He didn’t quite make out the words, already on the edge of sleep, but he recognized their laughter, the last thing he heard before finally slipping into darkness.

It was an empty, dreamless sleep, and he wasn’t sure how long it lasted before being pulled back to the waking world. Shifting a bit as he roused, he winced a little as the dull ache in his lower body flared briefly. With a shaky breath he finally opened his eyes, glancing around a little.