"What was that about?" Mihail asked.

"Nothing", Louis muttered and nodded towards the tray Mihail was carrying. "What have you got there?"

"Nothing much", he said, shrugging. "Just something that'll keep you alive."

Louis half-grinned. "So no biggie."

"No biggie", Mihail repeated dryly and walked closer. He placed the tray on the floor and said, "I'm going to help you sit up."

Normally that would've been nothing to Louis but he had changed and now the thought of feeling all the pain the movement would cause made his eyes wide in horror. "No, no, I'm fine here, no need to move me."

"You can't eat in that position", Mihail said. "And you need to eat. It's counted as one of the basic human needs."

Louis grimaced. "No, thank you, it's fine. I'm fine. No biggie."

Mihail popped an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're being a pussy? Pain is only weakness that's leaving your body. Or... maybe you've gave up?"

"Me? Pussy? Pfftt, as if." Louis ignored the giving up part because he wasn't sure what Mihail meant with that. Giving up on what? Surviving? Harry? Being straight?

"The year out certainly changed you", Mihail commented and then without warning placed his hands on Louis armpits and pulled him up. Louis hissed in pain but was now sitting and leaning his back against the cold hard wall.

"Thanks for the heads up", Louis muttered through his teeth, mentally listing all the ways he could kill Mihail. His whole body felt like it was burning but deep down Louis knew that in order to heal he needs to do more than just lie in one position.

The problem was, even though he made— kind of— some procress with Harry, he wasn't so determined anymore. Louis didn't knew what Mihail meant exactly when he asked if Louis had given up, but he still had a point; Louis was slowly giving up. There wasn't really any reason to really try to survive.

But who could blame him? He was in a very bad condition, he had no one on his side and everything just seemed... hopeless.

And just like that, Louis overthinked himself to give up. He just couldn't see the chance anymore.

Mihail lifted the tray to Louis' lap but noticed Louis' changed expression. "What? Did it really hurt that much?"

Louis shook his head slowly.

Mihail frowned but then let it pass. "Here, eat."

"What's the point?" Louis blurted out weakly. "You were right, I'm giving up. There's no way I'm getting out of here alive. I'm going to die in here anyway."

For several minutes Mihail just stared at Louis and then he said, "C'mon, drama queen, it's not like it's your first time dealing with broken ribs."

Surprised look formed to Louis face, maybe he had expected Mihail to agree that Louis'll die and that he has no hope or something, so when that didn't happen, his mouth almost dropped open— Luckily he managed to stop it just in time. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Mihail shrugged. "Does it really matter? The old Louis would have never let a few broken ribs and bruises to stop him. I thought you had goals? Some reason why you came back? And now you're just giving up? Because you're a little bit hurt? Wow."

Louis was silent for a good minute until he pointed out, "It sounds like you're encouraging me."

"Nope." Mihail started quickly walking to the door. "Just speculating."

Louis didn't answer, he just stared at the tray on his lap at the lost of words.

"Oh, and by the way", Mihail said, and Louis turned to look at him. "I didn't mean that you have gave up with staying alive or getting out of here. I meant Harry. Have you gave up with him already?"

Now Louis' mouth dropped open but he couldn't think anything to answer. Why Mihail even asked that? It didn't make sense. It sounded like Mihail was trying to... encourage Louis, give him hope... Like he didn't want Louis to give up and go down without fight? The whole thing was too confusing to think.

"Uh-huh. A little food for thought", Mihail said, turning around again.

"You're not helping me to eat?" Louis muttered weakly, turning his eyes back to his food.

"No", Mihail said, eyeing Louis briefly before opening the door. "You can do it yourself."

And then Louis was alone. He stared at his food with mixed feelings, mind racing and frown on his face.

"And what the actual fuck just happened?" he muttered.

***

"The hell is wrong with you today?" Malik yelled in frustration and nudged Harry's arm with his foot. "Get up and this time at least try to get me on the ground."

Harry gritted his teeth but got up and glared at Malik. They had been training for two hours now and Harry just wasn't on his best. He was making stupid mistakes which lead him lying on the floor, body aching and Malik yelling. If Harry had calculated correctly, Malik had called him stupid brat 23 times.

"Hands up and concentrate!" Malik ordered.

"They are up."

"Higher, you stupid brat."

