My Precious Child 12- And here we are again
AHHHHHHHHH I'M SORRY! I was in Darwin. It was very hot. I swam with crocodiles! I'm going on a house boat on Monday! Much holiday activities.
Thanks go out to Ariddle-Ascare (the cliffies just seem to happen) ZakuroU (I did take a long time. I'm so sorry) NikkiKirkland (Mr Fretka is very beat up) MewTangerine (O.O) TheAwesomeUs (he probs does deserve it…he a real jerk) The Little Chibi (just for that, Fretka is going to stub his toe sometime) that-crafty-otaku (Do you have a lawyer?) and DrowningWolf (no one has told me so thankyou. I shall edit that as soon as time allows me to…and I figure out how to.) Also all your reviews about Fretka had me laughing so hard it hurt.
Also I love everyone who favourites and follows. You are all so supportive!
Also I realised I focus a lot on Switzy. He's just so underappreciated that…I had to! He was like my first favourite Hetalia character.
Plus the info from poll shall come into this chapter.
Disclaimer: Hetalia is mine! Oh I was typing so fast I missed out the not…oops
For Toris it seemed as if time stood still. Everything around him faded into a blur and soon it was just him and Fretka, the Polish man looking slightly surprised before his expression melted into a smug smile, one Toris had come to associate with the man whenever he was mentioned.
"Toris," He said easily as if he hadn't just been fighting a battle with death in the room behind them. "This is a pleasure."
Toris opened his mouth to retaliate, his usually placid temper gone because of how tired he was and replaced with something fierce. Before he could say anything however, Roderich stepped forward to separate the two men, his body stiff and tall.
"Doctor," He said, his voice tight with barely contained hatred. "I understand you have patients that need urgent attention. Perhaps you should attend to them rather than sharing a conversation with a perfectly healthy man."
Fretka frowned, probably at the formal language of the request but he obliged, sweeping out of the hall and vanishing into the rain. Before he did however, he caught his toe on a side table that sat all too innocently in the hall. Fretka swore in Polish and jumped around before regaining his composure and continuing his dramatic exit which wasn't nearly as dramatic now.
Toris felt his knees give way and he hit the floor hard, barely wincing at the pain that shot through his legs. Fretka was treating the kids. Fretka, the man who had threatened to kill them hours ago. Fretka who had taken Felicks from him. Fretka who now held lives in his hands and he could just let one of them die and not even be questioned.
"Come on Toris," Roderich bent down and helped to hoist Toris to his feet. "We're going to the hospital too. Vash can stay here. I don't want him to get in any trouble…or danger" He added bitterly.
Toris looked over and saw the Swiss man still sitting on the seat, his eyes closed, head titled backwards and breathing deep as he tried to regain his composure.
"Don't you want to stay with him?" Toris offered, the longing in Roderich's eyes very obvious.
"I can't," The Austrian said immediately. "Vash would agree. The children are our main priority now. And I won't let you deal with this on your own."
Toris felt his heart twist. He hadn't really had many friends but suddenly he had two new ones in the space of about 3 days. The two men shared a quick look before Roderich shared a few brief words with Vash, kissed him on the cheek and then walked out into the rain without another word. Toris ran to catch up, afraid of being left behind.
As the Lithuanian ran out into the rain not looking where he was going, he crashed into someone and sent whoever it was toppling to the ground. A black umbrella broke free of the person ground and broke upon impact leaving the person open to the constant torrent of water.
"Wanker," A voice containing a thick British accent spat. "Watch where you're going."
Toris muttered a hasty apology, one he would never have said if he was in the right state of mind. He had no time for a real one. He had to get to the hospital and he had to get there now. The person climbed to his feet and surveyed the broken umbrella, shaking his head in dismay.
"I just bought this."
"I'm sorry," Toris repeated, trying to sound sincere as he felt a pang of sympathy for the stranger. "I'm in a hurry. I need to get to the hospital."
