First acquaintances
The rays of the dim autumn morning sun illuminated the intensive care ward with a warm amber light.
The man stretched contentedly in his bed. It was the fourth day of his stay at Treehollow's hospital, and he felt much better than in the first days.
It must be said that he had not wasted his time at all.
During these four days, he had already managed to get acquainted with the talent and cheerful mid-aged bird-horse pharmacist Twitchel, with the modest young bird-horse herbalist Rhode, and with the humorous elderly bat-phlebotomist Stoker, who, in addition to the vixen-doctor Nora and the she-wolf nurse Terra, made up the entire small staff of the hospital.
"Hey, Stoker, is it really necessary to put your leeches on me?!" Victor "asked" the bat with some doubt when Stoker came into the ward for the first time with a portable aquarium, where three medicinal leeches were swimming.
"Don't worry, Victor! Archibald, Gwenivere and Fluffy know their job very well! Just trust me, after their painless and healing bites you will feel better much faster than without them! Just turn over on your stomach and relax!" Stoker "answered" confidently.
The man only shrugged and did as Stoker asked.
He felt a not very pleasant sensation of the slimy cold bodies of the leeches when the bat placed them on his back. But he did not feel the moment of their bites, which consoled Victor somewhat.
"You know, Victor, they look quite harmonious on your body! Maybe I'll leave them on you forever?" the bat "asked" the man with deliberate seriousness.
"Thanks, Stoker, thanks, but I'm afraid they won't last long on my blood mixed with alcohol when I get out of here and find the nearest pub," the man "answered" with a giggle.
After which they both laughed loudly...
The day after Nora and Timmothy's scandal, it seemed, nothing special awaited the man.
In the morning, Terra measured his blood pressure, took blood samples and gave him injections. However, after these procedures, she didn't leave immediately, but first stunned the Soviet sniper with unexpected news.
"Victor, I'll come to you in a couple of hours and give you a therapeutic massage. Nora and I decided that for a faster recovery, you need to get force the blood flowing in your weakened muscles. So, for now, you can take a little nap, but don't fall into too deep a sleep! I don't say "goodbye", see you soon!" the she-wolf warned the man.
"Wow! Got it, I'll be waiting," "answered" Victor, not hiding his surprise.
He did not expect that Creatures would treat him so well, despite his position outside the local laws.
He didn't even fall into his usual nap after the procedures, but impatiently awaited the coming of the she-wolf nurse. He was curious about how exactly these Creatures doing a massage. Terra, as promised, came two hours later, rolling a cart, on which were dry towels, spare waterproof and regular bed sheets, a basin of hot water and a bottle of massage oil.
She pulled all the catheters out of the man and gestured:
"Victor, if you can, get up from the bed, I'll put down the waterproof sheet."
The man, with some difficulty, was able to get up on his own.
The she-wolf laid down a waterproof sheet and turned to Victor:
"Now lie down on your stomach, relax, and I'll start the massage. Let me know if it's too uncomfortable, but a little pain at the beginning of the massage is normal."
The man lay down on the bed on his stomach, Terra first kneaded the fingers of her large strong paws, and then took a bottle of oil and lubricated the patient's back.
Victor felt the she-wolf gently rub the oil into the skin all over his back and on the back of his neck, and then, having found the most suitable pressure, began the massage from the neck to the waist.
Her hot, fur-free soft pads of her fingers and palms slowly and gently passed over the exhausted body of the Soviet sniper, stimulating blood circulation in the almost disappeared muscles.
"O-oh, so good!.." Victor only thought before almost immediately falling into a pleasant slumber. He continued to doze, even when the she-wolf finished with his back and began massaging his arms and legs.
Having dispersed the blood in his limbs, and seeing that he was still sleeping, Terra didn't wake him up right away, but decided to wait a little.
"Poor Creature! What happened to him before he was found like this in Pinedown Woods? And what is this strange tattoo on his upper left paw? Why does it inspire us with inexplicable fear?" she thought sympathetically about the man who was peacefully in the deepest sleep in the last year and a half of his life.
After waiting another half hour, the she-wolf gently shook the sleeping patient. He woke up and instinctively looked around, but then sighed with relief and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Victor, forgive me for interrupting your sweet nap, I just need to dry you off, change the bed sheet and continue my rounds of other patients," the she-wolf "addressed" the stretching man apologetically.
"Oh, Terra, it's more like I need say "sorry" for taking your time! It's just because your massage was so pleasant and soothing! Did you get special training for this somewhere?" the man asked, getting up from the bed. Terra quickly dried him off with towels.
"Well, Nora taught me the basic techniques, but the Baker's couple introduced me to some special techniques. After all, before they became bakers, they were professional participants in pit fights, and therefore they know not only how to maim, but also how to recover as quickly as possible," the she-wolf continued the "conversation" before changing the bed sheet.
"Hmm, so Walter and his wife did the hard sport in their past? Now it's clear why he is so strong, even though he doesn't look young. It would be interesting to see his wife... She must be such a fighter..." the Soviet sniper reasoned at length, even being unable to imagine what she looks like.
"Oh, she is such a big and powerful hot-tempered badger! Bigger than me and Henry! Her name is Tess and she has a very tough temper! By the way, you even met her once, under not very good circumstances, though... But besides the fact that she bakes delicious pastries together with her husband and daughters, she is also a very good Councilman of Trade in the Treehollow Council; an excellent keeper of the house, who raised two sweet girls, and now she is raising a granddaughter, albeit an adopted one. And she is simply a very responsible Creature, you can always rely on her, as on yourself!" Terra "answered" contentedly, having finished changing the bed sheet, - "That's it, lie down, Victor, now I'll just put the catheters back in place, and you can continue to rest."
"You know, Terra, I think I can do "pee-pee" without a bladder catheter now" the man "said" after he lay down on a bed covered with a clean, snow-white sheet that smelled pleasantly of flowers, covered himself up to his neck with an equally clean and white blanket and put out his left hand to insert a new intravenous catheter.
"Good, Victor. You're recovering even faster than we expected. I think you will be transferred to a regular diet in the next few days. What kind of food is regular for you?" the she-wolf "asked".
"Well, I usually eat meat soups, porridges like buckwheat or millet. I also like mashed potatoes with goulash, cutlets and vegetable salad. As for drinks, I prefer tea, milk or kefir. And sometimes something stronger drinks, ha-ha!" the man "answered" with a mischievous squint.
"Oh-oh-oh! Got it, I'll pass on your wishes to Trisha, she'll be a cook at the hospital in the coming days. But for now, alcoholic drinks are contraindicated for you until you've fully recovered!" "answered" the she-wolf, after which she inserted a catheter into the man's arm, and, having said goodbye to him, left the ward with the cart...
Three days passed. Thanks to regular massage, Twitchel and Rhode's medications, and independent exercises to restore muscles, the Soviet sniper had become so strong that he could already stand firmly on his feet, although he was still too thin.
However, this early morning, another good news awaited him. Satisfied Nora entered the ward, carrying a large bag. At this time, Victor was doing exercises. He greeted the vixen-doctor who entered and looked with curiosity at the bag in her paw.
"Victor, I have great news for you! Judging by the tests and your general condition, you can be switched from intravenous nutrition to regular nutrition today. I see that you are feeling pretty well."
"Yes, Nora, I feel much better than previous days! And to tell the truth, this catheter for the nutrient solution has already tired me out. I would absolutely not mind if it was removed today, and I could finally eat normally. However,.. I want to tell you something... Thank y'all for nursing me! But I have nothing to pay you with, I have even no idea what kind of money you use."
