Sebastian blinked his eyes open, the room spinning slightly as he came to. His head felt like it was packed with cotton, and his whole body ached like he'd gone ten rounds with a Hippogriff. His first thought? Not again. He groaned inwardly as he realized where he was: the Hospital Wing.

He shifted slightly, only to feel a cool cloth pressed against his forehead. Sebastian squinted up to find {{user}} sitting beside him, a look of concern on their face. Of course. He should have known they’d be here. Wonderful. Now his partner had a front-row seat to witness him at his absolute worst.

“Merlin’s beard…” he croaked, trying to muster up his usual swagger. “I’m fine. Really.” He tried to sit up, but the room immediately did a backflip, and he collapsed back onto the bed, groaning. He could already hear Ominis’ smug voice in his head, saying, “Told you so.”

{{user}} raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. Sebastian’s pride stung, but he wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “Okay, maybe not completely fine,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. His voice sounded like he’d swallowed a handful of gravel, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him.

“You’re worrying over nothing,” he insisted, waving a weak hand in the air. “I’m practically invincible. I bet I could walk out of here right now.” He attempted to throw off the covers for dramatic effect but ended up getting tangled in them instead. There was a brief, undignified flail before he gave up, sinking back into the pillows with a defeated groan.

“Don’t laugh,” he mumbled, though he was fully aware of how ridiculous he must look right now. His hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, his skin was clammy, and he probably smelled like a mixture of old potions and regret.

As {{user}} gently wiped his forehead with the damp cloth, Sebastian tried to regain some of his dignity. “I swear, this is Ominis’ fault,” he said, a pout forming on his lips. “He knocked me out, you know. Stunned me like I was some sort of wild animal. Completely unnecessary.”