chapter five

Trees that were growing in the garden were so big that they covered the grey building completely. She was sitting on a bench under a maple tree. She could easily pretend that she was in different place. That was why she was spending so much time in the garden,

"How is she?" Anya watched her sister from a distance. She was wrapped in a thick sweater despite the sunny weather. She seemed to sleep.

"She calms a bit." Said French doctor without looking at Anya, his gaze was focused on his patient. "But still we can't say that she is healthy, she still needs medications."

"I understand. Is…Are you thinking that there is a chance that she will be fine so I can take her home?"

They were standing close enough to the girl that Anya could say that she wasn't sleeping, just staring blankly into space. She remembered days when she prayed for her sister to be so calm. Now this sight terrified her.

It began rather innocently. Her sister was often lost in her thoughts. But she started behaving like that even during meeting of their company, which she leaded, because she was the oldest. The gossips and jokes started. Whispered in the corridors. She seemed not to notice, still absorbed for the welfare of the family business.

"Anya there is someone who wants to destroy us. He is in the company." Anya didn't react. She thought that her sister overreacted and that she was just tired. She stopped losing contact, but instead she became aggressive and nervous. There were fights during which her sister screamed that someone wanted to take the Braginsky company.

Finally during one of the meeting she punched one of the shareholders. The case went to the court, which sentenced her to a jail and their company lost money and reputation. To saved it Anya had to took a leadership and put her sister to metal hospital, where doctors diagnosed schizophrenia.

She always wondered if she did right thing when she put her sister here and she allowed world to forget her.

Now when she looked at her in this big sweater, she knew she will never forgive herself.

"I think it would be better if she stay here for some more time and I don't think it is good idea to leave you two alone." Doctor finally said, but Anya gave him a look. Doctor hesitated. "If you need something, call me. I will be nearby." And he left two sisters all alone.

Anya sighted and approached the sitting girl.

"Hello sis."

"Anya, it is really you!" A warm smile lit up on her face. Anya felt that her heart started beating faster. "I didn't see you for quite long time."

She knew that her visits were rather rare. Because they cost her too much.

"I was just busy." She replied and sat next to her sister.

"What is new in the company? Tell me!" She urged her.

"I don't know where start." She said embarrassed by the conversation. "Our shares have gained again."

"Where is your scarf?" She asked suddenly, intensely stared at Anya.

"What? Oh she remembered, it was the last Christmas present. "We have summer so…"

"Anya promised to wear it."

"I was just a little distracted, next time I will wear it, I promise."

"Anya promised. You are not Anya. She would wear." She began to move away from her. Her eyes were filled with fear. Anya tried to calm her down.

"Listen…"

"No! Leave me alone!" She began to struggle, when Anya grabbed her shoulders. She screamed. "Tell me, what did you do to Anya? Where is she?"

The doctor and several nurses ran and quickly took the struggling girl. They gave her some sedative and she was hanging in nurses' arms and crying silently.

"No, no… leave Anya…"

"Are you okay?" She heard a strong French accent. She felt her hands trembling.

"Yes. All right." She said. And the doctor knew that was the lie.

o

The deafening roar, a flash of a nearby explosion. The body tried to escape, but was thrown into air by the blast of the explosion. It hit hard pavement. Pain in the legs and buzz in the ears.

I opened my eyes and started looking for people who survived. It was a big effort, blood was flooded my eyes.

Several people from my squad were close to me, most get up on their own legs. Some not. Covered with debris and dust. They laid unconscious or dead.

I tried to gather my thoughts. It couldn't be a simply riot. The explosion was on the other side of barricade. Yet they wouldn't blow up themselves, right? It had to be another group. We were in the middle of some kind of a gang war.

I heard gun shots. Still they can shoot?

Goddamn it!

The smoked thinned and I saw him.

He stood there on the barricade, looked at me, holding a gun and shooting to my men.

How the hell?

I pulled myself on my elbows. Muscles protested, sharp pain shot through my body.

I had to stop him.

I reached for a gun and got up. I felt dizzy, but still I was looking at him. I knew that he saw me too. I raised my arms, measuring…

And I fell still holding my gun, but I couldn't move it. A giant wave of pain went through my body. I felt the world spinning in front of my eyes. Before I lost consciousness I last looked at my brother who was standing on the barricade.

Then the darkness came.

A shrill scream woke her up from the nightmare. Someone was screaming, then she felt a pain in her in her side, because someone fell on her.

"Feliciano, what the hell are you doing? She yelled, while she was trying to remember why she was lying on the floor. She was looking around the room and she saw an empty bottle of whiskey, no not one, two.

That explained everything, despite that Italian guy.

"What are you doing here? She asked one more time, now with calm voice. Feliciano got up with difficulty.

"Sorry I didn't notice you, it was dark and…"

"I know, I ask why are you here. I thought I told you I don't need babysitter. I am in perfect condition."

"So, why are you lying on the floor?"

Luise gave him a murderous look. Felicianos' eyes filled with fear.

"Sorry I just… because today…so Monday…shopping."

God, what an idiot. Luise thought. Who sent him here? Oh, yes Jones from her former department. He was worried that Luise couldn't live on her own so he decided to find her a nurse. But he didn't check if the person he found can do anything without tripped. It was in Alfred style.

But Luise started feeling sorry for the kid, he just wanted to be helpful.

"Whatever. Now come here and help me get up."

The young Italian beamed.

Am I really that terrible? Luise thought.

Feliciano lifted German woman. He kept talking like he suddenly forgot the fear. He was blabbering something about dinner.

When Italian sat her on the wheelchair, Luise closed her eyes, trying hard not to came back to the nightmare. It was two years ago.

The day when the bullet destroy two things, leaving no hope for recovery.

She lost her legs and her brother.