"It's been so long since I last hugged someone…I had forgotten how it feels like to be held."
Those words hung over Tank's head like a dark cloud. His arms tightened around Richtofen, pulling him closer. His chin was nestled against the doctor's mousy black hair.
Edward buried his face in Tank's shoulder, fighting back tears that he didn't know he had. The man was sure he had lost that side of himself for good – the vulnerable and emotional side of himself that the voices had locked away in the darker depths of his mind. His fingers gripped at Dempsey's uniform as if he were desperately trying to tell him something.
"Please, don't leave me Dempsey." The German's voice quivered. "You're the only thing keeping me grounded right now. I feel like I'm losing myself…"
With much care, Tank tenderly pressed his lips against the Doctor's head.
"Promise… I won't."