I Love You

DAKOTA

Dashiell stares at me with wide, bloodshot eyes. He tries to sit up, and I hold him down, preventing him from moving. He's too weak to fight me off either way.

"Don't move. You have three broken ribs and a fractured rib. It hurts to breathe, doesn't it?" I say, keeping a hand on his bare chest. He stares at me for a moment. Then, he reaches up to touch my face with a trembling hand.

"Why am I so weak when it comes to matters concerning you?" He rasps, and I smile, stroking his long hair.

"I appreciate how much you care about me. But you really should stop doing this to yourself. You let yourself get this injured for my sake," I say.

"That's not true," he says.

"Don't bother trying to argue with me. Have you seen yourself in the mirror yet? Dashiell, you're a mess. You've had three seizures in one week. Even now, you still have a mild fever," I tell him, and he swallows hard, suddenly turning green.

"I'm..." His voice trails off as I grab the nearest trash can, supp