CHAPTER THREE: Care
Viktor was practically running down the hallway in a matter of seconds. He didn't even feel his feet rush forward, lost in the feelings roaring in his mind. He didn't notice the doors he swiftly passed by either, nor the concerned looks he got from the people he nimbly dodged in his run. His thoughts were going back and forth at a dizzying speed, clouding his head with worry. So the boy knew. Yuuri was aware of the use Viktor was supposed to make of him. No wonder he had been so scared of simply being touched. It made his heart tighten in pain. But now wasn't the time to deal with his pain. Yuuri was suffering much more than he was, and he needed help, now. So the prince ran. He ran as much as he could without pushing everybody out of his way, quickly heading to the palace doctor's office. Fortunately, Mila had settled not too far from the prince's quarters, so she could get there rapidly if the need arose. In this moment, Viktor felt so glad she had actually been this thoughtful.
He bursted through the double doors leading to the cozy waiting room, startling the few patients waiting there.
"Where's Dr. Babicheva!" He spoke curtly, stunning the people around him. The prince was never this impolite, even when he was angry... The impatient stomping of his foot brought them back their frozen shock. A few fingers pointed towards a closed door on the right, at the beginning of a short corridor. The prince disappeared in the hallway.
He barely resisted the urge to just reach for the handle and managed to knock instead. A muted voice answered after a few seconds.
"Just a minute please. I'll be free son, if you'd like to take a seat in the waiting room-"
"Mila." Viktor didn't think he had ever said her name so desperately. He heard a few shuffles and the door was cracked opened.
"Your Highness?" The redhaired lady was looking at him with wide eyes.
"I... I need your help". She shot him a curious glare, trying to understand exactly what was going on. She quickly looked over to the patient seated at her desk, before answering in a wary tone.
"Okay... Can you give me... ten minutes?" The man stared at her, trying to convey all the urgency he could muster. He was pleading with his eyes for her to make it quick. Somehow, she got the message.
"I'll make it five".
Viktor sighed in relief as the door closed on his face. He knew Yuuri wasn't technically in such an emergency state, but he just couldn't stand the idea of leaving him alone for too long. No one could enter his private quarters without his authorization, but what if someone did, and they found Yuuri like this, and the poor man could barely walk, what would he do if...
No. Panicking about hypothetical situations wouldn't help Yuuri in any way. Right now, the prince needed his mind fully there and functional. He leaned his back against the closest wall, breathing deeply to calm himself. After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened again on Mila quickly thanking his patient and sending him on his way. She took Viktor by surprise as she grabbed his wrist and tugged him in her office.
"Are you okay? Did you break something again? Where does it hurt?" She was already checking him all over when he finally managed to place a word.
"Mila, Mila I'm fine, but I need you to follow me." She stopped her examination, and frowned as she looked up at the man. He tried to look as innocent as he could "Please, I swear, I didn't do anything! But there's someone who needs your help." She obviously didn't believe the prince had nothing to do with the situation, but she nonetheless grabbed her emergency kit and followed him.
They made their way almost as fast as Viktor had come, leaving even more confused stares on their trail. However, the tall man stopped dead in his tracks in front of his private quarter's door. He suddenly moved as gently as he could and knocked timidly on the wood.
"Yuuri? It's me, Viktor, I'm back..." He didn't open the door until he was sure he had heard some small acknowledgment. He let Mila go in first, following her with, wary steps, as if he was afraid of startling an untamed animal. The doctor shot him a curious glare, and searched the room for the source of the prince's odd behaviour. He eyes finally settled on a small form vanishing in an indistinguishable pile of cushions and blanket. Two deep brown eyes peeking out in curiosity and worry. Somehow, that gaze immediately gained Mila's sympathy.
"Hello... My name is Mila, and I am the palace's head doctor. What is your name?" She came a bit closer as she spoke, making little steps here and there.
"Yuuri." The cover muffled the small voice, but she heard it anyway.
"Yuuri... I have a friend with the same beautiful name. But... I'm guessing you are not from around here?" She moved forward again, as he shook his head and looked in Viktor's direction. Hadn't he told her anything?
"Well, I'd like to welcome you here, Yuuri, even if it's in such circumstances... Please, could you let me see where it hurts? I'd like to help you, if you would let me." She was crouching at the boy's side by then. She had clear blue eyes, and high, round cheeks. She was a gorgeous woman, but it wasn't as much her looks that calmed Yuuri down as her soft voice and the friendly smile lightening her face. His eyes flickered to Viktor, hesitating. Mila picked up the gesture immediately.
"Oh! You don't have to worry about him, he will look away, or he could go in the other room if you'd prefer that." Viktor was about to protest but shut his mouth at the vicious glare the doctor shot him. A huff left his lips.
Yuuri watched the exchange with curiosity, and wondered what exactly was the nature of their relationship. It wasn't that he wanted Viktor to leave; he would actually feel more comfortable if he weren't completely alone with someone he didn't know. However, it did reassure him to know that the prince would allow him some privacy.
"He can stay..." He muttered in a small voice. Mila smiled at him again. "But please turn around. I-I know you've... already seen it all but... but I'd like to keep it at that, please." Yuuri was looking down in shame, cheeks pink with embarrassment. Viktor's eyes went wide as the doctor looked at him with a death threat in her eyes. He shook his hands in front of him and stuttered in panick.
