Louis and I leave the hospital, squinting our eyes as they adjust to the bright, midday sunlight. I shield my eyes with a hand and look up to the enormous bedroom window. The weather outside appears to be overcast, though the sun still peeks through here and there. Jeannine is still going out in her oversized hoodies and heavy jackets, which tells me it isn't all that warm yet. I wouldn't know, seeing as I've been 'indoors' for the past month or so. Thankfully Jeannine is considerate enough to keep the temperature in her bedroom comfortable at all times for us.



"The weather is nice today, wouldn't you agree?" I ask him, holding his hand as we walk.



"It's warm." He says, smiling. "Super sunny too."



"It'll get even better when the summertime comes along. I hear Jeannine will open the windows more often. You might even get to enjoy a breeze."



"Wow..." Somehow his smile becomes ever wider. "I can't wait!"



"Me too."



Our walk will take us in a wide circle around Magna Gratia. I mentally plot a route that starts from the hospital and will end at the residential area. I imagine we can see almost everything that way. More importantly, it will allow me to get him acquainted with new people. Once he realizes how nice everyone is, he won't be so shy anymore.



As me walk, I can't help but notice how short his strides are. It's not often that I walk with someone so small. I take much slower steps so that he can keep up with me. It doesn't bother me, since I'm exempt from work for a few days due to my injury. We can take as long as we need.



I'm in no hurry at all.



Our first stop is the agricultural zone, otherwise known as the farms. Crops have begun to sprout all over. I'm no expert but I recognize rice and corn. I have no doubt that was Aurelia's doing, with the help of Sam, of course. Their efforts are clearly paying off, they must be proud.



Louis on the other hand is gawking at the soon-to-be vegetables in awe. It's strange to me, seeing someone so fascinated by something so mundane. That childish wonder is something I haven’t seen in years, let alone felt. It reminds me of my childhood, when I was happiest.



I bend down low and tap his nose with my finger. He recoils, giving me an irritated look.



"Hey!" Louis complains.



"Hey, yourself." I coo.



"What was that for?"



"I felt like it."



His irritation turns back to confusion as he stares some more. His expression reminds me of someone struggling to solve a complex equation. I do my best not to laugh.



"Sorry. Why don't you go take a look around? Here," I let go of his hand. "go on, but don't wander off."



"Okay."



He turns, walking away slowly, unsure of himself. He walks over to a young corn stalk before looking back over at me. The distance between us is only a few feet, but even that makes him visibly nervous.



"It's alright." I reassure him. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."



Without a word, his attention returns to the crop and his touches the leafy bits with his fingers. He takes his time inspecting and feeling the surrounding crops while I keep an eye on him. I'm so focused on him that I don't even notice when Sam comes by.



"Ori! It's nice to see you. How's the ankle?"



"Oh!" I gasp, startled out of my trance. He comes over and we greet one another with a hug. "It's much better now. I hope to be working again next week, though I'm afraid I won't be able to put pressure on it."



"No problem at all. Aurelia's got loads of other jobs for you when you're better." He looks past me to Louis and cocks his head. "Um, is that boy with you?"



"Yes, he is."



"Oh, good. Would you mind telling him not to pluck the crops?"



I immediately turn around and call Louis over. I must have looked very cross given how guilty he looks. I take him by the hand again and try to hide my embarrassment.



"Sam, this is Louis. He's part of the second group, just like you. I'm showing him around, trying to help him open up. This is all very new to him, I hope you can understand."



"It's fine, I know he means well," He crouches down in front of Louis, offering a fist bump. "Right, champ?"



He nods but doesn't bump back, instead looking up at me for an explanation. In response, I help him make a fist and manually bump back. Sam makes an explosion noise with his mouth and ruffles Louis' hair.



"Perfect! You nailed it." He then stands back up and addresses the both of us. "I'm going to head inside now. Feel free to come here anytime. Oh, and do me a favour; If you see Aurelia on your walk, let her know that I can't make it. I'm not feeling so well today. She should be at the town hall, I think."



"Of course, we were headed there anyway."



Once Sam leaves, Louis tugs at my shirt.



"Ori? Is Mr. Sam okay?"



"He'll be alright once he gets some rest." I explain as we resume our walk. "Sometimes his head hurts a lot."



"Is he sick?"



"Sort of. It's complicated."



"Will he get better?"



"I'm afraid not, dear. It's something he has to live with."



"Oh..." He says, sounding disappointed. "He's like me."



I hadn't thought of it like that, but he makes a good point. What Sam suffers from isn't life threatening. It's akin to a medical condition, though unlike Loius, he wasn't born with it. I'm not sure which is worse. Regardless, neither can be cured, at least not at our hospital.



