WARNING: I'M GONNA SOUND SNARKY! OK, I'll admit, I have no idea if a three-person video chat call on a phone is a thing, because I'm like an old lady with technology. The same goes for the medical nonsense that I'm going to ramble off in this chapter; all made up. I don't know squat how or what or anything about what would actually be done in a lab to a merman to test him and find out sciencey marine things about him. So I made up a bunch of stuff that is in no way accurate or based in reality. I know that testing blood takes time and that there would be no way to determine what's determined here so quickly, but just roll with it, I'm writing this for fun. If there are any medical students or medical professionals or lab assistance or scientists or biologists that read this, please, no snooty comments. The 'scientific' stuff is just a means to an end. I don't want any repeats of the comment on Murmuring Hearts telling me how awesome my story is but that I'm so wrong on medical stuff that you can't handle it and won't finish it out. Grow up people; suspend disbelief with me and have fun (:

))((

Tino groaned weakly and rolled onto his back, bringing a hand up to rub at his aching temples. He felt like he'd never get out of bed again. The night before he had felt the signs that something was wrong, even though he hadn't said anything, but now he felt a hundred times worse. He'd never felt like this before in his life. He'd had fevers in the sea from infections, but never had his head been clogged with the disgusting 'mucus', never had this throat felt so raw and sore.

Berwald's concern for him was touching. After Lukas had hung up he instructed Tino to stay put, as though Tino had any choice or ability to do otherwise, and disappeared down the stairs. A while later Berwald reappeared, carrying a tray.

"I've got some hot lemon tea for you." He told Tino when he set it down on the bed side table. "It's not quite the same as lemonade, but it's still made from lemons. There's honey here too, so be sure to put a lot in; it'll help your throat. I don't know how hungry you are, but I brought you some porridge. You can put honey in it too if you want. Can't have too much honey with a sore throat."

"Thanks, Ber." Tino said, forcing himself to sit up.

His head felt like a rock and his neck almost made a sound of protest it ached so much. He groaned and angrily pushed back his heavy hair as it fell around his shoulders and into his face.

"I'll put your hair in a braid if you want." Berwald offered, instantly reaching out and pulling the hair out of Tino's face for him.

"I'd like that." Tino said quietly. "Can you do it while I eat? That way I don't have to sit up for longer than I have to."

"OK, let me get a hair tie. My cousins are always leaving them here."

While Berwald dug around in the guest bathroom's drawers, Tino added honey to his lemon tea with heavy fingers, then poured a good amount into his porridge as well. He started drinking the tea first, sighing as it did indeed soothe the soreness in his throat.

"How is it?" Berwald asked, coming out into the bedroom with a few different hair ties and a brush in his hand.

"Tea's good." Tino almost slurred, his lips still on the lip of the mug. "Thank you."

"Alright, I'm just going to edge in behind you here." Berwald prefaced as he scooted onto the bed. Tino shifted forward a bit so Berwald could sit behind him and start brushing out his hair.

"I never thought I'd say this." Tino groaned. "But I'll be glad to cut my hair. It's nothing but a nuisance here on land. Not that I don't like you braiding it, because I do."

"Might as well make the most of it while I can, then, hm?" Berwald asked, passing his hand through the wealth of gold he was brushing. For long silent moments Tino drank his tea and ate his breakfast while Berwald prepped his hair and then began a simple braid at the nape of his neck.

"Are you worried that I might die?" Tino asked quietly, breaking the stillness. Berwald's hands stopped what they were doing and Tino could just imagine the look on his face as he tried to decide how to answer.

"It's just a cold." Berwald said, a second too late to be convincing. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Just…we don't want it to get worse."

"I was only joking when I said that I felt like I was dying." Tino sighed. "But you and Lukas seem pretty afraid for me. Could it really be that serious?"

Berwald's hands faltered a little before resuming their hypnotic movements as he braided.

"Honestly, Tino…we don't know. And…that's a little more frightening, I won't lie."

Tino heaved another sigh as he scooped up a spoonful of porridge.

"You humans have great healing powers from what I've heard. I'm not concerned."

Berwald didn't answer with more than a grunt of acknowledgement, and Tino left him to his thoughts. He couldn't deny that anything that frightened Berwald was enough to frighten him, but he also had every faith in his human pod to look after him. They had proved to him time and again that they truly cared, and this would just be a more strenuous test.

When Tino was finishing up his breakfast, Berwald's phone rang again. Tino answered it, since Berwald had his hands full. It was another video call, but this time there were two images instead of one. Emil's face appeared on one side of the screen and Lukas with Mathias appeared on the other.

"Conference call!" Mathias announced when Tino's face popped up in the little square in the corner of the screen.

"Tino, how are you doing?" Emil asked, his tone filled with concern and his eyes just as worried as everyone else's.

"Lemon tea helps." Tino replied. "Berwald's braiding my hair."

Berwald leaned to the side just enough for them to see him for a brief second.

"Good, you'll need it out of the way." Lukas told him. "Kiku has agreed to look you over, though he doesn't really understand the situation."

"I kind of had to bribe him through my friend, Leon." Emil explained. "He's Kiku's little brother so when he asks for something Kiku can't really refuse."

Berwald peeked over Tino's shoulder to ask,

"Then, are we going to a lab somewhere?"

"Yea," Emil answered, "we told him we don't even know what kind of tests he'll need to run, so as bad as Tino feels, a trip to a professional lap is the best idea."

Tino groaned.

"I don't even want to get out of bed."

"That's why you need to." Lukas told him gently. "I'm sorry, Tino, but you're not going to get any better until we know how to treat you."

"I know." Tino pouted. "Just feel wretched."

"That's a word you don't hear every day." Mathias chuckled.

"OK, give us a half hour. Emil can drive over here and then we'll come to your place." Instructed Lukas. "I think we should all go together. We have directions to the lab and it's not as far away as we thought. Maybe a twenty-minute drive."

"Got it." Berwald agreed.

"Hang in there, Tino, it's going to be alright." Emil added, before ending his call. Lukas and Mathias signed off a split second later.

"At least we have a plan of action." Berwald stated, freeing one hand from the braid to give Tino a confidant pat on his shoulder. The merman nodded and finished his porridge. As he started drinking the last of his tea, something occurred to Tino.

"Ber, what's a lab?"