"Oh, Victor, I'm so glad you are so grateful! And as for payment... You know, money is practically not used in Treehollow. Everyone helps each other as best they can as like as a sort of barter. However, it's too early for you to think about it, because you have not yet fully recovered. In addition, there are questions about your legal status in connection with your species. Oh well, look what I brought you!" the vixen gestured, after which she took out of her bag the very clothes, already clean and mended, in which Milo and Tess found the Soviet sniper, and put them on his bed.
Victor caught his breath from excitement. With trembling hands, he first touched the tunic that was so dear to him, and then the pants. Feeling a sudden weakness in his legs, the man decided to sit up on the bed. He looked at the puzzled Nora.
It didn't escape her notice that the patient's moist eyes were full of gratitude.
"Victor, are you okay? Do you need help?" she "asked" the man just in case.
"Don't worry, Nora, everything is fine. It's just... You don't know how important these things are to me! Thank you so much for keeping them and not just throwing them away!" he "answered", already not being so agitated, to the vixen.
"Oh, come on, Victor! We didn't even do anything special, we just washed them, but I think our tailor, the cat Avery, who was repairing your clothes, will be very pleased with your words of gratitude! The main thing is that her daughter Piper doesn't accidentally add a couple of holes in the area of your shins when she decides to taste your lower paws, ha-ha!.. However, I have something else for you," with these words Nora took two medals out of the pocket of her dress and handed them to him.
The man was dumbfounded by what he saw, but still took the medals from her paw with trembling hands. These were his medals - "Voroshilov Sharpshooter" and the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Victor was ready to burst into tears, but he held back. But still, a stingy man's tear ran down his cheek.
"I see that these medals mean a lot to you. If it's not a secret, can you tell me about their significance?" the vixen "asked" with genuine interest.
"Nora, they mean a lot to me! I... I'm immensely grateful to you that you saved them too! I'm in your debt!" the man "answered", having first put the medals on his clothes.
"I was awarded this medal when I was taking shooting courses before the war and became one of the most accurate shooters in the training group. And I was awarded this Gold Star for covering my troops during our tactical retreat near Roslavl in Belarus in 1941 and for saving a comrade from our damaged burning tank. However... I see that my explanation means little to you," Victor tried to explain the meaning of the medals to the vixen. However, from the puzzled expression on her muzzle, it was clear that she knew nothing about the Soviet Union or the Great Patriotic War.
"Victor, you... fought with someone?! And your wounds, exhaustion on the verge of death, and burns are because of this?" Nora "asked", looking piercingly into the patient's eyes.
"Yes, I fought... not with your species, no! It's a long hard story... And the war is not the only reason for my physical woes... But I don't want to talk about it now. Maybe later, if, of course, your authorities don't execute me first... huh," Victor "answered", at the same time making it clear with his gaze that some events of his past would remain a secret for now.
"No problem, Victor! I won't insist! Tell me when you have the desire. As for your fate... I hope that the Parliament will not resort to such cruelty, despite its Edicts, as long as you don't harm anyone. However, let's not talk about sad things! Let me walk you to the bathroom. I suppose you have been wanting to take a bath for a long time?" the vixen "asked" the man, at the same time changing the topic to a more relevant one.
"Yeah, Nora, I really want to take a hot bath, because I haven't had a good wash... for half a year, probably," Victor happily accepted the vixen-doctor's offer.
The vixen only gasped in surprise. Now understanding, why the furless patient smelled so terribly when he was just dragged to the hospital, she silently removed the catheter from the man's arm, after which she applied a waterproof, hermetic bandage.
Victor put on the bath robe Nora had thoughtfully brought, put his clothes back in the bag, and followed the vixen to another part of the ICU, where the bathroom was located.
Entering the bathroom, he was surprised to note the amazingly well-equipped bathroom, which even had a good faucet with a shower head, a massive cast-iron bathtub, hot and cold running water, and a drain into the central sewer.
In the Soviet Union, he and his family had to wash themselves every day with only cold water, and for general washing and thorough body washing, they had to heat water on a gas stove. During the war, before being captured, he could only rarely wash in a pond or in a soldier's bathhouse; in the concentration camp, there was nothing but an intentionally icy stream of water under high pressure from a hose even in the cold season.
"Look, Victor, this is a shampoo for the whole body, and Twitchel and Rhode even tried to make sure it doesn't sting an eyes. And this is a soap-cream for specific parts of the body, and it has a very good effect on the local microflora!" Nora "explained" the purpose of two bottles with inscriptions unknown to the man, standing on the edge of the bathtub, not without pride for the bird-horse pharmacist and the bird-horse herbalist.
"Thank you, Nora, I understand. What an interesting form of letters you have..." the Soviet sniper "answered" calmly, although the last part of the vixen's explanation amused him a little, and he made some effort to look serious and not giggle.
"Yep, you're right. To be honest, I'm not very good in our history, I'm better versed in medicine. But I heard that our very distant ancestors learned to write even before the Great Interspecies War, when Hyper Evolution happened. And these letters are their legacy to us... What am I thinking, you can't wait to take a bath! I'll go away for now; an hour will be enough for you to wash? After bath we just need to go to Stoker for a fur cut. Your fur, at least the one on your head, definitely needs some care."
"Yes, I think that's enough."
"Good, enjoy your bath! I'm gone!" with these "words" the vixen left the bathroom, giving the man the opportunity to tidy himself up.
Victor filled the bathtub with hot water and with pleasure soaked in it for a while. Then he washed himself completely, drained the water from the bathtub, got dressed, and left the bathroom.
Having reached the staff room, Victor knocked on the door and entered.
He saw that Nora and Stoker were drinking tea and talking about something.
"Oh, Victor, have you washed yourself yet? Great, then let's go to the treatment room and take care of your fur," the vixen-doctor "addressed" the man
"Actually, it's hair, not fur... ah, well, never mind... It would be nice to get a fur cut and shave, yeah, because the thick "fur" on my head and on my... "muzzle" is already bothering me," the man "answered", shrugging his shoulders, after which all three headed to the treatment room.
Arriving there, the bat-phlebotomist quickly prepared a chair, a mirror, and tools for fur cutting and shaving.
"So, Victor, I'm going to make my morning rounds of patients, I think you can walk to your ward yourself, or you can ask Stoker to walk you. A little later I'll show you where the dining room is," Nora "said", after which she left the procedure room.
"So, young human, I'll ask right away: would you like a hygienic fur cutting and shaving only on your head and muzzle, or on the groin area too?" Stoker politely "inquired" of the Soviet sniper, gesturing for him to sit in the chair.
The man almost cursed in surprise, but still sat down calmly.
"Err... Thank you for the offer, sir, thank you, but let's limit ourselves to just fur cutting and shaving of my head... and my "muzzle" too. No fur cutting or shaving is required on another my place" Victor "answered" just as politely.
"What kind of fur cut would you like?" "asked" the bat, after which he put a cape on the man.
"Just cut the "fur" on my head as short as possible, and... uh, shave my "muzzle", please," the man "expressed" his preferences.
"Got it, Victor! It will be done. Relax, and, if you want, close your eyes, I'm starting," "said" Stoker, after which he took the scissors in his paws.
"I hope this old bat hasn't forgotten how to do fur cut and shave, and I'll not look even scarier than I do now," the man thought with hope, closing his eyes.
The quiet clanking of scissors sounded, and Stoker methodically and carefully began to cut off the long, stiff strands of hair from the man's head, which reached his shoulders. He did the same with the long, thick beard.
