"Pick up, pick up" he mumbles, staring at his phone. His leg hurts too much to stand up so he can only sit to wait.
"Hello?" her voice sounds even more beautiful now that he knows it may be the last time he's going to hear her.
"Hi" he smiles, bringing his phone close to his ear. He is cold and his ass is freezing but speaking with her warms him in a way no blanket could.
"Eren? Why are you calling? Are you okay? When are you coming?" she sounds worried, like all the times he calls after nine.
"Just wanted to hear your voice" he doesn't answer the last questions, but his free hand goes to his thigh, staining it red. His blood warms his fingers as he starts to feel funny.
"Yeah, I miss you too" he can hear the smile on her face, and it's so easy to picture her on their sofa in her pijama pants and one of his shirts, smiling to the phone like he was sitting beside her.
"You know I love you, right?" he lets his head rest on the shelf behind him, and he closes his eyes so he can picture her easily.
"Of course, I love you too" his heartbeat quickens, but he's not sure whether it's because of her words or because his body is trying to get whatever blood he has left through his whole body.
"Tell me about your day" his speech is slurred, and he tries to ignore the pain that confuses his brain. His legs and arms feel numb and he's sure that in any moment he's going to drop the phone.
"Are you sure you are okay?"
"Yes, Mikasa. Now just talk to me" he plays with the ring on the hand that is not holding the phone, and some tears fall from his eyes.
"Well…work was fine. I went to the supermarket before getting home and there was a woman and her baby and I swear he was the cutest thing I've seen, Eren. You would've loved him, he laughed every time I spoke and his chubby cheeks were so soft" he cries harder, but he doesn't let the sobs attack him. She doesn't have to know.
He takes a deep breath before answering.
"Yeah, I'm sure I would have loved him. Look, I have to go, okay?" his head feels too dizzy to keep speaking, and his arms is already giving up. He doesn't want to, but he has to say goodbye.
"Are you coming home soon?" her voice breaks his hearts, and he can feel his consciousness slipping away.
"I don't know. I love you, okay? I love you so much, Mikasa" he lets a small sobs as his tears fall from his eyes to his cheeks, to his chin, to his bloody lap.
It's too much blood, and he knows it. He doesn't have to be a doctor's son to know it.
"I love you too. Hey, wait. Wait, did you hear? There has been a shooting in the store two blocks from here! It's on the news; it says help is on the way"
"I'm sorry, Mikasa" with the little force he has left, he lets his arm fall on his lap.
"Eren? Eren, where are you? ERE-" he presses the red blur on his phone' screen.
The store feels cold, now more than ever.