”You can stay here for now, I will get the car of a neighbour tomorrow so we can get you checked out at a hospital, but for now I can only give you painkillers to get through the night.” Instantly the thoughtful look on Lalius’ face vanished and got replaced by a serious, almost aggressive expression. “No doctors.” He said instantly. Taken aback, Ben thought for a moment. “You need to at least have an evaluation, I’m not a doctor and my first aid was lousy.” He said in a low voice. “It was enough. The wounds will heal anyways.” “No, they won’t.” Ben scoffed impatiently. Self-control, he reminded himself as he started reigning himself back in and calmed his voice. Impatience towards someone who just survived possible torture, was the last thing he should be exhibiting. As he collected himself, he continued more calmly again. ”I don’t know what specific kind of Mimick you are but I know that not even the best regenerating ones of You can set bones back in place Without external help. Your arms will be Permanently crippled if they aren’t looked at.” At the word Mimick, the boy's eyes widened, though just long enough for Ben to notice. “So, you did know after all.” The boy's dark expression, tensed up further. Ben raised his arms in defense “yeah, your eyes betrayed you, but I’m not after you if that’s what you are thinking.” “What?”On top of the front of agression that the boy was putting up, Lalius’ face had a look of confusion plastered all over it now. “What do you mean my eyes betrayed me?” Probably equally as confused as the boy, Bens arm darted up as he pointed at his own eye. “Your pupils” He said while continuing to stare at the boy. He knew some Mimicks could shift back and forth selected parts of their body by will, but he had never heard of it happening involuntarily. The boy raised his casted arm defensively and touched his finger to his eyelid. “What do you mean?” The boy repeated with even more confusion and with, what ben read as fear on his face. The boy continued to become more and more defensive as he continued to cover his eyes with his cast. Ben raised his hands “When you first opened your eyes- ” He started but didn't continue. Did the boy really not know? “How did you involuntarily shift?” He asked dumbfoundedly. “In what way did I even shift?” The boy asked again, this time with a more frustrated and aggravated tone. “your pupils where a different shape, same as your Irises, they were bigger, but they changed back to human again right after that.” He stated bluntly now as reason returned to his mind. How would the boy be willing to open up if he couldn't even answer a single question without trailing off. The aggression on the boy's face slowly disappeared again and his arm fell to his side. The boy sunk into deep thought. Ben didn’t disturb the boys thinking and waited patiently, right, patience was key. It wasnt up to him to decide what the boy shared with him or when he would share those things so asking useless questions had to stop now. Only after a few minutes had passed did The boy open his mouth again. “But if you know that I’m a Mimick, then what do you want from me if not to sell me?” “Nothing.” Ben said, not even thinking about it. Lalius looked at him puzzled. “ Why did you help me then?” Ben shrugged. “Don't think about it too hard, I just did it on impulse.” He half lied. Although the act of carrying him in was an impulse, he had thought about it thoroughly enough to know the possible consequences. "Oh and your eyes only changed when I had already put the cast on you, so I had no way of telling you were one before that anyways.“ He added quickly “The boys brow raised. “So you wont keep me from leaving if I decided to run away?” The question was more posed as mockery he figured, but Ben nodded honestly anyways. “I don't want to hurt nor own you. I just wanted to give you a chance to survive.” Ben knew the boy still didn't entirely believe him, but that didn't matter. Actions not words, he repeated like a mantra to himself. The boy could judge the truth of his statement himself. As he looked outside into the dark again, he realised how long this situation had been going on. What a day, he acknowledged again. “So if you don't have any plans to go to a different place. - in the middle of the night- with a broken leg- and broken arms- then you can just sleep here.” The boy just looked at him in annoyance yet he didn't counter anything. With that Ben finally decided to dry himself off as he noticed the water still running down his back and legs onto the floor, creating an uncomfortable feeling on his clothed back. It was obvious who would be sleeping on the bed so Ben just gave the boy another glass of water and put down all the painkillers he had found in the cabinet on the bedside table. They didn't talk much after that and he left Lalius to himself as he made himself comfortable on the couch in his joke of a Livingroom as he sunk into a deep sleep.

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What woke him up was not the sun, or an alarm clock, but a loud sound of something hitting the wooden floor. Immediately, not even half awake yet, he jumped up. From the small couch he stumbled towards the open bedroom. He didn't need any light to find his way as he had been used to the darkness from all the times he couldn't pay his electricity bill in the past. As he entered the room he could hear the low sound of breathing, but it came from behind him instead of the inside of the room. As he turned around, he hit the light switch and looked at the cowering body on the ground. The cast around his foot was broken open and he was sitting in a kneeling position. He didnt look at him when the light turned on, just grunted in displeasure at the brightness and looked down at the floor. “What are you doing?” Ben asked breathlessly. Lalius didn’t answer. “I told you I wouldn't do anything to you, you are needlessly hurting yourself.” He Crouched down beside the boy and calmly collected the bits and cloth parts that had gotten loose from the cast “No...” “hm?” Ben leaned closer to the clearly uncomfortable boy. “No doctors.” He said loudly this time. Slightly confused Ben leaned back again. They hadn't talked much about that, yet it had bothered the boy so intensely that he was considering walking with that leg? “But you need medical care as soon as possible.” “That’s my problem.” Lalius retorted determined. Ben shook his head and sighed “And what about the person who will have to take care of you when you can't do anything because of your crippled leg and arms?” The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance, his voice grew fierce. “That’s not your problem so why do you care?” “I care because it's not fair for them.” The boy had a growl in his strained voice “I’m not forcing anyone to care for me so why do you want to force me to do something I don’t want to do. You didn't even have to take me in” Taken aback, Ben hesitated. What would convince the boy to let him help Lalius? He couldnt think of anything. Maybe he shouldnt have been so fast to jump to conclusions, he had acted too fast, the boy was probably just scared, he thought. “you are right.” He eventually said, breaking the silence. ”I wont force you to do anything so please let me help you back to the bed so that you don't worsen your legs condition any more than needed.” Lalius looked him directly into the eyes, there was so much determination in him, it didnt give the appearance of a wounded child. He gradually nodded in compliance. Without any hesitation Ben grabbed the boy and carried him to the bed, he could already feel the soreness of his muscles from the nights events, but the boy was lighter than he had remembered. When he returned to the couch his eyes immediately fell closed as his mind drifted into the soft embrace of sleep.

He awoke later than he usually did, but little did it matter with the lack of a job and the lack of anything to do. It was past ten as he looked into the bedroom and saw the still sleeping boy laying in almost the same fetal position he had found him in. Even with multiple times knocking on the door he did not open his eyes. But Ben didnt worry as the boys breath seemed even and calm. Calmer than the day before even.