Chapter 58: Love and Thunder, Part 2

'Sam... Sam...'

He heard someone call his name from afar, from beyond the inky blackness he found himself in.

'Come back to us...'

Everything hurt. Everything ached.

'Come back to me...'

There, just over the horizon, a flash of light cut through the dark. Once, then twice, and then the third flash of brilliant light—each one causing a shock in his chest that made Sam double over in pain.

“Come on, lame-brain,” said the now irritated voice. “Breathe!”

There was one final shock—static energy spreading all around his body—and then Sam woke up with a start.

“Ouch,” he gasped.

“Thank Apollo,” Thunder said as she hugged him tightly. “Damn it, lame-brain... I thought I lost you...”

“I...I’m okay,” he said, even though that wasn’t exactly true.

He was sitting on the ground and staring up at the cloudy sky while Thunder held him. Every part of him hurt, although he wasn’t about to tell her to let go.

“The civilians...?” he asked.