Caesar loathed the idea of being forced away from Albert for any period of time, as if he were afraid that any moment the Malnosso would return to finish what they started. He kept his movement as quiet as possible so he could listen for any strange noise from the other room, but such stealth was almost impossible given the arrangement of pots and pans he had to wade through to find what he needed.

As he waited for Albert's meal to cook, he made several trips to the door of his bedroom, anxiously gazing at his brother huddled in the shadows there. He didn't move, and Caesar wondered if perhaps he'd succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep.

He doubted it.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Caesar poured most of the pan of broth into a cup, hoping that it would meet Albert's requirements, hesitating before tearing off a chunk of soft bread. If he was up for it, something solid would do him good.

"Hey," Caesar whispered as he returned to his room with food in hand. "Albert..? You awake, bro?"