Liv living her best lyfe

this is a side blog of @dank-hp--memes where I will be reposting all of my writing from my main blog

[tryingtobealwaystrying-deactiva]

This is your daily reminder that the Russian war against Ukraine and the attacking of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, including the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself, is perhaps the gravest of insults to all those who sacrificed their lives and their health to clean up the disaster.

[dank-hp--memes-writes]

This right here is straight facts. It is also an insult to every single person who has worked in and does work in the nuclear industry. They are holding workers hostage and essentially holding nuclear reactors hostage. It is disgusting and reckless.

[dank-hp--memes]

The Greater Good [Chapter 1] (a Chernobyl HBO Fanfic)

It was half-past midnight on Saturday, April 26th, 1986…

Darkness covered the nearly empty streets of Moscow. There wasn't a soul in sight as someone slipped into the front door of an apartment building and ascended to the second floor.

There was a creak as the door of apartment 213 opened and a tall man stepped into the apartment. He tossed a set of keys onto the nearby dining table. They land with a clatter as the man turns and locks the door behind him. Refusing to turn on any of the lights, he stumbles over a set of small black pumps that were left haphazardly in front of the door. The man chuckled and shook his head a little as he leaned down and moved the shoes out of the way before sitting down and removing his oxblood-colored loafers, placing them beside the black pumps. Then he removed his deep brown coat and hung it on the overly full coat rack.

After setting his bag down near the shoes, the man ventured into the living room, which was a straight shot from the door through the tiny dining room, where he was greeted by a pair of jade green cat eyes that were illuminated by a ray of light coming in through the blinds.

“Your mother never listens to me…” The man mumbled as he gently stroked the petite black cat before him.

After a few moments, the man-made his way left through an archway into the hallway that led to the bedrooms. He then turned right and could not help but smile as he made his way down the hallway as quietly as possible. He walked to the end of the hall past a few closed doors, destined for the final door on his left which had been left cracked ever so slightly. Slowly, he pushed open the door, careful to make as little noise as possible.

The room was illuminated ever so slightly by the light created by the streetlamps outside that seeped in through the slightly opened blinds. A woman laid, curled up, in the bed, fast asleep and covered by blankets from her chest down as she snored ever so softly.

Cautiously, the man approached the bed. He placed his hand on her side and leaned down, kissing her temple. He stood there for a few moments and admired her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Very slowly, He pulled away from her and straightened up, beginning to undress. He had stepped away from the bed and was now standing in front of an old wooden dresser.

"Aleksander?" The woman mumbled, her eyes half opened as she lifted her head ever so slightly to look at him.

"It's me... you can go back to sleep"

The woman, Anya, plopped her head back down onto her pillow and sighed, still watching him with half-opened eyes. The man, Aleksander, or Sacha as Anya affectionately called him, removed his shirt and undershirt and approached the bed after tossing them in a heap on the floor. He was quite tall and slightly muscular. He leaned down and gently caressed Anya's cheek, his skin, though pale, contrasted slightly from Anya's milky skin. He pressed his lips to hers as he gently brushed back Anya's deep auburn hair. Anya reached out from under her blankets and gave Sacha a loose hug as she began to drift back to sleep.

As she moved her blankets aside slightly one could see quite plainly that Anya was with child. She appeared to be about 7 months pregnant. Of course, Anya did not want pregnancy to slow her down or hinder her ability to work, but she did find herself significantly more exhausted in the evenings.

Anya had gotten home from a few day-long trip to Ignalina around ten in the evening on Friday the 25th. She visited the power plant to meet with the plant director and chief engineer. While there she also met with the engineers and supervised a test on each of the two reactors in the span of 36 hours before returning home where she had promptly showered and went straight to bed where Aleksander had found her.

After a few moments, Sacha gently pulled away from Anya and tucked her back in.

"I'm going to shower…" he mumbled as he pulled the blankets up to her shoulders.

Anya simply groaned in response, opening her eyes just a sliver and nodding at him. She was far too exhausted to even process what he was saying. She had been awake for 36 hours, not to mention her body was currently growing a life inside of it.

After a rather brisk shower, Aleksander joined Anya in bed. He had on long pajama pants and a t-shirt. As Sacha laid on his back Anya snuggled up to him, still fast asleep. Sacha smiled sleepily as he rubbed Anya’s back as he looked down at her, admiring his beautiful wife and childhood sweetheart. She was the love of his life and his everything.