))((

If the trip home the two days prior had gone better than they hoped, the drive to the lab was worse than they could have predicted. At least for Tino. Berwald wrapped him in the car quilt and brought along a portable coffee cup brimming with honey-rich lemon tea for the road, but even with that and all the others being so kind to him, Tino felt like death. He had never been so miserable in his life. He did his best not to complain, meaning he ended up keeping his mouth shut most of the trip. His head hurt too much for him to watch what was passing by, and without his constant stream of questions and discussions, the car seemed too quiet. None of them pushed him to speak for their own comfort, but the drive seemed much longer for how silent it was.

Mathias had insisted on filming this entire process, though he'd managed to stay professional for once and not joke about the situation while he documented it. He'd been tempted to cut when the atmosphere had become so heavy, but again, he wanted to preserve the accuracy of their story, which meant the fewer cuts the better.

When they were pulling into the parking lot of a very sleek-looking research building, Emil suddenly spoke up.

"I just realized; Tino's never seen an Asian before."

The merman managed to look curious at the statement.

"Kiku is Japanese, so he looks much different than us." Lukas explained. "I don't know if you came across information about Japan in your online research, but please don't draw attention to it. We don't want to offend him when he came to this country on a grant."

"I read about Japan." Tino supplied tiredly. "They have slanted eyes, and they love cute."

Despite the gravity of their current situation, Mathias and Emil both shared a laugh and even Lukas and Berwald grinned a bit.

"Ok, hilarious, Tino," Mathias chuckled, "but seriously don't say that to his face unless you want to be kicked out."

"Unlikely," Emil said dryly, "He'd turn any insult into a compliment and somehow end up apologizing to us."

"Cultural sensitivity is alive and well in this family." Lukas muttered sarcastically.

Tino didn't really understand what all that meant, but he understood enough to know tact was required. It wouldn't make much difference; he didn't plan on speaking if he could help it.

They parked, and then had a brief discussion on how to proceed before settling on just walking in together. Tino had to leave the car quilt behind, but he was wearing a warm hoodie that Berwald had lent him so he wasn't too cold, and it was still comforting. Still, he held on to Berwald's arm as they walked, feeling wobbly-legged and unsure of himself. He turned tired eyes toward the camera in Mathias' hand, and gave a weak 'rock on' sign with his fingers, knowing that the audience that hadn't seen this footage yet might appreciate the gesture. He was already beginning to think like Mathias and Emil.

The glass doors to the building were locked, but as they stood there they could see a young Japanese man hurrying down the hallway to let them in. Tino assumed it was this 'Kiku' they kept talking about. When the doors swung open he gestured them inside.

"Forgive me, I should have let you know the doors would be locked." He said in a polite, measured voice. Tino decided he liked the sound of it; smooth and rich but soft and calming too. There was an accent to it that he hadn't heard before, and as sick as he felt, his ears perked up to listen to the oddity.

"It's not a problem." Lukas assured him, and presented his hand, letting the shorter man shake it. "Good to see you again, Kiku."

"And you." Kiku's eyes flitted to the video camera in Mathias' hand, tastefully ignored it, and then to Tino as he hung from Berwald's arm. "I don't think I've met all of you yet."

"This is Berwald," Emil told him, "the other big brother I've talked about."

"Ah yes." Kiku said, shaking Berwald's hand too. "I've heard about you from Emil and Leon. And how about you?"

He addressed Tino last, who did his best to stand up straight and shake hands.

"Tino." He said simply. It was subtle, but Kiku did a double-take when he saw the markings on Tino's hand, and his eyes then flit to the larger ones down his neck.

"He's the reason we called you." Emil explained. "Thank you for doing this for us, by the way."

"No problem." Kiku said, releasing Tino's hand, and waving them further inside to the lobby. "I had to come in later today to work on some of my research, so really this just brought me in early. Now, what can I do to help you?"

They all shared glances for a long moment, before Emil blew out his cheeks and spoke.

"You know what we do for a living. You've heard me and Leon talk about it, right?"

Kiku schooled his expression into neutrality and slid his hands into the pockets of his white lab coat.

"Yes, I am aware."

"I know you've had questions about it before, and haven't really made it clear where you stand on it, but either way we need you to help us. You might be the first one to ever test and prove the myth of mer people. Because we've brought you one."

Tino was impressed that Kiku's stance and expression remained exactly the same. He had expected some kind of reaction. Instead the man just tilted his head and said, warily,

"What makes you think that?"

"Berwald," Lukas advised, "sit Tino down. This might take a while."

The tale didn't take as long as Lukas had thought, but Kiku listened to him carefully, eyes glancing over to Tino often, who tried to look as wide-eyed and convincing as he could, given his current state. It was difficult when all he wanted was to close his eyes and curl up on the floor. After long minutes of explanation Kiku's position was unclear, but they all knew one sure fire way to at least get him thinking. Tino was waiting for it, and when Lukas turned to him, he knew exactly what he would be asked to do.

"Tino, can you show him your gills? Or does it hurt?"

Shaking his head, Tino took a deep swallow, then opened his gills to flap them for greater effect. Kiku's eyes widened in shock, and his lips parted for a second before he stepped closer. Tino did it again, and the man blinked rapidly, his breathing picking up a bit.

"This…you…if this is a prank I am not amused." The words were not harsh, barely even sounding sincere; like it was something that he was required to say when faced with something so unbelievable.

"It's not a prank." Emil insisted. "Tino's a merman, and he's sick and we need your help to decide what to do."

Kiku knelt before Tino and the sudden scrutiny almost made the merman uncomfortable. Those steady brown eyes had suddenly come alive with interest and deduction, studying him as though cataloguing every detail that he possibly could.

"Can you pop out your fangs?" Mathias asked, trying hard not to push but the eager tone in his voice was unmistakable.

"Um…I can try." Tino said softly. He hadn't done it on land apart from that incident at the restaurant.

Kiku watched attentively, and so did everyone else and Mathia's camera. Despite the pressure of all the attention, Tino opened his mouth as wide as he could, and they waited. He couldn't help being a touch dramatic, maybe all the screen time had gone to his head; in one split second he popped his fangs out to full length, making every one of them jump back in surprise. Mathias said a word that made Lukas reprimand him with a quick slap to his arm.

"Oh my…" Kiku said, taking a brave step forward and looking closely at the fangs. "Retractable?"

Tino answered by drawing the teeth back in until they looked normal length. Kiku stepped back, rubbing at his mouth and staring at Tino with great consideration.

"Can you come into the lab? I need to get a closer look at you."

))((

The lab was pristine and clinical, with all the trimmings expected for scientific research. Tino would have been more intrigued if he was feeling better. They sat him on a cold steel chair and Kiku took another across from him. He began questioning him softly as he carefully examined his gills with a little flashlight, took his temperature, peered into his eyes, ears, and mouth, and took another look at his fangs. He then turned down the lights to look closely at Tino's luminous markings.

