Erwin had Mike take him to the ATT store for a new phone with Eren's old number. His old phone was too smashed up to get his contacts off of. They all went out to eat afterwards but Erwin was miserable and only picked at his food.

"You need to eat," Hange said, patting his arm. "You need to take care of yourself. For Eren."

"Should I call him?" Erwin asked suddenly, "Should I call Levi?".

Mike, Hange, Moblit, and Nanaba all exchanged glances. It was hard to explain or justify Levi's bizarre reactions since Erwin's blow-up.

Hange sighed. They were never one for beating around the bush. It was a trait both Levi and Moblit loved them for. But it was hard to just come out and say it.

"Erwin, hun, I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

Erwin stared at them, clearly hurt.

"I think … I think Levi is done. He's been hurt too much before."

"What about me? What about how much I've been through?" Erwin asked. He knew it was fucking stupid. He knew it was wrong to compare but he was feeling petulant.

Hange's temper flared. Moblit saw it immediately and put a hand on their arm but they shook him off.

"What? That you watched your wife die? That's fucking horrible, but Levi watched his mother die when he was fucking five years old. He sat in the room with her dead body for three days until his uncle showed up. His two best friends died in an automobile accident when they were in their 20s. His uncle kicked him out of the house when he was sixteen and he lived on the streets."

Erwin had gone white as a sheet. "I didn't know …"

"And you didn't bother to ask, did you?"

"Hange …" Moblit murmured.

"Hey …" Mike said and Nanaba grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"And as for Eren, well, did it ever occur to you that Levi was going through all the fear and frustration that you were? That we all were? Of course Eren is your son, that makes a difference, but did you ever stop to think that Levi cares for that kid? That he cares for you?"

Erwin just sat, mouth open, cold french fry between his fingers.

Hange stood up. "Moblit, I'm ready to go." Moblit stood up as well.

"Everyone that Levi has ever loved—except me—has left him. He has decided that you've followed suit." They walked out of the restaurant, Moblit on their heels.

Erwin refused to talk about anything and they finally left the restaurant. Mike and Nanaba dropped him off at the hospital and got on the road to head back to Ellway.

Erwin crept back into the room, the lights were dimmed and the curtains drawn. He checked on Eren, who was fast asleep.

Since Eren had an en suite in his room (and a couch that doubled as a bed) Erwin's life was so much better. For one he could take a shower, using the clothes that Mike and Hange had gotten him and put into the duffle bag.

As he went through the bag he encountered clothes that were too small for him. Levi's clothes.

Erwin glanced over his shoulder to make sure Eren was still asleep and then he took each of the small tee shirts and pressed it to his nose. He knew, logically, that Levi had not worn most of them. Then he found the one Levi had worn.

Erwin crumpled the shirt against his face, inhaling deeply. It smelled so much of Levi. His manly musk, his deodorant. Erwin was absorbed.

Eren moved on the bed, groaning. Erwin quickly secreted the tee shirt into the duffle and went into the bathroom to bathe.

He thought briefly of Levi as he bathed (he often did) but wasn't up to masturbating. When he left the shower and finally emerged from the bathroom, Eren was awake. He was nibbling on the cold pizza.

"I got your phone," Erwin said. He handed Eren his new phone.

"You look better," Eren said. "You shaved. The stubble was creepy."

Erwin smiled thinly. "Yeah, I've always been one for shaving." He kissed his son's fingertips but Eren gently withdrew his hand. That made Erwin incredibly sad.

"Are we talking about this? Or are you not ready?" Erwin asked. He'd learned from his wife that it was better to strike while the iron was hot but he wanted to give his son the time to process his thoughts.

Eren just grunted. A bad sign.

"Jean wants to visit."

"Of course. When?"

"Today. I told him when visiting hours were."

"That's fine." Erwin, of course, had no real say as Eren was nineteen and grown but he wanted to be reassuring. He'd selfishly prefer not to have any visitors, just have Eren all to himself but that was just that—selfish—and he knew it. People who were close to Eren loved him and they deserved to see him. This was not about Erwin.

Eren squirmed uncomfortably on the bed.

"You OK?" Erwin asked anxiously. "Can I get you anything?"

"The pain is getting pretty bad."

Erwin checked the whiteboard on the wall. Eren was due for his meds. "I'll go see if I can find our nurse."

"Can you get me some more ice while you're out?" Eren held up the large plastic mug that the nurses kept full of ice water. Erwin took it and went out. Eren immediately picked up his phone. All his contracts were gone, of course and he cursed. He dialed the only number he knew by heart: Mike's.

"Mike, hey, I got my new phone but all my contacts are gone. Can I get Hange's number?"

A minute later he got Hange. "Hange, can I get Levi's number please? Yes. I want to call him. I just want to tell him how I'm doing. No, dad doesn't know." A pause. "Thank you."

Levi was out with Mike, loading up all of the supplies. Filming had wrapped at the state park and they were due to leave. All they had to do was load the remaining stuff and clean up a bit. His phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. Eren.

For a second he hesitated and debated not answering it but he couldn't not. He wanted to hear the brat's voice. He held up one finger to Mike who nodded and he walked off around the side of the lodge.

Levi took a deep breath. "Eren."

"Levi! How are you?"

How was he? Jesus, the kid had just almost died in a fucking car crash and he was asking how Levi was.

"How am I? I'm fine. How are you, kid?"

"I'm good. In a bit of pain right now …"

"Where's the goddamn nurses? Are your meds due?"

Eren laughed wheezily, "Oh calm down, old man, I'm fine. Dad went out to ask about them."

Levi adroitly sidestepped the mention of Erwin. "Old man? Tch! I'm only fourteen years older than you, kiddo."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Mike and Hange said you were looking better."

"I feel better. The pain and immobility suck and I can't catch my breath sometimes but the doc says all that will go away as I heal. The worst part is my leg."

"That bad, eh?"

"Yeah, but it's kinda cool. They've got these long metal pins … I think they are called … external stabilisers, I think? And they stick out of my skin and are attached to a metal rod!"

"Jesus, that sounds awful!"

"It's really cool! I feel like a cyborg."

Levi laughed. "Well I can't wait to see you. When do you come home?"

"Dunno. Not for a few weeks I think. You should come see me!"

Levi was quiet.

"I heard about you and Dad … about what happened."

Levi dug the toe of his boot into the soil and didn't know what to say.

"Let's not talk about him, OK?" Levi finally said.

"But Levi …"

"Kid, look. It didn't work out. Let it go."

"But I don't wanna let it go." Eren said with the petulant whine of a child.

"Eren …"

The door opened just then. It was the nurse coming to check his vitals pushing her cart. Erwin was behind her.

"Dad's here. Gotta go."

"Call me again, sometime, OK?"

"I will!"

Erwin put the mug of ice water down on the table and stood back to let the nurse work. "The nurse said that she'll be in with your meds in just a minute."

"Good," Eren said.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Jean," Eren lied smoothly.

"Is he still coming by?"

"Yep. Didn't say when."