Deep sleep blanketed his senses, but eventually the movement around him began to pierce through it. The first thing Barnaby became aware of was soft shuffling in the room, a sharp contrast to the obtrusive intercom announcements that normally woke him. As his eyes cracked open, he caught sight of a dark, blurred shape hovering over him. Disoriented, Barnaby's mind groped for memories of what had happened prior to this moment, but he came up with nothing.

His vision struggled to come into focus, but without his glasses and proper lighting that proved to be a challenge. Even so, he could sense the presence near him, and immediately realized its shape was familiar.

"Kotetsu?" he mumbled, uncertainty coloring his tone as he shifted beneath the blankets. Barnaby couldn't detect any immediate danger, especially with his partner close at hand, but he still felt oddly unsettled.