"Not to rush you," Emil said after Kiku had been studying the glowing spots with a magnifier for five whole minutes, "but we really need to know how to treat his sickness."

"Of course." Kiku said, pulling back and heading to turn the lights back up. "I apologize, I did get carried away. I'm just very intrigued. I've never seen anything like this in a human…humanoid…before…"

He cleared his throat and then went to dig around in a big, important-looking kit.

"May I please draw some blood? I can run a test and tell you what I find. That should determine whether human drugs would be helpful."

Nervous violet-blue eyes flicked to the members of his human pod, who all reassured him. Lukas patted his shoulder.

"It's not a big deal, a small prick with a little needle in your elbow."

"OK." Tino said timidly, rolling up his sleeve and watching as Kiku prepared a vial and needle.

He had a vague idea of how this worked, but still couldn't help feeling nervous. Sensing his fear, the rest of them subtly inched closer to make him feel safer, and Emil gripped his shoulder when Kiku tied the rubber strap around his upper arm and felt for a vein.

"Deep breath for me." Kiku said gently, and Tino obeyed. "A little pinch in three, two, one."

Tino expelled a short breath as the needle punctured his skin, but he held still through the sting. His eyes widened as he watched his blood fill up the vial. His fascination with the process overcame his fear and the slight pain. The needle actually hurt more coming out than it had going in, and Kiku fixed a cotton ball over the small hole in his flesh with a band aid.

"Ok, give me a moment to see what I find at a basic look." Kiku said. "It will take longer to test for more specifics, but as to the question of how he'd react to antibiotics, that I can answer soon."

With a small nod, they let him go about his work and turned their attention back to the sick merman.

"You holding up ok?" Emil asked, rubbing Tino's shoulder.

"I don't think so…" Tino admitted, doing his best not to sound pathetic.

"Where do you hurt the most?" Asked Lukas from his other side.

"Head." Tino sighed.

"Here, lean back against me," Emil said, stepping up right behind Tino. "I'll try to drain your sinuses for you."

Tino had no idea what Emil meant, but he sounded so sure of himself that the merman did as he was told and leaned his head back on Emil's chest. The teen's slender fingers were a bit cold on his fevered skin, but they felt amazing as they began pressing against his forehead, dragging down to rub his temples. He worked in a specific pattern, always starting in the middle of his forehead or the bridge of his nose and sliding his fingers down his face. Tino felt like it should hurt for how much pressure Emil was using, but instead it seemed to relieve the pain the harder he pressed. He felt the need to swallow the longer he was worked on.

"Feel it draining down your throat?" Emil asked. "That's what's clogged in your head, and I'm pressing it out and down into your throat."

"Wow…" Tino said dazedly. "That's incredible."

"And kinda gross." Mathias said with a little gagging sound. Lukas rolled his eyes.

"It's the best way to handle a sinus headache. I've used it on you enough times."

"It's still kinda gross."

After what seemed like a long time Kiku turned from his work and walked briskly to where they were all standing around Tino's chair. He looked like he was restraining his excitement in light of how serious he needed to be as he spoke.

"First off, and most important, take him to the hospital and get him antibiotics. Now. He's extremely susceptible, so the virus is spreading much faster through his system. He'll be ok if he gets some meds in him though; he'll need immune boosters, saline, and painkillers at the very least, I should think. Secondly…I can't be sure but…" Kiku looked aside for a moment as though he couldn't believe what he was about to say. "I'm not entirely convinced, but...there are marine traces in his blood…enough to make me believe that you are telling the truth. It's beyond belief. But I can't be sure unless I run more tests. Would you be willing to come back once you are well and let me study you?"

This last question he directed at Tino, who nodded groggily and flapped his gills for good measure.

"Anything to prove that we're not lying." He said in his increasingly croaking and thinning voice. "I'll do it."

"Thank you so much for this, Kiku." Lukas said, shaking the man's hand.

"One last thing, doc." Mathias asked as they were heading out of the lab. "Considering that you can't make any kind of claim one way or another, do you want us to blur out your face and modify your voice in the video?"

Kiku looked surprised.

"I didn't even think about that, but yes, please. I can't risk my reputation at this point. I've just established myself here."

"That's why I asked. Thanks!"

Kiki showed them to the door and waved goodbye as they left.

"That was very diplomatic of you, Mathias." Emil praised when they got back into the car. "I just assumed he'd want to be seen if he's the first to prove that mer folk exist."

Before Mathias could respond he became too distracted by Tino instantly pulling the car quilt around him and bending over at the waist in his seat, groaning.

"Aw…poor Tino…" He mumbled sincerely, lowering the still recording camera enough to stroke his head a few times. "Bad colds always feel like they're killing you, but I promise you'll be ok."

Emil sat beside Tino and let the merman half-crawl into his lap. As they got back on the road and the teenager secured him in place with his arms, Tino felt a surge of gratefulness. None of the others needed to be doing any of this for him, but they were such kind humans, taking care of him when they could have just left him by the side of the road that night, or abandoned him to some institution. As horrible as he felt, Tino knew he needed to let them know how much it meant to him.

"Thank you all." The words were quiet and strained, but they all heard them. "I'm sorry I'm causing so much trouble…but thank you for being such responsible and caring guardians."

"You're welcome, Tino," Lukas said gently, "please don't think you're causing us any trouble; you're one of us now, we'd do anything to help our own."

"Also, but don't thank us just yet," added Emil cautiously, "we have to get you to the hospital and pumped full of antibiotics before we can breathe easy."

The merman barely took in the information they carefully fed him about what would most likely be done to him at the hospital. He'd researched hospitals, but still wasn't quite sure what to expect. Adding to that how muddled his brain was becoming and he simply stopped thinking altogether.

The rest of the afternoon was an exhausting blur of confusion, fear, and absolute misery. Filling out the paperwork had apparently caused a big issue, as Tino had no citizenship or identification of any kind. Lukas had managed to smooth that over somehow, Tino had been too busy trying not to fall over in his chair at the time to catch how, and the hospital took him in.

From the first few moments it was uncomfortable. The sterile and unwelcoming atmosphere, the poking and prodding nurses, the IV shunt…he hated that the most. Unlike when Kiku had taken his blood, this needle stayed in his hand, allowing the healing liquid to flow into his veins from the IV bags hanging above his bed. It was still an unsettling if not disturbing concept, letting a substance be forced into his body. Tino knew the hospital staff were trying to help him, he'd been to healers in the sea before, but he'd never had the constant attention of so many people doing and saying things that he didn't understand in relation to his own body. He wanted to take interest in what they were doing, but after being put into a hospital gown, examined again by a group of nurses and doctors with instruments he couldn't place, asked a series of questions he didn't have answers to (or answers they would accept), had his blood taken again, had the IV put in, and been told a mouthful he couldn't understand about what they were doing to treat him…he was intimidated into silence.

