Klaus's eyes fly open as he takes a breath and shudders at the pain. He chokes on his coughs behind the gag. The limited artificial light sneaking through the cracks lights up the bluish tint to his skin from the lack of oxygen. Klaus's pulse beats fast. Ben stands in front of him, having not moved since he fell unconscious. Klaus sees Ben's lips move but struggles to focus on the words.
"... morning sleepy... think you can... I'll be right here..."
He takes another shallow, painful breathe, and then another. His brain feels fuzzy and his vision blurs. His surroundings move around him dizzyingly. He tries to take a deeper breath, to get the oxygen he desperately needs, but the movement causes his eyes to roll back and Klaus passes out once more.
.·.0.·.
Ben is at a loss for what to do now. He cannot do anything but watch his brother slowly die. Blood is still oozing onto the floor. Klaus can barely breathe. The only movement, the only sign of life is in the faint rise and fall of Klaus's chest and the light shifting motion of his body from his heart beating fast against the restraints.
Then...
It stops.
Ben shifts closer, terrified, trying ineffectively to check Klaus's pulse, hands grasping at air and phasing through each time. Klaus doesn't move, even though he should be shivering and telling Ben to "stick his cold limbs somewhere else." No. Klaus is not dead. Klaus can't be dead. This cannot be the end.
.·.0.·.
Ben crouches down in front of Klaus's body for what feels like a lifetime, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Klaus would come back again, like at the rave. He can't believe that was only days ago. It feels like they have been stuck in this motel for months. Has it really only been a day?
Klaus was not very forthcoming with the details of his time after the incident at the rave. Maybe his miracle resurrection was a one-time, second chance thing. Maybe his "unfinished business" lay in the apocalypse that is now behind them. Or at least it is until Cha-Cha manages to "trigger one of the Hargreeves." And that now that the apocalypse, for the time being, is over, Klaus won't be able to come back. Maybe this ability is tied to his powers, and he is too weak to use them and bring himself back. Maybe he doesn't want to come back. No. Ben just needs to keep watch, wait, and hope that Klaus revives, and their family finds them before Klaus's torturer returns.
The knob on the motel door rattles and Ben phases his head out of the closet door to see who it is. In walks Cha-Cha. So much for hope. Ben turns back to his brother, just as Klaus's chest starts to rise once more.