After that, he took a small electric fur clipper, and with its help he finally finished cutting the hairs and preparing the man's face for shaving.
"Well, I've cut your fur from your head, now I'll start shaving your muzzle. Please sit still, otherwise I might accidentally hurt you!" Stoker "warned" Victor, having prudently blown the cutted hairs off the man's face with an electric hair dryer beforehand, so that he could calmly open his eyes and see his finger gestures. After that, the bat smeared the man's face with shaving cream and picked up a straight razor.
The man glanced sideways at Stoker's paw with the razor and felt a little uncomfortable, but didn't show it.
The cold blade touched the Soviet sniper's face, and he had to make a considerable effort not to flinch.
But, to his surprise, the shave went more than well, given that he suspected that the Creatures were not exactly Stoker's frequent customers in terms of shaving.
Stoker was extremely careful and focused. Where necessary, he pulled the skin on the man's "muzzle" and neck for a better-quality shave and to avoid cuts.
After 20 minutes, the bat finished shaving the man's "muzzle", washed off the remaining foam, and wiped his head and face.
"Oh-oh-oh, that's a completely different matter, at least now I can even go to a wedding!" Victor "exclaimed" joyfully, seeing the results of Stoker's work in the mirror, but immediately wilted, remembering his family, who remained in another dimension.
"Something wrong, Victor?" the bat "asked".
"No, everything is fine! It's only... my personal problems," the man "answered". – "Thank you, Stoker, for putting my head and "muzzle" in order! Now I'll go to my ward, I'll wait for Nora to show me where the dining room is."
"Thank you too, Victor, for sitting still! You definitely look much better now than before the procedures. And the dining room is in the other wing of the ICU. But yes, it's better to wait for Nora, so that everything is in order. Bon appetite to you then! See you!" Stoker "said goodbye" to Victor, after which they shook each other's "paws", and the man went back to his ward.
However, approaching the end of the corridor, where the entrance to his ward and the window from which one could see the southern little part of Treehollow here the hospital were located, he saw a short, fluffy, middle-aged raccoon standing alone at the edge of the window, wearing only a grey soft house robe, whose fur was an unusual white-lilac color with gray streaks. Coming closer, he saw that her stomach in the waist area was covered with an elastic fabric bandage.
The man silently stood at the other end of the window and began to look out with interest. But since the hospital was one-story, all he could see was some small temple against the backdrop of an autumn forest in the distance, outwardly similar to the Christian temples of Medieval Europe; several houses in an unusual natural style for a Soviet sniper, and some kind of grey stone building with a gable brown roof and a wide brick chimney, from which very weak smoke curled. Looking at the views of Treehollow, Victor, however, could not help but notice how the raccoon was stealthily looking in his direction with some thoughtfulness.
The man decided to greet his neighbor in the ICU, so he turned to face her and made a greeting sign with his hand.
The raccoon also turned to him and greeted the man in return, the same one was surprised to note the noticeable "bags" under her eyes, as if she had not slept normally for a long time, and in general it looked like life had worn her out quite a bit.
"Pretty good weather for a walk... huh?" the man tried to start a dialogue.
Until then, the somewhat apathetic and thoughtful look of the raccoon came to life, and surprise appeared on her muzzle.
"You know, I agree with you... Victor, if I'm not mistaken?" she "answered", now looking more closely at her "interlocutor", - "And my name is Rosalyn, or Rosa, for short. I'm waiting for my husband and son to arrive. Is this your first time in Treehollow, I suppose? I don't remember ever seeing you before."
"Rosa, you're right, this is my first time here, and, in fact, it was completely by accident."
"So, what do you can say about our town?"
"To tell the truth, I haven't left the hospital yet, and I don't remember much about the events before arriving here, but based on my first impressions... I like this town, basically."
"Oh, interesting... Yes, we all try to make sure that everyone here is happy and comfortable, although sometimes some Creatures don't appreciate it. I hope you're not one of those street rats," the raccoon "said" with a little smile, after which there was a short pause.
Now, having talked a little with the new patient, Rosalyn was able to better see some of the external features of her "interlocutor" that intrigued her, such as the index finger on his right "paw" that was half-cut off, the clearly visible burn scars on his neck, and the medals that were again hanging on his tunic.
"Victor, if it's not a secret, what happened to you that you ended up here in the hospital? I suppose you're clearly here not because you suddenly lost all the fur on your body, except for part of your head, isn't I'm right? I recently had my gallbladder removed due to gallstone disease, that's why I'm here," the raccoon "asked" the Soviet sniper, then ran her paw over her bandaged stomach at the incision site.
"Well, Rosa, it's a long story... Let's just say that some time ago I escaped from a place that... probably can be compared to hell... ...as soon as I had the opportunity, and my enemies were about to hang me... Anyway, I ended up here and wandered around your surrounding forests for a while in an icy autumn downpour, got pneumonia and was almost at death'... And then I woke up here, apparently one of the folks found me and dragged me here... But I don't know who it was, I'd like to tell him, or her, or even, perhaps, them, "thank you"... As for my injuries... The index finger on my right "paw" was cut off by a piece of shell's body at the beginning of the war, and my neck and shoulders were burned when I evacuated of a burning tank with a comrade in arms..." the man "answered", believing that he had given the raccoon quite exhaustive information about the origin of those injuries and scars that were not covered by his clothes.
However, the neutral-friendly expression on the raccoon's muzzle changed to one of surprise and excitement, and she even shuddered a little.
Having scratched her cheek and thought for a while, she quickly turned her head towards the corridor, and, having made sure that no one was there, took a step towards her "interlocutor".
This did not frighten the man, but rather intrigued him.
"Victor, excuse me for perhaps asking too personal question, but... Were you able to escape from Abroad?!' she "asked", looking the Soviet sniper straight in the eyes.
"No, Rosa! I have no idea what this place is, although I have heard this name a couple of times. I..." Victor was about to simply "say" the name of the concentration camp from which he escaped, hoping that the raccoon would take the trouble to look for information herself if she wanted. However, he did not yet fully realize how far the Creatures were from the knowledge of human history, as well as how far he had been thrown into the future. But quick, quiet footsteps were heard at the opposite end of the corridor, and the man and the raccoon simultaneously turned their heads in the direction of the sources of the footsteps. An intelligent-looking, short, plump, light-brown-beige, middle-aged cat in a green vest and a small raccoon boy of light-gray-blue coloring in a yellow checkered classic suit were walking to them. Both of them were wearing glasses, but if the cat's round glasses were small, then the raccoon boy's oval glasses were much larger.
"And here is my family!" the cheered-up Rosalyn managed to "explain" to the man before the cat and the raccoon boy approached them.
The cat gently and tenderly hugged the raccoon, kissing her on the cheek, exchanging clearly warm words with her, the raccoon boy simply hugged her gently, also clearly greeting her joyfully; after that, all three of them turned to the man, who silently observing the family idyll, and the raccoon began to tell her husband and son something emotionally about him.
The cat and the raccoon boy listened to her with increasing surprise's emotions, and at some point, the cat even took off his glasses and very attentively look at the Soviet sniper, after which he put his glasses back on. The raccoon boy simply looked at the man with some apprehension, holding his father's paw tightly.
Having finished telling her husband and son about the new neighbor in the ICU, Rosalyn turned to the "object" of her recent talk.
"Victor, I would like to introduce my family - my husband Daniel and my son Jonas," the raccoon happily gestured to the man, then hugged the cat-husband and the raccoon-boy-son.
