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It was 10:35 when Eren came home early from school, supporting a pale looking Armin who had passed out during his third period class.
“I’m fine,” Armin insisted, “Just not feeling well.”
“You fainted in class,” Eren argued, helping settle Armin into his bed. “I think I’m allowed to worry.”
Armin didn’t argue any further. “I’m just tired,” he explained.
Eren sat by his beside and petted Armin’s hair. “Just rest, okay? Mikasa and I will get the homework you need.”
“Can you turn in my essay in English for me?” Armin requested.
“Of course,” Eren replied with a smile.
“Alright Eren, get back to school now,” Levi said from the doorway. “Armin’s going to be fine.”
“I know!” Eren said defensively, standing up. He gave Armin’s head another pat before grabbing his backpack.
Once Levi had seen Eren to the door he returned back to Armin’s room. “Do you need anything?” he asked. Armin shook his head. “If you do, you know where to find me,” Levi reminded before leaving the boy alone.
Armin slept for a few hours before being shaken awake by Levi, who had brought him something to eat. With a little difficulty, Armin sat up and Levi settled the tray on his lap. It was a big deal for Levi to let him eat in bed and Armin appreciated it.
“Thank you,” Armin said before taking a bit of the simple sandwich.
In reply, Levi hummed noncommittally. He touched Armin’s forehead and cheek with the back of his hand, testing the boy’s temperature. It was a surprisingly tender gesture coming from Levi. Even if Armin knew that Levi cared about him, it was still nice to be reminded with Levi’s rare affectionate gestures.
“Feels like you have a fever,” Levi concluded.
“It’s probably just a cold,” Armin said in agreement. He set the sandwich down, his stomach feeling a little uneasy.
“I’ve called your dad,” Levi told him, letting himself sit at the edge of Armin’s bed.
The boy groaned. “You shouldn’t have done that. He’s just going to worry.”
Levi shrugged. “I think he would be more upset if he came home to find out you’re not feeling well.”
“I know,” Armin sighed. “But he always freaks out when I get sick.”
By the time Erwin had returned home from work, Armin was doing much, much worse. What started out as a light fever was getting to more dangerous levels and Armin’s upset stomach had led to vomiting. As soon as Erwin walked in the door, he was in a small state of panic, despite his son’s general disposition for illness. Erwin’s late wife also had a weak constitution, which worried him deeply.
“Before you see him, I need to you listen to me,” Levi said, stopping Erwin as soon as he stepped through the door. “I need you to stay calm. He’s gotten worse, but it’s nothing to freak out about, alright?” he explained calmly.
Erwin’s heart began to race, but he took a deep breath and tried to keep his worry contained. He slipped off his shoes and added them to the cubby and hung up his coat.
“I’m perfectly calm,” Erwin assured.
Levi pursed his lips. “I know you Erwin. You’re freaking out on the inside.”
He hummed noncommittally before stepping past him to Armin’s room. He stood at the doorway and watched as Eren helped Armin sit up and Mikasa held back his hair as he vomited into a bowl resting in his lap.
“Hey Arm, how’re you feeling?” Erwin asked gently as he approached. Mikasa quietly took the bowl away to clean it out and let Erwin take her place at Armin’s bedside.
“I’m okay,” Armin replied, accepting a glass of water from Eren.
“You don’t look okay,” Erwin remarked, noting how pale Armin looked, how his face had a light sweaty sheen to it, and how red rimmed his eyes were. Beside him, Eren was biting his lip and looking downright frantic.
“Just a fever and a stomach bug,” Armin insisted. “I just need some rest.” But Erwin still pulled him into a tight hug, pressed him against his chest and kissed the top of his fevered sweaty head.
By 9:00, Armin’s fever reached 103 and Erwin was panicking and he wasn’t the only one either.
“You’re fine, you’re going to be great,” Eren rambled frantically as Armin continued to dry heave, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Eren started crying himself, “You’re going to be just fine.”
“Eren,” Mikasa murmured gently, “I think you should take a break and step out.” She knew Eren’s freaking out was only agitating Armin further. He looked at her with angry and betrayed eyes, but he stepped out of the room anyway.
He wiped frustratedly at his face and went to the bathroom to splash it with cool water. From there, he could her Erwin and his Dad arguing in the kitchen.
“I know you’re worried, but I think the hospital is a little extreme,” Levi reasoned. “We can take him to the doctor’s tomorrow.”
“His fever is getting too high,” Erwin argued. His voice was perfectly calm, almost emotionless. Eren recognized that as a sign that Erwin was actually very distressed.
