Chapter 32 – Terrible news:

Just a little foreword; this is the details of the events only mentioned at the graduation of Elizaveta, Gilbert, and so on.


(Elizaveta's POV)

Before I got the phone call, I only had three thorns in my side that ruined the happiness of my graduation. Three thorns I could live with. The first thorn was that my beloved grandpa wasn't here, he'd died six months ago. The second thorn was that my dad was detained. The third thorn was that so was my mom. Other than that, I was as happy as I could be, as I went through the motions of a HOTA graduation.

My parents only had time to drive me to Hetalia on the morning of my graduation. They'd some work that needed to be finished at their offices. But since they said that they would come straight for my graduation afterwards, I tried not to be too disappointed. I hugged them goodbye, told them I loved them, the usual stuff. I looked after them throughout the entirety of my graduation, even (and especially) when it was my time to receive the Diploma.

They weren't there.

I tried not to let that faze me.

After we'd all received our Diplomas, and the Valedictorian had given his speech, I joined my fellow graduates in the traditional Victory Dance;

First, we moved away from the chairs we'd been sitting in, then we lined up on two sides facing each other, one from one side and one from the other side would move towards each other while holding first the right hands then the left hands, then more and more pairs would join, until we either bumped into each other or five minutes after all the pairs had joined the dance.

This wasn't a rehearsed dance. We'd just been told what dance moves to do. It was fun.

I was still looking for my parents after the dance.

As I grabbed my purse, my phone went off. Thinking it was one of my parents, I quickly pulled it out.

It was an unknown number.

I tentatively answered it.

-Hello? This is Elizaveta Héderváry, how may I help you?

-Elizaveta Elisabeth Báthory Héderváry?

-Yes.

-You're listed as one of the contact people for Rosa and Daniel Héderváry.

-Is something wrong with my parents?

-I'm afraid I've some bad news. Your parents have been in an accident.

-Oh, my heavens! Are they alright?

-Their condition is very serious.

-I'll be there as soon as I can.

I hung up and turned only to come face to face with Gil.

-Go, he said handing me the keys to his car.

That was all the encouragement I needed. As I ran towards the parking lot, I was transported back in time, to when Grandfather had fallen deadly sick.

I drove as fast as I could to the hospital. When I got there, I was quickly directed towards the room in which they lay in.

It was heart breaking and heart-wrenching to see them laying so still and helpless there in their hospital beds.

Some kind nurse or doctor had put a chair in between the beds.

I sat there and held their hands.

The doctor came in and talked to me. I can't remember everything he said, or the exact terms he used, but I got the picture,

They'd been in their offices when the building had collapsed on top of them, they were on the brink of death and was barely hanging on. And I, as their daughter and a legal adult, according to the State of New York, had the power of attorney to decide their fate; whether to cut their life support and let them die or, take a chance and leave them in coma in case that they might survive.

I could lie, say that it took me a while, before I decided that their life support was to be cut, but I don't see the point.

All I asked of the doctor, was that he would allow me to say goodbye first.

He asked if there was anyone I wanted him to contact for me.

I said no.


-Doctor? I'm, we're ready now.

He must've seen something in my face, because he said,

-You can use my office if you need some alone time.

Getting directions, I hurried to it, yanked open the door, slammed it shut and slid down to the floor.


Standing over my parents' dead bodies with red and swollen eyes, I was at a loss for what to do. That didn't last long as I broke down crying.

When I was done with my crying, I made some telephone calls.

The first one was to Gilbert. He answered it immediately.

-Eliza? What…? How…?

Even with his voice on the line, I'd to take many steady breaths before I could speak.

-Gil, they're gone. Dead.

-Both?

-Both.

-Do you want me to come over?

-That would be nice, yeah. I'm at the hospital, and Gil, could you just tell everyone? I don't think I can manage to do that right now, and they deserve to know.

-Of course.

When Gil came to the hospital, I'd called the undertaker, and decided with the hospital what to do with my parents' bodies and when I could expect their Death Certificates.

As usual, Gil knew what to do, and gave me a long, hard and comforting hug.

-Gil, I chokingly said into his shoulders, I've to make some difficult phone calls, could you stay here through them?

-Of course.

True to his word, Gilbert stayed. He stayed through the remainder of my phone calls to the lawyer, relatives, and all the friends of my parents I could think of.

-How did you get here? I asked when I was done and feeling emotionally exhausted.

-Dad drove me here. He answered. How are you feeling? He added as an afterthought.

-I'm not sure at the moment, except feeling exhausted and drained. And I still got the funeral and other arrangements to make.

-Can't it wait 'till tomorrow, at least? You need rest, he added when I was about to protest.

He was right, of course, it was just that I wanted all this over.

-Come on, he said, I'll drive you home.


When we got home, to what feels more like just a house right now, I expected to cry at every picture, every book, every knickknack, everything really. But nothing happened. Not even coming in to the living room and seeing the ridiculous banner they had made for my graduation.

"Congratulations! You made it through High School!"

-I feel so empty, I confessed to Gilbert. Are you leaving? I asked when I saw that he hadn't taken off his shoes. He nodded.

-Take your time with this, and when you're ready, I'll be here.

Then he left.

Although I knew that he probably meant it well, I couldn't help but wonder if he was appalled by my lack of tears.


Author's notes:

This may sound awful, but the only reason I let Elizaveta's parents die, was because I'd no idea what else to do with them. I took the inspiration for what Elizaveta was going through from what I went through when I lost someone I was close to. I don't own Hetalia