It was now about half-past three in the morning. The ringing of the phone down the hallway awoke Aleksander. He got up as quietly as he could while Anya simply stirred a little. She too began to get up, her eyes not even fully open.

"I've got it, love, go back to sleep," Aleksander said, only half awake himself as he made his way out into the hall, headed for the phone that sat on a small, cluttered table.

"Hello?" Aleksander said as he lifted the phone to his ear, his eyes half-opened.

"Comrade Koshkov? This is Vladimir Dolgikh, I am calling to speak with your wife"

"Comrade Dolgikh? Why is it you need to speak to Anya?"

"There has been an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Anya is the head of the nuclear energy and weapons committee, and she helped design the RBMK reactors. So, she should know about this…"

Aleksander was now fully awake and rather shocked as he processed what Dolgikh had said.

"How serious is it? I don't want to wake her-" Aleksander was cut off

"I need to speak with her Comrade Koshkov"

"Alright, give me a moment to go and wake her…"

Aleksander set the phone down on the table and walked back to the bedroom. He gingerly placed his hand on Anya's shoulder.

"Anya…"

Anya groaned a little and looked up at him tiredly.

"Comrade Dolgikh is calling… it's about Chernobyl"

"What?" Anya mumbled, utterly confused as she began to sit up.

"There's been an accident at Chernobyl, Dolgikh thought you should know about it… he's on the phone…"

Anya simply nodded and climbed out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and brushed her hair back out of her face as she wandered out of the room and down the hall. Anya sighed as she wrapped her boney fingers around the phone and lifted it to her ear.

"So, what's happened?"

There was no hello comrade, no good morning comrade, for Anya did not want to waste time in pleasantries.

"The night shift was performing the turbine run down test… the system control tank ignited, damaging the plant and setting the roof on fire"

"The control system tank? During a turbine run down?"

Anya shook her head and rubbed her temples, thinking she had heard him wrong.

"That is correct, firefighters have been dispatched to the plant as well"

"And the radiation?"

"3.6 roentgen per hour"

"Do they have a reading from their high range dosimeter?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments and Anya sighed exhaustedly. Of course, they didn't get a reading with the large dosimeter.

"That's the only number they gave us," Dolgikh replied in confusion.

"Who are you sending to handle the clean-up?"

"Colonel General Pikalov and the troops specializing in chemical hazards"

Dolgikh sounded even more confused by Anya's out-of-the-ordinary questions.

"I am going to call Bryukhanov, thank you for informing me of this Comrade"

Without another word, Anya hung up the phone and began flipping through a notepad with different numbers in it. Sure there was the phone book, but Anya had most, if not all, of the numbers she needed written down. She said nothing to Aleksander who was sitting in the living room. He was keeping an eye on her as he waited for the water he had just put on the stove to boil. He was petting their tiny black cat named Pebble.

Anya could barely keep her eyes open as she dialed the number she had written down, her hands were shaking ever so slightly as she held the receiver up to her ear. The phone rang again and again, and Anya leaned on the small table tiredly. Seeing this, Aleksander walked over and grabbed one of the spare chairs for the dining table and placed it beside her so Anya could sit down. After Anya had plopped down into the chair, her eyes half opened as she listened to the phone ring, Sacha leaned down and kissed her cheek. He placed his hand on her stomach for a moment and sighed before straightening up and going back to the sofa.

At that point in the night, the Pripyat executive committee members were on their way to the plant, and Bryukhanov had just stepped out for a smoke after being informed that Gorbachev had been briefed of the situation. Of course, Fomin had followed him, much like a lost puppy now that he realized it was quite possible this accident could get him into deep shit. So, it was Dyatlov who picked up one of the phones when it started ringing.

"Hello?" Dyatlov said stiffly as he placed the receiver against his ear.

Anya had begun drifting to sleep as she waited for someone to answer the phone, and she jolted awake as she heard Dyatlov's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, this is Anya Koshkova of the central committee… I need to speak with Comrade Bryukhanov"

Anya was too exhausted for pleasantries, and she could barely keep her eyes open as she spoke to Dyatlov. The hand that she was not holding the phone with was propping her head up, her elbow resting on the table.

