2 Chapter 2

"103-degree fever. He's sweating profoundly due to his body unnaturally heating up. It seems his high air canal is also closing upon him, so I would need to put a tube in his throat to allow him to breathe properly." The family doctor, Kennel, said in Russian. Kira and her husband Andros stood by him both with blank empty faces. Nikolai was breathing out roughly with the surrounding sheets becoming wet from constant sweating. Barely opening his eyes, Nikolai can see the private doctor giving medicine to his mother, which she naturally gave to the maid next to her. His father stared at him with his blue deep eyes nothing showing at all but even behind that mask, Nikolai can see his burning rage. The older man's mouth was in a straight line while his brawny arms were crossed giving off the power of suppression. Not wishing to continue to look at such gloomy eyes, Nikolai once again closed his eyes, blocking everything from his sight. Vaguely he felt someone cautiously opening his mouth further open before something was carefully stuffed inside his throat causing him to gag.

It took 30 odd minutes before the doctor was done with everything. Nikolai looked more sickly when equipped with all the medical appliances attached to him, his olive skin turning a lighter luster. While his panting breaths now came out from a medical tube. Dr. Kennel said farewell to the Agin couple before the maid sent Dr. Kennel off. The only ones that remained in the room were the parents and the ill son. Hearing the entrance door close, Andros took big steps and manhandled his son's face, making it face him.

"Look at you! Looking all frail and weak as a woman! Since when have I raised a little bitch?! Getting all sick and shit! Can't believe this seed came from my god damn body!" Nikolai experienced a strong force on his cheek as his father punched him. The older man huffed in seething rage before retaining his cold expression and turning to the door. When he reached there, he stopped and didn't turn his head to his son as he said "Don't think I forgot about last night's dinner. Once you're done be SICK I will reteach you on how to behave." Andros spat out before finally exiting the bedroom. Kira gave her son a disdainful glance before following after her husband, slamming the door behind her. Vaguely Nikolai can overhear his mother telling his siblings to leave him alone unless they want to be useless as well.

Different feelings merge up within the sick teen but forcefully he pushed it all down along with the other grievances that he could never express. The feeling caused him to feel empty and alone. The sting on his right cheek still hurt and the punch seemed to move the tube in his throat in an uncomfortable place. Weakly lifting up his arms he touched the exposed part of the tube and shifted it slightly making the tube no longer be in a painful place.

"Meow," a white cat that resembled a lynx appeared on the left side of his bleak vision. She cautiously walked over to him and settled down on his chest where she gently laid her head on his lower neck. Nikolai stared at her through heavy eyes before exerting the rest of his energy to set his right hand, which wasn't connected to an IV, on her slender furry back. His tired eyes slowly started blurring as the medicine the doctor gave him took immediate effect. Giving one look at the door that he couldn't stand up and lock Nikolai eventually closed his eyes and slept.

Yakutsk was the same as it always had been. A cold, snow-filled, and somewhat dead beside the outdoor market area. Everybody one can see was decked out in big coats of fur and scarfs of dark colors. Everybody minded their own business, simply obtaining what they needed before immediately returning home. At the beginning street of the external part of the market stood a little figure. They bore a resemblance to a big snowball from all the gleaming snow on them. They stood there somewhat as a statue as they looked at something in their hands that seemed to be a piece of paper.

The petite figure finally moved forward in a somewhat fidgeting behavior. Their thin legs couldn't move fastly from all the snow and a couple of times they even fell but no one paid mind to assist them up. When the child stopped, it was in front of an outdoor shop that was handling all types of fish. What brought adults 2 minutes to arrive here took the little figure 7. His breath was heavy as he stared at the adult male who owns the shop. The geezer was a 40-year-old man who had a black beard that was full of snow with blue diligent melancholy eyes. He was yelling out to the people walking about, telling them the fishes prices and how good they are. In his hand was the corpse of a fish that he flung around by the base of its tail.

It took the man two minutes before he saw the child that stood motionlessly in front of him staring at him was his solemn brown eyes.

The geezer gave the child a one over as he pulled out a cigar from his fur coat. Igniting it he asked, " Your Andors boy no? Mikala or something?" The older man bent down to the child's height breathing his previous question in the little figure's face. The smell of the cigar wasn't pleasant due to the cheapness of it. The smell was all the more fouler as it was mixed with the man's fishy breath. Even though the boy felt a little gagged he didn't reveal it. Instead, the youth pointed at something behind the man, not even bothering to correct what the geezer called him.

The distinctive sound of a tongue click came from the older man as he turned around to see what little figure was pointing at. There among other fishes properly hung a 20-inch freshwater whitefish salmonid. Looking keenly at the mature fish then back at the boy, the geezer couldn't help but tease as he asked, "You think you'll be capable of hauling it? The fish is almost half your height."

The boy who was shivering the whole time instantly froze. He suddenly also looked down at himself then at the fish that was indeed almost half his height. The little figure was always on the small side for the proper height of boys, often was called sissy or princess by other kids around him.

The man next to him laughed uproariously seeing the first visible expression the boy showed. When the youth looked at where the fierce laugh came from, he saw the geezer taking out multiple wraps of thick paper and yarn. Grabbing the freshwater whitefish salmonids, with experienced hands, he carefully wrapped it up and made the yarn become a strap turning the whole thing bag-like.

