Elias, upon hearing the nurse's words, took a deep breath to compose himself. He rubbed at his eyes, wiping away the tear tracks that had already started to dry, and nodded at the nurse. He replied in what he hoped was a calm enough voice, "Thank you. I'll be there in a moment. Just give me a few minutes."
"Alright." With a short nod, the nurse left, leaving the two alone once again.
Elias turned back to Louis and gave him one final smile. Before he could say anything, however, Louis asked, "...Morgan? As in... Raphael? Your... ex-boyfriend?"
Elias took a moment to process Louis's question, and as he did, his eyes widened as realization dawned. Louis... knew about Raphael? And even their past relationship?
"...You... you did a background check on me? Really, Louis?" There was a hint of hurt in his voice.
In response, Louis just laughed—a hollow, watery chuckle. His heart felt like it was breaking inside, yet the one person he would give the moon and the stars for was focusing on that right now. He didn't reply to the question, knowing his silence was an answer enough.
Elias was surprised and hurt by the revelation, but he didn't have much time to confront Louis, as the latter continued, "...So you're going home with him? Really?"
Elias didn't know what to say. He could only avert his eyes, seemingly trying to come up with an explanation. Finally, he said, "Raphael offered to take care of me until I recovered." His voice sounded small as he explained. He felt... nervous, for some reason.
Louis felt as though someone had just stabbed a knife into his chest, twisted it, and then pulled it out with a jerk—only to stab again. Elias's words echoed painfully in his mind. He stared at the other, his expression a mix of hurt and anger. He wanted to ask more but couldn't. Right now, the physical pain in his chest meant nothing. All he could feel was the hurt in his heart as he tried not to think about Elias—*
his Elias—staying with that... nobody.
Louis's jaw tightened, and his fists clenched around the bedsheets as he tried to remain calm. It was evident that he was upset about this sudden revelation. He felt betrayed. Was he really that unimportant to Elias? He had thrown himself in front of danger to protect him. Yes, he had planned it, but in Elias's eyes, he was his savior right now. And... this was all he meant? He felt hurt, betrayed, and so, so angry.
Louis tried to mask it, but a small frown settled on his features instead. He scoffed, "...Let me get this straight. You agreed to stay with your ex, whom you used to date, for a week? Don't you realize how that sounds? What if- what if he tries something with you?"
Elias flinched at Louis's words. He knew Louis tended to be overly sensitive and overthink things, but he didn't expect this type of reaction. He tried to be mindful of Louis's state and keep his own emotions in check.
"You're making a big deal out of this, Louis," he replied defensively. "Raphael just offered to lend a helping hand while I recovered. I doubt he has any ulterior motives."
"You don't know that! You don't know that, Elias! He could be planning anything!" Louis's voice grew louder, as loud as it could be given the injury to his chest.
That snapped Elias. He had been trying to be mindful of Louis, but he was done now. He was also running on two hours of sleep, espresso, and painkillers. He replied, not bothering to control his tone anymore, "I can take care of myself just fine. I don't need you worrying about my safety."
Louis was taken aback by Elias's harsh tone, but his frustration and anger only grew. Why couldn't the other understand his point?!
"I'm making a big deal out of this?! I think I have every right to be! You're going to stay with your ex, Elias! That doesn't look good, no matter how you spin it." His voice was laced with anger as words he didn't truly mean spilled out in the heat of the moment. "I understand that you're injured and all, but couldn't you have picked anyone else? It's just weird, okay? It's like you're trying to reignite something with him! You're 32, for heaven's sake!"
Elias's jaw tightened. He didn't appreciate being accused like this, especially with everything that had happened. Hurt and defensiveness seeped into his voice as he replied sharply in the heat of the moment, "I'm not trying to reignite anything, Louis. Raphael is a good friend of mine, and he's just trying to help. You're being ridiculous. So what if I'm staying with my ex? Why is it your business, anyway?! I'm a single man- I can very well 'reignite' anything I want!"