"Comrade Koshkova, this is Anatoly Dyatlov. Comrades Bryukanov and Fomin just stepped outside, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Comrade Dyatlov, I need to speak with Bryukhanov… I am calling to get more information about the accident…”

“Let me go get him…”

Anya shuffled through the clutter on the desk and found a blank piece of paper to write on. Once Bryukhanov returned she proceeded to ask about the damage, casualties, radiation, and if anyone had gotten sick. The answers she got were, obviously, not promising.

“Have your dosimetrists get a reading using the high range dosimeter… I will get Aleksander or General Tarakanov to get me a flight out to Pripyat as soon as possible and arrange transport to the plant…”

It was around four in the morning when Anya set down the phone and slumped over in the dining chair, her forehead resting on the edge of the tiny table. She stared at the ground, her head felt very empty and extremely full at the same time. A sense of shock overwhelmed Anya as she thought over the past thirty minutes she had spent on the phone. There was no way this was happening, right?

[dank-hp--memes]

If Only (Chapter 1)

Hello loves,

I know it has been a LONG time since I posted any writing (Yes I know I still have loads of unfinished work, but hey, stuff happens). I hope I can actually finish this story and finally write a good conclusion to a fic rather than just writing long one-shots. As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated.

I hope you enjoy it,

Liv

They never listen… Why would they? The uneducated bureaucratic bastards always think they know what's best. They think they know everything… That is the problem. When a mistake is made, instead of stepping up and fixing the issue, they slink back into the shadows and bury the issue, concealing it so perfectly that it appears there is no issue at all. Is there no decency, no respect for the lives of our people? For all those men who died gruesome deaths? For all the mothers who have lost or will lose their children? For the many who will get sick? For me?

What happened that night- Im not sure- there are words to describe it. It was like a dream, no, a nightmare. A nightmare that causes one to wake up in a cold sweat panting, one that makes it impossible to fall back to sleep. But… you'll never wake up from this one… This night in question was Friday, April 25th, 1986…

Darkness began to consume the city of Pripyat on the evening of April 25th, 1986. The night shift workers at the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin nuclear power plant would have been getting ready for their shift. Some were likely having a late dinner, others may be reading the paper or listening to the radio while spending time with their family. But not the senior engineer that would be on shift that night. As the deputy chief engineer of the power plant, Anatoly Dyatlov took much pride in what he did. He prided himself on his knowledge of the reactors he worked with and on his hard work, which had allowed him to climb to the position he was at now. He was a stubborn man, he did not like carelessness, incompetence, or when people neglect their duties. So when the test on reactor 4 had been pushed to the night shift last minute it obviously made him irritable.

While his subordinates were likely preparing to come into work, Dyatlov had just arrived back to work. Not wanting to let the pleasant spring evening go to waste, Dyatlov spent a few extra minutes outside having a smoke. He had noticed an unfamiliar car in the car park. It struck him as odd at first, nobody had mentioned that a visitor would be in today, well nobody had mentioned it to him. After finishing his cigarette, Dyatlov walked inside to the locker rooms and changed into the oh-so-familiar white uniform. As he entered the main building, heading to the control room, he was greeted by the sight of a young woman who was studying a painting of Lenin on the wall while drinking from a thermos. She was in everyday clothes and had a long white lab coat over them instead of the classic white scrub-like uniform. She was rather tall for a woman, with fair skin and hazel eyes. Her hair was collarbone length and loosely curled. She had rather chiseled features, prominent cheekbones, and a sharp jawline. She was just generally pretty. Dyatlov stopped in his tracks and surveyed her, trying to figure out just who she was. He could feel his irritation creeping back over him because his mind was pulled off of his work. As he approached her, the woman turned a little as she noticed him. Now that she was properly facing him, Dyatlov recognized her. Not because she had been there before, which she very well may have been, but because he had seen her face in science articles and newspapers and maybe even on the news if he remembered correctly.

The woman was Anya Dimitrovna Koshkova, age 30, born in what is now the town Troitsk in the Moscow Oblast to a rather high-ranking state official and his wife. Anya grew up loving science, but her parents often discouraged her from following her love of science and mathematics. Though her parents tried very hard, they could not keep her from her studies. They did, however, teach her how to act as a woman in society, even with her unconventional interests. Anya was taught from a young age how to “succeed” as a woman in the Soviet Union. Of course, Anya was told about how politics worked and was taught how to play the game so to speak. Her father always told her about towing the party line and ensuring that she and her family were always in good standing with the party. This knowledge is likely what got Anya to where she is today. Being able to tow the party line, and do so very convincingly, quickly helped Anya succeed in becoming one of the most if not the most prestigious scientist in the Soviet Union.

