Join Me In Hell

Falling Stars

Many long hours were spent by Yuuri sitting around the waiting room once they arrived at the hospital,  a nurse insisting in rushed and broken English that Yuuri stay where he was.  He was forced to entrust Viktor to them and wait.   This  was not an experience he would ever want to repeat.  There were stretches of nothing, broken by moments of controlled chaos when someone else would be brought in.  The nurses and doctors ignored him, most likely since he was not related to their patient.    One nurse had  been kind to him during the long hours, speaking English and bringing him something to eat and drink.   She showed him where the restrooms were located, the vending machines and the cafeteria.  She assured him everything was going well  and they would send someone out for him when everything was ready.    Viktor's injuries were not life threatening.    

The nurse told him he's been lucky,   but Yuuri  knew the truth.     He wished he could tell her how grateful he was, but his mind  was elsewhere.  When her shift was over  Yuuri was again on his own.  

At least considering how long they'd been there Viktor had sobered up by the time the authorities showed up.   They asked him questions, but he had no answers since he didn't know the men and didn't want to say too much about his suspicions. 

It wasn't until night had fallen again that they  let him in to see Viktor, who was  unwilling to talk and only demanding that he be allowed to leave.   If he hadn't been  hooked up to an  I.V.   and  a heart monitor Yuuri thought he would have just gotten up and left, not caring that he wore only a hospital gown.      After a couple more hours, arguing with doctors and police they were finally escorted out to a waiting cab.   

They returned from the hospital in silence,  Viktor having handled  all the questions asked of them by police and hospital workers.  It was a random attack, that was their story, just some thugs attempting to rob tourists and nothing more.  No mention of what the men might have wanted or what they said.   It was easier for Viktor to deal with them, being fluent in French, giving them the fake id he'd been told to use in emergencies like this.   Reports were made and filed, apologies given for what happened and once Viktor's  wound was sewn,treated and bandaged they were allowed to leave.    The wound wasn't as deep as Yuuri had first thought,   though he doubted he would ever get the vision of blood and Viktor slumping to the ground out of his mind.   The men meant what they did,   Viktor had been their target all along.   

Yuuri didn't know why and Viktor said nothing as the taxi brought them back to the hotel.  He kept silent, staring out the window gazing far beyond the city at night.   He regretted becoming so angry and saying what he did, Viktor did not deserve any of it.   Being honest with himself he did not want Viktor to go back to Russia.  He didn't want whatever it was they had to end.  Maybe Viktor would have to return home one day,  but Yuuri wanted a little more time.   He was being selfish, he knew that, considering  the older man had been nothing but good to him during their time together.   

Yuuri really needed to apologize.  

All he needed was to find the courage and face Viktor.  

Viktor spoke little even once they returned to their room, asking if Yuuri was hungry and the ordering food through room service which they ate  exchanging the bare essentials of conversation.   There were a lot of things Yuuri wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself  to even start.  He wondered if Viktor should still be in that hospital, he really didn't appear all that well. His skin was paler than usual and he stumbled more than once, waving away Yuuri's offers of help.

Viktor disappeared into his bedroom,  not responding to Yuuri's offer of help, since the older man didn't look well.   The doctor had given him pills but Yuuri didn't know if Viktor had taken any of them.   He didn't remember seeing him take anything  though he only drank the bottled water brought with their food.   Yuuri  took a shower,  forcing himself to calm after what happened.  It wasn't like he hadn't been attacked before, that he hadn't seen blood  so he couldn't understand why this affected him so much.   Standing there in the shower he felt his body shaking, the memories returning  and it was difficult to rid his mind of their power.