Of Angels and Demons

Chapter Thirteen: An Encounter in the Hospital

Chapter Thirteen; An Encounter in the Hospital

“Hello, devushka. What’s your name?”

Ivan catches his breath as the little girl looks up. Her eyes, soft blue, with just a hint of lilac, look just like Dedushka’s had. It had been a long time since he’d seen eyes like those, even in the mirror. He had inherited Babushka’s eyes. She smiles, pushing back her long, beige-blond hair, and says, “Anya.”

Then she goes back to playing with the matryoshka dolls she’d had with her, scolding them like misbehaving children.

The matryoshka dolls were what had caught Ivan’s attention in the first place. He’d been here many times before, but he’d never seen another who looked as though they might be Russian, and certainly never this little girl.

But then again, it was midday. If he’d come with his mother, he might be in Dedushka’s room, out shopping, or eating lunch at this time, but not here, in the waiting room.

“That’s a nice name, mine’s Ivan,” Ivan says, sitting down next to her. After a short period of silence, he asks, “What are you playing?”

“Happy family,” Anya replies, reaching for another doll. Opening it, she pulls out a miniature dress, just the right size for an Angel or Demon, and copying the style of a traditional Lithuanian dress. For a moment, Ivan wonders if he might have been a little off about her origins. But just then, she hands the dress to a girl who is obviously her Angel, and he sees that the dress is patterned after the intended wearer's origins, not Anya’s. “Daina, dear, be a good girl and put this on.”

The Angel looks resigned. It seems as though she has been told to do this before. Sighing, she slips under Anya’s large pink coat, presumably to change. Anya’s Demon, Nikolai. is eyeing Ivan apprehensively, seemingly protective of Anya. Natalya eyes Nikolai back, and the two have a good stare.

Ivan ignores them both. “Are you waiting for someone?”

Anya nods, and begins to fidget with her long, modest, blue dress. “Starshiy bratik, Dmitri. He’s meeting with the doctor about my medication. He doesn’t think it’s working.”

“Why not?” Ivan’s curious, and talking with this little girl is as good a way to pass the time waiting for Alfred as any. He could visit Dedushka, but there’s only so much you can do while visiting someone who’s comatose, and there will be plenty of time.

“Anya?” a voice calls, and Ivan looks up to see someone who looks to be Ukrainian walk in from the doctor’s side of the hospital. Could this be the older brother? Well, Ivan supposed they could be step, or half, siblings. “Are you still in here?”

“I’m here, bratik.” Anya says. “I told you I’d stay put. I’d have preferred going with you, though. I would have gone after you if you’d taken longer.”

The young man, who must be Dmitri, notices Ivan. “She didn’t bother you, did she? She’s usually very hostile to those who aren’t family.”

“No. Actually, I found her quite charming.”

Dmitri looks thoughtful, and not a little grateful. “Maybe her medicine is having some effect. Or maybe it was a miracle, one-time incident. Anya, say goodbye to the nice boy. I’m sure he has other business here.”

“Do svidaniya, Ivan!” Anya says, picking up her coat. Presumably, Daina is in a pocket. As she leaves, Ivan catches her talking to Dmitri. “He was nice, and polite. And he spoke Russian, Dmitri! I miss Russian. Mama used to speak lot’s of Russian…”

Etcetera, Etcetera. Ivan smiled. She really was a cute kid. Then he leaves. Now that she was gone, he had nothing better to do than visit Dedushka. At least for now. Tomorrow, though, he would begin his search in earnest.