I had drifted in and out of consciousness for a while, not being able to see or hear anything when I did so. Just brief flashes of light before I went under again, back to square one.

When I finally woke up for real, my eyes were disorientated and my limbs were tired. I struggled to open them with the bright light directly above me, and when I did all I could see was white. My eyes adjusted, and I saw a ceiling that was white. I already made the assumption of a hospital, but my mind couldn't put together why I was here.

I moved my head to the...