Of course, it was just not her intelligence or her political ability that helped Anya rise to the top, her husband also greatly helped in her accomplishments. She married her childhood sweetheart, Aleksander Ivanovich Koshkov or Sasha as Anya affectionately called him. He has always been very smart in the world of military and politics. He held a high-ranking position in the government and worked directly with the central committee and Mikhail Gorbachev. Aleksander was a trusted member of the central committee and one of the highest-ranking men, especially for a younger man. He was very friendly with the other members of the central committee, though not all of them were fond of him, he had good relationships with most of the men, including Gorbachev. Of course, the couple worked very hard both separately and together to achieve their goals but benefited greatly from the others' success. Though the couple was successful, the need for success was not the source of their love.

As Dyatlov approached Anya she took notice of him and turned to face him, lowering her thermos from her lips. She looked him over, studying him with her glimmering hazel eyes. Dyatlov had stopped right in front of her and was surveying her as well. After a moment he begrudgingly extended his hand to her. His hand was quickly enveloped in hers as she gave his hand a firm shake, much like one you would expect a good politician or businessman to have.

“Good evening, I am Anatoly Dyatlov, the deputy chief engineer. I was not told that we would have any visitors tonight…” His voice was rather stiff and if one listened closely they might be able to pick out the slight tone of irritation.

“Good evening to you too, comrade Dyatlov, I am Anya Koshkova. I was sent by Moscow to check in on how things are running here in Chernobyl” Anya stated.

Anya was not at all intimidated by Dyatlov. Her hand dropped to her side and she paused. There was the slightest bit of tension in the air and Anya could tell that Dyatlov had something to say to her. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly as if prompting Dyatlov to speak, which he did.

“Well, I was not informed of this. I never would have left you here alone. It is very unprofessional”

Dyatlov seemed to grow more irritated as he spoke. Subconsciously, he crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrow slightly. He did not want to show it, but Dyatlov was furious that he had not known there would be a visitor that evening. It was even more infuriating that the visitor was someone important from Moscow.

Anya raised her hand slightly. She was no stranger to plants like this one. She had helped design them and the reactors they ran. So, Anya never felt uneasy or lost in the power plants. Not to mention, Anya had been to the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin nuclear power plant a few times before. Those times she had been accompanied by Bryukhanov, and Fomin had joined them for a while. Of course, the two of them always showed off how “flawless” the plant was to satisfy the officials in Moscow, so Anya always enjoyed her visits to the plant. Not to mention, Bryukhanov seemed to have a slight infatuation with the beautiful young engineer.

“I am no stranger to this plant comrade. I was going to observe the day shift, but I heard that the test on reactor four was moved to tonight” Anya said calmly.

Dyatlov stood there silently for a few moments as he fought the urge to practically interrogate Anya on why she needed to observe the test and why she had not just observed the day shift's work. Instead, Dyatlov nodded slowly.

“Well, I am heading to the control room to prepare. You may join me now, or you can wait for the rest of the night shift to turn up” Dyatlov said as he began to head toward the control room once more.

Anya followed Dyatlov in silence. She stopped on the walkway overlooking the roof of reactor three. She studied the roof and the quickly darkening night sky with her vibrant hazel eyes. A bus was pulling up to the plant and the night shift employees for the four reactors began to trickle in. After taking a few sips from her thermos, Anya continued down the corridor and entered the reactor four control room.

The familiar monotone room was almost comforting to Anya. She wandered from station to station, stopping at each one and checking them. She paused as she read the reactor's power level and raised an elegantly arched eyebrow in confusion. The power level was much lower than she would have liked it to be. Anya kept an eye on the power level as she moved from the reactor operation panel to the pump operation panel. As she looked over the panels and ensured that all of the sensors and meters were calibrated and reading properly. As she finished up, Anya glanced at the power output 1600, why on earth was it being held so low. She turned to look at Dyatlov, a concerned expression on her face.

“The power output… it's only 1600 megawatts… Why? How long has it been held at this?” She asked, quite confused.

“That's what it's supposed to be at. The day shift ensured it would be ready for us to test” Dyatlov said, brushing off Anya's concern.

Maybe it was simply because she was a woman in a man's world, or because he had simply forgotten just how smart she was and that nuclear power and weapons in the Soviet Union were what Anya had been studying and working on for, essentially, her whole life. Anya nodded a little as she looked over everything.

