A piercing and continuous ringing woke him. Jonathan was halfway opening his eyes when the racket stopped. He nestled his head deeper into the pillow and pulled the duvet cover tight. A vague headache surfaced and settled behind his eyes. He tried to moisten his lips, but his tongue was so dry it seemed like a grater scaling the skin from his lips. He shut out the pounding inside his skull and dozed off, only wakened by the persistent ringing once more. He pushed himself up against the headboard. Again, the noise stopped before he was able to determine where it came from and for a moment he thought he had imagined it. Despite the headache and the cotton balls that seemed to have replaced his brain, he knew…