Carl was worried about his lover. They had been in their room all day, which was unlike them, given their usual habit of working themselves to death every day. The absence of their usual bustling activity had Carl on edge, so he decided to check on them.

He softly knocked on the door to their room before peeking his head in. The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn to keep out the harsh sunlight. His lover was curled up on the bed, looking uncharacteristically fragile.

"Hey," Carl said gently, his voice barely above a whisper. "You okay in there?"