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“Brother? Are you alright?”
The door creaked slightly as it was eased open, admitting a sliver of light from the hallway. It pierced through the darkness of the room created by the drawn curtains, but William didn’t let his discomfort show beneath his gentle smile as Louis stepped into the room.
“It’s just the usual thing, nothing to worry about,” he reassured his brother, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll just rest for today. You’ll let the others know?”
“Oh! Yes, of course. Is there anything that I can do for you?”
“There’s no need to go out of your way, but if you insist, I would like some chilled juice.”
“Understood. And something simple for supper? Soup, perhaps?”
“You know me too well.”
The praise made Louis straighten up while a small smile flitted across his face. Quietly, he excused himself before stepping out again, closing the door behind him and plunging the room back into darkness. And William sighed, relaxing as he leaned back against his pillows and closed his eyes.
The pounding in his head was exasperating. And it didn’t sit well with him that he was just lying in bed while the others continued to work on his plan. However, he knew that there was no point in trying to push himself when he was like this: he’d only get in their way. The best thing that he could do was rest so that he could recover more quickly and return to the front lines. It was what he would have told any of the others to do, if they were in his situation.
But there was no way to turn off his brain when it was like this. When he overtaxed it while devising his plans, he could often take a brief nap to refresh himself, but he wasn’t tired. His thoughts raced through his head, each piercing him with a new stab of pain: how to stop Moran from going on a rampage when he was no longer around, what would happen to Bill when the identity of the Lord of Crime was revealed… and of course, the final problem of Sherlock Holmes.
A polite knock interrupted his thoughts, and he straightened up again, glancing toward the door.
"Come in."
As Louis re-entered the room, he eased the door closed, admitting just enough light for him to see as he approached the bed to offer William a chilled glass. With quiet thanks, he accepted it, taking a sip of the sour juice.
"I took the liberty to prepare fresh juice from some of Mr. Burton's grapefruits. I hope that it suits your taste."
A slight smile spread over William's face as he was reminded of the first case he'd taken in Durham. It felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, but the end was finally in sight. Even when he was no longer around, he could trust in his comrades to make sure that England was finally set on a path toward the future.
He reached out to grasp Louis' hand so he could squeeze it.
"It's perfect. Thank you for everything you've done for me, Louis."
"I'd do anything for you!"
William didn't doubt it. But he simply finished the drink before settling back into his bed with another sigh. He was already starting to feel a little better as Louis left with the empty glass. Perhaps he might be able to get a little rest, after all.