Roderich's car burst to life on cue, the headlights illuminating the patch of ground that Toris and the stranger stood upon. Toris blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the onslaught of light and then his mouth fell open.
Large eyebrows, bushy blonde hair and a now soaking fast food uniform. This was no stranger. It was Arthur! The man who had served Toris and Felicks their lunch 2 days ago.
"Do I know you?" Arthur had obviously thought that the Lithuanian was familiar but after serving lots of people, apparently couldn't remember Toris.
"Ah yeah, kind of." Toris said awkwardly, flashing a quick look towards the waiting car. "You served me and my son a couple of days ago at Marion. Listen, I need to go."
"Right," The young adult nodded before shooting a look at the orphanage and then the car. "Hey you look like you need some help. Is there anything I can do? I…I don't really want to go home right now."
And Toris suddenly felt a weight lift off his chest, something he wasn't aware was even weighing him down. Arthur could help Vash look after the kids. Sure Toris knew nothing about the man but Felicks had liked him. And if Toris couldn't trust Felicks's judgement then who could he trust. Besides Vash didn't seem to be quite on the planet at the moment after the run in with Fretka.
"Yes," Toris burst out, surprising Arthur. "Yes oh yes! Like I said, I need to get to the hospital to help some children but to do that, I have to leave one man alone with like, 30other kids, all of them scared. Can you help him look after them? Please? We can pay you…I think we can."
Arthur took a step back and for a moment Toris thought he'd scared him off with his sudden outburst but the man suddenly smiled.
"I'd be glad to help. I don't like the idea of kids being alone and scared." He paused. "I don't ever want anyone to suffer through that."
Toris got the idea that Arthur was hiding something but right now he didn't care.
Toris just wanted to hug Arthur. He wanted to cling to his legs and praise the man. He wanted to buy him presents. Lots of presents. Toris wanted to…
Toris thanked Arthur gratefully and showed him the orphanage. The man seemed pleased to be out of the rain and a surprised but suddenly level headed Vash all but dragged him to the cupboard where the kids were, giving Toris a wave as he did so as a silent way of saying thankyou.
Roderich honked the horn and Toris ran to clamber into the passenger seat, Roderich pulling out of the curb before Toris had even done up his seatbelt.
"So that was Fretka," Roderich said, more of a comment than a question as he started a conversation with practised ease. "I hate him."
It was so straightforward and simple that Toris almost laughed. All this time he'd been trying to find a variety of obscure words to describe the awfulness that was Fretka but Roderich had summed it up so simply.
Fretka was a very dislikeable person.
Very…
Very…
Dislikeable.
"Why was he even there?" Toris sighed, not really expecting an answer. He just needed to say something. The silence was threatening to crush him.
"He's a doctor, we called the hospital." Roderich muttered absently. "Vash and I were well aware of the fact that Fretka might show up. We had to take a chance…for the children."
"I have to admit Fretka hadn't crossed my mind until he actually showed up." Toris kept talking. "I…Yao…I don't know."
Roderich didn't reply and Toris didn't make an effort to start the conversation back up, reluctant as he was to stay silent. The rain hammered down on the wind shield and the black wipers swung back and forth in an attempt to keep the road visible. Occasionally when Roderich drove the car around a corner, a wave of water washed against the vehicle.
"Right well we're here," Roderich pulled into a park right outside the emergency room. Toris pushed his door open and braved the rain, running to stand in the shelter of the doorway whilst Roderich locked the car. The Austrian was soon at his side and together the two entered the hospital.
The emergency room was almost devoid of life, the only person there curled up asleep on a chair with their face hidden. A sleepy looking nurse was slumped at the reception desk, his eyes almost closed. Toris let Roderich walk over and start a conversation with the man, choosing instead to sit down.
The ward smelt slightly artificial as if it had been doused in cheap air-freshener. The room was also cold though the chill that ran down Toris's spine had nothing to do with the temperature. There was one reason why he was fidgeting in his chair and he couldn't keep his mind focused on one thing.
He was scared.