"I'm Victor. Victor Reznov," the Soviet sniper "introduced himself" and extended his right hand to the cat for a handshake. The cat latter thought for a seconds, but still carefully shook the man's hand with his small, well-groomed soft paw, even though his wife had already informed him of the species of her new neighbor in the ICU. Victor didn't miss the momentary surprise's emotion on the cat's muzzle when he clearly saw that the index finger on the hand of the "interlocutor" had long been cutted by half. However, it was immediately replaced by polite interest.
Having greeted the cat, the man squatted down and extended his open palm to shake the now raccoon boy's hand. But he, unlike his father, was not particularly in a mood to greet the strange, large, furless, "tainted" Creature, even for the sake of observing the rules of decency, and only silently looked at the man with a somewhat detached gaze.
"Jonas, don't be afraid, greet Victor! He doesn't wish anyone harm, he's just being treated here, just like me!" Rosalyn encouraged her son.
After a short pause, the raccoon boy finally extended his small right paw to the man for the sake of decency.
Now it was Victor's turn to be surprised when he saw that Jonas' paw had only three fingers, and that the absence of the little finger and ring finger was in no way associated with any congenital pathology. He shook the raccoon boy's hand as carefully as possible. The raccoon boy, seeing the man's neck covered with old burn scars up close, just shuddered in surprise and fear.
"Hey, little warrior, what happened to your right paw?" the man "asked" the raccoon boy.
Heavy sigh of the raccoon boy*
"Last winter, Tam and I accidentally fell through the ice on the river... And because of that, gangrene started on this paw, on these fingers, as Nora explained to me... And they were amputated..." Jonas "answered" with a cold gleam in his green eyes, after which he seemed to "close himself off" mentally from the stranger, who was too curious, in his opinion, by taking his father's paw with his own. It was obvious that the man's question had caused bad memories for the raccoon boy, associated with this incident.
However, Daniel and Rosalyn also looked a little nervous, and only strong nerves and innate tact kept them from making a scandal or throwing a tantrum, especially considering that Rosalyn had already lost two children to miscarriages, although the Soviet sniper obviously couldn't know about it. But they still wanted to know more about the human, so they thought that the moment had come to "ask" the stranger questions themselves.
"Yes, last winter we almost lost our only son and his classmate, but thank the gods of the Green Earth and our doctors, they were able to save them, albeit not without losses for him... Listen, Victor, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? What do you do? Do you have a family? For example, I'm a beekeeper and trader of honey, and my husband is engaged in the study and restoration of artifacts of past civilizations. My son is still just studying at school, although he is already showing research talents," Rosalyn took the initiative into her paws, being the first to "ask" questions to the man.
"Tell you about myself? Well... Actually, I'm from the Soviet Union. I was born in the Russian Empire in Saint Petersburg, which was later renamed as Petrograd after the beginning of World War I, and it was renamed again as Leningrad after the victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War. Before the war, I worked as a worker at the Kirov Factory, and then trained as a mechanic-repairman. And when the war began, I volunteered for the front, first as a tank commander, then after serious injuries and treatment, I retrained as a sniper. I fought on different fronts, until I was captured by the Germans in Stalingrad due to betrayal... And as for the family that I have... or there had a wife and two children, a boy and a girl... eh-h," Victor "answered" with a sad sigh.
The raccoon, along with her husband and son, looked at the man in shock. They clearly did not expect such frankness from the "tainted" Creature, although neither the names of the cities nor name of the country where the Soviet sniper was from meant anything to them. But if Rosalyn looked at the man more with pity, and Jonas rather with confusion and bewilderment, then Daniel looked at the "interlocutor" more with research interest.
"War? But with whom, Victor? And what kind of place "comparable to hell" did you flee from? I understand that this may be too sensitive a topic, but if you can, tell us more about this period of your life. After all, you may well be stuck in Treehollow for a long time. Winter is coming soon, the sea near the coast will be covered with ice, and there will be no navigation until next spring. Even if the Council decides to banish you from Treehollow now in view of the implementation of the Edicts, you will still be here for another five or six months, and we personally would like to know more about you," the cat "asked" the man, showing interest in the war period of his life, after which he wiped his glasses and began to look at the man with a penetrating look of his green eyes, however, not really counting on the fact that the "interlocutor" would immediately satisfy his curiosity.
And so, it happened.
Victor paused, looking at the floor, and then, looking in the cat's eyes, began to "answer":
"You know, Daniel..."
"Victor, you can call me Dani."
"OK. You know, Dani... I understand your concerns and curiosity about me, but... I'm not yet mentally ready to tell you about that part of my life that was shortly BEFORE I came here. Too much shit happened then, and I want to at least distract myself from these memories a little. Maybe later I'll tell you about these events, but I'm not sure that you will be happy to know about such things... Forgive me... One thing I can say for sure - it was NOT a war with creatures like you... You know, I think I'll go to my ward, I won't disturb your family idyll with my presence. Goodbye, Dani and Jonas! It was nice to meet you! Maybe we'll see each other again later... And of course, sorry for stirring up unpleasant memories with my question... Well, I'm not saying goodbye to Rosa, I suppose we'll meet again in the dining room soon."
"I understand, Victor! Well, never mind, I hope time can heal your mental and physical wounds... And as for your question to Jonas, that's okay. I'm sure my son won't be upset with you for long. Yes, Jonas?" the cat "finished" on a conciliatory note, stroking his son's head. The raccoon boy only nodded slightly and smiled weakly, looking at the stranger with a less detached look. After that, the cat and the man exchanged a farewell handshake, and the Soviet sniper went to his ward. The Family of Creatures watched him until he disappeared behind the door of the ward, then they stood silently by the window for a while, hugging and enjoying the autumn view of Treehollow, and then they also went to the ward of the raccoon and Genevieve - the same cow with a badly scalded leg who, together with her neighbor, watched the scandal between Nora and Timmothy.
Returning to the ward, Victor flopped down on the bed and lay there for a while, looking at the ceiling, thinking about the recent conversation.
"It's wondering what kind of place is this called Abroad that almost everyone thinks I'm from there? And how did that little raccoon Jonas and his human classmate... Tamberlane, I think her name was... How did they manage to fall through the ice in the winter, and in such a way that raccoon boy lost three fingers on his paw? Although he is not very sociable person, he is clearly doesn't looks like an idiot to drag himself onto the fragile ice with his classmate, exposing themselves to mortal danger... It's all strange..."
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door of the ward. A moment later, Nora entered it.
"Well, Victor, it's time for breakfast! Let me walk you to the dining room," the vixen-doctor "addressed" the man.
"Yeah, I don't mind at all, finally having a normal meal!" - the furless patient "answered" contentedly and followed the vixen.
A few minutes later they came to a rather small room with stone walls painted yellow and a wooden partition with a window for serving food, where there were four medium-sized wooden tables, each designed for four persons. There were two wooden benches near each table, and at the table, which was by the wall farthest from the entrance, Rosalyn and Genevieve were already sitting and eating their breakfasts.
Hearing the footsteps, and then seeing Victor and Nora arriving, the raccoon waved her paw contentedly at them. The cow did the same, but without much enthusiasm. The man also waved his hand in greeting, the vixen-doctor only nodded her head, since she had already seen them today during the morning rounds.
"So, here we are in the dining room! There is a window for serving food, now I'll call Trisha, and she will give you your breakfast! Enjoy your meal, Victor! And don't forget to wash your paws before eating!" the vixen-doctor "gave" Victor a parting word, after which she called Trisha and left the dining room.
The man washed his hands from the washbasin in the corner of the dining room, went to the serving window, took a tray, and began to wait for breakfast to be served. He was also interested in who Trisha was.
