Chapter 55: Waking up

Frost jolted awake in a panic, abruptly sitting upright. He felt as though something was stealing the breath from his lungs, and before he even realised what he was doing, his hand reached for his right arm, then his left leg.

"Calm down there, tiger," a voice said from beside him, making his head snap towards the speaker. He found himself looking at a woman whose face was partly covered in grey fur.

"You’re not in danger anymore," she said.

It took him a moment, but with a hand pressed against his rising and falling chest, Frost eventually managed to calm down. "Where am I?" he asked, looking at the woman with the furry wolf ears.

"Before I explain, try to tell me the last thing you remember," she said, giving him a gentle smile.

Frost thought back, and the memories returned almost immediately, making his breathing quicken again.

"I-I died?" he asked, sounding unsure of his own words. He remembered the pain, the blood, and everything going dark. He had been convinced that was the end, but if he had died, how was he still here?

The woman wagged a finger at him. "You almost died. If it hadn’t been for little Ava and the boss, you wouldn’t be here," she said. "You’re quite lucky."

"Wait, who now?" Frost asked, looking at her in confusion. The woman gave him a patient look before answering.

"The people who found your mangled body. As for where you are, well, I was against telling you," she said with a sigh, "but the boss was very insistent."

She spread her arms wide, as if presenting something grand, even though they were in a painfully small room with Frost sitting on the bed. Granted, it was still at least five times as large as his humble abode back in the slums.

"Welcome to Zero Dawn’s Linden headquarters," she said with a smile. Frost stared at her for a moment, unsure what to make of the announcement.

"What now?"

She raised a brow. "Haven’t you heard of us? We’re the great resistance fighting against this world’s oppressive and unfair laws."

Frost’s expression turned deadpan as he made the connection. "So, you’re the guys who caused chaos in the city the other day?"

"Really!? That’s all you’ve heard about us?" she asked, then cleared her throat. "Our people would never do such a thing. The people staging those frequent attacks in the city are nothing more than fanatics who wish to join us. We’re in no way affiliated with them."

"Is that so?" Frost asked, still looking at her dubiously.

"What!? Is that all you have to say?" the woman asked. "Do you know how much we go through for everyone’s freedom? I even went through the trouble of restoring your arm and leg, though it did take me several weeks."

Frost glanced down at his right arm, then his left leg, swallowing hard. So, I really did lose them, he thought. He didn’t know how it was possible to restore missing limbs, but knowing that she had done so left him deeply thankful.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I would be dead if it weren’t for you people. But you said it took several weeks... How long was I out, exactly?"

"About a month and a half," she replied, and Frost stared at her in disbelief.

"What? That long?"

"You’re lucky to be alive, young man," she said. "I wouldn’t be complaining about how long it took if I were you."

"I’m not complaining. It’s just surprising to know that so much time has passed," Frost explained, then glanced towards the door. "Those two people who saved my life, where are they? I’d like to express my gratitude."

"They’re out on business right now, but I can show you around the base if you’re interested," she offered. Frost raised a brow, considering that for a moment.

"If I’m going by how rebel groups usually work, wouldn’t you want to keep this place confidential?" he asked. "Why even bother showing me around? What if I rat you out when I get back to Linden? Where is this place, anyway?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there. Too many questions at once," she said, raising a hand before giving him a smile. "You think we’re going to let you go just like that?"

Frost looked at her, his expression growing wary. She seemed quite amused by his reaction, though she continued before he could answer.

"The boss told me to pass this message on to you," she said, then cleared her throat. Her voice deepened slightly as she began imitating him.

"You owe your life to Zero Dawn now. I only saved you because I expect proper compensation, and your life is worth quite a lot, in my opinion. So, you’re going to spend the rest of your days working for me! Mwahahahahaha!’"

She even imitated his laugh before clearing her throat again and returning to her usual voice. Frost gave her a dubious look, struggling to decide how seriously he was supposed to take that.

"So, I’m his slave from now on?"

"Not really," she replied with a chuckle. "The boss likes to joke around like that sometimes, so don’t take him too seriously. But I think he’s serious about recruiting you into Zero Dawn, and I should warn you that he doesn’t know how to take no for an answer."

Frost sighed, looking down at his restored arm. "So, I have no choice in the matter."

"We’re treated well, though," she said with a smile. "And now you know why I can show you around without worrying about you ratting us out."

Frost looked back up at her, waiting for her to finish. Her smile didn’t falter.

"Because you’re never leaving this place."

"That’s a rather interesting way to fight for everyone’s freedom," he said eventually. "Do you give the speech before or after telling people they can’t leave?"

The woman’s ears twitched, and she gave him a look that suggested she hadn’t appreciated the question. "You’re certainly recovering quickly," she said. "Most people start with another thank-you."

"I already thanked you," Frost replied, glancing down at his arm again. "And I meant it. I’m just trying to understand whether I’ve been rescued or kidnapped."

"Well, you were rescued first," she said, which did very little to reassure him. Before he could respond, she reached towards a cup on the small table beside the bed and handed it to him. "Drink. You’ve only just woken up, and you’re already getting worked up again."

Frost accepted the cup and looked into it before taking a cautious sip. It was water, thankfully, and he drank a little more while trying to organise his thoughts.

He had been unconscious for a month and a half, and while he lay here, completely unaware of anything around him, life outside had continued.

Reggie would have settled into his new job by now, his rent back in the slums would have gone unpaid, and Nick and the others probably thought he was dead.

Perhaps they had been told exactly that. Daren had returned without him, after all, and Frost doubted the bastard had given an honest account of what happened.

His fingers clenched around the cup.

The memory of the shove returned with unpleasant clarity, followed by the sight of the others running between the trees.

He remembered Owen looking back, remembered someone calling out, but none of them had stopped. They had left him there, as bait while they ran.

"Easy," the woman said in a soft voice. "Put the cup down before you break it."

Frost looked at his hand, then carefully returned the cup to the table. He hadn’t realised how tightly he was holding it, and when he relaxed his fingers, they began to tremble.

The woman watched him for a moment before pulling her chair closer. "Do you remember how you ended up there?"

He nodded, though it took him a little longer to answer. "I was working as a porter. The group went farther in than they should have, and when things went wrong, one of them pushed me towards the creatures so he could run."

Her smile faded.

"He pushed you?"

"Yeah," Frost said, looking down at the blanket covering his legs. "Apparently, carrying their supplies wasn’t enough. I was useful as bait as well."

The woman remained quiet for a few moments, and Frost was grateful that she didn’t ask him to describe what happened afterwards. He was already having enough trouble keeping those memories out of his head.

"By the way, I’m Gwendolyn," she said. "It seems we skipped that part."

"Frost," he replied, looking up at her. "Frost Carter."

"Well, Frost Carter, before we get to your many questions, let’s see whether you can stand without falling over."

She pulled the blanket aside, and Frost’s gaze rested on his left leg. He had touched it when he woke, but seeing it was different. It was there, whole from his thigh to his toes, and for a moment, he simply stared.