Dave was still disoriented from the memories and the light that shone directly into his eyes, nearly blinding him but only stopping at causing him a terrible headache. He could barely keep his eyes open because of this but he managed himself, squinting his eyes and barely turning his head away.
"You are finally awake," a voice came into his ears, shocking him as Dave's eyes dilated. He had assumed he was alone but hearing this feminine voice, it was clear that he wasn't.
"W-Who's that?" Dave blurted out as he met heavy resistance to turning his head in the direction of the voice. Straps of thick clothes were strapped around him all over, from his neck to his torso to his thighs and legs, restricting his movement. He was in a similar condition to asylum patients whom the doctors wouldn't want to escape for whatever reason.
His question was met with silence for seconds, prompting him to ask yet again.
"Who's that? Where am I?"
Dave's heart rate increased as his natural flight or fight mechanism kicked in. Even worse, since he couldn't tell where exactly he was and he couldn't move, yet there was a stranger there. Dave couldn't say for certain if it was a human or an invader, only hoping that it was the former. Dave continued to struggle to turn his head in the direction of the voice but his cloth restraints were that strong to keep him down. Dave was yet to regain his full strength considering how exhausted he was and eventually, he gave up.
"Looks like we found ourselves a resilient one, guys," the voice commented again, choosing the times it wished to make inputs. This trait alone was enough to make Dave somewhat flustered, but he kept his cool because that was the only way he could think straight and figure out what the hell was going on. Dave stayed silent, trying to concentrate and pick up as many hints as he could.
'That voice is definitely feminine. And she said we, meaning whoever she was, she isn't alone.'
While Dave was thinking, the sound of footsteps started getting louder as the person approached him. Dave moved just his eyes to the side to catch a glimpse of the person but he wouldn't succeed at this until this person was close enough, which was not a problem. A second later, a slender, red-haired female looked over Dave's strapped body, examining him briefly while massaging her chin in thought. She looked goofy for someone who Dave was wary of just a few seconds ago. The manner she looked at Dave made him worried however. She was giving him the look of a mad scientist when they found an interesting specimen to dissect.
Gulp~
Dave reflexively swallowed at the thought of this tall, beautiful woman cutting his helpless body into many pieces while he was still alive and breathing. The gruesome scene sent shivers through his entire body but he said nothing.
"For a second there, we thought you were gone for good, you know," the redhead lady said as she poked his belly. "Good thing you are a fighter."
As she spoke, she lightly slapped Dave's belly, causing him to groan in pain. He might be better than he last remembered himself against the ape man but that didn't mean all the pain was gone. He still felt some, especially in places where he took hits and now this redhead stranger just triggered that feeling.
"Oops, sorry about that," she apologised with a chuckle.
"Who…" Dave muttered, seizing the opportunity to ask the most important question in his mind, "...just who are you?"
The red-haired woman looked over him, focused on something else as her arm went over Dave, casting a shadow. Dave tracked her arm with his eyes and only just realised that he was receiving an intravenous infusion all this time. He didn't pick that, almost as if his brain dumped that as important information, considering that he felt he was in danger. The redhead didn't answer until she was done with adjusting the drop rate of the fluid that passed through the drip giving set into Dave's arm. She then looked down at Dave and gave the warmest smile he had seen since this chaos started.
"I'm Dr. Alyssa Wright," she said. "Just Alyssa is preferred too."
Dave was marvelled. His admiration for the lady increased as soon as he heard her title. His brain processed a singular thought at this time and all he could conjure in his head at the moment was one statement: 'She saved my life'.
In actuality, that was what it seemed like. Dave had collapsed after his fight with the ape man, having no memory of whatever happened after that until he woke up inside this place he didn't know. He definitely didn't move himself around to this place and he understood that. Seeing the infusion that had been set up, he could only assume that Alyssa was the one responsible for that. He felt a sense of gratitude towards her.
"Did you—"
"Did I save your life? Oh, yes, I did," Alyssa cut him short and answered plainly while nodding her head with pride. "Now you owe me a favour."
Dave gave her a deadpan look that had Alyssa laughing hard and loud. He didn't expect her to be that outspoken and direct with such things. He knew he owed her but did she have to blurt it out?
"Rest for a few days and you will be fine, I believe," Alyssa added. "Now that you are awake, I don't believe you are in any danger anymore."
"Thank you," Dave breathed, causing Alyssa to nod.
Dave took a deep breath and felt a bit more relaxed but soon he remembered that he was running against time in the first place as his eyes grew extra wide.
'Cassie?'
His mind was triggered into recalling the sole mission he had given himself as he called out to Alyssa.
"I can't stay here," he said.
Alyssa raised her brows. "Huh?"
"I have to go. Someone is waiting for me."
Alyssa clicked her tongue and shook her head. "That person would either be dead or assume that you died. You don't realise how long you've been out, do you?"
Dave blinked several times as this new information left him frozen.
"How long have I been here?" he finally asked.
"Four days," Alyssa answered tersely.
Dave tried to hurriedly sit up but his restraints dragged him back down.
"What! Four days…?!"