In the middle of the last doctor's speech about how antibiotics worked, Tino simply pulled the covers over his head and curled into a tight ball beneath them, cradling his IV-pierced hand to his chest and whimpering softly. He was vaguely aware that his companions were, and had been, doing all they could to ease and support him through the frightening experience, but now he tuned them out. Tino could only handle so much, even with their comforting.

He completely shut down.

"Give him some space." Lukas said softly after they had been standing around his bed for a few minutes, trying to coax him out. They all reluctantly backed off, gathering at the window across the little room.

"He'll deal with the shock of it all in his own way. Once the meds kick in he'll come around."

"But…he's never refused to speak before." Worried Emil. "Will he really be ok? Emotionally, I mean."

Berwald placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and gave him as reassuring a look as he could.

"He's just overwhelmed. He'll recover."

Lukas shook his head, rubbing at his cheek.

"I can't imagine. It's hard enough feeling sick in your own home, but to feel that terrible in a completely alien world…"

He trailed off, crossing his arms over his chest. Mathias was still filming all of this, of course, but asked in a serious tone,

"Do you think…that I made it worse for him because of the camera?"

They all turned to look at him, surprised by how guilty he sounded. It was nearly impossible for Mathias to feel remorse; it was refreshing to see that he did have a conscience. Lukas appeared to be moved by his partner's concern, and he reached down to lace their fingers together.

"You've kept a fair distance all day, Mat. It's not like you were the one in his space. The staff were just doing their jobs, but it was too much for Tino."

Mathias turned the camera back to get a shot of the huddle of sheets in the bed.

"I'm going to cut here," he said quietly, "for Tino's sake."

When he turned off the camera Lukas squeezed his hand and gave him a proud little grin.

"Wow, Mathias, you're human." Emil said, in a tone of mock awe.

"Bite me, shorty."

"Lukas," Berwald cut in softly, "I need to pick up a few things from home. Can I have your keys?"

Lukas nodded and handed them over without a second thought.

"We'll hold down the fort here."

With a grateful look, Berwald quickly left the room.

"Why did he leave?" Questioned Emil, looking confused.

"Tino's going to be here overnight. Naturally, we can't leave him here alone, so I'm assuming Berwald has claimed the position of night guard."

Emil shifted from foot to foot.

"I hope he won't tire himself out doing that…"

"He's learned how to pace himself over the years." Lukas said, surety in his voice. "I'm sure there's no reason to worry."

Mathias rubbed his chin and made an uncertain humming sound.

"I don't know; Ber's never had to find a pace for taking care of a merman he's crushing on. And that merman isn't doing so well right now...worrying is all we can do."

Neither of the brothers seemed able to come up with a response to that. Instead, they silently settled into the chairs beside the bed, to begin their vigil.

)))(((

Thankfully along with the antibiotics that had been given to Tino, pain medication had also been administered.

He had no idea how much time had passed after he blocked out the world, but as the discomfort in his entire body ebbed away, Tino slowly began to uncoil in relief. Finally, he relaxed enough to hear the soft voices speaking beside him in a stillness that sounded so nice and calming after the chaos of their arrival. He tentatively pulled the covers down to peek out.

Emil, Lukas, and Mathias were all sitting in chairs around his bed, talking quietly and looking concerned. Their attention turned to him at once when they saw him moving.

"Hey there, fish boy." Mathias said quietly. "Feeling a bit better?"

"Yea, actually." Tino answered, carefully moving onto his back. He tilted his head from side to side and took a few deliberate swallows. "The pain isn't completely gone, but it's…it's barely there…"

He still looked incredibly tired, but also amazed.

"Is this what your medicine can do?"

Lukas rose from his chair and went to stand closer to Tino's bed. He tapped the IV bag with a finger and nodded.

"Yes, but remember, you're not well yet; that's just a mask to help you cope. The true medicine is going to take longer to heal you."

"I see." Tino said, and then seemed to realize something. "Where is Berwald?"

"He ran home to get a change of clothes and stuff," Mathias supplied, "because they're pretty sure they're going to be keeping you overnight. He's planning to stay here with you."

"But…where is he going to sleep?"

"Probably in this chair." Emil said, scooting around a little in the one roomy lounge chair that wasn't a standard stiff padded one. "It reclines I think…"

"But…" Tino tried protesting again.

"It's fine, Tino." Lukas told him. "As if anything any of us can say could stop him. I'd stay with you as well but there's simply no room for another person in here."

Tino studied the plain room more carefully now that absolute misery was not clouding his mind.

"What is it, Tino?"

"I…I don't want…" The merman spoke very hesitantly, and then rubbed his head nervously. "I wish I could go back to Berwald's house…"

Lukas' face softened and he reached out to brush a strand of long hair back from Tino's face.

"We'd all like that." He said quietly. "No one likes staying in the hospital. But just think; one night and maybe another day and hopefully you'll have improved enough for them to release you and send you back home with Berwald. Until then, just try and get some rest. It's not forever."

"Certainly feels like it's going to be." Tino sighed. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly they flew open and he gasped, "Lukas! This isn't going to cost all of your money is it? I read that hospital stays are very expensive!"

He looked so upset that Lukas stood up, resting a hand on his forehead to press his head back down into the pillows.

"Don't worry about that, Tino. Your fans have donated in droves the last few days. Once we post the footage from today, and people get wind that you're in the hospital, loads more will come pouring in. Believe me, whenever there's a medical cost involved, donations skyrocket. It happened when Berwald was bedded for two days after that troll case, and when Emil broke his hand and had to do all video-journal because he couldn't type. Mathias and I have avoided getting any big injuries, but if and when we do, our supporters always flock around us. Trust me, there hasn't been a medical bill yet that our fans haven't covered with their kindness."

Tino's slightly bloodshot eyes widened with amazement, and then tears pooled in them.

"That's so generous."

"Speaking of fans," Interjected Mathias, doing his best to sound tactful while also holding in his eagerness, "I was thinking that at some point today we go live and let our audience know what's going on. We can post the footage from today later, but this is like an emergency announcement and update all at once. I'm not asking for you to say anything, Tino, since your voice hurts you. It'll be better if you don't speak at all, actually. But we obviously won't do it if the thought stresses you out."

