an unkindness of ravens

quarante

— quarante ; forty —

HENRI FOLDED HIS arms across his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you don't want me here," Jack said, from where he was perched cross-legged on the armchair by Henri's bed. He tipped his head to meet Henri's unimpressed gaze with his razor sharp smile. "But that can't be true because we all know I'm your favourite Fox."

Henri was already in a foul mood and Jack's presence couldn't make it much worse. For starters, none of the Foxes right now were any particular favourites of his. He was pissed off at them for admitting him to hospital even though the doctor was telling him there could have been serious consequences if he had come in even a day later. Which, Henri could infer, meant he could have died. He'd only been stuck in this stupid hospital for two days and he was already going stir-crazy confined to this bed, not that he had much of a choice. He was able to sit up and talk now without feeling faint but the moment he tried to stand up he just sunk straight back down on the bed. 

He was trying not to grow frustrated at how long it was taking the doctors to figure out what was wrong with him. He hadn't heard any word from the Master, but the phone Soren had bought him all those months ago was finally being put to good use — Soren informed him on their calls that they'd set off for West Virginia last night, regardless of the fact Henri was still in hospital and wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, and that the Master hadn't spoken a single word about what had happened. Henri had a feeling that it had more to do with the fact the Master waiting to get him alone in person before punishing him than letting him off scot-free.

A few of the other Ravens had texted him too. By Ravens, he mainly meant Kit and Lucas checking in on him (he pretended not to notice the silence from Loren) but he'd gotten the odd text from Matthias and Xander. The latter was a generic and well meaning get-well-soon text but Matthias' was wildly inappropriate and irrelevant, as expected. Henri hadn't bothered replying to the latter. He could imagine the other Ravens were celebrating now that they'd finally gotten rid of him — every day he was in the wrong state and kept away from the court was another day of practice he was missing, another day the rest of the Ravens were improving in ability while he was only getting rustier. He didn't think he'd miss Exy as much as when he couldn't even walk down the hallway without support.

It felt strange having to use his phone to communicate when he was usually around the Ravens every day without a second break and Henri realised this was the longest he'd been away from Soren since arriving in America. Their phone calls weren't anything affectionate or loving, which was about as far as their relationship would ever get. Soren updated him on the situation with the Ravens and the Master, while Henri confirmed he still had no clue what was wrong with him or why it meant he wasn't allowed to leave hospital. He wouldn't have expected anything else but it didn't mean he'd forgotten the way they'd parted, Henri weak with fever and Soren's kiss on the forehead.

"None of the Foxes are my favourite," Henri replied, understanding the long stretch of silence on Jack's part meant he would wait out a response until he got one. Henri was learning plenty about the dealer who was so difficult to get a read — as much as he could talk, he could also be endlessly silent, waiting out to hear what he wanted to. "You also didn't answer my question, which you're good at dodging. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm here for the coffee," Jack said.

Henri stared at him. "The hospital cafeteria coffee? It tastes like watered down shit."

"Exactly. How delightfully refreshing."

"You're messed up," Henri snorted, unable to tell whether Jack was joking or not. It was impossible to ever tell what was a joke and what he was being genuine about. "No wonder you're a Fox."