"I suppose so." I admit, choosing not to go into further detail. I'd much rather move away from this topic. "Did you see how thrilled he was to meet you? I don't think I've ever seen him smile like that before."



"Yeah. I like him."



"There are many more nice people for you to meet. Let's go see his wife, Aurelia, next."



It only takes a few minutes to get there. The building itself has been expanded, looking massive compared to it's previous incarnation. I allow him a moment to gawk before entering together.



Once inside, we're met with Daedalus, Nick, and Aurelia. They appear to be having a serious discussion.



"This is crazy! Do you even know how many people that is? That's a ton of mouths to feed." Aurelia argues.



"Daedalus, you tell her." Nick groans. "Maybe she'll listen to you."



"Miss, with all due respect, we've run the numbers. We can sustain it. I guarantee you the extra hands will do us all some good." Daedalus tell her.



"Exactly!" Nick yells at her. "We're not dumping this on just you and Sam."



"Still..." Aurelia sighs. "Oh, Lord, this is going to be such an awful headache. How does Jeannine feel about it?"



"Full support. Anything we need." Nick explains, no longer so exasperated. "We can't do this without you. Please, Auri."



"Things were going so well with just us twenty..." She moans.



"But it could be better. Aim higher! Dream bigger!" The old man laughs.



"Let's see what Sam thinks first. I won't make a decision until he gets here." Aurelia crosses her arms, defiantly.



I audibly clear my throat to announce my presence. The three of them look at me at once, making me feel somewhat nervous.



"Hello. Sorry, am I interrupting?"



"It's fine." Nick says, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I see you have Louis with you. Thanks for looking after him."



"It's no trouble at all, he's a delight." I then turn to Aurelia. "Do you have a moment to chat?"



"Not really-" She begins, only to be cut off by Daedalus.



"She does. I think all of us could use a break."



"I guess." She groans. She follows me out of the building so we can have some privacy. "Sorry you had to hear that." Her usual friendly expression returns. "How's life? Ooh and who's this cutie?"



Louis ducks behind me. The act clearly upsets Aurelia who then gives an exaggerated pout.



"This is Louis. Long story, I'll tell you later." I take a step to the right, revealing the shy boy behind me. "Go on, say hi to my friend."



He looks at her, then at me, then at her again.



Rather than speaking, he gives her a wave. A moment later he goes back to hiding behind me.



"He's awfully shy. My little brother was just like that, once upon a time. I'm used to it." She tell us.



"By the way, Sam told me to pass on a message."



I tell her about his migraine and how we were just with him. Her expression becomes worried, but not panicked. It's clear she's dealt with this many times before.



"Thanks for letting me know. I'll head back right away." She starts walking off, only to turn on her heel and face us again. "It was nice meeting you, Louis! Next time you're at the farm I'll give you a proper tour."



She leaves us with that kind offer and hurries back to her husband. Once again, Louis only speaks when it's just the two of us. He returns to my side, his hand never once leaving mine even when he was hiding.



"You know, it's perfectly acceptable to respond when someone speaks to you." I say softly. "Having me as your sole conversation partner will grow boring."



"Sorry." He mumbles, hanging his head.



"It's nothing be sorry over." I raise his head by the chin. "These things take time. You will get there."



He nods silently.



"She was nice too." He finally says. "And pretty."



"Careful. If you tell her that, she might just gobble you up!" I laugh.



As we leave the town hall, I notice that Louis's pace has gotten even slower. Only when I stop do I notice how exhausted he looks.



"Are you feeling alright?"



"Tired..." He sighs. I notice his nose is also bleeding again.



I grab some napkins and help him wipe up the mess. Exercise is good but I'd rather not push him. Given his illness, his energy must be very limited. It might be best to stop here for now.



"Ori." He says, with his arms extended toward me.



"Hm? What is it?"



He moves his arms about, unwilling to elaborate. It then occurs to me that he wants to be carried. I'm more than happy to indulge him.



"Let's give you a break. Come here."



I crouch down and give him my back. He hops on, wrapping his arms a little too tightly around my neck.



I move them to my shoulders to avoid being strangled. Once he's comfortable, I stand up and start showing him around.



The cafeteria is usually staffed with one or two people at a time. Given how Jeannine is providing our food until we're self sufficient, very little cooking takes place here. Instead, they're responsible for seperating, allocating, and storing the food that we eat. Obviously, the unprocessed portions our lovely patron provides are just a tad too big for us tinies. Once processed, everyone is entitled to three meals a day, which they can come collect whenever they please.