Lukas nibbled at his thumb nail as Mathis spoke, and then added,

"We've been discussing it. I think it's a good idea, but we don't want to force you to be part of it if you'd rather not."

"We would need at least a shot or two of you in the bed," Mathias said slowly, as if considering, "looking as sick as you are, but again, you wouldn't have to say anything."

Tino didn't need long to make up his mind.

"I can talk a little if anyone has questions for me." He offered. "Nothing hurts as badly as before, so I don't think it will be a huge issue."

"Still, the last thing we want is to make you feel worse." Emil said.

"I'll be perfectly fine." Replied Tino, giving a small smile. "Anything for the fans, right?"

"A trooper all the way!" Mathias laughed. "Now we just have to wait for Berwald to come back with the car; my computer's in there. I brought it just in case."

Not surprisingly, Berwald was unhappy when he returned to the news that they would be doing a live stream. His frown was set deeper than Tino had seen it before when even Lukas told him it was a smart move.

"He should be resting." Berwald kept insisting. "He's sick."

"But he won't be getting up and doing anything. All he needs to do is show his face." Was Mathias' argument.

"It's still stressful. It should be as calm in here as we can make it."

"I think you're the one making things more tense…" Muttered Emil.

Finally, after the argument had gone around a few times and reached a stalemate, Tino shook his head on the pillow and reached out a hand to the tall man. Berwald came over at once and wrapped his fingers around the smaller ones offered to him, while Tino smiled and told him,

"I am resting, Ber. The medicine is doing everything it can to cure me. While I'm lying here conscious I might as well let something productive come from it. So please, do not be so grieved…"

He'd slipped back into the more flowery vocabulary that he used when he was serious. This more than anything else, seemed to make Berwald realize that the merman had made up his mind. He sighed and nodded before hanging his head sheepishly.

"Sorry for stressing." He said, to which Tino squeezed his hand and then released it.

"Alright, I'm going to get the computer! Emil, get on your phone and let everyone know we'll be live in a bit with breaking emergency news!"

"I'm not going to say it like that." Huffed the teen, pulling out his phone. "'Critical update, going live soon' has a more mysterious ring to it."

"Do it."

))((

The live stream did not last for very long, and consisted mostly of them recapping what had happened that day and answering fan's worried questions. The number of viewers they had was impressive considering it was an impromptu stream, and the response on their social media across the board was positive.

Tino did just lie in his bed and look as cheerful as he could, given the situation, while the rest of them did the talking and he nodded or shook his head in answer to questions. He only spoke a few times. Most relevantly was to explain that his kind was afflicted more with infections in the skin, or injuries than the viruses that humans seemed to suffer from. He explained that he'd never felt like this before, technically never had a cold in his life, but had run fevers a few times when he'd had infections in his tail or his gills. The healers in the sea had few remedies beyond helping to soothe the irritation, and the body was left to repair on its own.

"I've never felt this helpless head to tail—I mean, toe, before." He chuckled. "I've never had my entire body out of commission. It's unsettling. But you have strong medicine, so I'm sure I'll be alright."

During the stream doctors and nurses would have to interrupt to check in on Tino, and the group had to repeatedly explain what they were doing when asked. They also had to constantly deal with the skepticism and obvious disapproval from most of the staff. They continued to point out Tino's markings, to which no one really had much explanation.

Thankfully, somewhere between the comings and goings of the staff, and the long moments where Lukas was explaining something to the unseen audience of the live stream, Tino fell asleep. They ended the stream there, and Tino remained asleep for the rest of the afternoon and evening. With great reluctance, Lukas, Mathias, and Emil left the hospital when it grew dark, and Berwald set up his makeshift bed on the lounge chair.

Berwald read on his tablet for a while, but after an hour or two the screen began to get to his eyes. Even though the room was dark enough for his tablet screen to automatically go as dim as it could, his eyes became sore and he decided it was time to try and sleep. He used the bathroom to change into his simple pajama pants, socks, and t-shirt, then reclined in the chair with a blanket around him. He had to take his glasses off, but he kept glancing over to where Tino's markings glowed in the darkness, his shape outlined by the faint light cast from the half-open doorway into the bright hospital hall outside.

))((

Tino woke to someone touching his hand and arm. When he opened his eyes he could barely see, it was so dim, but a stranger stood over him. He chirped sharply, jerking away and trying to sit up. He bumped the plastic safety bar, which was the only reason he didn't topple out of bed. As his mind raced to catch up, a pair of big hands took his shoulders and grounded him.

"Tino, it's alright, calm down. You're safe."

Tino recognized Berwald's voice, and looked up to see the man leaned over him on the other side of the bed, looking sleep-rumpled, but alert. The nurse had recoiled a foot or two back, but was standing and watching tensely. A few more seconds passed before Tino remembered where he was. It was his hospital room, but the lights were out so it was much darker than before, his spots glowing brilliantly in the low lighting from the open door. Tino relaxed. He looked over to the nurse, who held up some equipment in her hands.

"It's ok," she said softly, "I just need to record your vitals. We have to every four hours." The nurse explained. "Now, can you tell me your full name and birthday, please?"

"What…? Why?"

Tino was having trouble staying in the moment, with how hazy his brain was. His mind and body were heavy and slow to respond, but he must have looked calm enough for Berwald and the nurse to help lay him back down in bed. Tino adjusted his eyes to the dim light, widening his pupils without even thinking about it as he watched the nurse carefully.

"Overnight we have to ask this." She explained, "It's just procedure."

With a small grunt, Tino answered, in a very slurred and weary voice,

"Tino of Clan Moinen…born on the third quarter-moon of winter."

The nurse looked absolutely befuddled, and her jaw opened a bit. She glanced at Berwald as if looking for an answer. When he gave none, she asked,

"Well, um…Tino is the name I see on your chart, but…"

"We don't know his exact birthday by our calendar." Berwald said, though this only seemed to confuse the nurse more. "And he doesn't have a proper last name, but you have the right patient. It's alright."

"Ok, well, then," the nurse fumbled to set down the few items she'd brought with her to the room, "I'll go ahead then."

She slipped a loose clip onto Tino's fingertip and pressed a round metal disc on a tube to his inner elbow. Tino turned his blackened eyes upon her every move, but she was concentrating, and didn't notice the change in his eyes.

"She's just testing how fast your heart is pumping." Berwald told him quietly. Tino made a small little bird-like crooning sound, and turned his head away from her.

"Berwald…" He muttered, fixing his dilated eyes on his frowning face, "where are the others?"