The last time he'd been in this ward he had been waiting for news on Felicks only to lose the boy to an evil jerk without a single compassionate bone in his body. The man had threatened to kill the kids he was currently saving. Were they going to be alright? What if Yao 'slipped away' because Fretka wanted to strengthen the message he was sending Toris? What if Fretka made up some lie about the orphanage being unfit to live in and had it closed down with his power?
"Toris," Roderich bent down in front of the fretful man. "We can see them now…some of them at least."
Toris wanted to ask more but Roderich's sullen expression kept him from doing so. According to Vash, it took a lot to unsettle Roderich. What was going on was a big thing.
The two were led down a corridor by a pretty Asian lady who didn't speak but kept making a clicking sound with her tongue as they passed certain doors. Toris tried to distinguish a pattern to the doors but found he couldn't.
Eventually the lady stopped and clicked twice before opening the door to the ward she was indicating to. She vanished the moment Toris and Roderich stepped into the room which held 6 beds though 2 were empty.
"Roderich!" A weak lady's voice still managed to shout. "You didn't have to come idiot."
Toris looked over to where Elizabeta sat in her bed propped up on numerous pillows. There was a drip connecting to her arm pumping fluids into her body and the green dress she'd been wearing was replaced with a flimsy white paper gown. Her hospital bracelet had been tied sloppily so she's slipped it off her wrist and laid it on the side table.
"We had to Lizzy," Roderich protested feebly. "We need to look out for the kids."
As the two bickered, Toris looked around the room. Mei, Romano and Tino were all tucked up in beds. The Asian girl was awake though and she'd obviously been crying.
"Yao isn't back," She sobbed. "He's leaving me."
Toris wasn't sure what to do, he'd never interacted with the girl apart from placing wet towels on her head so he found himself with no words to say to comfort her. Luckily Elizabeta had heard the girl wail and was already chiding her for her lack of faith.
"Yao is fine," Elizabeta was saying. "The doctors are just stabilizing him."
"What about Benny?" Mei was not convinced. Elizabeta however was used to dealing with situations such as this so she just laughed it off.
"Benny's fine Mei. He just had an accident." Toris had a feeling he knew what this accident was so he just nodded and looked for a chair to sit in.
All the kids seemed fine though Yao's condition was currently unknown so Toris found himself falling asleep in the chair he was seated in. Benjamin had been brought in by a doctor who luckily for everyone wasn't Fretka so all there was to do was wait.
And wait…
Until morning came…
And into the room marched Fretka who was pushing a gurney which held the sleeping Yao.
Toris and Roderich were on their feet in seconds, the cloud of sleepiness that had just been hovering over them blown away like a feather in a fierce gale. Fretka seemed amused by this reaction and he pointedly ignored them as he scooped up Yao as easily as if he were a doll and placed him gently down on the free bed. Toris wanted to run over and smack his hands away from the unconscious Chinese teen but didn't solely because of the power Fretka seemed to radiate in his own environment. His doctors coat made him seem almost royal.
"Toris, Roderich," Fretka acknowledged the two once he had fiddled with some machines Yao was hooked up to. Neither of the men bothered to ask how Fretka knew Roderich's name. "Aren't you grateful that Mr Wang has survived? If I wasn't here well…I'm sure he would be dead."
Toris had no problem in detecting the threat in there. He also had no problem stalking over to stand defensively in front of Yao. And he certainly had no problem casually sticking a foot out so that when Fretka went to leave, he stumbled and nearly fell.
Roderich stifled something that may have been a laugh and Toris allowed himself a small smile as Fretka yet again cursed in Polish before stumbling away with his dignity gone for the moment.
"By the way Toris." Fretka spat over his shoulder. "I'll be watching you. So if you slip up, get too involved, give me one reason to think you might be threatening the world I've created well then…I have a feeling the kids in the orphanage won't be the only ones who end up hurt."
I threw a little humour in there Hope it didn't ruin the story
PLEASE REVIEWWWWWWWWWW…you don't have to I guess…But it'd be nice if you did