Katyusha walked to the front door of her brother, Ivan's, house, worry filling her to the brim. No one had heard from him in a while – about a week and a half. Something had to be wrong.
She knocked on the door three times in rapid succession. No answer. She tried again, three time more, but faster. Still no answer. She looked around quickly. Things that would be out of place. The Flower pots weren't moved, not even a petal out of place (although they could've used some water).
Kat searched for the one that was different from the others; a half inch shorter. Nobody would think to look underneath, too subtle. Ivan liked family with his security loopholes. He could trust his family. The key inside was taped underneath. "My God..." Katusha complained, fighting her back pain. "Damn breasts..."
The inside was dark... musty... a strong difference from the outside, and an even stronger difference from Ivan's normal exercise. If everything were okay, Ivan would've offered food and changing the thermostat to compensate the Russian weather outside, immediately asking about how it was at home and why the surprise visit. Kat's worry seemed to double as she started calling out, "Ivan? Ivan?! Where are you?!"
No Reply
Kat bolted from room to room on the first floor, her brother nowhere to be found. In the kitchen, dishes were stacked in and around the sink. The vase on the dining room table had dying sunflowers, void of light and fresh water. All the drapes had been drawn haphazardly. It felt as if Ivan had just left.
Kat ran up the stairs, ignoring the pain from the bouncing. Ivan's bedroom, the only one that looked recently used, was in severe despair. The bed was unmade, Ivan's prized matryoshka dolls in pieces on the floor, a shower of petals around the room. A distinct path from the bed to the bathroom and the bedroom door were visible. Kat stopped and observed the scene. This wasn't Ivan. Something had happened. Walking the path, slowly and cautiously, Kat maneuvered quickly to the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, leaning against the wall near the toilet, was Ivan. He was nearly stripped, only his boxers, tank top, and scarf remaining. He lay in a pool of water, blood, and broken glass.
"Ivan!" Kat wailed, running to him. "Ivan! Brother!" His face was paler than normal, his bright blond hair covering bloodshot and half-open eyes. Kat dug into her handbag, which she had managed not to drop in her panic upon entering the house. Her bag had never been so cluttered before searching for her phone. Emergency services never so far away.
She watched her little brothers chest rise and fall slowly before giving up and searching for a land line around the house. She ran to his bedroom, carefully scanning Ivan's nightstands and walls for something resembling a phone. Nothing. She ran from room to room of Ivan's sizable house, hoping for something.
The kitchen was the only room, the phone was cordless as well. Kat ran back to Ivan, dialing 1-1-2-0-3 as she went. The dial-tone droned on, seemingly mocking the predicament until there was someone on the other line.
"You've reached emergency dispatch, what is the emergency?" asked a quick, male voice on the other end "Please! My little brother, I think he's tried to kill himself!" Kat practically screamed into the receiver. She was lucky the dispatch understood her the first time "What is the address please and I'll send an ambulance right away."
Kat stated the address quickly, needing to restate on account of speed. "Okay, just stay on the phone with me until the ambulance gets there. Do you know if he's breathing?" Kat looked down again, seeing Ivan's chest inflate slower than before. "Yes. But I don't think he will be for long." A short pause lasted between Kat and The Operator. "Alright, can you explain the scene to me?" Kat quickly re-observed the bathroom, having to turn on the light to get a clearer image. "Ivan..." she began, tears starting down her face "he's leaning against the wall... next to the toilet. He's sitting in a pool of water... blood... and a lot of glass."
Another pause. Kat could hear faint typing on the other end. 'Alright. Could you look at his wrists? Are there any visible cuts?" Kat inched cautiously to Ivan, moving his toned arms with ease. "Yes." she said, half gasping. "A few. They look deep."
Just then, Kat heard the sirens outside. She ran to the door to greet them and get them where they were needed. Two women pulled a stretcher out of the back of the vehicle, parked in front of the house. "Upstairs!" Kat yelled "Upstairs, to the right, first door on the left, he's in the bathroom!" Kat followed the two up to Ivan and watched them stabilize him on sight. "How long has he been like this?" one of the paramedics asked "I don't know, I only just got here about 10 minutes ago!"
Kat was panicking. How long HAD Ivan been there? Alone, bleeding, in pain. Dying. Did she come too late in her attempt to check up on him? Had she been too idle? Thinking simply that nothing was wrong? If she had gotten there five minutes later, would she and their little sister Natalya have lost their brother? Kat pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind, watching the paramedics carry her brother out on the stretcher. She was glad the two had muscle. It would've been difficult and dangerous to carry Ivan's 6' muscle filled body otherwise.
Kat grabbed her handbag and ran down with the paramedics. "Can I come too?" she asked loudly "Get in!" one of them replied. With the metal doors slammed shut behind her, the ambulance started moving. Ivan was in the middle, one of the paramedics measuring his vitals. The other was in the driver's seat. Kat sat down on the bench, next to the paramedic. "All we can do with this moment is hope." said the medic next to her. "Just hope and nothing more."