Petra Ral, Erwin's PA at the architecture firm, lived in the same block of condos that he did. Because of this she could take care of Erwin's dog while leaving her in Erwin's apartment. This worked out well because his dog was very well behaved in the house and Petra, who had an elderly cat, didn't have to bring a big, excitable dog into her condo.
Erwin's dog was sleeping on the couch when Erwin came home about mid morning on Tuesday. "Baby girl!'' Erwin cried, holding his arms out. She went crazy; wagging madly, tail whipping, mouthing his hands, even rolling around on the floor.
Erwin gave his dog a few too many treats, cooked some cheap boxed mac and cheese with hotdogs cut up in it, ate way too much, took a shower and changed into clean clothes, washed the ones he'd come home in, and then was so tired he just sat on the couch with a beer. Keeping busy hadn't kept him from thinking about Levi but it had helped. Sitting on the couch, watching but not seeing a documentary on sunken ships from WWII and all he could think of was Levi.
He missed him terribly. Was Levi lonely? Had they given him a new roommate? Was he eating? His stomach had been dicey the last few days. Was he cooperating with his physical therapist?
Erwin fretted about Levi's obsession with his oxycodone.
It was late by then, 10pm, but Erwin decided to call him. Would it look too eager to call him only half a day after he had seen him?
Erwin didn't care.
Levi picked up after four rings. "Hello? Erwin?" His voice was low as if he was trying to keep quiet and sounded slightly slurred.
Erwin felt like his heart was bursting just to hear Levi's voice. He tried to rein himself in. "Levi? What are you doing up so late? Why do you sound funny?"
"Ahh, nothin' bad. I'm just watching reruns of Nigh' Court. Couldn't sleep. They upped my codeine because I was in so much pain."
Erwin was immediately worried. Levi had been healing for over two weeks. He should have been being weaned off of the oxycodone, not taking more of it. "Why are you whispering?"
"Got a new roommate. He's really sick. Old fucker. Pretty nice, though. He's asleep."
"Ah. About the codeine …"
"Oh, don't you start in on me. The nurses already lectured me 'bout how it's temporary and how I shouldn't be havin' so much pain. They took my es … external fixators out. Now it hurts like hell. Here, I'll snap a pic."
Erwin waited, worried. Levi sounded really out of it.
The pic came in quickly. Levi's leg, looking pale with it's faint hint of black hairs but no external hardware. Erwin could see the dressing that had been put on after they'd removed the fixators.
Perhaps he was having a lot of pain. Erwin stubbornly preferred to give Levi the benefit of the doubt.
"That looks better and worse."
"I know, right?! What're you doin' right now?"
"Watching a documentary on WWII ships."
"You and your doca … docUmentaries. What channel?"
"Six, but you don't have to watch it."
"It'll be like watchin' it with you."
Erwin blushed and smiled at that.
"Plus it will put me to sleep so fuckin' fast."
Erwin laughed.
"How's your dog?"
"She's fine. Aren't you, baby girl?" Her thick tail thumped on the couch. "Any idea when they'll be letting you out?"
"Dunno. Still got a lot of PT to do."
"That's good though. You might get to come home soon. I know Maria and Rose miss you."
"Yeah … I miss them too. PT wants me to walk tomorrow! S'gonna suck."
Ahh, that would increase the pain. It made sense now to give him more meds.
"Well, just think how much faster you'll get better!"
Thursday, Erwin's first full day out of the hospital, was insane. He had to go into work and he was dreading it. Not the work—he loved his job—but the catching up thing. He was way behind on all of his projects. He went in early and was immediately swamped.
Meanwhile, Levi was taken to the PT room and made to stand up in a contraption that looked like the parallel bars used in gymnastics. He tried standing for a few minutes but, weak from being ill, his arms trembled as they tried to support his weight. His therapist cheered him on but all Levi could do was collapse back into the wheelchair and ask for more codeine.
He texted Erwin after, as the transporter pushed him in the wheelchair back to his room, but Erwin never answered.
When Levi got back to his room he looked around, dejected and at a loss as to what to do. He knew he was just feeling sorry for himself, but he couldn't help it. He had been there so long; it seemed like forever, and he felt so lonely.
He looked over at his roommate, Mr. Croydon. The old man—and he was 85, so no spring chicken—looked pale and small in the vast Hill-Rom hospital bed. He was asleep—he seemed to sleep all the time—his hair a fluffy white halo around his high forehead. They had taken him off of his respirator then had to re-intubate him when his breathing became distressed again. The respirator sounded low and somehow sinister in the small room like some great beast breathing.
