Stockholm Syndrome ✔

Chapter 25 - You Can't Keep A Good Man Down

"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."