"Yeah, that's what I mean," Sev said. "I dunno, when the baker is kneading the bread, wouldn't he know how to do that already, from experience?"
He smiled slightly down at Alex. "Well, if anyone is deserving of soul rebirth, I'd say that Henry is, from what I've heard of him. I hope you find him again."
"Right! But Henry always said that the memory of how to do it was in the baker's hands, too, so he wouldn't have to think about it." Alex had calmed down quite a lot, sitting up in the hospital bed and folding his legs under himself.
"I… I do too. He was the best lover I could ever ask for."
"Hmm. That's an interesting idea." Sev smiled at the thought. It was something he had never considered before. This Henry guy seemed way ahead of his time.
"If you want, I could try and help you find him, or at least what happened to him," he said after a moment's silence.
Alex thought a moment, looking up at Sev then.
"I… yeah, I think that would be good…" He offered a smile, folding his hands in his lap. He was still sore, but he was more than ready to get up and leave.
"Can we go?"
"Alright," Sev said with a warm smile.
He glanced around. "I don't know. I don't think the doctors want you to leave until you're fully healed, and you need to get a bit more sleep. I'll do my best to sneak you out, though, before anyone tries to come and interrogate you. I heard that it was going to happen from one of the nurses."
"I must agree with needing more sleep," Alex said, nodding a bit. He shifted on the bed some, looking up at Sev with innocent eyes.
"And is it bad they want to interrogate me? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" Alex didn't know just how people who'd gone through something like he had were treated in the current age. He assumed he would be taken care of after such a horrible thing.
"Well…" Sev rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and glanced at the floor. "Maybe interrogate is the wrong word. But you came from a statue, a statue that dates back for a hundred years. There isn't any sign of breaking, and so they want to know why you're in the statue, and things like that. It's not necessarily an interrogation, but the media makes it feel that way."
"Oh…" Alex looked at Sev for a moment, curling up a bit again. "Well… if you think it's safer if I leave now with you, then I'm okay with that. Shall we get going, then?" The man moved to the side of the bed, letting his feet hang down the side of the bed.
"Woah woah woah," Sev said hurriedly, holding up his hands to stop the man. "Do you want to leave now, or get a little bit more rest? Your body isn't in the best of condition. I can wake you up before the press gets here, if you'd like to sleep a little bit more."
"I…" Alex thought a moment, then shook his head. "No, I can rest later. I think leaving now would be a good idea, so no one is coming to stop us." Alex did his best to stand up, shaky on his feet. He did eventually fall, onto Sev, with a small sound.
"If you say so." Alex looked to be in really bad condition. Sev didn't try to dissuade the man, though, and caught him with ease. "Hey, careful." He smiled down at Alex, helping him stay steady. The other man was so small, it was a miracle he could even sit up, let alone stand.
Alex nodded, leaning into Sev's help.
"Thank you," he said, holding onto one of the other's arms with both hands. "So, what's the way out?" Alex coughed some, the now wet plaster coming up in tiny globs.
"Woah, woah, be careful," Sev said worriedly. "Don't strain yourself too much." Helping Alex keep steady, he motioned to the direction of the exit. "It's that way. Or we could try to climb out a window, but that might not be best for your condition."
"I, ah, I don't think taking the window would be good right now," Alex admitted. He tried to hold back another cough, but it just ended up worse, a thick mucus-like glob of plaster hitting the ground as he choked it out.
Sev glanced at the man worriedly, and then, grabbing a tissue from a box on a nearby counter, handed it to him. "Here, cough into that. It might help you feel cleaner." He glanced around. "Well, then, let's go to the exit, and pray we don't get caught." Starting slowly, he helped Alex out of the room and down the hall, trying to look like he was allowed to do this.
Alex muttered his thanks, taking the tissue. It seemed like something he would use, but it wasn't cloth..? It was strange. Then again, everything he was facing in this world was strange to him. The man let himself be led, leaning into Sev's chest.
"Thank you, for doing this…" Alex looked around, but there was just so much to see. So, instead, he focused on Sev and the halls in front of them.
"No problem," Sev said. Part of him was focused on watching the area around them, the other making sure that the man beside him didn't fall. He offered Alex a quick smile. "I know the horrors of the media, and of being alone. I got you."
Alex managed to offer his own smile in turn before closing his eyes and holding himself closer as they walked. It was still too bright, the light seemed to reflect off of everything. It wasn't candlelight, either, it was as bright as a sun in comparison. He had no idea what 'media' was, but it didn't sound good.
The man kept tucked to Sev, even as he started to hear the sounds of other people coming towards them.
"Damnit," Sev muttered, hearing the voices as well. He grabbed Alex, so that he was more carrying the man's weight than anything, and slid into a bathroom just as a doctor and nurse rounded the corner.
"Shit," he muttered.
Alex let out a small squeak as Sev grabbed him and pulled him into a bathroom, keeping close to him.
"W-What's wrong..?" Alex asked. He kept close to Sev's chest, peaking out with concern.
"Nothing, I hope," Sev murmured. Without noticing, both arms went around the small man with him. He listened against the door, and heard a low talking in the hall. He didn't know who it was, or what they were saying. All he knew was that there were people stopped in the hall, and he couldn't have them finding Alex.
Alex let his head rest on Sev's chest, keeping close. He looked at the door with wide eyes as he listened as well before closing them, holding himself a bit closer. He couldn't cough, he couldn't. Not right now. He held his lips tightly together, holding onto Sev's shirt.
It seemed like forever, but the two doctors finally left. Sev let out a slow breath and peaked out the door, looking down the hallway.
There was no one there.
He nodded. "We're safe. Come on."
Alex finally let his cough out. It was as hard as when he had held it in the time before, small globs of plaster and blood coming up into the handkerchief from the force.
"O-Okay…" Alex kept close to Sev, looking around wearily.
Sev walked casually down the hall. Opening the door to the stairwell and making sure no one was in there, he helped Alex down the stairs and out through an exit at the bottom. Hustling the other man as gently as he could, Sev led Alex to his car and helped him in. "I'll take you to my place for now," he said kindly. "You'll be safe there."
Alex kept his eyes down as they hurried to wherever Sev was taking him. It was bright, and loud, and nothing was the same anymore… he did glance up at the machine Sev lead him to, holding tightly onto the other's arm but allowing himself to be guided inside.
"O-okay…"
Sev realized how strange this all must seem to the man. "Would you like something to eat?" He asked quietly.
"Yes… yes please." Alex curled up some in his seat, knees to his chest. Everything was so… different. Nothing was the same anymore, and he wasn't sure what to think. He didn't belong here…
"Alright. I'll pick up something. Are you allergic to anything?" He hoped Alex knew what this meant. He seemed pretty overwhelmed, making Sev want to hold him and help calm him down.
"I, I don't think so." Alex kept himself from looking out any windows, face half-hidden in his knees. He let out a small cough, tilting his head down and closing his eyes. He wanted to pretend he was still home, that he hadn't gone anywhere near… No. He couldn't. It would only make things worse to think like that.