Another wave of pain came over Yao, and he let out a silent groan. He was mildly aware of how cold his damp body was under all of these blankets, but there was nothing he could do. At this point, Yao wasn't sure if he'd even recover from these simple flesh wounds. He didn't want to think of what else he'd have to deal with after recovery. Tonight was the first night in a while he could rest lying down.

"Do you want anything?" Ivan was at his side, in pain too from watching Yao suffer. "Water? Food? I can make some soup if you're up to eating." He'd seen more torture than the other nations combined, probably, but when he found Yao in that place, mutilated beyond recognition…

Yao shook his head though his throat was on fire. It wouldn't do to put anything in his stomach so soon. His insides couldn't have recovered from what they did just yet, not even if his country was now on the winning side of this war. He was just grateful for Ivan, who hid him and bathed him and bundled him up so that nobody else would see him in this pitiful state. How long had he been gone? Months? Years? Ivan had told him a little of how the war was progressing, but not enough. Had the others suffered his same fate under Kiku's care?

"My doctors will be here soon." Ivan sighed. "The twins will be here by morning and the North says they're bringing everyone else." That's all Yao wanted to hear, wasn't it?

Yao managed a little smile at that.

They waited in silence until Toris arrived with the doctors. Ivan stood to leave them to their work, but the brief look of panic on Yao's face convinced Ivan to sit back down. Toris stayed too, trying his hardest to hide his disgust at the corpse-like appearance of Yao's body when they removed the covers.

It was the next afternoon when Yao opened his eyes. He couldn't recall when he fell asleep, only that the pain faded when they stuck a needle into his arm. They had no trouble finding his vein at all; it was the only thing between his skin and his bones. Ivan was still there, holding his hand and slumped forward onto the bed. For a second Yao thought Ivan was dead, but soft snores reminded him otherwise. Yao closed his eyes again.

When he next woke, Ivan was gone. It was too dark to check if his numb body was still attached to his head. He had to use the restroom. Feebly, he struggled to an upright position on the bed. He would not lose the last shred of his dignity when he was already freed.

Yet he did. He slumped back and sobbed bitterly, praying that nobody would hear and come to see him like this. It hurt, too, to soil Ivan's sheets, adding insult to injury.

Ivan heard the light creaking of the bed as Yao tried to get up. Just about everyone waiting for Yao to wake heard when he began sobbing. They all rushed to Yao, but Ivan got there first.

"Stay here. He probably doesn't want you to see him." Ivan whispered to a family that barely restrained themselves from charging in.

"What gives you the right to-"

"He definitely doesn't want to see you." Ivan glared sharply down at Kiku, who looked as if he was about to cry. "And I don't either. Be glad I'm letting you stay in my home." With that, Ivan slipped into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Ivan.." Yao croaked, trying to sit up again. "Are they here already?" He'd heard the stampede of footsteps but not the soft exchange outside. It could still be anybody else waiting to see him, anyone at all. It could be a team of doctors or something, not his family… anything but that… please…

"They're here." Ivan flipped on the light and saw Yao flinch. "Sorry."

"Sorry." Yao squeezed his burning eyes shut. "I uh… had an accident."

It took a few seconds for Ivan to figure out what Yao meant. "It's fine, I kind of expected that to happen anyways."

Ivan grabbed a roll of bandages from the nightstand and removed the IV from Yao's arm. Yao would want a bath, probably, and it would buy him some time to compose himself. Ivan nodded to his own line of thought and scooped Yao up.

The door creaked open and Kiku's head popped in. "Is Yao ok-"

"Get out!" Yao screeched with a ferocity he didn't know he still had. A sharp pain ran through Yao's back as he yelled, making him shrink into himself. "Now…" The fire snuffed out just as quickly as it roared to life.

Kiku immediately retreated and closed the door. Ivan nearly dropped Yao in surprise. The doctors had just removed the tubes to sustain Yao yesterday, how could he be so energetic now? A glance down at Yao's tortured expression put an end to Ivan's frivolous musings. In silence, he held the shivering corpse to his body with one arm and changed the sheets with the other. The hushed chaos beyond the little room they were in ran together and acted as white noise. It drowned out the blizzard and the heavy thumps of wool and furs tossed about with fatigued haste. The dirtied sheets that Yao had been under had no warm imprints that suggested a living being had ever been between them.

Ivan set Yao back into bed gingerly. "Stay, I'll run a hot bath for you." As if Yao could get out of bed on his own.

"Because I stink?" Yao attempted, then forgot, to laugh.

"Yep." Ivan forgot to laugh as well. "Is the mob allowed in here?"

Silence, save for the hubbub beyond the door.

"Right…" Ivan braced himself, then exited the room.

The commotion halted instantly.. Ivan's gaze swept over the sea of eyes that snapped towards him. Like he'd been slapped in the face by the blizzard's whips of wind, his own eyes began to sting from a sudden urge to cry. He left for the bath without saying a word, too aware of his thumping heart.

Ivan had some time to himself as he ran Yao's bath. He squeezed his eyes shut as he worked, almost certain he'd burst spectacularly from the mounting pressure behind his eyelids. Immortals had feelings too, or at least, remnants of the emotions that should have died long ago.

Knock knock. Creak… "Vanya, are you sure Yao can handle being bathed now?" It was his observant little sister Natalya, walking in to prevent a flood. "And that's enough water for a bath, I think." She turned off the tap for him.

When Ivan's only response was a wet-sounding sniffle, she knelt down next to him. "Go to bed," she chided firmly, "They can handle the rest."

Ivan let himself be helped up and cleaned his face before Natalya walked him to his room. He let Natalya tuck him in, and let her slip under the sheets with him, and let her give him a little kiss on the forehead.

"Good night, big brother."

"G'night."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ivan mumbled before he drifted off.