However, the wait did not last long. From the other side, an elderly but elegant short vixen of marble coloring in a gray linen dress with a kitchen apron thrown over it approached the window, carrying a tray with Victor's breakfast. She placed the tray on the window countertop, after which she greeted the new patient in a friendly manner and struck up a short conversation with him.
"Glad to see you, Victor! I see that you have feel much better. I would like to introduce myself – I'm Trisha, your common cook for the next two days. Also, I'm the Hospitality Councilman and I organize holidays, festivals and other events related to the reception of guests of our town. In general, welcome to Treehollow!" the vixen-cook "addressed" the man, looking at him kindly.
"Thank you, nice to meet you too, Trisha! For now, I'm just... one of the patients at the hospital... So-o-o-o, what do I have for breakfast?" the Soviet sniper "inquired" and looked at the small plate on the tray.
"Today, for breakfast, you have oatmeal soup with chicken and vegetables. And here's your herbal tea, take it! Enjoy your meal!" after these "words", the vixen-cook put a small mug of herbal tea on the tray.
"Thank you again, Trisha!" Victor "thanked" the vixen-cook, took the tray with breakfast, and, turning around, thought for a moment about which table he should sit at. However, he saw Rosalyn, who was still eating with Genevieve at the table, wave her paw at him.
"Victor, sit with us!" the raccoon "offered" the man to sit at their table. The Soviet sniper didn't refuse the raccoon's invitation, sat down at the table opposite them, and, trying not to rush, began to eat breakfast.
He didn't even pay much attention to the cow, who was looking askance at him, and melancholically eating a salad of finely chopped fresh grass mixed with vegetables. The raccoon was gobbling up boiled snails.
"Oh-oh-oh, how long has it been since I ate such a delicious soup! This old vixen cooks well! She just might add a little more salt in the soup!.." the man thought contentedly, enjoying the soup. However, no matter how hard he tried to prolong the pleasure, the soup ended rather quickly.
Having finished with the soup, Victor grunted and exhaled contentedly, and then drank herbal tea.
Meanwhile, the cow and the raccoon had also finished their food, and were now quietly talking about something, looking at their neighbor at the table. The cow looked at the man with a rather cold gaze, and her muzzle expressed restrained politeness. The raccoon decided that it would be a good idea to introduce her roommate and the man to each other.
"Victor, I would like to introduce you to my roommate, the Councilman of Education, and also the main Foster Mother of Treehollow. Please love and respect - Genevieve Foster!.. Genevieve... Genevieve, be a little kinder! A little more, and you will freeze him with your gaze! He hasn't done anything bad to us!"
"Oh, Rosa! If only he even tried to do something bad, I..! It's already enough for me that he's a human! Not to mention the fact that we can all get into big trouble if Parliament finds out about him... and about Tamberlane too! As if it wasn't enough for me that Jentzen is about to be brought to trial, which will probably send him forever to Abroad!.. And I'm stuck here with a scalded leg!" the cow responded with barely concealed irritation to the raccoon, who was surprised by her sharp reaction to the man, and after the cow clenched her paws in helplessness.
"Yes, Gene, I understand! I'm sorry I chose the wrong moment to introduce you to the new Creature! I just hoped that making new contacts would distract you from your sad thoughts... Let me hug you, darling! Do you want to cry, maybe it will make you feel a little better?" with these words, the raccoon gently hugged the cow, who did not resist, but on the contrary, snuggled up to her roommate and laid her head on her shoulder, and then quietly began to sob. The raccoon began to console the cow, stroking her head and quietly saying something.
Victor felt "out of place" and was about to leave the dining room, when some rhythmic, increasing knocking was heard from behind the dining room's door.
The raccoon and the man turned their heads and began to wait with interest to see who would come. The cow also stopped crying and also began to look in the same direction as her neighbors in the ICU.
A minute later, an old, short hunched black crow, dressed in a white hospital gown, appeared in the doorway, rattling his wooden walker. He walked with difficulty, groaning and moving his walker. Seeing that he was being watched, he stopped for a moment and with cold politeness first looked at the raccoon and the cow, nodding his head in greeting. Seeing the man, he only hoarsely muttered something and flashed his red eyes, clearly letting it be known that he didn't feel any great joy from meeting the impudent, bad-mannered stranger, after which he slowly began to enter the dining room.
"Oh, Sir Leon has gathered his strength and decided to go out "into the world"!" Rosalyn quietly noted and greeted the crow. Genevieve also silently nodded her head in greeting. The man continued to simply watch the crow.
Victor gently tapped the raccoon on the shoulder. He was curious about this "important bird", especially since they had already met once in the hospital corridor.
"Rosa, who is this? I mean... What is his name, and so on? I clearly can see for myself that he is a crow," he "asked" the raccoon.
"This, Victor, is Sir Leon Crow, a former member of Parliament of Silver Sage. Yes, now he may seem rude and unrestrained, since he has a severe stage of arthritis and... in general, he is terminally ill and "on" strong painkillers, but in his time, he put a lot of effort into making life in Treehollow more comfortable. For example, he was able to "knock out" the modernization of the sewerage system and a centralized water supply for all public institutions of our town! So... try not to be angry with him, even if he is rude to you. Old age is no joy after all..." the raccoon "answered".
Meanwhile, the crow had almost hobbled to the table closest to the exit from the dining room, when suddenly he loudly cawed, stopped and dropped his walker from a sudden attack of severe pain in his back. Staggering, he waved his clawed wing-paws in panic, trying to grab the table, but it was too far away from him. The crow's decrepit legs trembled treacherously, and he began to fall face down. His beak was already centimeters from the floor, when he felt someone grab him by the scruff of the neck, stopping his fall. A moment later, someone's "paws" wrapped his body around, put him in a vertical position and dragged him to the bench near the table, and then, to the stunned sighs of Rosalyn, Genevieve, and Trisha, who had run from the kitchen to the crow's cry, somebody carefully sat him down at the table. Still shaking from the shock and pain in his back, Leon slowly turned towards his savior. He saw that it was the man.
"Whoever you are... T-t-thank you... What's your name?" the crow "thanked" the man sullenly, making gestures with his arthritic fingers.
"Victor Reznov. Maybe you need more help?" the Soviet sniper "answered", looking thoughtfully at the crow.
"No, I don't need... Although... You know, Victor... Call one of the doctors, if it's not too hard for you. It looks like I need another painkiller injection, and I'm unlikely to make going back to the ward myself... And, I'm Leon Crow..." the crow "said", and, after a pause, extended his winged paw with long sharp claws for a handshake.
"Got it, I'll call someone," the man "accepted" the crow's request, after which they carefully shook each other's "paws".
"Wow! So fuckin' long sharp claws!.." the Soviet sniper thought to himself after exchanging pleasantries with his feathered neighbor in the ICU. He said goodbye to everyone in the dining room and went to the staff room.
"Gene, did you see that! What a reaction and speed of action! And just four days ago he was literally dying!" Rosalyn exclaimed admiringly.
"Yeah, you're right, Rosa... Although I suspect that this is not only due to the good work of Nora and her colleagues. Maybe not all humans were monsters, as it is written in the old tales and chronicles of Silver Sage?.. Although how can I explain this to Parliament when they find out about his presence here? And Tamberlane... Poor girl, she certainly did nothing bad..." the cow sighed sadly.
"Let's go back to the ward, I want to lie down for a bit," said the raccoon to the cow, after which she got up from the table and turned to the vixen-cook, who had already brought breakfast to the crow, - "Trisha, thank you for breakfast, it was delicious!"