“I would recommend against running this test under these conditions. We should restart the reactor” Anya said as she walked over to the operation panel, prepared to shut down the reactor.

Anya was cautious because she had no idea how long the reactor had been holding at this power level. As she looked over her shoulder at Dyatlov she could see the rage in his eyes.

How dare this woman come into his power plant and question him. Dyatlov clenched his fists and glared at her, absolutely enraged.

His bellowing voice filled the room as spit flew from his lips;

“No, we are running this test tonight!”

[dank-hp--memes]

Soulmates: Chapter 6

@celebenedetto @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

Almost a week had passed, Valery had just awoken to some movements from Ulana. She had readjusted a little to lay against him. Her eyes were half open and she was gently rubbing her belly, almost as if she were in a trance. Valery smiled and gently kissed the side of Ulana's head as he reached down and placed his broad hand upon her belly. Ulana smiled and wrapped her arms around him, extremely thankful to have him at her side. The doctors had run many tests and performed countless examinations before finally telling them what they desperately wanted to hear, Ulana could finally go home.

Though Ulana was still too weak to walk, there was nothing more that could be done for her in the hospital. So, they sent her home, where she would be comfortable. Her leg was still in a splint and Ulana was still far too weak to walk on her own. 

While she was hospitalized, and conscious, Ulana hardly ate any of the absolutely dreadful food, for she was a fairly picky eater. This caused her to deteriorate rather quickly, and she lost almost fifty pounds off an already rather thin frame.

Valery had carried her up the steps and into the apartment, placing her gently on the sofa. The apartment was an absolute mess, for Valery had neglected to clean while Ulana had been unconscious. He had been too depressed. 

Ulana smiled tiredly as he helped her readjust on the sofa, planting a few soft kisses on her lips. He placed his hand on her belly, caressing it gently. 

"It's good to have you back…" Valery mumbles, looking into her encapsulating blue eyes. 

Ulana smiles and wraps her thin arms around him. 

"It's good to be back. I would much rather finish my recovery here than in that dreadful hospital" she says with a slight chuckle. 

Her voice is still weak and raspy, and she finds it difficult to speak because of it. 

Valery chuckles and continues caressing her belly with his thumb. He could not help but tell her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. After that fight, after almost losing her and their child, he couldn't help but express his love for her every second of every day. He sat on the edge of the sofa, his arm wrapped around Ulana as she cuddled against him, still quite tired. Her body was working hard to recover and it was taking a toll on her, for she was both mentally and physically exhausted. A soft groan escaped her as she allowed her head to lay limply against Valery's chest as he gently rubbed her belly. Valery sighed softly and planted a soft kiss on Ulana's temple. She had closed her eyes, but her lips curled into a slight smile. 

"I love you" she mumbled sleepily.

Valery smiled, allowing his eyes to wander over her fragile body. 

"I love you too…" he whispers.

There was a gentle knock on the door that made the couple jump a little. Ulana groaned a little, the slightest of movements causing her body to ache. Valery kissed her gently before making his way to the door. 

Upon pulling it open, he saw Mirra. She smiled a little at him, she had surprisingly woken up before Ulana. Valery nodded, surveying the small woman. She was on crutches and obviously still extremely weak. Her hair was cut short in a rather messy, chin-length bob. Her eye, on the right side of her face that had been burned and was cloudy and unfocused, making her essentially blind. The burn had narrowly missed her eyebrow, but the skin around her eye and upper cheek were left scarred. Mirra made her way into the living room, leaning on her crutches as she looked down at Ulana. Ulana looked up at her as a smile crossed her face. 

"Mirra…" she mumbled, taking in the sight of the tiny woman.

Mirra smiled at Ulana and sat down on the edge of the sofa beside Ulana. 

"What? Not expecting to see me so soon?" Mirra says, grinning cheekily at Ulana. 

Ulana smiled a little and went to wrap her arms around her dear friend. As her arms pressed against Mirra's sides, Ulana realized how stiff Mirra seemed, and realized that she was most definitely wearing a back brace. Ulana simply looked up at her, wide-eyed. 

"I didn't know it was this bad…" she whispered, looking closely at Mirra's face.