"There now you won't have to struggle with it. That will be 1,476.50 rubles," The man said, presenting his hand out in front of the boy's face. It took the boy a second to digest everything before quickly grabbing the money he's been saving up and giving it to the geezer. Calculating the money and seeing it was the proper amount, the man gave the youth the package and made shooing hand movements. The boy quietly thanked him, but the geezer didn't perceive it as he once again did his calling outs for customers.

Not wanting to get in the way, the youth quickly left. The journey back home was smoother as his battered body got used to the brutal cold and found a way to not repeatedly fall. It was evening when he arrived home. Noises of people chattering incessantly can be scarcely heard inside the big house, and it grew louder when the youth opened the door. Instantly he was confronted with numerous people, all of them wearing clothes as if it wasn't below the negatives outside.

Overhearing people complain about the frosty draft that he was letting in, the boy swiftly secured the door and made it deeper inside the house. When he reached the living room, he quickly identified his mother who was wearing a cream mermaid dress with her hair in a bun with a loose strand of hair on both sides of her radiant face.

His mother also saw him and gave him fierce eyes as she saw what he currently looked like. She didn't have time to hint for him to hastily go and change as others also notice the snow-covered youth.

"Oh my, Nikolas! Where have you been? You're all covered in snow!" One of his mother's friends said. Even though the woman sounded concerned, her eyes couldn't conceal the hidden mockery in them.

"Your mother is about to open her birthday presents. How about you go up there with your other sibling." A man next to the woman said. Nikolas looked hesitant as he carefully looked at both of them than at his mother. The mature woman was producing a smile that didn't seem much of a smile as she called him over. At a slow pace, Nikolas made his way over, adults and elders all staring at him displaying judging eyes causing the secure grip on the hand-made bag tighter.

When he stood by his younger brother who additionally possessed a gift, Nikolai remained silent and still as he listened to his brother mock him.

Suddenly he can hear awws and ohs in the audience before clapping was heard. Looking up he saw in his mother's hand was a diamond necklace that shimmered and shined as the light of the room gleamed on it. Vaguely Nikolas can hear whispers of the two women next to them saying words like the limited edition and how expensive it was.

Seeing his mother bright smiled as she kissed Ivan's cheek, Nikolas became more nervous but tried to remain calm.

"She will like it, she will love it," the boy said repeatedly in his head. Maksim walked to the place Ivan was formerly in. He gently handed the present to their mother saying she would enjoy it in his childlike voice.

Watching with countless others Nikolai saw his mother slowly open the box and made a gasping sound as she gently picked up what seemed to be a white kitten. Awws can be heard in the crowd primarily coming from the more juvenile females. Nikolas once relaxed hand now once again clenched as his younger brother went on explaining how valuable the cat was.

Sweat ran down his thin back while his emotions became turmoiled. Many thoughts flashed through his head before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking up Nikolai saw Ivan's usual emotionless face that was staring at him. Looking around Ivan wasn't the only one staring at him but other people were as well.

Some began whispering to others around them, giving him weird looks.

Nikolai turned to his mother who was giving hateful eyes but still had the sweet smile on her face. It was then that he connected it was his turn to give his mother a present. Shifting the handmade bag, Nicolas walked up to his mother and with difficulty handed it to her.

People around them gave the present weird-looking eyes. Some recognized the packaging paper but didn't think it would be the item they're thinking of. It wasn't till a couple of seconds went by when his mother even touched the present. Slowly she unwrapped it, and what laid bares to everybody was a dead fish.

Sounds of gasping and muffled laughter could be in the crowd. His mother's face became strained, as she slowly faced him. Nikolai took a deep breath trying to remain calm as he shifted from side to side uneasily.

"What's the meaning of this Nikolai? You're trying to say something?" His mother pronounced each syllable through clenched teeth. The youth trembled as he tried carefully gathering his thoughts.

"You... You like this fish... I've heard from the maid that you've been wanting lately, but none of the stores have it so I-"

"So you bought me a dead fish on my birthday?!" His mother shrieked, interrupting him. Nikolai defensively folded into himself while a maid quickly came and collected the fish from his mother's lap. She abruptly stood up and grabbed onto his arm so tight that it would leave a bruise. Saying sorry to the guest his mother towed him away from the party then up the stairs.

The hallway was long and dark as she dragged him through it. It wasn't till they approached the end did she open a wooden brown door. The space behind the door was what most consider a little closet. It didn't fit many things inside and was very hard to see within it.

Quickly she forced Nikolai into it before closing the door and securing it. The youth instantly became scared. He didn't like being put in the closet, it smelt of moss and rodents while the air was full of dust becoming incredibly hard to breathe in.

"Shut up! Do you think you can embarrass me like that and not get in trouble?! You made me look like an utter fool! Stay in here and reflect on yourself," Nikolai felt tears sliding down his face as the dull sound of her leaving was heard through the door. When she couldn't hear anymore he slowly slid down to the ground and held his legs closed to his chest.

He held back his broken sobs causing him to choke and hyperventilate. His body began hurting due to the lack of space and protruding broken pieces of wood coming from the walls.

Nikolai tried thinking about what he did wrong, but no matter what he thought of, it left his head severely hurting and face to be hot. Rocking back and forth he chanted out heartfelt apologies over and over dearly hoping someone would hear him.

Unfortunately, no one heard the boy that was calling out for his mother's recognition.

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