He’s not actually hurt, as they will discover when they lay him out on a bed and start to remove his clothes. The only thing marring his perfectly pale (if somewhat dirty from five days of bloody battle) skin is, curiously, what looks to be a faded tattoo of the kanji symbol for child, 子, right above his belly button. A healed scar on the palm of his left hand is the only other mark.

Still, he’s obviously unwell. Despite the fact that his skin is cool to the touch, he has every appearance of someone burning up with a fever.

“Mum,” he mumbles deliriously. “Mum, it’s hot.”