"Yeah, let's go. Yes, Trisha, thank you for breakfast! If it's not too hard for you, please help me get up," the cow supported her neighbor's suggestion.
"You're welcome, girls! See you at lunch!" answered the vixen-cook, then helped the cow to get up from the bench and went to the kitchen.
The raccoon and the cow slowly wandered to their ward, and the crow, left alone, began to eat his grain porridge.
Finding himself at the door of the doctor's office, Victor knocked and opened the door. However, the man was going to not only just call for help for the crow, who was overtaken by a sudden attack of unbearable pain in his back...
He saw Nora and Terra sitting on the sofa and intently reading some big thick books in massive leather covers.
"Ah, Victor! Come in! Did something happen?" the vixen-doctor "asked", seeing the man in the doorway of the staff room.
"Yes, Nora, something happened. Leon asked to call one of you to the dining room. He had an attack of severe pain there, and almost fell. He needs an injection of painkiller, and to be taken to his room, as I understood him. But I also want to ask something for myself," he "answered", entering the staff room.
"Wow! I understand! Thank you for telling me!" the vixen-doctor thanked the man and turned to the she-wolf nurse, who also put down her book and anxiously watched the "conversation", - "Terra, take a syringe with painkillers and go to the dining room. Sir Leon had an attack of severe pain. And grab a wheelchair, he will hardly be able to get to his ward himself. In the meantime, I'll talk to Victor."
"Okay, Nora, I'll do it," answered the she-wolf nurse, after which she took the necessary medications, put them on a wheelchair that stood in the staff room, and went to the dining room.
"Well, Victor, it seems you wanted to ask something?" the vixen-doctor asked the man when they were alone in the staff room.
"Yes, Nora, I wanted to. You see... I would like to learn your language. What is it called, by the way? And who could help with this?" "answered" the Soviet sniper.
The vixen-doctor's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she thoughtfully scratched the back of her head.
"Oh-oh-oh, Victor, this is quite unexpected... And commendable. Let me think... No, teacher Callie is busy teaching children, and she won't go to the hospital either. Maybe Jentzen?.. M-m-m, no, I doubt he won't teach anyone after that attempt to discuss a taboo subject with the kits in class... Tess is too busy, and it's not a given that she'd want to teach a Creature of an undesirable species... There's no point in even asking Claude, he's too grumpy for this... Well, in fact, you could try asking Walter, Briar, or Genevieve, when her leg heals after the upcoming skin transplant. Although... In the near future, I plan to transfer you to the general therapy department, based on the positive dynamics of your recovery. Most likely, you'll be transferred to the ward of our glassblower Isaiah Gaffer, who got his muzzle's burns by liquid glass from an accidently cracked wall of a glass furnace a month ago. Fortunately, not too badly... If you can find a common language with him, maybe he'll give you the most basic principles of our language and writing. And we call it Growl, because it uses many of the features of our species' voices... For example,.." and after much "thinking out loud" with her fingers, the vixen-doctor growled softly in different tones.
"Yeah, Nora, that explains the name of your language well. Thank you for giving me a tip about those who could at least theoretically teach me your language. By the way, how is Kira?" Victor asked about his former roommate.
"She's already better. She regained consciousness, but is still in the reanimation ward. If there are no complications, then in the coming days we will be able to transfer her to the ICU. By the way, I say "Hello!" and "Thank you!" to you from her" "said" the vixen-doctor with a kind smile.
Victor just nodded his head silently.
"I have one more request, Nora. Do you happen to have some... dumbbells weighing two kilograms each? I want to restore the atrophied muscles in my arms," the man "made" another request.
"Oh, Victor... No, we don't have such things at the hospital. Honestly, you are the first patient with such exhaustion in our practice, so we don't keep sports equipment in principle. But I'll try to ask my husband Henry. I think he can borrow his dumbbells for a while," the vixen-doctor "answered", looking puzzledly at the Soviet sniper.
"Thank you, Nora! Well, then I'll go to the ward, I won't distract you from your work," the man "said", getting ready to leave.
"Okay, Victor. I'm not saying goodbye to you, I'll see you again during the evening rounds!" the vixen-doctor "answered" and nodded her head slightly.
Victor went to his room, and Nora continued reading the medical manual...
The Soviet sniper walked slowly along the quiet corridors of the hospital. Turning into the corridor at the end of which was the entrance to his room, he saw a cow already familiar to him standing by the window, in a green house robe and on crutches, and some unfamiliar graceful fluffy young Creature, the same height as his interlocutor, in a gray autumn jacket and green jeans, and very similar in appearance and color to a cheetah, but with a fluffier long tail. They were quietly talking about something, but when the man approached them, they both turned to him.
The cow timidly greeted the man, the Creature did the same, but only thoughtfully and interestedly looking at the cow's new neighbor in the department.
"Hello again, Genevieve and..?" Victor also "greeted" the cow and her interlocutor, looking at her visitor with curiosity.
"Jentzen, a hybrid of a cheetah and a wolf. What's your name, sir?" the "cheetah" "introduced" and "asked" at the same time, boldly looking the man in the eye.
"I'm Victor. Victor Reznov. Nice to meet you!" the Soviet sniper "introduced" himself in turn and extended his hand.
They exchanged a strong, confident handshake.
"So, that's what our "worst enemies" look like! Until today, I, and probably not only I, had no idea what humans looked like! However, it looks like you are not the only representative of your species here now... And frankly speaking, that little lady has not yet given any reason to dislike her, although some "street rats" don't like her friendliness and appearance..." the "cheetah" "expressed" his first opinion about the "interlocutor".
"Jentzen! Please be nicer to Victor! He may be a cursed Creature, but so far he hasn't done anything bad! Quite the opposite..." Genevieve interrupted her adopted son with anxiety.
"Don't worry, Mom, I have absolutely nothing against our new guest! We're just chatting peacefully! And I already know that he saved Kira... As well as that he almost killed Milo! So, I'll be polite and respectful to him until he gives no reason to act differently," the "cheetah" reassured his adopted mother, smiling and gently hugging her shoulders. The cow sighed with relief and also hugged her "son".
"Um... I suppose you're related?" the man "inquired", interrupting the family idyll of the Creatures.
"Although we are not related by blood, but, yeah, Gene is my most wonderful and lovely Mom! I hope, Victor, that you'll be polite and courteous to her, as well as to all other Creatures. Otherwise, I'll create big problems for you, up to and including your deat... um, well, you get the hint! She is already going through a very difficult period in her life, and I'll not allow anyone to upset her even more! Do not consider me impudent or rude, but we know nothing about you except what is written in our historical chronicles! And there are very bad things written there about your species! And that is why I want to immediately dot all the "i's"!" "answered" the "cheetah" with the most serious expression on his muzzle.
"Em, Jentzen, I understand you!.." "answered" the man, shrugging his shoulders in surprise.
"You can call me Jentz. And now I would like to discuss something with my mother without prying eyes and ears. You understand me, right?" "said" the cheetah, clearly hinting to the man that their "conversation" had come to an end.
"Yes, I understand... Well, Jentz and Genevieve, it was nice to meet you! Have a nice day!" the man "said goodbye" to the cow and the "cheetah".
"Same to you too, Victor! I wish you a speedy recovery! And I hope that we will be able to talk again, and this conversation will be pleasant for both of us, despite who you are in terms of species..." the "cheetah" "said goodbye" in response, shaking the man's hand with a more friendly look as he said goodbye. The cow simply nodded her head.
The Soviet sniper turned around and went to his ward, while the cow and the "cheetah" remained in the corridor by the window and began to quietly discuss various events that had happened in Treehollow in recent days.