"Home in bed."

Tino gave a little frown and looked confused.

"But…you're here…that's right…you're going to stay…"

"I wouldn't leave you alone here. Never."

Tino closed his eyes, offering the weakest of contented smiles.

"Thank you, alpha…"

The words were so soft, nearly a sigh, that Berwald barely heard them. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips in response, even if he didn't quite understand their meaning. The nurse looked amused, but chose not to comment.

Berwald caught her staring at Tino's markings, and didn't miss the way she ran her thumb over a few sprinklings of lights on the back of his hand. An unexpected surge of possessiveness clutched at Berwald's heart. As if in retaliation for the nurse daring to touch Tino, Berwald leaned down, swiped the hair from Tino's forehead, and pressed a kiss to his temple. Tino made a soft groan of approval and leaned into it, prompting Berwald to give him another in the same spot.

"Al…pha…" Tino breathed again, making Berwald blush this time for how…enamored…that sounded.

The nurse ignored them after that, and quickly finished up her task. Tino had fallen asleep before she left, and Berwald managed to get in a few hours of sleep as well, until the nurse returned again to repeat the process. She didn't have to wake either of them up to question them this time, but they both woke up, despite how quiet she tried to be. Tino didn't attempt to speak this time, just kept his eyes closed and his face turned away from her. She didn't seem to hold it against him, no doubt seeing many patients who didn't care for being disturbed in their sleep, and left them without a word.

Berwald had just turned over to try and get back to sleep, when he became aware of a sound in the quiet of the room. Being plagued by a nurturing personality, Berwald knew at once that it was the sound of sniffling. Specifically, the sniffling of someone trying to hold back their tears.

He fumbled for his glasses, and then carefully rose from the chair and went to the bed. When he looked, Tino was curled on his side, hiding his face in his drawn-up knees. He was trembling.

"Tino?" Berwald called softly, not wanting to startle him. "Tino, what's the matter? Are you hurting? Should I get the nurse?"

The merman sniffled loudly and shook his head, giving a muffled sound of protest. Berwald rested a hand very softly on Tino's bowed back, and stroked across his shoulder blades for a while, without pressing the issue. Finally, Tino let out a sob, as though he'd finally broken and couldn't hold it in anymore. A few more trickled out of him, along with the scent of salt from his tears.

"I'm sorry," Berwald told him, "you're probably just overwhelmed, hm? It must be awful."

Tino immediately nodded, letting out a few more ragged sobs that tore through the room with how vicious they were.

"I know I'm here for a reason," He whispered through his sobs, "I want to be here, I do, I came on land for a purpose. But…right now, I…"

The merman faltered, and Berwald brushed the heavy tangle of his hair back from his neck, blowing gently to cool the heat that came off that spot.

"It's ok, Tino. Whatever you're feeling, it's ok."

With that reassurance, Tino uncovered his face and let Berwald see his weepy eyes. He didn't look at the other man, but he admitted,

"I…I…want to go home."

Berwald gave a deep sound in his throat. The words broke his heart just a bit. It was an acknowledging sound, but didn't indicate his feelings either way. But his large hand came up to cup the back of Tino's head, stroking softly through his hair.

"I'm sorry, but I do...I miss being in the water." He blurted, deep sobs and shuddering breaths breaking some of his words up into uneven, messy sounds.

"I feel so lost here, there's so much that scares me, even things I understand. The pace is different. The flow isn't the same. I don't know if I can ever fit into it in any sense. I miss my home. The feel of the water all around me. I still wake up sometimes and feel so alien in this body…and I feel guilty…because…you've all been so good to me. I shouldn't…I shouldn't complain…"

Berwald listened patiently, letting Tino pour out his worries. When he sputtered to a halt, the big man simply shook his head and spoke calmly,

"I can't imagine what you're going through, Tino; you're scared and hurting and away from home. You should never feel guilty about being homesick. Missing your home is different than complaining. None of us would fault you for that. So, go ahead and cry. Cry all you want. I think you need to."

Tino stilled at those words, going silent in their wake, before the sobs began anew.

"C-can you…hold me?" He begged, turning over in bed and clutching at Berwald's shirt. "P-please? I'm sorry if it's weird, but…please?"

In response, Berwald used good foresight to snag a few tissues from the bedside tray, and climbed into the hospital bed beside Tino. With a little shifting and maneuvering with Tino's IV tube, there was enough room for them both when they wedged together, which was exactly what Tino needed. He fit into Berwald's arms like he was meant to be there, his head finding a perfect rest against a firm chest. Tino took the first tissue Berwald offered him, and pressed it to his face as he wept.

"You'll be ok," Berwald whispered to him, "I've got you."

Neither of them spoke after that while Tino cried. There was no need.

When his tears were spent, and all five tissues were used and tossed onto the tray, Tino went limp against Berwald. It was a relief for them both, after Tino had been so tense as he cried. Now he was pliant, and Berwald took advantage of this to tilt his head back and wipe any stray tears with his thumb.

"Feel better?" He asked. Tino nodded tiredly at him, making a sad little chirruping sound which made his lips vibrate a bit. Berwald grinned a little at how cute that looked, like he was pursing his lips for a kiss…then he frowned, trying to get that thought out of his mind. He pulled Tino's head back against his chest, wanting to distract himself from looking at Tino's mouth. Even while sick, face ugly red from crying, Tino looked so sweet glowing with those ethereal blue markings that Berwald wouldn't have minded kissing him.

"You'll feel even better in the morning. Just sleep now." He told the merman, rubbing his back.

"Will they make you move?" Tino slurred sleepily, tugging him closer as though daring anyone to try.

"I won't." Sighing at the reassurance, Tino nodded and relaxed deeper against Berwald's body.

"Good…"

Despite not being the most comfortable of ways to sleep, cramped together in that one bed, both of them fell asleep moments later.

))((

The creaking of the mattress was loud in the silence of the bedroom, and it woke Mathias from his deep slumber. Instinctively he turned and reached out, but found the spot beside him empty of his lover. The bed was still warm where his body had been, and Mathis drowsily rubbed a hand against it before opening his eyes. In the small amount of light that filtered in from the street lamps below their windows, he saw Lukas' figure sitting on the very edge of his side of the bed, fumbling through a drawer. He placed a glass of water down on the bedside table, using both hands to dig through its contents. That told Mathias all he needed to know.

He pulled himself upward, dragging himself up behind Lukas and slinging sleep-heavy arms around his chest.

"Can't sleep?" Mathias asked.

