36. Cathy
36
CATHY
Two days later…
I sit quietly beside Ivan, both of us watching Nik’s pale face on the hospital bed. His skin looks washed-out under the fluorescent lights, and his eyes, though tired, still hold that familiar glint.
He’s trying to joke, his grin crooked and forced, but his humor is a comfort in the sterile room.
“Well,” he rasps, turning to Ivan, “at least I’ll have the best prosthetic hand money can buy. You’ll be footing the bill, of course. Might make it with the middle finger pointing up.”
Ivan leans forward, and for the first time, I see his face without its usual guard. There’s a gentleness, something soft that I rarely catch glimpses of. “I should kill you” he says, his voice low. “What good’s a one armed man to me?”
Nik smirks, trying to wave it off, but the movement’s shaky, his usual strength absent. “Always wanted to be a robot. Better make sure it’s the latest model, boss.”
Ivan huffs a dry laugh, reaching out to place a steadying hand on Nik’s shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he replies, his voice containing a warmth I hadn’t expected. “I’ll get the cunt for you.”
“Get him for Elena.”
Their eyes meet, sharing something deeper than words, a bond that seems unbreakable, formed through years of loyalty and shared danger.
I watch them, struck by the contrast between the Ivan who commands respect through fear and the Ivan who sits here, devoted to the man who’s risked his life for him time and time again.
As their banter fades, I reach out, placing a hand on Nik’s arm. He looks up at me, eyes softening, a hint of amusement still in his gaze. “You keep looking at me like that, Cathy, and I’ll start to think you actually care,” he teases, winking despite his discomfort. “Now get out of here you two, I need some rest.”