"It looks like someone stepped on his fluffy tail today, judging by his less than friendly greeting..." the man was lost in thought, plopping down on his bed.
After a while, there was a knock on the door of his ward, but no one came in.
"I wonder who decided to visit me? Nora didn't seem to say anything about visitors today," Victor wondered, got up from his bed and opened the door.
A confused Genevieve stood on the threshold.
"Victor, can I come in? I want to tell you something," she "addressed" the man.
"Yes, come in," the man "answered" and let the cow into the ward.
Clicking her crutches, the cow slowly walked to the empty cot and sat down on it. The man also sat down on his cot.
"Victor... Forgive me if Jentz was... A little rude to you. It's just that he's due to stand a trial soon for breaking our Edicts, and he'll most likely be banished from Treehollow forever to a place of no return. That's why he's sometimes "on edge", although he tries to keep himself in check. And forgive me for the hysteria in the dining room... It's just that all this with Jentz..., and my leg hurts terribly... By the way, you can call me "Gene", the cow "addressed" the man apologetically, looking down dejectedly at the floor. However, she didn't miss the nervous move of her "interlocutor's" cheek at the mention of the possible fate of her adopted son.
"It's okay, Gene. Although it's good that we met when I was "not drunk", otherwise I could have given your son a strong slap for some of his words... Anyway, let's forget about it... Hey! Sorry for asking this question, Gene, but... What kind of place is this where your son can be banished forever? And what did he do?" Victor "asked" the cow thoughtfully.
"Sorry, Victor, but... The detailed discussion about this place is prohibited for us by Parliament... My son only tried for just one attempt to publicly discuss about Abroad during a lesson when he was an assistant to our school teacher Callie, and this was enough for starting big problems for him... All you need to know about this place is that there is no return from there for the living Creatures, and everyone who was banished there and tried to escape from there died. Like Kira's parents, for example... That's where Creatures who have broken the laws of Silver Sage are banished, or where seriously ill Creatures voluntarily go if they can't get medical care in the Mainland; that's also where we get Parliament-approved high-tech items like plumbing or medical equipment. Theoretically, you and... well, you could be banished there too, because... Well, because the first point of the Edicts, which are binding on all of Silver Sage, including our town of Treehollow, literally says "That which is human shall be destroyed!" I have nothing to tell more... And please, I beg you - don't try to ask anyone else about this place! Because you can really set your interlocutor in big troubles, even though no one here really knows anything about Abroad! I'm not sure that even the other members of the Council know anything more about this place than I do..." the cow "answered", looking imploringly at her "interlocutor" and hoping that he would really respect her request.
However, she saw that the "muzzle" of the "interlocutor" took on a gloomy expression and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his trembling "paws" clenched into fists, and his gaze became completely detached.
"Victor, are you okay?! Should I call a doctor? Victor!" Genevieve "asked" with anxiety, already thinking of crawling to the doctor's room for help.
But, after a few seconds, Victor came to his senses and looked piercingly into the cow's eyes.
"No, you don't. I'm fine. Probably... It's just that these stories with your son, with Kira's parents, and with this "forbidden place" reminded me too much of the dark events that happened in my homeland BEFORE the war," having calmed down a little, the man "answered" and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Genevieve looked at Victor in surprise. She wanted to ask her "interlocutor" about these events, but she also understood that questions would most likely not lift up the man's mood. However, the cow still decided to ask the man as tactfully as possible to tell about the "dark events", hoping that the "interlocutor" would want to pour out his soul.
"Victor... Can you tell me about these events?.. Well, about those that happened before your war. No, I don't insist! If these memories are too hurt for you, you don't have to tell me! It's just... As a Councilman of Education, I'm really interested to know more about this..." the cow "asked" the man carefully.
The Soviet sniper sighed heavily, but did not refuse the "interlocutor".
"Okay, Gene, I'll tell you...
These events happened several years before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
My homeland had already more or less "stand up on its feet" after the devastation of the Civil War in the early 1920s and the terrible mistakes of our authorities during collectivization in the early 1930s, due to which many people died of famine...
Industrialization was in full thottle, new factories and plants were appearing.
Cities and towns were being rebuilt and reconstructed, agriculture was developing. The threat of a new famine had receded, and although ordinary people like me lived pretty poor, there was still hope for a better future, at least for our children...
But then strange, hell things began to happen. In the ranks of our army, among the intelligentsia and even among ordinary people throughout the country, incomprehensible indictments and searches for "a spies, a counterrevolutionaries and an "enemies of the people" began. Not a week passed without a black "raven" with strong guys from NKVD driving up to some house at night and taking away another "enemy of the people" for a quick trial. And it was good if after tortures and starvation the "troika" sentenced a poor guy to a long term in a labor camp, but often it all ended with a bullet in the back of the head of the newly minted "Japanese-German-British spy", and after that his or her family was simply sent to the harshest places of the Soviet Union.
And all sorts of envious scum crawled out, and my homeland plunged into an abyss of denunciations, mistrust and fear.
My family and I were lucky, because there was nothing much to take from us, and we did not have time to "cross anyone's path", unlike some of my acquaintances and friends, who were either sent to camps for a long time or shot.
Fortunately, all this shit soon ended. There were rumors that the then head of state security, People's Commissar Nikolai Yezhov, was eventually executed by a shot for allowing chaos and loss of control in the NKVD, and his wife committed suicide shortly before her husband's arrest, when she realized that "things were getting hot." But these were just rumors, nothing was announced publicly, his name was simply erased from everywhere: from city names, from encyclopedias, from newspapers... As if Nikolai Yezhov had never existed.
Then many wondered: what was it? What for? And how could the Party, led by Comrade Stalin, allow such a disaster?
But no one dared to raise these questions out loud, because it was fraught with... And soon fascist Germany attacked us, and much more terrible things happened, so there was no time to think about "Yezhovshchina"..." the Soviet sniper "told" the cow about one of the dark pages of the history of the still young Soviet Union, trying to remain calm.
Genevieve looked at the Soviet sniper in shock, trying to understand whether he had just made up what he had just told her or not, and whether he was in his right mind at all. She knew absolutely nothing about the Soviet Union, just as she knew nothing about the history of mankind before the Great Interspecies War.
However, the man's gloomy gaze did not resemble the gaze of a madman, and in general, his entire behavior showed that his story was not fiction at all.
"And what an ironic bitch history is, isn't it, Gene! Humans disappeared, you appeared... Creatures, as you call yourselves. And yet, it seems that you are successfully stepping on the same rake as we did..." he continued, clearly drawing parallels between the repressions in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and what he had just learned from the cow's story.
"Err, Victor... You're probably right, ha-ha... To be honest, neither I nor the other Creatures know nothing about human's history before the War of Sovereignty. But what you've told me now... It sounds terrible! You know... Thank you for revealing a small part of your past life, albeit a rather tragic one. I'll try to look for something else about your country with Oakewood's or Miss Scott's help. It should be interesting... If, of course, they have such literature... Oh, it's time for me to go to my ward, I want to lie down, otherwise my scalded leg is starting to hurt a lot," the cow thanked her "interlocutor" and took up her crutches.
"Yes, Gene, the history of my country, and of our world at that time in general, is very interesting. Read it if you can find it, perhaps it can save you from worse things in the future. I also want to thank you for your frankness. I hope that your courts are not like those in my homeland during the "great purge", and your son will be able to avoid eternal banishment to nowhere, for, basically, nothing... Perhaps I should help you get up?" the man showed gallantry.
