I don't own Hetalia okay? I know it has been a long time for me to update this, but I do hope to eventually finish it. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
October 13th 1919,
(From the journal of Lucille Bonnefoy)
Today I took Ivan to the hospital to meet with some doctors I had worked with in the war who were American volunteers who had come to help us with the injured men. I was going to tell Ivan's sisters what we were doing and where we were going and even offer them to come with me, but he stopped me. I followed his lead until we were a few blocks from his house and I had to ask him about that. I could understand why Alfred wasn't there, he had to work today and their boss had Ivan coming in less and less. I am honestly worried he may be trying to lay him off without laying him off, which makes no sense in my mind. Ivan is brilliant and efficient. He just has to be wheeled around and he can self propel his chair easily. I have more than enough resources to take care of him if that happens, so the burden is not on his family, even if Ivan refuses to accept it. He's a proud man, who is honestly facing a deep depression. He sees it on him to make sure his sisters are looked after. He thinks Alfred is doing a good job with Natalya, and I tried in the few times I had talked with her, telling Katyusha to tell Matthew how she feels. Ivan is fine with it and if Matthew is like his brother in that sense, she will have a wonderful husband. I know they had been trying to get Matthew to talk with Ivan more often, as he is a veteran too and had lost some of what he had before the war, being in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and all, but I don't think it's taking with him.
However we had gotten to the doctor and some of the men who were there for the testing thought I was Ivan's wife. I just laughed it off. We are friends, that's all. I insisted on wheeling him back and helping him as much as I could through the Xray process. I am not some dainty little flower. Heck I could take Doc Holiday or any of the old west gamblers I've read in some of Alfred's dime novels in a game of poker any day. I am one of the best in the South of France after all. I had helped him onto the tables and such. The fact he was willing to be examined was a big improvement in my eyes. We had then discussed what we could do if there was shrapnel discovered in the spine. The doctors have some surgery planned that could hopefully fix it right up and within no time after initial recovery, Ivan could be up and walking again. At least that is how it sounded and I would be more than willing to help take care of him. My penthouse even has a loft so he can have a wonderful view of the city while healing.
But he seems to be using me to avoid his family, and I am sure they would love to take care of him especially if there is some semblance of normalcy that can come from this. Just because of his injury, he is no less of a man. He is not holding them back. I know Katyusha, Natalya and Alfred have told him this until they are blue in the face. I worry how he would have been if he did not have such a good family with him. I know of the letters of soldiers in France who do not have anyone and I know big brother and Alice are working with the Red Cross to help make sure those affected by the war are taken care of but high unemployment, low wages and skyrocketing food costs are not helping. I mean even if I didn't have a duty to care for Ivan, and could just go back with Michelle, would it be worth it? I have heard stories of some artists from America going to France. Anyway, the doctor set us a follow up for 2 weeks, so hopefully there will be good news.
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. Yeah I haven't updated this one as often as I should have but hey, the idea hit me back again. Anyway, remember to read, well you just did and review. You can go to my profile for this story's predecessor The Longing of the Heart and the Sequel of that The Healing of the Heart. Ciao for now,
otherrealmwriter
aka
Realm