As Lisle and Ellis went to exit the observatory, they found themselves standing face-to-face with Grant who was waiting in the doorway with his hands in his jean pockets and his tired eyes gazing at them with curiosity. He fixed his hair and trimmed up his beard after he finished his morning duties, he looked more awake and smelled of rich coffee.

“Oh, you bad man, eavesdropping is rude,” Lisle chided as he approached.

Grant set his hand on Lisle’s waist and kissed his cheek before he turned his attention to Ellis. He studied the young man’s expression, his teary eyes and sunken cheeks, and felt a heavy sigh force itself through his lips.

“I would suggest, as your doctor, you take it slow. Malnutrition can be hard to recover from, so eat light meals with plenty of protein until we can get you back to a healthy state, Mr. Hughes,” Grant said gently.

“Did you hear all of that?” Ellis asked nervously.

“You were in the equivalent of a giant tube, voices carry. I came to let my troublemaker here know he forgot his medications, again, it wasn’t meant with any ill intent. Still, now that I know, I do have to urge that you take it easy and be honest with me about your health,” Grant replied.

“What would you like Ellis to do, Grant? What would be most beneficial for him?” Lisle inquired as he urged Ellis out into the garden. He closed the observatory door behind him and set his hands together to wait for his husband to respond.

“For today? I’d like for Ellis to eat something small and light, then I’m going to give him his flu vaccine and send him to bed. My personal recommendation would be to take today and tomorrow and observe how the hotel is run, spend the time as if you were a guest yourself and let your body acclimate to these changes so you don’t end up sick. It would also allow you to have a better, more thorough understanding of The Planet itself which will be beneficial for the guests and your job.

“Right now, the biggest priority is getting you well, and it will take time. It sounds like your body won’t be used to having rich, abundant foods, so be mindful to make sure you don’t make yourself sick or overdo it. I’ll talk to Janine and tell her you need simple meals high in protein and iron for health reasons, but don’t be afraid to ask for things outside of what’s recommended. We want you happy, and if you’re craving something it’s for a reason, so listen to your body,” Grant explained.

“Yes, sir,” Ellis replied with a shy nod.

“So, omelets?” Lisle asked with a titled head.

“Do you want an omelet, Lisle?” Grant asked as he turned on his heel.

“I always want omelets, you make such delicious eggs, my dear,” Lisle replied as he wrapped his arm around the doctor’s.

Grant sighed again, “Fine, omelets it is. Come along, Mr. Hughes, we need to get you fed and back to bed.”

“Coming!” Ellis replied as he scurried off after them.

The trio of men exited the small garden and walked back into the foyer. It was deathly quiet inside, the fountain was the only sound that broke up the eerie silence. Lisle noted most of the guests would, most likely, be resting until mid-afternoon but were free to go about their days as they pleased until dinner when Lisle would go over some of the rules and regulations of the hotel for the newcomers. He urged Ellis to try out the pool, noting it was his favorite way to relax, and told him that he should visit the library on the second floor at some point. Nothing was as lovely as curling up with a book in the lounge by the fire, he explained with a sense of urgency, as though it would fix all of Ellis’ troubles.

They took the right-hand corridor toward The Pink Hare and decided to go the scenic route through the inner garden on their way to the restaurant so the new employee could see it for himself.

Ellis gasped slightly when the humid, hot air hit him as they stepped through the automatic sliding door. It was warm, like a summer’s day, inside and the glistening sunlight that broke through the domed ceiling only added to that cozy comfort. The grass was perfectly cut, as if each blade had been personally tended to with a pair of scissors. Ellis noticed the piano in the center of the garden, it was a deep navy hue with golden stars painted on the lid, and the ceiling of the gazebo was designed to look like a map of the galaxy. The iron tables and chairs that guests would use to eat their meals in the serene landscape were spotless and each one was adorned with a vase full of freshly picked florals.

“It’s strange to think that just outside of these walls is an endless expanse of snow, it feels so surreal,” Ellis noted as he took in the area.

“Indeed, it’s a marvel of technology and abundance in such a barren landscape, but I must admit that I love the snow. It hasn’t grown tiresome even after all this time,” Lisle noted.

“It would be nice to see something other than snow, though,” Grant chided.

“Well, maybe one day I’ll feel well enough to take a vacation,” Lisle joked.

“Doubtful.”

