Waking up felt like swimming against a tidal wave of mud. Turner would emerge for a split second and then go under again, push as hard as he could to get above the sludge and get sucked back down.

It was a Herculean effort.

With each new push he was getting better at it, but at the same time, his energy was waning. He would have taken a few moments to rest but was afraid to lose the thread the ghost had helped him grasp. He might not be able to find it again on his own.

“Can you feel my hand?” Bridget asked.

She must’ve been touching him, but he couldn’t feel it, not yet.

“I guess not,” she murmured.

Concentrating all of his efforts on the thread, Turner imagined pulling himself up, hand over hand as if he was climbing a rope.

“Yes! That’s it! Squeeze my hand!”

Progress.

He still couldn't feel it, but apparently he was squeezing Bridget's hand.

Eyes. If he could only open his eyes.

But if he moved his efforts from climbing the rope to opening his eyes, he might lose his grip…

Except, he wasn’t really holding a rope, it was just imagery he was using to help himself clear the sludge.

Where was his friendly ghost when he needed him?

“Right here, my friend.”

Turner felt a mighty shove as if someone had slammed into him from below, propelling him up and up until his entire head was out of the muddy water and he could open his eyes.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

“Oh, dear Fates, don’t thank me.” Bridget wrapped her arms around his neck and plastered her wet cheek to his.

Was she crying?

“Don’t cry, love.”

Bridget started sobbing into his neck. “I thought you would never come back to me. I was resigned to living my life with you here in the clinic.”

With tremendous effort, he lifted his limp arm and draped it over Bridget’s heaving back. “There is no kitchen here, and someone promised me lots of steaks.”

Bridget lifted her head and smiled at him with tear stricken eyes. “You heard that?” She cupped his cheek. “I can’t believe I’m looking into your beautiful eyes. I’m so happy I feel like I’m going to explode. I can’t contain it all in here.” She tapped her chest where her heart was beating like a fast and furious drum.

It took him a moment to realize the significance of what he was hearing.

“I can hear your heart beating, and it’s loud.”

Bridget grinned. “You’re transitioning.”

“I know, you told me.” He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge what felt like a hairball stuck in there.

“Hold on, let me bring you water.” Bridget rushed to fill up a cup from the faucet.

Raising the back of the bed with her foot on the pedal, she asked, “Is it okay? Does sitting up make you dizzy?”

“It’s good.”

She stuck a straw into the cup and put it up to his lips. “Here you go.”

She waited for him to take a few sips. “Did you hear everything I and the others were telling you?”

He let the straw fall from his lips. “Yes, and I’m grateful beyond words. I didn’t dream. I didn’t have any visuals at all. I don’t want to think how horrible it would have been for me if there were also silence. I want to thank everyone as soon as I can.”

Bridget grinned. “I can send a group text to everyone and tell them you’re awake. A lot of people are worried about you.”

Victor glanced at her nightshirt. “It’s late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s after midnight. But I believe that it’s never too late for good news. I can ask everyone to wait until tomorrow to visit you.”

Victor lifted a shaking hand to his face. “Thank you for shaving me. I couldn’t feel it, but I heard you telling me what you were doing.”

An interesting thought flitted through his mind. “You said you were using an electric shaver.”

“What about it?”

“I didn’t hear the buzzing sound. I only heard your voice.”

“The mind is complicated, and we still have a very limited understanding as to how it works, and why it filters some things and lets others through. But we can ponder those fascinating questions later. Right now I want to see if you can stand.”

Victor snorted. “I can barely lift my arms.”

“I’ll help you. It’s important for you to start moving as soon as you can.”

“How about we wait with that until tomorrow? Right now I want to feel that snuggle you were talking about.”

Bridget leaned and kissed his cheek. “I wish I could, but there are several tests I have to perform right away.”

There was no arguing with Bridget when it came to his health. Besides, he was curious to find out what changes he’d undergone if any.

“After?”

“It’s a promise.”