As it turns out, busting a lung is not fun.

Soft evening light filtered through the hospital room. The man in the hospital bed was sitting up, and a woman sat beside him, a bowl of soup in her hands. The doctors had given him the all-clear for liquid foods, and Elizabeth had, albeit with some difficulty, coaxed Louis into eating the soup. He had been in a sulky mood for the past few days, his eyes constantly drifting to the phone on the bedside table. He was waiting for Elias' call and refused to call him first. He wanted to see if Elias would even remember him on his own.

The phone screen suddenly lit up with an incoming call. From Elias. Louis scrambled to pick it up, causing a dull pain to shoot through his chest, but he couldn't care less. 

Elias called him. 

"...Hello?" he breathed, pressing the phone against his ear. He gave his mother a grateful glance as she stepped back, giving him some privacy. 

Elias' voice came through the line, slightly muffled, as if he had just woken up. "Hey, Louis." 

Louis nodded instinctively before realizing Elias couldn't see him. He cleared his throat and replied, "...Hey." 

Elias could hear the unspoken hurt in Louis' voice, despite his efforts to mask it. He knew why. He had been caught up with things and had forgotten to call. While he had checked on Louis' condition through Max and the others, Louis wouldn't know that. And since Louis wasn't bringing it up, Elias decided not to either—it would only sound like an excuse. 

Louis took a breath as silence stretched between them. A part of him still hoped, for some reason, that Elias might have changed his mind. But deep down, he knew that wasn't likely. "So..." he started, his voice hoarse. He missed the other man. Despite himself, the first thing he asked was, "You're still... there?" 

Elias sighed at the question, already knowing his answer would upset Louis, though he couldn't lie. "I... am, yes. How are you? Your injuries?" 

The response felt like a blow to Louis' chest, but it wasn't unexpected. "I'm... fine, I guess. The pain has lessened a bit, but I can barely move. Still better than the first two days." 

Elias replied softly, "...I see. Nothing else happened, right? No fever or anything? Or-" His breath hitched, his gaze dropping. Unbeknownst to him, Raphael stood silently in the doorway, watching him. "...Are you in too much pain?" 

The concern in Elias' voice didn't go unnoticed by Louis, who was desperate enough to grasp at anything—any sign that Elias still cared. The words almost sounded... tender. Was Elias actually worried about him? Louis felt a spark of hope in his chest but quickly shoved it down. He replied neutrally, "I... there are no complications, I think. And no fever, so... I'm fine." 

He hesitated before speaking again, torn between wanting to downplay his pain and an inexplicable urge to be honest. "I... well, the meds have been helping. But... the pain can still get pretty bad. I... I have trouble sleeping." 

Elias' grip on the phone tightened at that. His voice grew softer. "...Bring it up with your attending doctor. They can increase the dosage of your pain meds... You need to sleep, okay? It's important for your recovery." 

Louis paused, unsure whether to reveal the real reason for his sleepless nights—the thoughts that consumed him. Thoughts of his feelings, their past, and their uncertain future. Before he could stop himself, the words spilled out. "It's not just the pain, you know. I... I can't sleep because... I—" 

He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he was on the verge of confessing something he shouldn't. Letting out a quiet sigh, he forced a small, sad smile, knowing Elias couldn't see it. 

"What...?" Elias asked, his tone curious. "What did you say? I didn't quite catch that—" 

"Never mind," Louis interrupted quickly. "It's nothing." 

Elias didn't push. "Okay... Just look after yourself, alright? I'll come there soon. My ankle's healing well. And—call me if you have any problems. Or even if you don't. If you just want to talk. I'm... here for you. You know that, right?" 

Elias' words stirred a complicated mix of emotions in Louis. On one hand, he wanted to believe him. On the other hand, doubt gnawed at his heart. Was he truly important to Elias, or was this just pity? 

Louis shook his head slightly, forcing those thoughts aside, for now. He had the whole night to dwell on them later. 

"... I know. I'll call you."