The beeping of the machines was keeping Magnus awake. It didn't matter how hard he tried, his eyes wouldn't drop to let him sleep. Or maybe he refused to sleep. He wasn't entirely sure. It was just a long couple of days and everything was becoming jumbled together, his days included.

"Magnus?" Isabelle's soft voice whispered from behind. He turned to see her standing in the doorway of Alec's recovery room. "Everything okay in here?"

Magnus relaxed in his chair, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "Everything is the same as it was three days ago. He hasn't moved. He's barely responded to the Silent Brother's work. I'm sitting here and I can't do a goddamn thing-"

"Magnus. It's okay. You're here for him now, aren't you? That's doing something," she told him.

"Yeah, well...." Magnus scoffed. "It doesn't feel like I'm doing something. Alec's laying here fighting for his life and I'm drinking coffee and doing crossword puzzles."

He slapped down the crossword book he was doing on the bedside table. Isabelle reached down and held his hand with her own, rubbing it with her thumbs. This simple gesture made him smile softly and look back at Alec on the hospital bed.

"It's nice of Brother Zachariah to oversee Alec's recovery himself. I didn't know the Silent Brothers were even allowed to do that," said Isabelle.

"The Lightwoods have been close with the Herondales for a long time. You do know your family history, right? You're a descendant of the Herondales. Any friend of theirs is a friend of Brother Zachariah as he always says."

"I've heard him say it once. I never understood it until my mother actually explained it to me." Isabelle nodded. She looked at Alec and sighed heavily. "How is he doing? Any improvements?"

"Ah. Not really. Jace was given special permission to activate Alec's Iratze and a blood transfusion rune every couple of hours-and it's been helping-but Zachariah says he needs more than that."

Isabelle frowned. "Like what?"

Magnus looked at Alec's broken arm. "Therapy, for starters. He's going to have to relearn how to use his bow and blade again and I've seen firsthand how hard it is to bounce back after suffering through a traumatic event. It'll be difficult for him."

Isabelle smiled. "That's why he has you. You'll make it easier for him."

She pat him on the shoulder before leaving him alone with Alec. The beeping suddenly became overwhelming so he shot up out of his seat and began to pace the floor. After glancing from the ceiling to Alec several times, he finally sat down beside the bed again, grasping Alec's unbroken hand tightly.

"Now you listen to me, Alexander. You're going to get through this. We both are. Together. I might not have my magic anymore but I'll do everything and anything I can to make your recovery as speedy as possible. That could be training, paperwork, whatever it is you need me to do. I'll do it for you. Just know that I'm here for you, my love."

Alec never stirred. The only visible signs of him being alive was the steady breathing and movements of his rising and falling chest as well as the beeping of the heart monitor. Otherwise he looked pale. Dead.

"Can you even hear me?" Magnus squeezed his hand in hopes that Alec would feel it and squeeze back, but the Shadowhunter didn't move. "Of course not. Brother Zachariah said you'd be out of it for a while-"

"Zachariah is full of crap," came a raspy voice. Alec coughed, peeled open one eye, and smiled lazily at Magnus. "Hi. I heard every word you said. Of what everyone said, for that matter. I got stabbed in the chest. Not the ears."

"Alexander!" Magnus half laughed, half sobbed. "My sweet Alexander. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Water? Food?"

Alec shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm just really tired. How are you? You look like death."

A chuckle escaped Magnus' throat. "Me? You should see yourself. Still beautiful though. My beautiful man." He stroked Alec's hair and smiled softly. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you, Alexander. I feel awful sitting here and not being able to do anything for you."

"You can start by explaining to me what you meant by not having your magic anymore."

"You heard that?" Magnus cringed.

"I did. Magnus....what did you do in Edom?"

Taking a deep breath, Magnus steadied himself before speaking. "I traded my magic for a spell to save Jace. Asmodeus wanted something in exchange so he wanted my magic for the spell."

Alec closed his eyes. "Damn it, Magnus. Why? Why did you have to do that?"

"Because I knew if you lost Jace then I'd lose you too. I couldn't have that. So it was either watch you lose half of your soul or do something to save it."

They both fell silent. The beeping of the monitor was driving Magnus to insanity and he was about one beep away from throwing it out into the hallway.

"Okay. So we have to relearn how to do things again. It's no big deal," shrugged Alec.

"You do realize that means that you have to relearn to use your weapons again, right?"

Alec nodded. "Like Isabelle said. You'll be there to make it easier, right?"

This made Magnus smile and kiss Alec's good hand. "Always, my love. I'm here for you as long as you want me by your side."

A drug filled Alec smiled lazily and closed his eyes. "I'm going back to sleep now, Magnus. I'm so tired. Stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere, tough guy. Sleep away."

As Alec fell asleep, Magnus felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders and he was finally able to fall asleep for the first time in days.