The Toxic Wasters

27. Doubt Comes In

She hated the thought of her son locked within these cement walls. Hated the fact that she could only see him behind plexiglass. Hated the blue uniform he wore. Hated every person that kept him here.

Carla watched her son sit in the metal chair across from her. Even in his situation, a small smile upturning his lips. He picked up the phone, pressing it to his ear before saying, "Hi mom."

Carla sighed at the sound of her son's voice, she hadn't been able to visit for months and missed seeing her boy.

"Hi, how are you? How's Levi?"

"We're doing fine mom."

Carla was skeptical, wondering if her son was putting on a brave face to not further worry her.

"Levi's hallucinations?" she asked, that boy being on her mind since the two were arrested.

"He says as long as I'm with him, he's fine."

Carla huffed, "Something's happened, hasn't it?" She couldn't help herself from worrying. Her son was no longer a phone call away, no longer somewhere she could easily visit. She didn't know if the two were eating properly, sleeping enough, or if any other prisoners were harassing the two.

"Mom, please don't worry," Eren pleaded, bringing his hand to the glass that separated them. "We're taking care of each other, I promise."

Carla mirrored her son, pressing her hand to the glass against his. It was the closest she could get to her son. She wished she could hug him, kiss his cheek. Not being able to made her feel like a failure of a mother.

"How are you mom?" Eren asked.

"I'd be better if you two weren't here," she answered truthfully.

Eren pressed his lips together in a sympathetic smile. "Mom, I need you to take care of yourself too."

"I know, I know," she mumbled, slouching in her chair. "I am, I am, but I will always worry about you two, you can't stop me from that."

Eren hummed, knowing he would never get through to his mom. He would never be able to ease his worries.

"But enough about me, I came here with some news."

Eren's posture straightened. He had assumed some had come up, his mom had not been able to visit much. It must be important.

"They found Isabel," her voice was a whisper, but Eren heard it loud and clear from the phone's speaker.

Eren's mouth went dry, his heart dropping to his stomach. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or scream.

"Is-is she okay?"

"She's alive, but in a coma."

She's alive

"Wh-what happened?"

Carla's hand clenched around the phone, she felt nauseous thinking about the state Isabel had been in.

"She was found dumped in a forest, clinging to life. She's lucky to be alive," Carla answered.

"You've seen her?"

Carla nodded. "I was the first one they called. Farlan's already here, his flight landed a couple days ago."

"Do-," Eren let out a shaky breath, "do you think she'll wake up?"

Carla's lips pursed, attempting to keep the tears at bay. "I hope so."

- -

Erwin didn't know if he kept returning to the hospital out of guilt or for answers. The majority of his time was spent in the sterile hospital room.

Carla was the first to arrive when Isabel was first brought to the emergency room. She was bewildered, her eyes puffy with tears as she frantically looked for a doctor that could guide her to Isabel. When she recognized Erwin, her pace slowed.

He told her about what happened, about the state Isabel was found. And about the vehicle that disposed of her. He gave her the room number, and told her she was alive but not awake.

Carla rejoiced in the fact that Erwin had found Isabel and called the medics to save her life. She told him he had been in the right place, at the right time.

But Erwin didn't feel it was necessarily true. He spent most nights wide awake, the image of Eren's cousin clinging to life was burned on the inside of his eyelids. He had saved a life, but in the process, he put his daughter and wife at risk. And his daughter was traumatized by what she had witnessed that day.

Erwin was there when Farlan arrived. He bolted into the hospital room, sights set on his unconscious fiancé and paying little mind to Erwin. He rushed to her side, hand searching for hers as he took in the sight of her. Erwin was sure it was a shock to the boy's system seeing his fiancé attached to several IV poles and monitors that were keeping her alive. The only reassurance that she was alive was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Carla followed soon after, peeking into the door that stood ajar. She acknowledged Erwin before finding a seat near Farlan and Isabel.

Erwin felt as if he should leave, but he was stopped from standing when Carla brought Farlan's attention to him. She introduced the two, she told Farlan who he was, that he was Eren and Levi's only chance of a less harsh sentence. And that he was the one to save Isabel. 

Erwin felt that the title of Isabel's savior was unfitting. He had felt stuck in place when he saw Isabel in those woods. Perhaps he had quick thinking of calling the cops. Of applying pressure to her wounds.

But it was the quick actions of the medics coming to the scene. It was everything the doctors did to stop her bleeding that saved her life. He was only caught in the middle.

But Farlan thanked Erwin before he left.

Erwin met Farlan a few times after that day. The boy seemed to never leave his fiancé's side. Not that Erwin could blame him. If Hanji or his daughter were in Isabel's position, he would waste away in the hospital too.

Farlan asked him questions about the day he found Isabel. He seemed disappointed when Erwin admitted he never caught sight of who was in the vehicle.

"I'd strangle them myself if I knew who they were." He remembered Farlan muttering.

But he also asked about Eren and Levi. He only knew the few details Carla had told him, but enough to know there crimes were of the same level of what had been done to Isabel.

Erwin told him little, but told him where they were imprisoned. He was welcome to visit them after all.

"Do you think they did it?" Farlan asked one day.

Erwin still wasn't sure of his answer. He would never want to release guilty perpetrators of heinous crimes from their rightful place in prison. But he wasn't sure if that was Eren and Levi.

"I don't know," Erwin answered truthfully.

And he asked Farlan the same out of curiosity.

"Do you think they did it?"

Farlan's eyes remained trained on Isabel, still in the same comatose state. And Erwin couldn't help himself from thinking of the sick irony of one of the couple's supposed victims in the same slumbering state. He just prayed for Farlan and Carla's sake, Isabel's coma wouldn't last years as Historia's still did.

"No," Farlan answered finally. "They wouldn't do this."

- -

"Is she okay?" Levi took hold of his husband's hands. His eyes worried, not only for the inner turmoil brewing in Eren, but for Izzy's wellbeing.

"She's not responsive, but alive," Eren replied, his voice hushed and still shocked from his mother's news.

Levi took notice of his husband's uneasiness. He lurched forward, his arms wrapping around Eren's neck. "She'll be alright," Levi assured. His hands became needed weights along Eren's back. The brunet returned his husband's embrace, head burying in his neck.

Levi could feel the shaking before he heard his husband's muffled cries.

"I was worried she would end up like Armin," Eren mumbled against his shoulder.

Levi hummed, his hand reaching up to run soothingly through Eren's hair.

"I know, I'm sorry."