Lukas sighed, abandoning his search for the moment and leaning back against Mathias.

"Looking for the melatonin. Did I wake you?" He asked, rubbing Mathias' hands. The other man shook his head, wrapping his legs around Lukas' waist so that he fully enveloped him.

"'s ok. What's wrong?"

"I can't stop worrying." Lukas admitted, his voice sounding raged. "It's like having you, Berwald, or Emil in the hospital rather than someone who's nearly a stranger."

Mathias yawned widely against Lukas' shoulder and then muttered,

"He might not've been with us for that long, but he's not a stranger anymore."

The huge breath and exhalation Lukas gave moved Mathias' arms around his chest, and he could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off him. Even at his most distressed Lukas was quiet about it. Mathias would freak out whenever he felt like it, got it all off his chest and moved on. Lukas was different. Therefore, when he began to worry aloud, Mathias woke up a bit.

"Tino's our responsibility." He said, seriously. "I know what Kiku said, I know he's the expert, but…what if he was somehow wrong? No one knows enough about Mer folk to make any solid determination. What if Tino has a reaction? Or the meds don't affect him at all and he just gets worse. Or-."

"Shhh, honey-baby," Mathias whispered, kissing Lukas' cheek, tightening his arms and legs around him, "worrying won't do a damn thing to help Tino. If anything goes wrong, Ber will call. He hasn't, so everything's fine. We'd know by now if it wasn't. Tino's been pumped full of those drugs all day and nothing's gone wrong. Come on, lie back down with me and relax."

Lukas blew out a breath as he followed Mathias' suggestion, letting his lover hold him back-to-chest, both of them lying over the covers with legs loosely tangled together. Mathias rubbed a few fingers over Lukas' chest.

"Your heart's racing so fast, baby…" He observed, feeling a surge of empathy. "You're strung tight as a clothesline. Melatonin won't help if it's all in your head…"

Lukas gave another great sigh, tossing his head back onto Mathias' shoulder. His body was indeed so tense that his muscles were trembling slightly.

"Aw, sweetheart…" Mathias said tenderly, no mocking in his tone, "you're just like your little brother…"

Emil didn't do as well as Lukas at hiding his worries. When anxiety struck the teen, anyone standing at all close to him would be able to feel how hard his body shook. Out on cases, during personal drama, arguments, anything that upset him, led to his body releasing its fight or flight response and left him shaking. Whether hereditary or not, Lukas experienced the same little spells of anxiety on occasion that were strong enough to affect him physically.

"Just can't stop thinking about it." Lukas admitted. "Trying not to think about it just makes it that much worse. I'm getting myself into a bad mental cycle…"

"Don't think." Mathias said simply. "Just focus on my hands. Nothing else."

Mathias hummed into the flesh of Lukas' neck and gave it a little kiss. He lifted one hand and laid two fingers to Lukas' cheek. He stroked gentle circles into the soft flesh before trailing down his neck, marking invisible patterns just over Lukas' collarbone.

"Deep breath for me."

Lukas obeyed, his chest rising and falling under Mathias' other hand.

"Follow my fingers with your mind. Don't let it think about anything but how my touch feels."

His hand began to roam over Lukas' bare chest, over his shoulders, his arms, down his sides. He went slowly, making Lukas follow the path of his fingers with his concentration, which was enough to calm his mind a bit. They'd done this before; Mathias was lighthearted and usually bounced back quickly from anything that bothered him, but Lukas tended to be far more serious and contemplative. It was difficult for him to let go of some things, with as smart as he was and how much his brain worked, it was nearly impossible for him to turn it off at times.

So, they'd come up with a very basic, but generally effective technique. Mathias had jokingly called it 'sexy meditation', even though it wasn't meant to be sexual (all the time, anyway) and it wasn't quite meditation, as it hinged on touch for mental focus rather than sound. Mathias would trail his hands soothingly along Lukas' body, one hand at a time, while Lukas tried to narrow all his mental focus to the touch of his lover's fingertips. He'd clear all other thoughts and only concentrate on the sensation of skin on skin, until his entire body relaxed…or became excited. Either way it helped him completely escape his worries.

Only just over half of these 'sessions' ended in the two of them making love, and that was just as good an end as Lukas breathing easier and going on with his day, or falling asleep. The simple, patient touch of his lover was like magic. Considering how impatient and sometimes childish Mathias could be in his carefree lifestyle, it made it all the more precious to Lukas that he would take the time to do something like this for him. In general, Lukas was the one constantly taking the brunt of Mathias' hyperactivity and telling him to calm down. The fact that Mathias had found a way to do that for Lukas too, dealing with his own hyperactive mind, was just one of the reasons Lukas could never stop loving him.

By the time Mathias worked his way down to Lukas' hip bones, his breathing was calm and steady, his heart slower as well.

"I know you're wide awake and I'm half-asleep…but…you want me to go lower?"

Lukas broke his mental concentration to chuckle into the darkness of the room. For all his ability to be serious and help Lukas like this, he was still Mathias.

"After teasing my nipples like that for ten minutes?" He asked, rolling his hips forward into the waiting cradle of Mathias' hands. "Hell, yes…"

Mathias made a whimsical hum of happiness and sat up, rolling Lukas onto his back and sliding down his body.

"Don't worry, honey-baby; I'm never too sleepy for this…I'll suck all the worry right out of you."

As Mathias made good on his word, Lukas chuckled again, silently thanking the heavens for him.

))(((

A Japanese pop tune startled Emil awake early the next morning.

He rolled over and slapped his hand down repeatedly on his nightstand, searching for his phone. Once he found it and picked it up he squinted at the screen. It looked insanely bright to Emil's sleepy eyes, but he saw the name of the caller clearly. Not that he needed to look, the ringtone told him already. He begrudgingly hit the answer button and groaned into the phone,

"Hey, Leon."

"Morning sunshine." Called a steady voice, laced with an Asian accent. "I know you're not awake yet, but I couldn't wait any longer to call you."

Emil rolled back over into his previous sleeping position and mock snored into the phone. Leon's voice came through just as toneless again,

"Don't get smart on me, Ice."

The teen didn't even roll his eyes at the nickname like he had when he first received it. Instead he quipped back,

"You know, I was having this great dream where I took all your spools of thread and tangled them together." Hissed Emil into the phone. "But you woke me before I could pour ink on all your neatly folded fabric. I might just take inspiration from my dream if you keep calling me this early."

"Then who would mend all your clothes?" Leon demanded, his neutral, even cadence turning slightly smugly. "You and your brother and The Giant, think of how many rips and tears would be left unpatched. Your job is hard on fabric, I'm sure it won't take long for you all to look like paupers."

