𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 | 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧

𝐗𝐗𝐈 : 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞

Morphine was the most magical invention man had ever created. You would swear that truth from the highest mountain until your final days for all to hear.

The entire first day after whatever landed you on bed rest was extraordinarily peaceful. Dr. Yeager opened your blinds first thing in the morning. It was the most beautiful day your town had boasted in months. The weather was balmy and bright. A slight breeze swept through the guest room as finches tweeted prettily just for you. The sun drenched the walls and floorboards in heated waves. Even though the light stung in your eyes whenever the morphine's effects waned, it was marvelous.

Despite all the warnings, you felt snug and healthy every time you awoke from little naps. Your body swam in the warmest summer spring while a thousand kind, gentle mothers wrapped you in their arms, gave you sweet embraces, and rubbed your back.

Only a day ago, you would have hated the thought of a needle piercing your skin. Now, you craved each pinprick. The medicine did nothing to blow the fog obscuring your memory but eased any pain that throbbed whenever the time stretched too long between doses.

Dr. Yeager scrutinized your wounds and brought you broth, oatmeal, water, and tea around the clock. He looked worried each time he came in, but you couldn't understand why.

What was there to worry about when life felt so wonderful? Sure, you bled a little, but the doctor stitched it up well enough.

Time healed all wounds, didn't it?

You heard Mrs. Yeager's hushed voice in the hall every so often. She never peeked in.

Eren sat with you in the evening but never spoke. He just lingered, monitoring each rise and fall of your chest, going long stretches without blinking. Zeke appeared briefly around sunset but only stared from the doorway as you happily sipped tea. The two brothers left the room and had a quiet exchange in the hall. Only Eren returned a few minutes later.

Mr. Kirstein vanished entirely. You didn't mind. You were just happy to rest. You could see him whenever he was available.

As the light faded under the tree line, the house's aromatics shifted from its usual woodiness to some heavenly smell. All sorts of herbs, spices, meats, and vegetables snaked through your sinuses until your mouth was an ocean and your stomach was a storm. However, when Eren brought you only a bowl of thick broth, you were disappointed.

Or at least you were until the spoon touched your tongue.

This new soup might have been strained of all the exciting smells, but you could taste their former savoriness stewing on the silverware. The mouthful tasted precisely how the house smelled: otherworldly.

Once you finished your portion, Eren also handed you a tall glass of water and didn't leave until you gulped every drop. You were sad to wash away the broth's flavor, but the saltiness made you crave a beverage. Even something as simple as drinking water felt sensational.

Within a half hour, you fell asleep. It was dreamless. It was pleasant.

It was a wonderful day in your book. Being catered to like a little castle-bound princess was how you wanted to spend the rest of your life. The following morning was more of the same boundless euphoria.

What would you do when Dr. Yeager's magic serum was gone? It made life so easy to enjoy.

You noticed a folded blanket pile resting neatly on a distant dresser after Eren showed his troubled face, carrying your breakfast on a platter. At first, you assumed the sheets were because he had slept on the floor, as he always did when you visited. However, you remembered he had wandered from the guest room to his bed before you fell asleep.