Where The Spirit Meets The Bone

Forty-nine: Alina Starkov

Forty-nine:

Alina Starkov

Alina remembered gunshots. The men that had appeared when they were by the lake out of nowhere. She remembered Aleksander tensing, the look of fear in his eyes has he told her to get dressed and run. She remembered watching as her husband was shot. Feeling the bullet as it pierced through her own skin. Then she had the strangest sensation. A sensation of being wrapped in shadow, and sunlight. There were images that danced through her mind. Images that were her, but not. Images that were Aleksander but not. Yet...they were all them, and she couldn't explain it.

She saw them at The Little Palace, wearing keftas of the old days. Aleksander's was black and hers was a brilliant blue with golden sun rays on the shoulders. They were in the throne room, in front of the King and Queen. Aleksander had shadows swirling around him. He touched her hand, a brilliant light came from her.

The image faded, and it was no longer the far past. But she wore a golden flapper dress, and Aleksander was in a sleek suit. They pressed up against each other in a smoky speakeasy as a voice on the record player sang.

"There's something wild about you child, that's so contagious, let's be outrageous, let's misbehave...."

The image faded, and she was wearing a bright yellow sweater seat with a headband, her dark hair curled, as she was pressed up against a tree. Aleksander was kissing her neck, and there were shadows swirling around him, as light licked her skin.

There were thousands of these images bouncing through her mind. Her, and Aleksander, all through time.

The images stopped for a moment, and it looked like it was about twenty years ago. There was a woman that looked like Baghra that was dragging her down a tunnel. "You need to go, girl," she was urging her, "I have seen this story a hundred times. It always ends the same. Aleksander will never learn to love."

"But Baghra, I've been with him---"

"Do you think that makes you special girl? Do you think there haven't been thousands of others? Aleksander is hundreds of years old. I should know. I'm his mother. I have seen this song and dance from him before. He will do whatever he needs for power. Including use you."

"I am pregnant," said Alina, "it will be different this time."

Baghra's eyes widened. "You foolish girl! You've no idea what you've done."

"Baghra," Alina said, "you're hurting me. Please, let me go----"

"No," she said with a shake of her head, "no, I won't let this happen again. I have lived through Aleksander's horrors before, and I won't do it again. You will not have that baby!"

"It's not your choice!" Alina snapped. "It's mine. I'm in love with him, he's in love with me, and I'm going to keep the baby. We're going to be a family, Baghra, and we're going to be happy."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Baghra gripped her wrist tightly, there was a burst of light, and Alina heard herself scream. That was the last thing that she remembered.

Alina woke up, alone in her room. There was a blond woman standing there that she didn't recognize. She wore a white doctors coat, and her blond hair was up in a bun. Alina tried to focus, to remember what had happened. The field.

"Lady Morozova," the doctor said, "you're awake. I'm so glad. We've been worried about you. You were unconscious for some time."

Alina frowned. "How much time?"

"Two days," said the Doctor.

She tried moving and her shoulder hurt, making her wince. "OW!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor ran to her side and gently forced her back down. "No, Lady Morozova. You must stay in bed."

"It hurts," she said, "why does it hurt?"

"You and Lord Morozova were shot by Fjerdian soldiers that were trying to assassinate the General."

"My shoulder hurts but not that terribly," said Alina, "surely I can stand."

"We're not worried about your shoulder. It's something else we're worried about."

Alina raised an eyebrow. "What? What is it?"

The Doctor hesitated. "You're pregnant, Lady Morozova."

Alina blushed. "I'm...I'm what?"

The Doctor sat down in the chair that was across from the bed so that she was level with her. "You've been married for two weeks, and honeymooning Lady Morozova. It would seem you...you and Lord Morozova---"

"But I'm---I'm too young to be a mother!" she blurted. "I didn't expect to have it happen so fast."

The Doctor smiled. "It's a blessing from the Saints, Lady Morozova. Especially considering that you survived the attack that was on you. The Saints have smiled on your family."

"Where is Aleksander?" Alina said.

The Doctor frowned. "Lord Morozova woke, his mother was with him. But he's been in and out of consciousness."

Alina stiffened. "Baghra is with him?"

"Yes," she said, "she's been taking care of him, along with my brother, who I share a practice with. She came in from the city with us."

Alina frowned. "From the city with you?"

The Doctor froze. "Yes. We're her personal physicians."

"Wouldn't it have been faster to go to the local doctor?" Alina asked. "Why did she need her doctors? Why not the local doctor?"

"He was here," said The Doctor, "Baghra sent him away when we came with her."

Alina looked around the room. "You don't have a bag."

"Yes, I do."

"Where is it?"

"It's behind the door."

"Why is it behind the door?" Alina asked.

"I didn't require it," said The Doctor.

Alina frowned. "You haven't run any tests on me since I've been awake. Don't you want to make certain that I'm physically sound?"

"We ran all of the tests we needed to. You are in safe hands, Alina. Now please relax."

"I don't know you," she said, "and I'm not going to rest until I see my husband."

Alina pushed herself up and was trying to get off of the bed when she felt herself sway and fall. Then there was nothing but darkness.