“Have you not left the hotel since you arrived?” Ellis inquired.

“Grant has, he needed to finish up his doctorate and establish a practice in Sydney. For the first few years he would alternate which months he was on site unless we had only wellness guests, then he would be offsite longer since his services weren’t as heavily required. I, however, haven’t left in about eight years,” Lisle explained.

“Don’t you get tired of being here?” Ellis asked.

“Not really, it’s… safe here. My immune system is quite weak and I get ill quickly, I don’t like the thought of risking it over a trip to the beach. I know Grant resents me for it—”

“Stop making me out to be the villain, Lisle. Your health is what matters, you know that, I just hate that you’ve turned into an agoraphobe. It worries me, that’s all,” Grant interrupted, obviously upset that the hotel owner was pinning it on him.

Lisle giggled, he hid his mouth behind his hand and turned away, “You’re so grouchy.”

Grant scoffed, “I’ve been working non-stop for over a decade without a day off, Lisle, I’m allowed to be grouchy. I’m old and you won’t let me retire, you slave driver.”

Ellis smiled gently, even with how irritated Grant sounded, it was apparent the couple had playful banter down to an art. They shared a loving, coy glance, and the edges of Grant’s lips curled ever so slightly as he looked into his husband’s eyes.

The trio exited the botanical gardens and entered the restaurant. It was empty, but the lingering fragrances of various breakfast items and coffee hung in the air. Ellis looked at the large clock above the door that led to the lounge and noticed it was nearing 0900. He tried to hide a yawn as he followed Lisle to a table.

“Do you want anything with your omelet, Mr. Hughes?” Grant inquired as he walked toward the kitchen door.

“N-no?” Ellis mumbled.

Grant looked at him, he cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow, “Mr. Hughes, you’re allowed to want things. What do you want with your omelet?”

“Peppers and onions?” Ellis asked nervously.

“I’d like ham with mine, please,” Lisle requested as he sat down at a table.

“I know how you like your omelets, Lisle, ham and mushrooms with fresh grated cheddar,” Grant said sharply.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

Lisle patted the chair beside him and placed his head atop his hands. Ellis took a seat and exhaled as he rubbed his thighs nervously. Lisle studied his motions and the purple rings around his eyes, the poor thing looked so tired.

“Did you decide to take a leap year from uni to come here, Ellis?” Lisle inquired.

“Oh… no… I’m not actually in uni… I worked at the coffee shop there part-time, I guess I misspoke. The nerves were getting the better of me and I… I was embarrassed,” Ellis explained sheepishly.

“Ah, that makes more sense. It seemed odd that Professor Whitmore would suggest a student mid-study up and leave it all, especially so hastily. No need to be embarrassed, Ellis.”

“Still—”

“Professor Whitmore is a fine judge of character, Ellis, and he must have realized you’d need to be here. Obviously, I think he’s correct, and you must have also believed it since it’s quite clear you ran away from home… if you were in uni, what would you want to study?”

Ellis pondered the inquiry for a moment, “I don’t know. I wasn’t ever given that luxury, I don’t have any money and I’m not well-educated. It was hard for me to the get job at the café, and I was surprised that I even got hired here. Professor Whitmore is kind and always tipped me well when stopped by in the mornings for his coffee, but I’m just a sub-par barista. Didn’t you take a big risk? Weren’t there more… qualified individuals?”

Lisle tilted his head to the side and smiled, “My dear Ellis, I don’t hire based on experience, I hire based on merit and heart. Professor Whitmore said you needed to be here, so you’re here, and I am so glad you are. You were my only applicant, and that makes you special. We have plenty of textbooks and literature in the library, so take your time and find something you enjoy. You’ll make plenty of money during your season here, if you’d like to take it and enroll in uni. If you work here long enough you could easily cover your entire education should that be something you desire. I hope that, whatever you decide to do after this season, makes you happy. This can be your home, and I’m here if you need advice, or to simply talk. All I ask is that you try to discover who you want to be while you’re here.”

“What if I’m not worth investing in?” Ellis asked with such honesty it broke Lisle’s heart.

“You’re worth everything, Ellis. Everyone here is worth the universe, and then some, including you. And I want you to thrive, so we’ll do what we can to equip you with the tools you need to do so,” Lisle explained as he turned to Grant who returned with plates in his hands, “And, I believe, that starts with a well balanced breakfast.”