Ulana reached up and gently pushed Mirra's hair off her face, looking into her eyes, gently rubbing her thumb over the scar tissue surrounding Mirra's eye. Her eye was in horrific state, having been looked over in the heat of Mirra's treatment. They young woman could hardly see out of it, only able to see some shadowy outlines. Mirra turned to Ulana for a moment before she simply smiled and wrapped her arms around Ulana, hugging her awkwardly. The two women sat there in silence for a moment before parting. Mirra gently placed her hand on Ulana's belly, still smiling a little.

"How's the little one?" She asks softly, tilting her head slightly as she watched Ulana readjust.

Ulana groaned a little as she leaned back against the sofa's armrest.

"She is fine…" Ulana managed to say as she tried to get comfortable.

Mirra smiled a little and sighed, taking a moment before getting up. She was able to walk a little despite the state of her leg. So, Mirra gently helped Ulana to get comfortable before taking a seat in a chair nearby. The two women talked for what seemed like hours while Valery prepared dinner. Both were extremely thankful for one another, being that they had gotten out of the accident together. 

Mirra left before Valery could finish cooking, even though both he and Ulana had insisted she stay for dinner. She had not wanted to intrude on the couple's privacy, and she did have to get back home, for being out and about was fairly taxing on her body. 

Valery set the table in silence and carried over all the food before helping Ulana up off the sofa and over to the table. This was quite the predicament, for Ulana was struggling to support her own weight. It was quite painful for her to put weight on her leg and this action often caused her to cry out in agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks within the first few steps, and Valery simply picked her up and carried her over to the table, gently placing her in a chair. He could not find words with which to comfort her, so Valery simply sat beside her, holding her in his arms as she sniffled.

Her fluffy hair brushed against his jaw as Ulana laid her head against his neck, her tears dripping down onto his shirt. It was then that Valery realized just how difficult this recovery would be for both of them. 

[dank-hp--memes]

The Lives of Others: Chapter 4

It was later that night, Shcherbina  was sat on the edge of Rukovskaya's bed. She was in horrible condition, a few burns now visible on her pale skin. Light footsteps could be heard in the hall. A few moments later, Legasov entered the hotel room. He had two plates of food that he had managed to prepare. It looked absolutely horrid, but the scent of it still made Shcherbina's mouth water. Legasov quietly approached, sitting on the edge of the bed, beside him. He glances at Mirra, his eyes following the IV in her arm up to the IV bag. 

"What is happening to her Valera?" Shcherbina  whispers as he takes one of the plates of food.

"In short, she is dying" Legasov says, looking at the hideous carpet of the hotel room. 

Shcherbina  looks over at him, his face solemn, but his eyes questioning Legasov. Realizing this, Legasov sighs and swallows the knot in his throat.

"She was exposed to ionizing radiation. So she is probably suffering from acute radiation sickness. The ionizing radiation tears the cellular structure apart. The skin blisters, turns red, then dark and necrotic. There's nausea, dizziness, fever, loss of consciousness... This is followed by a latency period. The immediate effects subside. The patients appear to be recovering. But they aren't...This lasts for only a day or two. Then the cellular damage begins to manifest. The bone marrow dies, immune system fails, soft tissue and organs begin to decompose. The arteries and veins will spill open like sieves, to the point where you can't even administer morphine for the pain, which is... unimaginable. Within three days to three weeks, she could be dead" Legasov says, not looking up from the floor. 

"Could be dead?" Shcherbina  says, holding on to those few words, giving him hope.

"If this doesn't kill her, cancer or anemia or something more will..." Legasov mumbles. 

Shcherbina  looks down at the ground, a steady rage building within him. He stands up and suddenly swings his fist at the wall in a fit of fury and grief. There is a loud thud and a crack as his fist makes contact with the drywall. Legasov jumps a little, looking at Shcherbina  wide eyed. Shcherbina stands there shaking his hand out, cursing quietly, having left a deep dent in the drywall. Legasov stands up and places his hand on Shcherbina ' shoulder.

"Boris..." he says softly.

Shcherbina  looks at Legasov, tears of grief and rage in his eyes, but he did not pull away as the other man said his name. They stand in silence for a moment, the sound of their breathing filling the air.

"You two really don't know how to be quiet hmmm?" 

Rukovskaya's silky voice startles them. They look over at her and watch as she sits up.

Her eyes meet Legasovs and he feels like he has eaten a rock. She is doing much worse than she is letting on. Slowly, Rukovskaya looks at them both. It is obvious she is sedated from the many drugs she was given.

"Its alright… don't look so nervous…" Rukovskaya says, giving them a weak smile. 

