"...mine as well." Zeke responded.

He then got closer towards her, and wrapped an arm around her in a hug, but didn't want to disturb her eating.

After he was finished here, he would go and see Angela.

But he suspected nothing would have changed, or would change.

And it broke his own heart, and made the rage deep inside him continue to roil and boil.

When Liv wrapped both her arms around Zeke, he used his other arm and returned the embrace fully. He held her close, and did his best not to break down then and there.

'Damn it.' he thought.

'This isn't fair. To either of them.' he thought further, clenching his teeth together, but hiding it behind closed lips. He just continued to hold Liv until she showed signs of needing to break away, so he loosened his own hold and let her slip out on her own terms.

"I promise I'll keep visiting." he said.

"And I promise I'll find a way to REALLY help you and your mother." he went on.

"You'll see. I'm an angel, and I will make sure I live up to that designation." he added, conviction in his tone.

"....in the end, I... I wish I knew." Zeke replied.

In truth, that was sort of a lie. He had a strong feeling that ONE person knew. ONE person that had probably made all this happen. ONE person that knew what WOULD happen.

But she was practically impossible to speak to, and even Emelie sometimes had trouble getting an audience with her, she was so hard to talk to.

So... in the end, he may as well have had no idea. And he hated it.

"Just need to remain positive." he told her.

"Have optimism... and have faith." he added.

Zeke said nothing more, and just continued to hold her. As he did, he felt the rage inside him rise. It was almost unquenchable, but he knew he had to try and keep it hidden.

However, at that point, there was another knock on the door, and Hal poked his head in.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were here, Zeke." he commented.

"Well, I was getting ready to go and see Angela." Zeke replied.

"....." Hal was silent. He'd just come from seeing her, and he knew Zeke wouldn't like what would happen.

"Ahhh, I see." he then said, as Zeke said goodbye to Liv, and left the room, with Hal making his way over towards the girl.

"Well, I wanted to come and see you." Hal responded with a smile.

"After all, I care about you and Angela." he told her.

"And I want to help you as much as I possibly can." he reasoned.

"....mmm, smells good." he then said, smelling the curry that she had.

"Didn't think the hospital served food that good." he chuckled, trying to make pleasant conversation and lighten the atmosphere in the room.

Hal was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"All right." he said, accepting the dish.

"This DOES smell really good." he commented.

"Zeke really IS good to you." he added with a small laugh.

"I hear he comes to see you whenever he can." he added.

"....." Hal was silent, and sighed.

"I wish I could tell you." he said.

"But even -I- might be a bit too wary to look into that mind of his." he admitted.

"I do worry about him, though." he added.

"But I'm sure he'll find a way to cope." he assured her.

"He's strong, after all."

"....I know." Hal responded.

"I guess he feels he needs to be strong for you." he said.

"Or... maybe it's something more..." he went on.

'I wonder if he's scared...' he thought.

'He IS half archangel... I wonder if he's scared of that rage his DNA must be feeling...'

Hal merely responded by holding her close to him. He held her close and didn't let go.

"Olivia." he said.

"I promise we'll do all we can for you and your mother." he told her.

"I will do everything in my power to bring her back to you." he assured her further. "And try and comfort you in this time." he went on.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." he then added quietly.

Hal was silent, unsure as to what to say.

He didn't know if anything he could say right now would help. Anything he said would probably be empty words to Liv.

She needed someone to be there for her. Someone to confide in. Someone to just... BE there. And for now, he would be that person. She needed this.

'....if I hadn't asked Angela to guard that accursed pen...' he started to think, before banishing the thought.

He had no time for 'ifs' right now. Liv needed him.