I don't own Hetalia okay? But by as many entries as there have been so far, I would think you'd know that by now. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

September 13th 1918

(from the diary of Katyusha Braginsky)

I've been in church all day praying since Matvey brought me the news. He brought the children as Natalya was upset, very upset and Fredka had to work. Natalya insisted he go into work and maybe someone there might be of help for him and that it would show the children resolve. I think she just wanted to be alone. I'm surprised she hasn't done anything more drastic. She had always been very close to Vanya since we were little. Matvey told me everything he had gotten from the letter with his battlefield experiences. I cannot say that I don't disagree with his outlook. The injuries like that I had seen hardly ended well. But there is always hope. That is why I am just praying so much. I want Vanya to come home and if he is broken physically so be it, but I pray for him to come home. Which from the injury, it sounds like he will be but I know what is going around. I had one of my bosses with the Red Cross nurses call on me to get trained on flu care in case that Spanish flu in the papers gets worse. Matvey claimed it had been going around the trenches, at least from what he read people were experiencing, before it came here.

With the flu, the natural risk of infection in a field hospital and those injuries, my medical training says prepare for the worst but my faith says pray for the best. That's all I can do. The priest has been praying with me and offering counsel. It's a shame we've ended up in an indirect way putting it all on Matvey when he needs it from us. He still has his flashbacks and panic attacks at times. He says he can tell when they are coming on at least but this stress cannot be helping him. He claims the children are a calming effect to him, but they are children and don't need to be scared by the attacks.

During my prayer I swore I had a vision of Vanya laying in a bed bloodied, weak and a doctor saying he was paralyzed. He looked pale as a ghost (which is quite something as Vanya was always very fair skinned) Then he got up, perfectly healthy and walked away towards a bright light. I asked the priest what he thought and he couldn't say. I just hope it is a good omen.

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Be ready to have your heartstrings pulled at in these next few chapters. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,

otherrealmwriter

aka

Realm