Elias entered the room, his gaze immediately landing on Louis, who was sitting up in bed. His appearance- the cuts, a bruise on his face, and an IV hooked up to his arm- struck a pang of guilt and worry in Elias's chest. He knew it wasn't his fault; Louis had been driving when the accident happened. Still, the feeling lingered. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the man in front of him. Of course, Elias was unaware of the true circumstances or the thoughts running through the minds of Louis and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth turned to Elias upon seeing him, forcing a polite smile. She felt a mix of anger and frustration over Louis's actions, but there was also a faint sense of guilt toward Elias. After all, he was caught in this situation through no fault of his own, unaware of the full picture.
Louis's gaze shifted to Elias, his eyes scanning the other's form. The man looked tired but relatively unharmed. White bandages wrapped his palm, another secured his ankle, and he leaned on a crutch for support. Just seeing that Elias was alright made the guilt Louis carried feel almost worth it.
Elias noticed Louis staring and offered a small smile. "Hey," he said softly.
Elizabeth glanced between the two of them, sensing the unspoken need for privacy. She stepped away from Louis's bedside and began walking toward the door. "You two should talk... I'll step out for a moment."
Elias blinked, startled. "No, ma'am, you don't have to-"
Elizabeth cut him off with a small, bitter smile. "No, really. You two talk. I was thinking of getting some coffee anyway."
With that, she left the room.
Now alone, silence settled between the two men. For a moment, neither spoke. Finally, Elias broke the quiet.
"You...you idiot. You didn't have to throw yourself in front of me to save me," he mumbled, guilt gnawing at his heart. He was oblivious to Louis's own guilt and the dark truth behind the accident. To Elias, it had all been an unfortunate mishap.
Louis's gaze stayed fixed on Elias, taking in every detail of his face. Seeing the guilt etched into Elias's expression and hearing the words filled with concern made Louis smile slightly, though it was a bitter, self-mocking smile.
He knew he was responsible for this. He had caused the accident on purpose. He had let them both get hurt on purpose. And now, he was letting Elias blame himself on purpose. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't just ask Elias to care for him. He had to make Elias see him- value him. This was the only way he could think of.
Elias, noticing Louis's silence, felt his worry morph into frustration. "What the hell were you thinking, jumping in front of me like that?" he demanded, shaking his head. The worry in his eyes was still there as he continued, his voice trembling, "You could've been killed... You almost were killed. I...I can't believe it. You're so careless. I…"
His words faltered as emotions overwhelmed him. He let out a deep, shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. A tear rolled down his cheek, the weight of the previous day's stress finally crashing down on him.
Louis listened silently, his gaze dropping to his lap. He could see how hurt and guilty Elias felt, and it only deepened his own guilt. He wanted to explain, to apologize, to undo everything. But he couldn't. He couldn't reveal his plan. He couldn't risk Elias hating him...or thinking he was unhinged.
All he could do was sit there, staring at his hands, as silence filled the room again.
The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. A nurse entered, glancing briefly at Elias before speaking, "Dr. Kang? Mr. Morgan was asking when you'd be free. He's waiting for you to leave with him."