Levi stared at the dark TV and wondered if any documentaries were on. He quickly rejected that idea. It would just make him think of Erwin. He looked down at the call button. He could call the nurse. Ask her for water or ice or tomorrow's menu or a bathroom break or something. Just for some human contact.
He suddenly craved Little Debbie Nutty Buddy peanut butter bars and tears prickled behind his eyelids.
It was late in the work day, 8pm, when Erwin finally got off work. He drove home in the darkness and took the elevator up to his condo. He was taking his dog out for walkies, reading all of Levi's texts, when his phone rang. He answered eagerly, hoping it was Levi. It wasn't.
"Uh, yeah, Hi." It was a girl's voice.
"Hello," Erwin said. "Do I know you?"
"Oh, I'm Isobel. Isobel Magnolia. I'm Levi's friend."
"Ah! The one who's having the baby! Yes, he's talked about you!"
"Nothing bad I hope," she laughed but it was a strained sound. Erwin frowned.
"Is everything OK?"
"Well, no. Listen. I contacted you because my husband has done a stupid thing. He can be kinda dumb … he's Farlan, Farlan Church? The guy who owned the motorcycle?"
"I remember. What's he done? Does this have to do with Levi?"
"Yeah," she sighed and Erwin gripped the phone tighter. "Far' just ran into an old acquaintance. OK, well, she's actually an ex. Levi's ex."
Erwin went still. Levi's ex.
"And, stupidly, he mentioned to her what happened and that Levi was in the hospital down there at Blossom Beach."
"Is that a problem?" Erwin asked. He had a very, very bad feeling that it was.
There was a silence and Erwin could sense that Isobel was choosing her words carefully. "It could be. I think she's going down there."
"Coming down here? She can't visit him. The hospital isn't allowing any visitors because of Covid."
"I don't think that matters. Erwin, she's trouble. Her name is Yelena and she broke Levi's heart. He thought she might be The One but she cheated on him repeatedly and did drugs. Levi has this thing about drug use. He has … a past. Did he tell you about it?"
Erwin's head reeled. A past? Levi had spoken of growing up poor. What had he done? Erwin found it bitterly ironic about the drugs. He gripped the phone like a vice.
"What do I do?"
"Stay in close contact with Levi. Be there for him. Be his voice of reason. I think he cares about you …"
Erwin's heart clenched.
"I'll keep tabs on him too, but we have to move house and I'm pregnant and high risk so I'm supposed to be keeping my stress levels down, and I can't travel …"
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. You just take care of yourself and that baby!"
Erwin heard Isobel give a relieved sigh. "I'll keep texting him, of course, but thank you! I think if anyone can get him to see reason, it's you."
Erwin rang off with Isobel, put her name in his new phone, and tried immediately to text Levi but he didn't answer. He tried to call.
"The person you have called is unavailable right now. Please hang up and try your call later."
Why did Levi have his new phone turned off?
Erwin tried. He really, really tried.
Work was just so overwhelming. He had missed so much and there was only so much that Petra—not being an actual architect—could have done. Erwin had a huge backlog of things waiting.
He tried to text Levi multiple times Friday but received no response. He called the hospital but the nurses wouldn't tell him anything due to patient confidentiality
He was getting desperate.
That evening he rang Isobel.
"I know,' she said. "He's not really talking to me either and everything is so hectic here with the move. I seriously think he might be depressed."
That information scared Erwin. He debated telling Isobel about the oxycodone then thought better of it. It was Levi's business, not anyone else's, and his place to tell people, not Erwin's.
"I'll talk to Farlan today, see if he's been talking more to him and ask him to try to get him to open up. Levi plays his cards close to the vest. He's hard to get next to."
"Tell me about it," Erwin said wryly.
"I do have a few pics that he sent me. Can I send them to you?"
"Please do!"
"I'll do it as soon as we hang up."
"Well, you have a good night. Thanks for everything."
"Can I ask you something before you go?"
Erwin tensed slightly. "Yes, of course."
"You're sweet on him aren't you?"
Erwin stared at his dark TV. He could see himself reflected there, shadowy. Was he prepared to admit that to himself?
"I … I …"
"I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything. It's none of my business."
"No, no … I do care about him. A lot."
"Let him know that. Please."
They rang off and pictures came in to Erwin's phone almost immediately. They were of Levi, clearly taken by the staff. His leg was wrapped in a fresh dressing and he was hanging between a pair of crutches with a sour look on his face. Erwin smiled and a few tears wound down his cheeks at the same time.