Rei

Sevastyan woke a little later but didn’t get up. Rei handed him his phone. Lisa watched him from where he still lay between Rei’s legs. “I’ll be fine, soon,” he said. “Please don’t bother Master Alexi.”

Sevastyan’s eyes moved to Lisa and stayed there for a long moment. “Your master should know how you are.”

Lisa stared back.

“It doesn’t make a difference,” Sevastyan sighed. “You can’t travel in this state. You’re here for the foreseeable future.”

With the help of Zofran for the nausea, Lisa was able to keep warm water down and then a cup of water with a little honey inside.

He didn’t throw up his medication at midnight when Sevastyan was willing to let him try to take it in oral form.

He was still warm, but the fever had reduced significantly.

Rei stole a moment in the kitchen by himself and ate a stale croissant, eyes closed, letting the dry butter and pastry flakes coat the top of his mouth.

The world was dark and everyone else was asleep, but he wanted to stay here, in the silence and the darkness, and simply exist.