"Breakfast is good this morning," Erwin said on Wednesday. "When you wake up you should try the omelet. Very cheesy."

The nurse on duty, Florence, came in. She was the same as the one who had been reassuring Erwin when they had removed Levi's ventilator. Erwin really liked her and wished that he could see her whole face but all the staff wore masks, gloves, gowns, and clear plastic face shields. Damned Covid-19. Florence was the head nurse of the floor, and justly so.

"Hey, Sweetie, you talkin' to Levi again?" She rearranged his blanket to her liking and checked his water cup, her warm brown hands in their gloves moving efficiently.

"Always. I like to think I'm helping him get better."

"They say that it does help."

Florence went over to the small table under the TV and tidied up the items there. She was frowning and Erwin frowned too, for the same reason:

Levi never seemed to get any flowers or cards or anything. Social distancing and all that so neither one of them had had any visitors but Erwin's side of the room was full of flowers, balloons, bears, and cards. Most from kiss-ass co-workers and associates, but still. Several were from friends.

Levi had a single vase of (rather sad at this point) flowers and precisely two cards. Erwin had resisted looking at them. Erwin wondered where his family was? His loved ones? Certainly, a man that beautiful had a girlfriend or a lover or a wife?

Levi coughed suddenly, raggedly. It had a phlegmy, pained sound and Erwin shuddered. Florence immediately crossed to his bed to check on him.

Erwin was heading for the bathroom that afternoon when he noticed something he'd not seen in Levi's bag of personal items. It was a book. Curious, Erwin tried to see it through the clear plastic of the bag but the book appeared quite old and the writing was rubbed off of the spine.

Erwin chewed his lip. He glanced at Levi, then at the door. Should he?

He should. He reached into the bag and pinched the small book between two fingers and drew it out.

It was the complete poems of Edgar Allen Poe.

Levi was probably an educated man, then.

Erwin returned from the bathroom and made himself comfortable in bed, the book on his lap. He looked it over, handling it reverently. It was clearly precious, it's leather cover darkened by age and use. Inside the front cover he found a name: Kuchel Ackerman.

"So, a Poe fan, eh?" he said to Levi. "I like Poe myself. I'm sorry I borrowed your book without asking. Would you like for me to read to you?"

Erwin opened the book and found 'Annabel Lee.'

It amused him to think of 'Lee' like 'Levi.'

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

Erwin read on and off to Levi the whole day. The next morning, after he had eaten breakfast, he was reading 'The Bells' when Levi woke. At first Erwin didn't notice, with his eyes on the book. Then his gaze flickered upward and he froze.

Levi's eyes were grey. A pale grey like January storm clouds backlit by the weakened winter sun. They were trained on him and a shiver went up Erwin's spine.

"You're awake." Erwin said. He grabbed his water cup and put the straw between Levi's lips. Levi was either too weak or too out of it to drink. His eyes swiveled to Erwin and he watched him, expression blank, but didn't react otherwise.

Erwin fumbled for the call button and rang the nurses.

Levi was poked and prodded and examined and seemed physically fine. He was confused and disoriented and couldn't focus and certainly couldn't speak. He could track things with his eyes and he could grasp soft objects like the edge of his blanket. Florence reassured Erwin that all that was a good sign and all the fuzzy-headedness was only temporary.

The afternoon went by, slow. Levi's eyes became clearer. He seemed content to stare at things: his IV pole, the TV, the window, Erwin. Erwin, who was used to talking to Levi all day did just that, carrying on one-sided 'conversations' with the other man.

That evening, when Food Service brought Erwin his dinner, Levi reacted more than he had all day. He had a nasogastric feeding tube but seemed fascinated by Erwin's food and avidly watched Erwin eat. When Erwin (who knew that this would make the nurses crazy angry if they ever found out) brought Levi a very small dollop of his mashed potatoes on a spoon.

"Would you like to try it?"

Levi grunted, the first time he had actually responded to a question.

"You have to open your mouth." Erwin tapped Levi's lower lip with the spoon. "Your mouth."

