"I see. The battle's over, then."
"Months ago. After our ships fired blasts between sections of the asteroid and then destroyed them, you were one of the few survivors found floating in space among the wreckage. It's been a fight to keep you alive."
He lay still and thought silently.
"Am I blind?" he asked at length.
"No, but leave that bandage on your eyes alone. Plenty of time to see everything when the doctor takes it off."
"I understand," he said. "And am I—badly hurt?"
"You were. But we've put you together, as good as new. It will take many days more, but you'll walk and talk and see and fly again. And you'll still have your good looks, too."
Again he was quiet. The nurse broke the silence.
"Something was left here for you."
He heard the rattle of a paper wrapping. Then a small object was placed in his palm. It seemed to be a bit of metal, cut into the shape of a many-pointed star and depending from a strip of ribbon.