Eren rushed them out to the car and took the keys from Levi who insisted on driving. "My car, I drive," Eren said with a smirk as he pointed at the passenger side door for Levi to walk around too.
"Fine," he grumbled as he got into the passenger seat. Jean hesitantly but quietly got into the back seat. He had remained quiet throughout the whole ride. Levi, on the other hand, was picking fights about every little thing. He was purposely trying to get on Eren's nerves proudly as punishment for making him go to the hospital. He would mess with the radio or turn on the heater or air conditioner. It got to the point where Eren told him if he touched one more button he would break his finger. To which Levi huffed and crossed his arms and slouch down in his seat.
Eren had looked in his rearview mirror to check on Jean since he had been so quiet. He saw that Jean was looking out the window but his jaw was clenched tight and his eyes looked scared almost as if he had just witnessed something horrendous. Eren let out a sigh and decided he would ask him about it when they got there.
The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. Levi was pouting and remained quiet. He was trying so hard to annoy Eren to the point Eren would turn the car around but it hadn't worked. Levi wasn't too crazy over hospitals. Every time he had been to one he was either visiting someone or was getting stitched up from another bullet wound or stab wound. He tried to avoid hospitals as much as possible. He never had the best memories in hospitals, too much death.
Jean on the other hand never really had a problem with hospitals. That was until four years ago when he almost watched his best friend die in a hospital bed while he stood by helplessly. Ever since that day he hasn't been able to so much as think of a hospital without flashing back to those long stressful days.
Jean was too worried about having to go into the hospital that he forgot who had been working at the hospital as of lately.
"Jean?" Eren said getting him out of his thoughts. Everyone had gotten out of the car but Jean was still sitting there unmoved to deep in his thoughts. He hadn't even really registered that the car had stopped let alone that everyone had gotten out of the car.
Jean blinked and looked up to see Eren standing with Jean's door open giving him a concerned look. "Huh?" Jean asked confused.
"We're here," Eren repeated.
"Oh, sorry, I was day dreaming," he said with an unconvincing smile.
Eren stepped out of the way as Jean got out of the car. They started walking to the door Jean dragged behind Eren and Levi. His eyes were directed at the floor because he couldn't even bear to look at the building.
Eren dropped back and insisted that Levi go on ahead of him. He waited for Jean and started walking with him. Jean didn't even seem to realize Eren was right next to him. Eren bumped his arm to try and get his attention. Jean's gaze moved up to the face next to him.
"What's eating at you?" Eren asked hoping to figure out why Jean's off his game.
"I'm not fond of hospitals," Jean mumbled out as his gaze landed back on the floor. He couldn't bear to face Eren or tell him the truth. He didn't want to bring up any memories that may be painful to remember.
"I understand," Eren said with a little smile, "I don't particularly like them that much. I can say Levi doesn't quite like them either," Eren said with a light chuckle.
"He doesn't?" Jean asked looking back up at Eren. He could see why Eren wouldn't like them but Levi? Was it the same reason that he didn't like them?
"Of course he doesn't," Eren laughed, "I mean have you ever seen Levi act so ornery. He was trying to get on my nerves," Eren said with a shrug. "He's easy to read when you've been with him for a while."
"I see," Jean nodded, "do you know why he doesn't like them?" He asked hoping that Levi might know what he was feeling.
"I don't know his exact reasoning, but I'm sure it could have something to do with him losing his friends and family on more than one occasion," Eren said but the last part more came out as a mumble possibly from the guilt of almost being added to the list of people lost.
"Yeah, that would do it," Jean whispered.
Levi waited at the door for Jean and Eren to catch up. Jean seemed to be dragging his feet and Eren was keeping at his pace.
"Took you both long enough," Levi said he still seemed to be pouting from Eren yelling at him earlier. Then again it could have just been that he didn't want to be here.
They walked in and made their way to the counter to fill out some paperwork and explain their conditions. After showing their hands and explaining how they were feeling and what their pain level was they found themselves in the waiting area. They knew the wait would be long but lucky for them they didn't look too busy today.
Sitting in the waiting room Jean couldn't help but be anxious. He was fidgeting in his seat and his leg was shaking so much Eren swore the whole floor was shaking.
Levi looked up at Eren and gave him a look. Eren nodded and stood up. " I'm going to hit the restroom," he said before walking away so that Levi could talk to Jean.
Levi scooted over a seat so that he was next to Jean. "Hey, what's wrong?" Levi asked putting his good hand on Jean's knee to stop his leg from shaking.
"I don't like hospitals," Jean mumbled out.
"Bullshit," Levi said with a sigh, "you're coming apart at the seams, there's another reason, there's always another reason," Levi said looking Jean in his eyes to try and read what he was thinking.
Jean just nodded.
"It's getting to you too, huh," Levi finally asked.
Jean looked at him and didn't know what to say. He decided it was time to just say it. "I can't stop seeing him in that damn bed," Jean whispered his gaze hit the floor and his voice shook.
"It gets easier, but it takes time," Levi said he had already known what was getting to him because it was getting to him too.
"It's been four years, how much time does it need?" Jean asked almost desperately.
"There's no clear cut timeline," Levi sighed. "But it gets a hell of a lot easier when you accept that it happened and realize that Eren is still here. We didn't lose him."
"But we could have, and there wouldn't have been a damn thing we could do about it," Jean said putting his head in his hands. "What if something like that were to happen to Marco? What if he wasn't so lucky?" Jean whispered with a shaky voice. It was obvious that he had started tearing up, though he was fighting it. He was shaking even worse now.
"Listen, Jean, Marco is fine, and Eren is fine," Levi assured him. It was easy to tell that this was the real thing bugging him, how helpless he felt during that time how he wished he could do anything to save Eren. He was afraid of anything like that happening again.
"Jean you might not like this, but it needs to be said," Levi said after hesitating for a moment. "That's the way life is, life holds the unknown. We are never guaranteed another day. The best we can always hope for is that we wake up in the morning and make it to the end of the day. There is always going to be that unknown factor to life, but that's what makes it so cherished to spend it with the people you love," Levi said.
Jean nodded he knew what Levi was saying and he knew that he was right. He took a breath and wiped his eyes and sat up. He looked around the room remembering everything that happened in those few days. He took a deep breath closed his eyes and began clearing his mind. He kept thinking to himself, "Eren is okay, Eren is okay," He opened his eyes and looked around the room again... It was just a room. The memories seemed to leave him alone at least for the time being.
"Thank you, Levi," Jean said with a little smile as he watched Eren come back from the bathroom.
"Anytime," Levi said.
"Everything alright?" Eren asked.
Levi scooted back over and nodded, "We're good right, Jean?"
"Yeah, we're good," Jean said giving Eren a smile and a nod.
Levi took a breath and watched as Eren sat back down. He hadn't completely gotten over his baggage from not only the first trip to the hospital but the second one as well. Almost losing Eren not once but twice as he sat by helplessly had taken its toll on his mind.