Abruptly Levi opened his mouth and Erwin fed him like a baby.

Eren and Levi spent a fitful night. Levi was restless and Erwin woke at any rustle or moan. Around midnight Levi began whispering/breathing out things that sounded like words. Toward 1am, Levi fell into a light sleep and Erwin dozed as well.

The next morning, Friday, it rained outside, the water streaming down their window, and both men slept late. Erwin got up about 9:00 to use the bathroom and brush his teeth and when he got back, Levi was awake. Erwin could tell immediately that he was more alert. His eyes were clear and sharp and the same color as the day outside.

Levi opened his mouth as soon as he saw Erwin and moved it but no sound came out. He tried several more times and Erwin repeated his gesture from when Levi woke up: he tugged down the mask and put the straw of his water cup to Levi's lips. This time he drank.

He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Where ... am I?" It was a hoarse whisper.

"In the hospital. Grace Lutheran."

"What?"

"Grace Lutheran Hospital."

"What ... happened? M'I OK?" His speech was very slow and deliberate and slightly slurred. It was the morphine.

"You're fine. A bit beat up. You got hit while you were on your bike—your motorcycle—by a drunk driver."

For a long moment Levi just blinked. Then his brian seemed to kick into gear.

"Harley?" he murmured. "Wasn't mine." He shifted. "Hurts."

"I know. They have you on morphine." He pointed at the morphine drip and Levi eyed it owlishly.

"How long?"

"How long?"

"How long … here?"

"I'm not sure I—"

The door opened and two nurses streamed in. Erwin kept quiet and out of the way.

"Gotta leave," Levi said urgently to them. His voice was coming back and it was surprisingly deep … and sexy.

The nurses all murmured reassurances that he'd be well soon and could go home after he got well.

"Gotta leave! M'fine!"

"Mr. Ackerman, you have Covid-19. You're sick as well as injured," Florence pointed out. Levi was silent. So silent that Erwin grew worried.

The nurses eventually left, promising that the doctor would be by and would explain everything, and silence descended on the room. Erwin, nervous, kept glancing at levi. Should he say something?

"You ..uh, you should be well soon. You're doing great," he said.

There was a long pause. Levi's face contorted into a scowl. "Th' fuck're you, asshole?"

Erwin's eyebrows crept up his forehead. Levi was certainly a colorful talker. He took the chance and stepped forward, holding out his hand. He smiled behind his mask, his eyes crinkling. "Your roommate, Erwin. Erwin Smith."

Levi scowled even more and ignored Erwin's hand. "Tch." He picked at the edge of his blanket and looked out the window at the rain, silent.

The doctor came by before noon and explained the accident to Levi in rather excruciating detail that made Erwin cringe. The doctor had the nurse take out Levi's feeding tube and order him lunch.

At lunch, Erwin read some Poe aloud as Levi shakily ate a small amount. After he had pushed his tray away he looked at Erwin who stopped reading.

"Yes?"

"What hospital?"

"Grace Lutheran."

Levi frowned. "Don't know that … one. Where?"

"Blossom Beach."

"Beach? M'from Liberty."

It was Erwin's turn to frown. Liberty was the capital city and was 170 miles away. "Then what were you doing here?"

Levi looked very confused. "Don't remember." He massaged his forehead.

When dinner arrived the rain hadn't let up. As a matter of fact it seemed worse, pouring down in grey sheets. Levi ate better. They had him on a liquid diet and he didn't seem to be a fan of clear broth and jello but he tried.

A knock sounded on the door and Erwin and Levi both looked at each other. The nurses never knocked and no visitors were allowed.

"Come in," Erwin finally said.

The door opened and a masked, uniformed police officer entered, his notebook in hand. "Mr. Ackerman? Levi Ackerman?"

Levi actually shrank back into the bed, his face blank. Erwin's heart contracted. Why this reaction to a cop? Erwin remembered his little game of trying to think of what Levi would do for a living. Motorcycle gang member? Bank robber? Hoodlum?