"It's... It's not what you think! I... I didn't touch him or anything! Well, I did... B-but I didn't do anything!" She shot him a stern glare.
"Viktor Dvoryanin Nikiforov Tretiy, you of all people should know never to touch a patient before I arrive."
"I know, bu-"
"No buts! What if what you touched had just made his state worse, hm? Don't you know how dangerous that is?" Viktor opened his mouth, but thought better than to try and reply and shut his lips. He lowered his gaze to the ground in defeat. Mila sighed at the hurt puppy look on the prince's face.
"You better not do it again. Now turn around, stay still, and be good. Understood?" The prince nodded weakly and followed the orders. Mila turned back to Yuuri, who was looking at the pair with a face full of incredulity and a hint of amusement. The redhaired laughed at his confusion.
"I know the prince is all grown up, but sometimes I wonder if he isn't just a child stuck in a man's body." An offended whimper stirred from the other side of the room. This actually resulted in a pale smile appearing on the foreign man's lips. Good, thought Mila, she was getting him to relax. The doctor looked at Yuuri in his eyes to get one last approval before removing the blanket, and got to work. She spoke as her hands explored the naked skin, to distract him a bit from the physical intrusion.
"When he was younger, Viktor used to get hurt all the time, so he ended up in my office quite often. Now, I regret a bit showing him how I treated his wounds. He started believing he could take care of them all by himself without doing anything stupid."Another sound of protestation arose, but Mila blatantly ignored it. Her touch moved to Yuuri's ribs, nodding as he flinched away in pain when she felt them. "You know, I'm quite a few years older than Viktor, but I started working when I was pretty young and with how frequently he came to see me, I'm not very surprised that we became friends fast." She was grinning at the memory, as she moved to examine Yuuri's legs. "Actually, with how lonely he was, I became something like a sister to him. And he became a brother for me too!" She paused. "Okay, a few dozens-social-ranks-above-me brother, but still a brother." It was hard not to smile at her energy and affection. Even the slave found it in him to smirk a bit.
After a quick check of the boy's crotch and ass, she let go of his body and reached for her medical kit. "Yuuri, you are a very lucky man. Whatever happened to you, you have no permanent damage, and almost nothing internal. You have a few bruised ribs, but somehow nothing's broken, and all your organs seem clear. I'll do another check up in a few days, but I don't think I'll find anything else. For now, I'll I'm going to do is clean and cover your cuts, okay?" The dark haired man nodded. He knew that even if he had been mistreated, his kidnappers had managed not to hurt him too much. Otherwise he wouldn't have been in a proper state to be offered to Viktor. What a twisted luck...
The doctor went on with her recommendations. "For your ribs, all you have to do is put some ice on them, and breathe deeply a few times a day. I know it hurts, but you have to if you don't want to get an infection. Okay? I'll also give you some opiates pills for the pain, but please go easy on these, only once a day..." Yuuri nodded. "Some ice on your eye too will help. I have a lotion for that as well. You'll also need a lot of rest." She paused, as if she was expecting something. "Viktor? You heard me?" The prince suddenly seemed to come back to life.
"Yes! Yes, I heard! Ice, painkillers, breathing and sleeping! See? I do listen when you speak!" he answered quickly.
"Only when it suits you..." Mila muttered under her breath, earning a falsely offended scoffed from the man. She looked at Yuuri again, speaking low like she was sharing some kind of secret. "Don't worry about him, he's a bit of a drama queen." The boy smiled even more at that. Indeed, he had noticed. The lady patted his knee and covered him with the blanket again. "Well! Now that you are all patched up, I should go back to my patients. You know that Viktor came rushing in my office like someone had just lost a leg? He didn't even give me time to finish my consultation!" Yuuri gazed over to the man still obediently facing the wall. It was funny how he seemed to become more... human under Mila's words. He wasn't so much this beautiful, distant master anymore, as he was a person, with his perks and flaws. The captive could even appreciate how thoughtful he had been, rushing over to the doctor when really, there had been no emergency. It warmed him a bit inside, making the dread a little less suffocating. Mila watched the boy as worry slowly left the brown eyes, replaced by something more peaceful and understanding. She came closer one last time, whispering.
"I do not know what brought you here, and what you've been through, but please be assured that you have a friend in me. And in Viktor too. He seems to have taken a liking to you, and he takes very good care of the people he holds dear. You do not have to be afraid." With that, she winked at him, and went to pick up her stuff. "I'll be on my way then! Please take care of yourself Yuuri, and Viktor, I better not see you touch a patient again before I do!" The poor man fidgeted with his hands, looking at the floor like a scolded child.
"Yes Mila..." She kept her serious face for a few seconds, then dropped it to smile at the prince and hug him.
"I don't see you much these days, you should come more often... Take care of you, too." He hugged her back, and opened the door for her. Just before leaving, she turned to him again.
"Oh, and... Don't do anything stupid." Viktor wasn't even sure what she meant by that, but he still rolled his eyes. God, she could be so much like a mother sometimes...
"Yes, yes, now go or you'll never be done with your patients" He shooed her out, and finally closed the door again.
What stupid thing could he do anyway?
