"I saw it all happen." I started. I heard the candles crack and saw the flicker of the light on the dense cold walls. The walls reminded me of the ship. Cold, hard, inescapable.
"Louis wouldn't stop talking. He was defending himself and speaking the truth. One day, the delta was over it and pulled him out of the cell."

"Get out here boy! You've disturbed the peace for the last time! Now get out here and hold still."
Many people held Louis down. By his hands and his feet. One guy on his torso too.
I watched as a woman pulled a blade out of her pocket and brought it to Louis's face. He kept thrashing his head around. Someone held his head down and his jaw open. The woman with the blade grabbed his tongue and not only cut it off, but slowly inched the blade through. There was so much blood everywhere. I remember hearing him scream and cry. I could hear him kicking and punching but it didn't work. I felt like I could hear every centimeter of his tongue coming undone. It was the most horrendous thing anyone could experience. After they held his head down I didn't watch anymore. I could only sit and listen. The whole thing lasted five minutes tops but it felt like it went on for fucking hours. I remember sitting in the corner and sobbing as I heard him cry. Louis was never so vulnerable in his life.
In the days to follow, Louis was torn down even more. They'd call him nasty things that insulted his race and his PTSD. His trauma got the best of him and even when someone took a step close to his cage, he'd flee to the back and put his knees to his chest. Every time it happened I was fueled with more rage and sadness. I couldn't stand to see him like that.

"After that I was never going to cooperate again. Ya know Clem, blood dries and washes away, cuts heal and maybe leave scars, but the mental damage they did to him will never leave. He will forever be scared of people now. He will never take yelling again. He won't ever let anyone move quickly around him again. He won't even look at a blade without crying again. And that's what's fucked up." I started to cry as I thought about him more.
"He was always the happy one. Always smiled jk matter what anyone said, what anyone did. But now he acts like he has never been happy in his life before. I know he tries to be tough and I know he tries to still act happy, and part of him is still in there I've seen it. But I know that eighty percent of his joy is gone. That's what's fucked up. That someone can do so much fucking damage in a couple of days that they can ruin a kid who still laughs and sings every day even though he's been in a literal apocalypse for years." I was so angry and sad all at the same time that I didn't know what to do.
I glanced over and saw a head peeking out from the corner.
"Come on Louis. I know it's you." I said through hitches of sobs.
Lous walked in shame and sat next to me. He pulled me into his lap and rocked me. I slowly wrapped my arms around him and felt his skin. He was still incredibly soft. I also felt the back of his neck, where his ethnic hair met the nape. I calmed as I inhaled the familiar smell of his natural scent.
"I'm glad your still alive Louis. I don't know what I would do without you."
Clem chuckled and smiled.
"If I was looking at it, I would think that y/n was the one who got hurt. Not Louis."
I chuckled at the comment and realized she was right.
"I know. I just don't want to even think about what could have happened to him."
He hummed as a way to tell me to calm down.
Clem got up and told us she was going to bed. We said out good nights and we were left on the floor.
It was dark as we only had a dim candle for our light.
Louis rested his head on top of mine and I nuzzled into his chest.
"I love you Louis." I said sleepily.
Louis softly placed his hand on my chest where my heart is.
I love you too.