Matthias opened his eyes. All around him were the white walls of a hospital room, with medical records lazily hung up. He turned his head to see his boyfriend, Lukas, mouthing something to him.
"What?" He asked, although he could not hear his own words.
Again Lukas mouthed something to him before a single tear slid down his cheek. This display of emotion was quite unlike Lukas, normally stoic and emotionless.
Matthias tried saying something else, but he just couldn't hear his words. He couldn't remember anything that happened, to be honest. It was all a blur when the other car hit his, flying his face into the dashboard and knocking him out.
Lukas turned his head and called to someone concealed by a curtain. A doctor came rushing to Matthias' bedside, asking him question after question that he could not hear.
Once the doctor had realized that Matthias could no longer hear, he broke the news to Lukas. It was painful for Matthias to see the man he loved so torn up, letting out cry after cry of grief.
The bedridden man leaned over to tap Lukas's knee. Once he had gotten the attention of his lover, he began to slowly make gestures with his hand.
"I can sign." Matthias had gestured. Lukas' face seemed to almost light up like a bulb. He quickly signed back.
"Completely forgot." The sloppy and almost unreadable signs had conveyed. Tears began to well you once again from the usually stoic man's eyes. This time, these tears were the good kind.
Matthias smiles and signed back one last thing.
"I love you."