"Oh, thank you, Victor... Yes, I wouldn't refuse your help. Usually one of the medical staff or Jentz helps me get up, but right now they are not here..." Genevieve agreed to accept the help of the "cursed" creature with a slightly embarrassed look.
"Okay, Gene. Then I'll come up to you and take you by the armpits. You, in turn, take my shoulders with your paws and start to get up, and I'll help you with this. When you get up, continue to hold on to my shoulders, and I'll hand you your crutches. If necessary, I can also walk you to your ward," the man explained to the cow the essence of the upcoming "operation".
"I understand. Thank you, I can go to my ward by myself! The main thing is for me to just get up!.." she "answered", still a little embarrassed.
After the cow's last "words", the Soviet sniper nodded his head, got up from the bed and walked up to her, then bent down a little and carefully grabbed her by the armpits.
The cow shuddered a little from the feeling of the man's "paws" under her armpits, but still grabbed his shoulders tightly.
For a few moments, they simply looked at each other. Perhaps this was the first time in several centuries since the War of Sovereignty that the adult former "king of nature" and the Creature, whose very distant ancestors were food for her "interlocutor", touched each other outside of a mortal fight.
"Amazing! How much intelligence... and sadness in those beautiful green eyes! It seems that life was not an easy walk for her..." thought Victor, looking into Genevieve's eyes.
"Oh, gods of the Green Earth! The "cursed Creature" about which many terrible chronicles and tales have been written, and which, according to ancient writings, brought only death and torment to our ancient ancestors, has touched me! But it seems... I'm still alive, and it doesn't even seem like I'm turning into a monster! Probably... And also... His look... It feels like something is mentally hurting him, even though he's trying not to show it..." thought Genevieve, also looking into Victor's eyes.
But then the Soviet sniper nodded his head slightly again, increasing the pressure of his palms on the cow's armpits, and she, holding tightly to the man's shoulders, began to get up, using both the strength of her front paws and the strength of her healthy leg.
"Damn, how heavy you are, even though you're small! Yes, it's good that she's not too shy; using one hand, I definitely wouldn't be able to help her get up..." Victor, who was still not in the best physical shape, was surprised at himself. But still, acting in sync with the cow, he was able to help her get up from the bed.
A moment later, Genevieve was already standing on her good leg, pressed against Victor and still holding on to his shoulders. She looked sheepishly at the neck of the man in front of her, which she had just accidentally bumped her nose into while getting up; the fur on her muzzle hid her reddened cheeks well from the awkward situation.
Victor was more concerned with how to now take the crutches lying on the bed in order to give them to the cow without dropping her on the floor.
The solution came almost instantly.
The man did signs to the cow to wrap her paw around his neck and strongly hold on to it. After Genevieve did this, Victor was able to walk over to the crutch on the bed and take it, then deftly tuck it under the cow's armpit.
Leaning on one crutch, Genevieve was finally able to stand without leaning against the man or hanging on his neck. And when the Soviet sniper carefully tucked the second crutch under her other armpit, she regained her freedom of movement, albeit limited.
Victor breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the "operation" to lift his "interlocutor" had been successful and without incidents.
"Well, Gene, it was nice talking to you! See you at dinner!" Victor said goodbye to the cow and opened the door to the ward. Genevieve just smiled silently and nodded her head in gratitude, after which she left the man's ward and slowly walked to her own ward.
Breakfast and the first serious social interaction with the Creatures had tired Victor a little. He lay down on the bed again and dozed off...
The rest of the day passed without incidents.
In the evening, Nora came into the man's ward, pushing a cart with medical supplies on the upper tray and a small cloth bag on the lower tray. She carried out a routine examination, took blood for analysis and gave out medications, but after that she took the bag and took out two small dumbbells and a spring expander.
"Here, Victor, as you asked! And Henry added the expander on his own initiative. I assume you know how to use it?" the vixen-doctor "asked" the man.
"Oh, thanks a lot, Nora! Yes, I know how to use this thing. Say "Hello!" and "Thank you!" to Henry too," the Soviet sniper "answered" contentedly, after which he stretched the expander several times, depending on how much effort was required for this. The expander turned out to be quite tight to stretch, but the man wisely decided to be content with what they gave him, hoping that as his muscles recovered, it would become easier to handle.
"By the way, Victor, how was your acquaintance with your neighbors in the department? I hope y'all found a common language?" the vixen-doctor asked.
"Well, it seemed to go well. However, I learned that I'm not the only one under threat of banishment..." the man "answered", waiting with interest to see what Nora would "say".
"I suppose you are hinting at Jentzen? Yes, unfortunately, he tried to publicly challenge the taboo on talking about Abroad right during the lesson, and in front of teacher Callie, whose assistant he was. And when she's angry, she does everything automatically, without thinking about the consequences. And now he's going to have to stand a trial before the Treehollow Council. Of course, I hope that everything will end with a less severe sentence than eternal banishment, but the chances of that are slim. The Parliament is quite zealous in monitoring compliance with the laws even in a "backwater" like our Treehollow. If our Council tries to soften Jentzen's sentence without the permission of the Parliament, and then by chance Parliament find out about it, trouble is inevitable. In any case, he'll have to forget about the teaching career he dreamed of so much..." the vixen-doctor "explained" the situation with the "cheetah" with a sad look.
"O-o-o-h, how there's so... strict with this Abroad! I wonder if Tamberlane will also be sent into banishment along with me just because we are, so to speak, not the right kind of species?.." the man suddenly "asked", shaking his head and looking searchingly at Nora.
The vixen-doctor only flashed her eyes coldly.
"No, Timmothy won't dare to banish her! I'm sure that I scared him enough then so that he wouldn't touch her, but would better thinking about how to give her legal status in the eyes of Parliament. Unfortunately, that won't work with you - you came to us without prior permission to stay in our town. In addition, you are an adult, sane Creature, and you also threatened to kill one of our residents - bird-horse doctoral student Milo Academique, which is also absolutely unacceptable according to our laws. Besides, one of the members of the Council is a witness to your crime. So..." Nora made it clear to the Soviet sniper that his case was so-so from the point of view of local laws.
"You know... You can trust me or not, Nora, but I really don't remember threatening to kill this hyacinth... doctoral student! However, thank you for the honest explanation," the man frowned and thanked his "interlocutor."
"Victor, you shouldn't get discouraged ahead of time! You can always try to fix the situation while your heart is still beating and irreparable mistakes haven't been made! Yes, a very long time ago our and your ancestors participated as enemies in the bloodiest and most merciless war in the history of intelligent civilizations on Earth, and, as far as I know, humans lost the war, and then they became extinct because a mysterious unknown disease happened. But time passes, things tend to change, and who knows, maybe you and Tamberlane will be able to prove to us and the Parliament with your actions that the Edicts are really outdated, and that humans and Creatures can live peacefully with each other!" the vixen-doctor encouraged the despondent man.
"Well, I'll try not to do to y'all what I wouldn't want done to me. I would like it to be mutual..." the man made a promise more to himself than to the vixen-doctor.
"Treehollow is a quiet town where everyone knows each other, so you can be sure that no one will threaten you here, even if you are a human!.. Well, I'm leaving, I'll see you in two days. Perhaps then I'll transfer you to the general therapy department, based on your condition and the results of the tests. Good night and sleep soundly!" Nora finished the "conversation" on a positive note.
"Sounds encouraging. Good night to you too and have a nice weekend, Nora!" Victor "said goodbye" to the vixen-doctor, after which she left the ward. The man dimmed the light in the room to a minimum, lay down on the bed and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep...