he used the toilet! The shame of it would sour every moment between the two of you for years to come! Give him the time he needs to heal, then let him come to you when he's ready to stand on his own again!"

The other two women at the table were silent. Neither had stopped to think about the effects Jack's current condition would have on his developing relationship with S'haar, but Em'brel still wasn't finished. "I know this last part is just selfish of me, but Jack wouldn't be in his condition if he hadn't had to rescue me...again. I need to do this! I need to give something back to the man who nearly gave up everything for me! I need to help make this right again..."

After her final thought, Em'brel stood silent as her tears steadily fell. She'd made her case, and there was nothing more to be said.

S'haar stood stoically for a moment before smiling sadly and sitting back down. She shook her head as she spoke. "If you dedicate even a portion of the passion of that speech into helping Jack, he'll be back on his feet in half the time. I'll trust Jack to your care, but I'm still going to be involved in every step of the way!"

Em'brel nodded, and Angela finally chimed in again. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Jack needs us all more than ever, but now there is a light at the end of this tunnel."

Angela tilted her head to the side for a moment, staring off into space, before turning back to the younger argu'n. "Em'brel, I hope you meant what you said because I think Jack needs to use the restroom."