Experimenting With Miracles // ERERI

Chapter 15

Hanji couldn’t stop her sigh of relief as she entered the infirmary and laid eyes on Levi who was sitting up slightly in his bed. “You know,” she called as she approached, “as mad as I am about your escape this morning, I am so glad you’re awake.”

He tossed her a glare in response, though its effects were weakened with exhaustion and a bit of pain. “Shut it, shitty glasses,” he snapped, voice a tad hoarse.

“No really,” she urged as she handed him a glass of water. “Maybe Eren will start getting better too. Heck, maybe he’ll even listen to you.”

Levi shifted, “That bad, huh?”

“Worse. I had to start giving him fluids intravenously because he was getting so dehydrated. I don’t even know how long it’s been since he has had a good, filling meal and kept it down.” The woman ran a hand through her hair with exasperation, her stress over the matter beginning to show.

Those sharp silver eyes narrowed, “There’s something you’re not saying.”

Hanji bit absently at her lip, “He almost lost the baby.”

The silence that followed threatened to swallow her, so she swiftly continued.

“He was so damn close to a miscarriage.. I don’t think I would have been able to do a thing about it either.”

His good hand twisted tightly around the sheets.

Her brown eyes sought him out imploringly, “So I need you to get better, Levi. Not just for your sake, but Eren’s too.”

“How long do you think that will take?”

She eyed the mass of bandages that was his left arm carefully. “It depends on how quick you can heal and how bad the damage is. Minimum I would say five weeks, probably more.”

To his credit, Levi took the news in stride quite well. “Fuck this…” he hissed.

The researcher gave a humorless chuckle in response, “I don’t know if you understand how lucky you are, Levi. Be grateful things weren’t worse. Although… admittedly I thought I was going to lose you for a bit there.”

His gaze didn’t raise to meet hers, “I know more than you might think. I was too close.”

Just that small admission was enough to completely stun her. She floundered a moment for words before giving up. For Levi to be acknowledging how close he had been to dying was frightening. Normally he brushed her off and told her she was overreacting. But.. he wasagreeing with her and that… that was terrifying.

“Well,” she finally said, “that’s in the past… Now we can focus on your recovery.”

The next time Levi woke, he was in a sweat. He hated himself as he looked down over his slightly sticky nightshirt, feeling disgusting. He hadn't taken a shower in what seemed like forever.

He let out a groan of discomfort as he shifted out from under the smothering covers.

"Levi?"

His head snapped to the bed beside him, thin eyes widening as he took in the form of his lover lounging on the spare cot.

"What the hell?!" the shorter yelled, unprepared for the shock as he awoke from his fever dazed nightmares.

The teen laughed lightly, smile genuine and bright in that gold tinged way only he could muster. Levi's softened heart skipped just from looking into those warm green eyes. Eren practically glowed these days, and it wasn't just one of those stupid pregnancy sayings. When Eren was happy, his entire being radiated a kind of warmth--one that Levi couldn't help but gravitate to. That kind of warm heart was rare.