Page 96 of Viparious

She just blinks and keeps smiling as I hold the spoon at her lips and feed Vitya with my other hand at the same time. He pushes against my knuckles and starts feeding himself and I check on Valyusha. He’s still got half his sandwich left and I lower my voice as the moaning stops.

“Vitya is going to steal it from you.”

He always eats slower than the others and I’m sure he doesn’t eat enough for his age, but he’s growing so he has to be.

Stroking his hair back as he eats, I lean down and whisper, so Anika or Len don’t hear. “Do you want to sleep in your own room tonight? I’ll lockthe door for you.”

Under his eyes are dark, Vitya manages to stay asleep as long as there are no lights, but he gets scared and doesn’t like the crying. Nodding his head, he gives me a small smile and points to the window, “Snow.”

The other two look at where he’s pointing, and I sit in front of them, making sure they finish their milk.

“I’ll get you snowflakes when you’ve finished, okay?”

Nodding their heads, they don’t stop watching the flakes falling.

I stand up, collecting their bowl and plates and Valyusha looks up at me scared. His eyes go wide, and his bottom lip sticks out as he asks for me.

“Vlad?”

I give him a smile. “Keep eating. I’m coming back. I promise I won’t leave you.”

He nods and shuffles closer to the other two before giving Vitya the rest of his sandwich.

I lock the door as soon as I’m outside my room and make it to the end of the hallway to search for the other padlocks when Len stands, waiting for me. He doesn’t hide his hate.

“She should never have been born.”

You’re the one who made me prove I wasn’t fucking gay.

I didn’t want to do it.

Any of the times, I never wanted any of them to touch me.

I just wanted to be left alone.

I still want to be left alone.

I don’t move as he continues, “It is wrong. That’s why she’s sick, you infected her.”

I didn’t, she’s my baby and I love her. I look after her, and she smiles at me. She laughs and she holds Vitya’s hand and plays with Valyusha.

But I can’t say anything because he’ll stop me getting a doctor. So, I stand there and let him tell me my daughter, my baby, is wrong when she’s perfect.

* * *

The doctorfrom the last fight keeps shaking his head when he looks at me. I try to see what he does, but I don’t understand what the fuck’s wrong with him. I have blood all over me, so do all the other men. My chest is on fire with how many times they hit my ribs as I leave the cage and go into the changing room. It’s not a break, just sprained. My t-shirt and shorts are sticking to me, but I don’t know if it’s blood or sweat. The same with my hair.

I’ll be okay. Get to the babies. They need me.

Someone walks in while I’m changing, and I quickly knot my shorts extra tight. The doctor, Romin, is fearful and keeps looking behind him. He speaks quietly as he holds up medicine and I’d give him anything he wants right now.

“From what you told me, it sounds like a chest infection. Give her antibiotics and let me know if it gets better.”

Nodding my head, I take the bag and my voice is weird.

“Thank you.”

It’s weak but he’s helping her. She won’t cough anymore, and she’ll be better for her birthday. I even ordered her a cake, not chocolate, but it’s pink and has loads of sprinkles on it. She’ll like it. It was worth Len finding out I kept money back from the fight and my sprained wrist. My left hand keeps going numb, showing it hasn’t healed correctly, but she’ll have a cake and a present to open.

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