"Who uses that word anymore?" Emil groaned.

"No one, unless you ruin my sewing room. Then you guys will bring it back into the mainstream."

"What do you want?!" Demanded Emil, sounding playfully upset. He wasn't happy about being woken up, but his best friend made him smile.

"I wanted to catch you early, because I figured you are all going over to the hospital, right?"

"Mm-Hm, I'm guessing so. I thought I'd drive myself today, though, so I had the option of coming and going when I wanted. I wouldn't have bugged out yesterday at any time, but I did feel kinda trapped there."

Leon sounded excited on the other line. Or as excited as he possibly could. His voice showed less emotion than his older brother.

"Oh good. I was hoping to ask if you could take me with you. I'd love to meet Tino in person. My brother came home all hyper yesterday, ranting about the scientific questions Tino's very existence brings up, and what tests he needs to run, and what he can do to prove his theories correct, and….look, I just have to see with my own eyes what made Kiku act like a kid in a candy shop. I never see him like that anymore."

Emil hesitated when Leon went quiet, and he finally said,

"I don't think that would be a good idea until I find out how Tino's doing today. He was pretty stressed out yesterday, and he hadn't woken up when I left last night."

"But if you're taking your own car, can you at least check and see, and then if he's ok with it, come and get me?" Leon begged. "Seriously, I'm intrigued with what it was about him that gave my brother such a spark. He's been a bit bummed lately, you know."

A sneaking suspicion came into Emil's mind, and he woke up a bit as he frowned.

"Since when did you care about Kiku's research interests?"

There was a brief pause before Leon answered.

"Since, God, I don't know, you discovered a freaking merman that my brother might become world famous for studying?"

Unable to argue with that, Emil stretched a bit and tried to wake up his tired limbs.

"OK, fair enough, but still, he's going to be with us for like a year. You'll get to see him at some point."

"I figured that, but…I want to see those markings! They're so pretty and are so much more stunning when it's dark, or…when he wears blue…"

"Aha!" Emil said loudly, sitting upright in bed and pointing at nothing. "That's it! You just want to dress him up, don't you?"

The reply came much too quickly, Leon's voice gaining a vibrant energy.

"Whatever do you mean? I like scientific things too, you know! I'm not all consumed by fashion!"

"Fishnet pattern on blazer fabric is as close as you come to being scientific, Leon." Emil deadpanned. "Admit it, you just want to take his measurements so you can start sewing for him."

"It would be instant fame!" Leon cracked, sounding desperate. "If I could drape him in blues and greys like the waters of his homeland, just think of how gorgeous his spots would look against such tones! And the story would be huge! I could start my own brand with all the attention I'd get if I were attached to him. Oh, please, Emil, you know I'm not a selfish person, but this could be the big break I need! And you have the power to give it to me!"

Even as sleepy as he was, Emil couldn't deny his friend's thinking made sense. He actually agreed that it was a brilliant idea, but it was slightly irritating feeling like he was being used.

"Leon. He'd going to be with us for a year. You'll have your chance, I promise. But he's sick in a hospital bed. He already has people poking at him and examining him all through the day, he doesn't need to hate you on top of them."

Leon gave a quiet sigh, and after a beat, spoke in his usual calm and cool voice.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I was just being selfish."

"It's cool." Assured Emil. "I'd love to help you out, man. Just wait a bit, ok? I'm sure Tino will be interested in how clothing is made, too. He started asking about it the first day we had him. None of us could really show him how it was done, so he looked at a few tutorials on YouTube, but he was looking at so much that he probably forgot about it."

Emil though he just might have heard a tiny squeak of delight on the other end before Leon spoke again.

"It would be an amazing experience to show a real merman how to sew clothes. I hope he recovers soon for his own sake, but also so I can make this happen. Think of the footage and ratings. My first widespread exposure…"

"We'll make it happen for you, bro." Yawned Emil, stretching his back out. "But for now, just watch our site and I'll keep you updated, like I'm doing for the rest of the world."

"Easier said than done, but alright. I'll put my life's ambitions on the back burner. You're the one controlling the stove."

"I'm going to try and go back to sleep now." Emil deadpanned.

"Keeping the stove off then? Cold, Ice, cold."

Emil hung up on Leon and flung himself back onto the mattress. Hearing about ice and cold made him pull his covers up around him once more, burrowing into their warmth. Leon had given him the name 'Ice' shortly after he met Lukas and Mathias for the first time several years ago.

He and Emil had been friends for a few months at the time, meeting through first year university classes. Leon had met Lukas in passing before, and but it wasn't until he saw Mathias with Lukas that he made the declaration that Mathias was like fire, and Lukas was ice. This caused quite the friendly debate between them all over their dinner visit as to whether or not this was accurate. Leon ended up pointing out how much like alike Emil and Lukas really were. To which Emil had recoiled, stating that he wasn't cold towards people, and if anything, Leon was cooler than him since he hardly put any emotion in his voice. Expertly navigating the conversation, Leon admitted that one of the reasons they got along so well as friends was because they were very similar. Somehow the debate was never truly settled, but from that day onward Leon called Emil 'Ice' as a joke. Over time, it just became routine for Emil to be called that by his friend. He didn't even mind anymore.

His phone rang again a half hour later, right by his ear, since he'd just plopped his phone on his pillow.

"What?!" Emil answered crossly, rubbing at his eyes.

"Emil?" Came Lukas' voice on the phone. "Didn't mean to wake you. Mathias and I are heading to the hospital. Should we come and get you?"

"Driving myself today. I'll be by later, once the chickens are actually up." Grumped Emil.

"It's only 8:00, Emil." Lukas pointed out dryly. "The chickens are taking their midday naps."

"Shut up…" Groaned the teen, uncurling his legs and wincing as his feet touched the cold end of the bed.

"Well, I'll let you know if anything's wrong, otherwise we'll see you when we see you."

"Cool. Bye."

Emil hung up and purposefully tossed his phone in the vague direction of his nightstand. By some miracle it actually landed on it, clattering a bit next to his alarm clock. He groaned in frustration, knowing he'd only be able to doze for a while rather than fall back to sleep. If he tried that, he'd sleep in far too late and then he'd feel bad for not checking in with the others. Not to mention his head began whirring with concern for Tino, and the more he thought about it the more he knew he needed to bite the bullet and just get up.

"Who am I, Mathias?" He told himself, fighting his way out of his bed and going to his closet. "I don't have that much trouble waking up."

))((

Update coming….uh…at some point lol