"24", Harry muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

"You're getting on my nerves today."

Harry lifted his chin up. "Good."

Even though Malik clearly wanted to punch Harry in the face, he didn't and Harry didn't know whether he was glad or not. He wiped sweat off of his face and kept glaring at Malik.

"I'm done with you, get out of here", Malik said frighteningly calm and Harry just knew that one wrong word and he would get a black eye and probably broken nose.

Harry started walking out of the room. "You suck at teaching anyway", he said and quickly stepped out of the room before Malik could do anything.

However, he didn't make it far until he saw Mihail. Harry was torn between ignoring the guy completely and kicking him in the balls.

"Harry, wait."

"What?" Harry stopped and looked at Mihail lazily.

Mihail walked closer and then stopped too, crossing his arms. "Just wanted to let you know that Louis got really worse just a second ago. His not in a good condition. You should keep an eye out for him. Both of your eyes."

"You can do that by yourself, I'm not interested and I certainly don't care. " Harry deadpanned.

Mihail shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever floats your boat. Either way, he might not have that much time."

To that, Harry didn't answer. He kind of hoped that Mihail was lying but why would he be? Harry couldn't come up with any reasonable excuse why Mihail would lie about Louis' condition.

Mihail half-smiled and shrugged again. "A little food for thought."

Then he walked away and Harry waited until Mihail disappeared behind the corner and at that second spun around and sprinted towards the cellar.

***

It happened so fast and so unexpectedly that Louis dropped the tray on the floor, splashing all the food and water all over the floor. "Well, shit."

He turned his gaze on Harry who was now standing by the door, completely still, just staring at Louis.

"Can I help you?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "You're sitting."

"Um..."

"Mihail said... I thought... Never mind." Harry scratched his neck. "You seem like you'll be ready soon to meet Troy."

Louis frowned. "Harry, come on. You can't do that to me, you know what will happen with him."

"I do."

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. He was so confused. First Harry came in like a wrecking ball and then suddenly he turned to this cold, hard robot who is far from the... old Harry? Original Harry? The real Harry? Louis wanted now more than anything to get out and change Harry back.

I'm so bipolar today, Louis thought. First fighting, then giving up and now fighting again.

It took a while but finally Louis realised that they were just staring at each other in silence. He turned his eyes away when he remembered where their conversation had ended earlier.

"Harry... About your mother...", Louis started, but Harry cut him off immediately.

"I don't wanna hear it."

"Harry—"

"I don't wanna hear it, Louis! This is my life, this is my family now. Let it go!" Harry yelled, making Louis eyes widen in surprise. Harry's face turned to its cold, emotionless look. Louis shivered— Harry looked now exactly like the all the others in this fucking hell hole.

Cold.

Emotionless.

Ruthless.

Dangerous.

Intimidating.

Without any warnings Harry walked next to Louis and pressed his ankle. It hurt and Louis hissed, but it wasn't as bad as it used to was.

"Stand up."

Louis thought he heard wrong. "Excuse me?"

"Stand up", Harry repeated.

"I... I can't, I haven't..."

"Stand up!"

Louis sighed and lifted his arms a bit. "Help me."

After a brief hesitation Harry stepped closer and helped Louis up, who breathed through his nose, feeling overwhelmed by the pain.

"No, no, no, back, back, back, I can't", Louis finally said, and at that second his legs gave up and Harry had to catch him.

"For fuck's sake", Harry muttered. "You have muscles, use them. They don't atrophy this fast."

Louis' head was against Harry's shoulder and he mumbled, "I warned you."

"Oh, Jesus Christ", Harry groaned and helped Louis back to his bed but when he was about to step away, Louis took a firm grip on his arm. "Let go, I warn you."

"You need to listen to me", Louis said, locking his eyes with Harry's. "You need to know what's happening with your mother."

"I don't—"

"Wanna hear it, yes, you said that already, but even so, I want you to know and I don't care whether you want or not", Louis said sternly, and when Harry didn't say anything back, he continued, "She has a pancreatic cancer. She doesn't have much time anymore."

Under his fingers Louis was able to feel how Harry's arm muscles tightened when he squeezed his hands in fists and as horrible as the situation was, Louis was happy that he managed to get a reaction out of Harry. An emotional reaction.