“I agree,” Eren said, stepping from the bathroom and into the kitchen. His voice was shaking as he spoke. “He needs help.”
Levi and Erwin turned to face him.
“His fever… and he won’t stop throwing up, even though he has nothing left in him,” Eren’s voice cracked and then he was visibly crying.
Levi sighed and waved his son over with a hand. Eren complied, still in tears. “Hey, it’s okay. Armin is going to be fine. You don’t need to worry,” Levi insisted.
“He has to be. He has to be,” Eren said weakly, being to cry harder. Levi’s hands lifted to his face and wiped the tears from his cheeks.
“If Armin’s fever reaches 104, then we’ll take him to the hospital, okay?” Levi said gently, more so than usual.
Eren nodded and took a shuddering breath. He leaned down to rest his head on his Papa’s shoulder. Reluctantly, Levi let him rub his teary face on him and gave his boy a gentle hug.
“You and Erwin need to stop worrying so much,” Levi chided. “Worrying will do you no good.” He said this looking over Eren’s hunched shoulder to look Erwin straight in the eye. “You’re not going to lose him to a little stomach bug and fever.”
Erwin had to look away and hid his face, throat feeling choked with emotion.
By 10:30, Levi and Erwin were driving Armin to the emergency room, with Levi in the driver’s seat and Erwin supporting Armin laid across the back seat. Eren had protested profusely about being left behind, but Levi had insisted he was too frantic and not needed. Mikasa had to hold him back when they left.
They spent the night in emergency. Levi wasn’t allowed in the room as he wasn’t technically family and Erwin was pushed out in order to keep him out of the way while the doctors and nurse’s worked to lower Armin’s fever and check to see if it was a life threatening illness. Levi stayed calm and sat close to Erwin, to help him stay grounded.
This wasn’t to say that Levi wasn’t concerned as well, because he was. Armin was very dear to him too, almost like his own child. But he knew that Erwin was falling apart inside his head. Erwin was blocking everything else out and kept such a serene expression that Levi could tell the situation was severe.
Inside his mind, Erwin was reliving the night he took Maria to the hospital, the night he lost her. Since then he had come to accept what had happened and now had Levi and his children to love. But he couldn’t lose Armin in the sudden and same way he lost his wife.
“Erwin,” Levi said firmly, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look down into his face. “This isn’t what happened with Maria. You aren’t going to lose Armin.”
Erwin nodded, still dazed and lost in his worries.
Usually, Levi was averse to public displays of affection, but he held tightly onto Erwin’s hand the whole night. He wished he was better at comforting people or that he was more talkative and could distract Erwin from his own spiraling thoughts.
By 5:00 in the morning, Armin’s fever was stabilized and the doctors came back with the news that Armin didn’t have meningitis or any other possibly threatening illnesses. It was just the flu with exasperated symptoms on a weak immune system. They gave Erwin instructions to make sure Armin stay hydrated and gave preventative measures against pneumonia.
Armin was ready to go home. He allowed himself to be carried to the car like a child and let his Daddy hold him tightly all the ride home. A few days rest were still needed and he was still weak. But Armin was going to be fine.
Erwin kissed his head, petted his hair and caressed his cheeks all the way home. Armin let himself be soothed by the soft touches which helped distract him from the ache in his body.
Once home, Eren and Mikasa were waiting anxious, neither of them having slept well and decided to just sit awake together, waiting. Levi had kept them updated via text, but Eren wasn’t going to relax until he saw Armin for himself.
“Armin!” he cried, as soon as the door opened and Erwin carried him inside.
With a smile, Armin wiggled his fingers at Eren in greeting. “Hello.”
Eren rushed forward and awkwardly hugged Armin while he was still in Erwin’s arms. Until Levi pushed in away, demanding he relax and give the sick boy some space.
“I swear, between you and Erwin you’re going to smother the kid,” he muttered. “Armin’s fine and we’re all going to go to bed now, alright?”
Eren trailed after Erwin to Armin’s room and immediately climbed into bed with him. He snuggled close and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Levi rolled his eyes at the display, but didn’t say anything. He helped Erwin get a class of water and asked if Armin needed anything else.
“I’m okay,” Armin confirmed.
“I’ll get him anything he needs,” Eren butt in, voice already sounding sleepy.
“Both of you, just go to sleep,” Levi instructed. But the two of them were already starting to follow orders.
Several hours later, after getting some sleep himself, Levi checked in on Armin to find him fast asleep, with Eren wrapped tightly around him.