The first thing McCoy did when he woke up was check to see if he still had his shadow. To his relief, it was there, very much not living and as steady as it always was. After last night, he'd nearly expected to wake up with it standing over him, and frankly, waking up unconsciously preparing to get the tar scared out of you wasn't any way to start a day.

He felt ridiculous even having to check in the first place. Checking for your own shadow? A living shadow that could vanish out from under you? Talk back? It sounded like some story an sibling might tell you before you went to sleep. It did wonders for putting some fear in you when you were younger, but now? McCoy didn't believe in monsters. He didn't believe in magic either.

What he did believe in was science, what new technology and new life forms could look like when first encountered, and here, a lack of any morals on the part of the facility. Those weren't monsters they faced. He was certain there was a perfectly good explanation for it, something science could explain given time and equipment. Whether it was an actual species or an experiment was up in the air.

What he needed was to put his head together with the others and compare notes. It might be easier to work out what had happened last night if he had more information. It'd also help when he didn't have to look at his own shadow acting like that out of the corner of his eye.

The doctor reached under his arm, taking out the notebook he'd brought along. He began to jot down a few notes.