spite || levi x reader

0 - 4

It takes two more weeks for your ankle to heal, and you're beginning to wonder if you know how to pick locks, because being confined to one room all day is frustrating as hell.

The other option you considered is knocking out Tanner and escaping, but you don't want this to be considered an 'escape'. You're not a prisoner. You're just in isolation because you "need time to heal and can't have anything like the overwhelming sensations of the outside interrupt your path to recovery" as Doctor Fizal so eloquently puts it. One of these day you're going to punch that woman in the face and feel absolutely no remorse about it.

You just want to wander halls. Explore. Maybe see what the city looks like. Is that too much to ask?

Tanner changes from morning visits to evening visits, and he eventually trusts you enough to hold a quill. He gives you his utensil and a book for a hard surface and asks you to draw- anything you want, whatever comes to mind. For whatever reason, you start sketching tea cups. There's something about Levi's visit that's still bothering you.

"Tea?" Tanner asks, studying your page. "Any significance?"

You shrug. "Levi brought me tea."

His face pales. Apparently, he remembers Levi quite vividly. "I- I see. Any significant memories with that? Were you a tea drinker?"

You shrug again, dipping your quill in ink. "Who knows?" you mutter. "No one seems overly inclined to tell me anything."

Tanner shifts nervously. "Well, we're trying to let you form the memories on your own. If we try to force your opinions and similar onto you, it might impact your healing, especially if you recover any memories that contradict what you've been told."

It makes sense, but you don't like it. "That's stupid," you grumble.

"You say that about a lot of things."

"So I'm a pessimist," you muse to yourself. You glance up at Tanner. "You concluded anything about me in the four weeks you've kept me in here? I'd like to hope you have."

"A few things," he confirms. "May I?"

He's holding out his hand, so you hand back the quill, the paper you were doodling on, and the hard book that you were using as a surface. "When will you let me out?"

"When Doctor Fizal clears you," Tanner replies.

"You say that every time."

He shrugs. "Well, it's true. Anyways..." He pulls his stack of paper from the nearby cupboard that he left it on. "We're trying to leave you to- well, you know, develop as much as you can by yourself," Tanner says, and you roll your eyes because you've heard that so many times. "Once your ankle is cleared, we- we'll check out how your eye is healing, and then you'll be good to leave as you want- with exceptions, of course-"

The door shoves open, and you straighten up when you see Levi. He's got a hangar with a black jacket hanging over it. He raises an irritated eyebrow at Tanner. "You're still here?"

"Well- well, it's her evening check up," Tanner says uncertainly. "Still."

Levi clicks his tongue in irritation. You shoot him a half-hearted glare. It's the first time you've seen him since he brought you tea two weeks ago. "This is yours," he says, holding out the jacket. He walks over to the side of your room and hooks the hangar onto the chair. "Thought you should have it."

You perk up. "Pass it," you urge, holding out your hands.

He pulls it off the hangar and hands it to you. You cradle the fabric into your chest. It's a nice coat- soft, warm material with a firm outer layer. It smells nice. "You wore this everywhere," Levi says, backing away.