I planned to have lunch with Louis here, but I think it would be better if we ate at home. I'll have to bring him to my house first and return him to his once he's fed.



I head over to one of the 'cooks' and collect our meals for the day, six in total. It's awkward to carry both him and the food but I manage somehow, even on my bad ankle. It's a short walk from here to the residential zone. I can handle it.



"Our final stop will be my home. We can have lunch together, and I've got a bed if you want to rest for a while."



"Okay." He whispers into my ear. "Thank you."



"Anytime."



We arrive at my house soon after. With some difficulty, I manage to open the unlock the door and enter despite both of my arms being occupied. We enter the cozy, wooden cabin and I set Louis down on my bed. He still seems very tired.



"How are you feeling?" I ask him.



"Mmn... Tired."



"More than before? Or less?"



"More."



"You can take a nap in my bed but only after you eat. Normally I would never allow food anywhere near where I sleep but for you I'm willing to make an exception."



I unpackage one of the food boxes and hand it to him. He doesn't seem hungry, but he starts eating anyway. It's probably because I insisted.



As he should--a growing boy needs his energy! I follow suit and enjoy a box with him.



The two of us are mostly silent while we eat. Strangely, I don't mind it. The company alone is more satisfying than any conversation I could start. Or perhaps it's the food? For some reason it tastes so much better today.



I finish my meal and look over to check Louis's box. He's eaten about half of it and doesn't look eager to continue. All that matters is he ate something. I take the box from him and wrap it up in case he'll want in later. I then go over to the bed and take a seat beside him.



"Feeling better?"



"Mhm." He nods. "It was yummy."



"Good." I say, lifting him up from under his arms and setting him in my lap. I wrap my arms around him and embrace him tightly. "Thank you for joining me on the walk. You made my day."



"Me too." He cranes his head all the way back, beaming up at me. "It was super fun!" He chuckles. Come to think of it, it's the first time I've heard him laugh. It's such an innocent and carefree sound; something I never expected to come from a child so weak and frail. It melts my heart.



And it gives me an idea.



"Hey, would you like to hear a story?"



"What kind of story?"



"A story from when I was little. Right about your age, I think."



"Yay! Storytime!" His eyes practically light up and he bounces in his seat. I feel his hands pulling my arms closer to him, as if asking to hug him tighter. I do exactly that, leaning back against the wall and letting him rest his head against my chest.



I close my eyes and picture the scene. I'm seven years old again, living in a tiny settlement with my parents and two older sisters. It was the first time my father and I ever did something together, just the two of us. Even at twenty four, I remember it like it was just yesterday.



"This may come as a surprise, but I used to love to dance." I tell him, sharing information I've never told anyone else. "My father was a natural."



"He only needed to see a move once to learn it. He and my mother would dance all the time. It was their 'thing'."



Louis stays quiet, not wanting to interrupt me. It makes me happy that someone is so captivated by something so personal to me.



"One day he decided to teach me. At first I was just happy to be spending time with him, but later on I grew to love it like he did." I say, picturing his face in my mind. "He taught me many types, though mainly the ones that require a partner. Neither of us were interested in dancing alone."



I go on and on about the learning process. I share how I would often trip over myself, lose my balance, and even step on my father's feet every so often. Eventually I lose the 'flow' of my storytelling, rambling on about this and that until I begin to confuse even myself.



"Oh dear, it would seem I got carried away." I giggle. "I hope that wasn't too boring."



I lean over to look at Louis' face. He's fallen fast asleep in my arms and I hadn't even noticed. Instinctively, I lower my head and plant a kiss on cheek.



"Right," I whisper to myself. "I should take him home now."



Carefully, I maneuver my arms under him to carry him. I stand up, taking my time so that I don't wake him up. With my free hand I grab the rest of his food and head out the door. His house isn't too far away. I only have to walk down the street to get there. Like every house in the area it's identical to mine, at least outwardly.



I twist the knob and find it unlocked. It would seem that he forgot to lock his door. Upon entering the cabin, I'm met with a relatively empty place. The only furniture in the room is a table, one chair, and a bed. Dirty clothes and discarded food boxes litter the corner.



"Has he been living like this? Left to take care of himself?" I mumble.



I approach the bed and gently lay him down on it. The temperature is slightly chilly so I cover him with the blanket, tucking him in. With that out of the way, I can now retire to my own bed.



Just as I'm about to leave, he stirs. Through sleepy eyes he gazes at me, blinking hard. It takes him a moment to realize where he is and who I am. Suddenly, his expression turns sad. He reaches out, grabbing the hem of my top. He gazes at me intensely, his eyes pleading with me.



"Don't go." He whispers. "Please, don't leave me."