Chapter - 17

- No, our child is fine, - he said these words so that they sounded most convincing.

The man in the white coat raised an eyebrow.

- From here you have a white bracelet, well, it's interesting, - he said.

- Doctor, tell me, can you help us?

The man wasn't listening. He called a military man to him.

- Take the card from one of these bastards and give it to this girl. Quickly! – he said.

The military rushed to execute the order, which, to Grisha's surprise, was given to a man in uniform by an ordinary civilian. The Doctor smiled and left.

"Don't you think it's suspicious that he doesn't have a bracelet?".

Grisha only now noticed that there was no bracelet on the man's arm. How could this be? Everyone he had seen recently, after the strain of the NMS virus had spread in the country, was wearing a bracelet of one color or another. Could an ordinary doctor of a rehabilitation center be an exception? Grisha did not have time to develop the idea, as a military man appeared in the gazebo with a card for Nadia in his hands.

- Here, this is a pass-through ticket to the center, your wife is very lucky ... - the man in camouflage winked somehow ambiguously. – With this fuss, you listened to the briefing, so I will explain specifically. Go to that table over there – the military pointed to a table where two doctors were standing with a bunch of ampoules and syringes. – They will vaccinate you there. Show the card and go inside, what to do next is explained already inside.

- And what will happen to the others who don't have a card? Grisha asked.

- Have you read the slogan of our center? the soldier chuckled. – The center gives a new life to everyone and everyone who asked for support. It's time for you! – the military pointed to the entrance doors of the center, which opened wide and walked away.

Grisha turned the card over and put it in his pocket. Is it really that simple? Was it really over? And why not… Finally they will be together, the whole family. This pleased, gave new hopes, but something confused Grisha. Some strange feeling of understatement. A certain taste that remained in the mouth and seemed very unpleasant. He did not fully understand what was going to happen, what this new life, which was promised in the center, would look like… What needs to change, what needs to be done for this? Probably, the answers to the questions will come later.

"In order to hear the answers, you need to ask questions correctly...", an inner voice rasped.

Grisha wasn't listening.

- Nadia, can you walk?

The girl nodded.

- Give me your hand, - she leaned on her husband's hand and got to her feet. – I'll go further myself.

Grisha noticed that Nadia was looking somewhere to the side. The guy was surprised to recognize in one of the men to whom the military went the same priest to whom he had asked for help a few hours ago. Their glances crossed for a moment and Grisha was the first to lower his eyes.

* * *

Father Robert stood aside from all the fuss that unfolded on the playground, opposite the entrance to the rehabilitation center. Robert's lips barely moved, but hardly anyone heard the words. The priest was praying. He was not cheerful and gloomy. The man crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his chin on his chest, watching what was happening. A crucifix was clutched in the man's hand and he kept squinting at the white bracelet on his wrist. He felt lonely and stupid at the universal celebration of life. The priest saw smiles and genuine joy on the faces of those who visited his parish a few days ago, who listened to sermons, who sang, who prayed. Now, they rejoiced and believed. Having lost faith within themselves, they gained faith in the words of the government and the power of the red bracelets.

It shouldn't be like this.

The man gripped the crucifix in his hands with such force that he felt the metal of the cross dig into his skin. It was worth coming to terms with the fact that he did not have the strength to direct his followers on the right path, on the path of deliverance and purification… Now you should gain strength, find the courage to see with your own eyes how sin is accomplished. To show firmness, to be stronger than a stone, not to retreat.

Robert saw among the crowd a thin, tall man with a painfully familiar black ponytail from a shock of black hair. It was Victor, one of the people close to his arrival. And one of the people who betrayed Robert and didn't show up for the meeting yesterday. Robert felt an unpleasant sinking in the pit of his stomach at the sight of the man. Victor pretended not to see Robert and, without turning his head in the direction of the holy father, tried to pass by, in the direction of the queue stretching to the entrance of the rehabilitation center. Robert took a step forward and grabbed the man's arm.

"Hello, Vitya," he said dryly.

The man shuddered when he heard the voice of the priest and recoiled.

- Robert, not now, I'm asking you not now, - he threw off the hand of the holy father and rushed to the crowd of "whites".

Robert watched him go in silence.

"Not now...", - the words Victor said flashed through my head.

How he did not understand that later it would be too late. He caught the sidelong glance of a man in camouflage, who was clearly alarmed by Robert's detachment. When did Robert miss the moment when he did not notice the change of mood in the minds of the parishioners? A few days ago, they openly ridiculed the government rehabilitation center. What has changed now?