>>24631393
Lawrence dwelled for a moment on the thought he may have lost a limb, and despaired. The alarm had been wailing nonstop, and it drowned out his ability to recollect his thoughts. He heaved himself up to avail. Again. And again. Lawrence reached a state of panic—overwhelmingly horror at the prospect of losing even one limb, and completely paralyzed; his mind scrambled to cope with this very real new reality. His new life as a military invalid, straddling the state with yet another burden. Why didn’t I die? The thought danced in his mind, frolic as a wild boar in the great plains. But if there was ever a pitiful god watching over his misery, they must’ve granted him a special offering of renewed vitality. Using any and what strength he could muster, Lawrence was barely capable in awakening his right shoulder. He pushed, in extremis, his lead-weighted body onto his back. Slowly, he was able to sweep the invsibile steel blanket off his body starting with his right arm. He raised his hands, slowly. It was pitch dark and the main systems must’ve been knocked out. He brought his hands closer to his face, then instinctively reached down to his legs. “Still in one piece,” Lawrence said. He couldn’t help but laugh, a mere chuckle under his breath.
