First Articulation

Silence held the room. My vision cleared first, registering the soft brown cushion beneath me and the green wall beyond. Then, tension stirred along my frame. I tested my right forelimb. A faint, smooth click echoed internally as the joint engaged. I pressed my front paw downward into the cushion. The fabric compressed softly under my weight, then pushed back. Alive. Stable. I kept my upright posture against the backrest, continuing my scan of the quiet perimeter.