hav seemed a little sickly today. he was limping and his voice was hoarse as if he had been screaming non-stop for hours. he didn't even have the strength to pull me close to him, and so i did my best to snuggle into him and be as gentle as i could.

"are you okay?" i asked, worry lacing my voice. my eyebrows pulled into a frown when he shook his head slightly.

"why do they do that to you?" i mumbled, feeling nothing but pity and sadness for him. he seemed to always be on the losing end of things.

"they think i'm bad," he said quietly, trembling slightly when i ran a finger down his neck. "so they punish me."

"but they're not supposed to do that," i argued. "it isn't allowed. this is a hospital. it's a place that's meant to help you."

hav barked out a weak laugh and then fell silent, his chest crumbling at every exhale.

"ignorance is bliss, ava. go to sleep. i'll be okay."