Eli shifted, covering his eyes with his arm. This room was so bright that it blinded him, even with his eyes closed. His veins felt like they were filled with ice, but the sheets on his bed were sticky with sweat.

God, he hated being sick. Ever since he was a kid, he'd gotten fever dreams and hallucinations so bad, he could barely tell what was real.

Take right now, for instance. He felt larger and heavier, and he could hear machines puttering around next to his bed. His headache was just getting worse with every sharp, high-pitched beep.

"Shut up," Eli mumbled, knowing that the apparitions wouldn't listen to him. "My head hurts."

Why was his voice so deep? Wait... Huh. The room actually fell silent, and the lights dimmed a bit. That was odd. Did his sister come to visit? "Ophie," he said, waving lazily at her. "Text me next time, yeah?"

"That is concerning," a robotic voice replied. "He is talking nonsense. Can you hear me, Aces?"

Droid, his fuzzy brain offered up. The thought made him giggle.