If it was just a cold, Erwin would excuse himself to the couch for the night. He'd bundle up under a load of blankets and coax Burnt Rice to join him, and drink a pot of hot tea with honey before going to sleep. That was usually enough to knock any ordinary illness away.

The flower petals mean this isn't any ordinary illness.

"It started later in the afternoon. Jean had it too, and I helped him get settled before I started home."

Jean was settled a couple of hours ago, but Levi doesn't need to know that. Erwin had held out stubborn hope that sharing secrets with Jean would be enough to cure himself, but he doesn't seem to be so lucky.

"It's, ah... it's not a regular cough." Best to just get it out there. "I'm coughing up flower petals."