He's used to waking up with a start at the slightest noise, at a kick or someone grabbing him by the arms, or shining a light on him. To be yanked out of sleep abruptly, dragged out of his refuge, as he rarely got to sleep long enough for nightmares to begin.

This time, though, he's gently pulled awake by a soft sound nearby, floating between asleep and awake for a few minutes before he's finally aware of some of his surroundings. For a moment he thinks he has to be dreaming, wrapped in warm blankets, aching body cushioned by a soft mattress. But then he hears movement only a couple feet away and tenses, eyes blinking open, peering through the darkness around him, trying to remember where he is.