Page 4 of Dark Awakening: New World

That he had been transformed? But how could he claim to have been remade if he did not know his old self?

"It has been a long and momentous day," he said instead. "So much has happened."

"Indeed." She handed him an odd-looking device.

It was a compact, sturdy tool with a handle to grip and a small screen on top.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's a device that measures the strength of your hand grip. It assesses your muscle function and helps us monitor your recovery by tracking changes in your strength over time."

Ell-rom regarded the device with suspicion. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Place your hand around the grip handle, and when you're ready, squeeze it as hard as you can. Try to apply maximum effort, and don't be afraid of breaking it. William calibrated it for an immortal male's strength."

He hesitated before doing as she instructed. "Does that mean that human males are weaker than immortals?"

The medic nodded. "Immortals are about three to five times stronger than humans, and Kra-ell are about three times stronger than immortals. Since you are a hybrid, you are probably somewhere between the two on the strength scale, but that is in peak state. Presently, you are far from it, but this gadget will help us monitor your progress during your recovery."

Bridget sounded earnest, but he still wasn't convinced that her motives were purely therapeutic. These people had heard rumors about him and his sister, accusing them of being abominations and possibly incredibly powerful.

What if the rumors were true?

Jasmine was human, which meant she was much weaker and more fragile than the immortals, who were supposedly weaker than him. If he wanted to keep kissing her and maybe put his arms around her and hug her too, he should know his strength so he wouldn't harm her by mistake.

With that in mind, he squeezed the device as hard as he could and waited to see the result flash on the small screen. Except, he had forgotten that he couldn't read the language it was displayed in.

"What does it say?" he asked.

The medic took the device from him, looked at the display, and nodded her approval. "Right now, your grip strength is forty-five pounds, which is what I would expect from an elderly human female."

He winced. "That sounds terrible."

"It's very good, given the state you were in when you were brought here. Your muscles were completely atrophied, but you are growing stronger quite rapidly." She gave him a reassuring smile. "We will keep checking daily. At your current recovery rate, you will be as strong as a human in a week or two, and as soon as we can get more food into your stomach, you will improve even more rapidly."

She pulled out a small tablet from her coat pocket and wrote something on it, probably the results of the measurement she had just taken.

"How are your memories?" Bridget asked without looking up from her tablet. "Any new recollections?"

Ell-rom frowned, scanning the fragmented landscape of his mind. "Nothing concrete. Just feelings. Impressions." He sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. "I was told that I was a priest or at least training to be one, but I can't remember what that meant to me. Was it just a sanctuary to hide in from those who would have killed my sister and me, or was it my calling?"

Bridget put the tablet back in her pocket. "It will come back to you eventually. Don't force it, and don't stress over it. Just let it flow."

He winced. "I am impatient, and I am also apprehensive. What if that is all I'm going to get? Some fragments of memories, some impressions, and the occasional dreams?"

She smiled fondly. "The fact that you are getting those so soon after waking is a good indicator that you will get all of it back. Just as your body cannot recover its full strength overnight, your mind can't either. These things take time."

He stifled a frustrated groan. "Is there a way to speed up the process?"

"Of course." Bridget walked to Jasmine's chair and sat down. "Tomorrow, I will start you on physical therapy. I ordered a walker to be delivered, and you will begin by walking down the corridor outside the clinic. Jasmine can watch over you while you are at it, but if you are embarrassed about her seeing you struggling, Julian or Gertrude can assist you."

"Why would I be embarrassed?"

A smile tugged at the medic's lips. "Evidently, losing one's memory is not all bad, especially for a male." When he frowned, she chuckled. "Males like to portray strength, especially when trying to impress a female, but those who are smart realize that there is a caretaker inside most females and that they love nursing a good male back to health."

"They do?"

Bridget pursed her lips. "Well, I don't think that is true for the Kra-ell. Their females are not typically nurturing; the males would rather die than admit weakness. For them, getting killed in battle is the only honorable way to die."