Both men remain frozen, watching as the skeletal like woman crawls out of the bed. Suddenly, Legasov comes to his senses and hurries over to her, gently pressing her back onto the bed.

"Mirra, you need to rest…" he says in a soothing voice. 

Rukovskaya smiles lethargically up at him, struggling a bit as he pressed her wrists to the bed. 

"But there is work to be done…" she mumbled, her words slurred. 

"No Mirra, no more work for tonight" Legasov says, gently putting his hand on the side of her head, caressing her badly tanned cheek with his thumb. 

He gently climbs into the bed beside her, allowing the petite woman to cuddle against him, her head resting on his chest as she cuddled him, in a drug induced haze. Her IV cord stretched over the bed from the place it hung. The bedside table was scattered with the few pill bottles they had taken from the now vacant hospital in the now vacant town. 

Shcherbina watched quietly as Rukovskaya drifted off, laying against Legasov, cuddling him as one would a loved one. A knock on the door startled both Legasov and Shcherbina, it swung open a few seconds later, revealing general Pikalov. He entered the room in silence followed by a mysterious woman. Her deep brown curls bounced as she followed him into the hotel room. She wore a large brown coat, which covered most of her outfit, except for a teal paisley patterned silk scarf that was tied around her neck. The woman's eyes wandered to Rukovskaya who had not stirred at the violent knock on the door, and was still fast asleep, her eyes widened and she seemed to be at a loss for words, realizing that this woman had gotten a radiation dose larger than Ulana could fathom. 

The silence is broken by Pikalov, saying:"I'm sorry to interrupt. The guards arrested this woman at the south checkpoint. I would have put her in a

cell, but-" 

"-but he thought you should know

that I know" Khomyuk interrupts, coming to her senses and watching as Legasov gets to his feet. 

Before Legasov or Shcherbina could comprehend what she said, Khomyuk continues.

"I know your reactor core is exposed. I know the graphite is on fire, the fuel is melting, and you're dropping sand and boron on it. Which you probably thought was smart. But you've made a mistake" 

She pauses for a moment, watching as the men's faces register only shock and confusion. 

"Ulana Yuriyvna Khomyuk, chief physicist, Byelorusian Institute for Nuclear Energy. And You're Valery Alexeyevich Legasov?" She says, thinking it better to introduce herself now rather than later. 

Legasov nods in response, absolutely bewildered by the flood of information she brought. Khomyuk swallows the pit of nerves that seemed to have formed in her throat and continued.

"Smothering the core will put the fire out, but the temperature will eventually increase. It will melt

down-" She begins, but she is cut off as Legasov raises his hand. 

"Believe me, I'm perfectly aware. But I estimate at least a month before it melts through the lower concrete pad, which gives us time to-" he begins, getting a bit irritated by this woman trying to come in and run everything. 

"You don't have a month. You have approximately two days." Ulana interrupts, holding eye contact with him, her eyes cold, like the water coursing through the arctic. 

It was apparent that these two scientists were about to but heads as Ulana's hand dove into her bag for the blueprints. Suddenly everyone in the room froze. The tense silence had been broken by weak coughing from the bed. All eyes were now on Rukovskaya. The thin woman pushed herself up from the bed, sitting up a little, her back to the group of people. Her thin arms trembled as she swung her boney legs over the edge of the bed. She stood up and turned to face them, taking a moment to look over Ulana with her glazed over, emerald green eyes. It was obvious that the many medications had yet to wear off, but she still had enough sense to join this conversation. Rukovskaya stumbled around the bed until she was standing beside Valery. She took one more step toward Khomyuk before stopping. The room was dead silent, and it seemed as no one was breathing. Rukovskaya reached out her hand toward Khomyuk, tilting her head a little.

"The blueprints…" she says, her voice weak and shaky, causing Ulana to slowly pull out the plant blueprints. 

With a single glance Rukovskaya knows, she knows exactly what Khomyuk does. She looks at Khomyuk for a moment. 

"Why didn't I think of that…" she mumbled, handing Khomyuk back the blueprints, so she can explain it to Legasov. 

Instead of speaking, the room, once again, goes silent as Rukovskaya takes a step back, stumbling as she loses her balance. Her nude heels catch on the carpet and she grabs the wall to steady herself. A bead of sweat rolls down her badly tanned forehead. She looks from Khomyuk to Legasov, then to Shcherbina with glassy eyes, obviously not in any state to be making a statement.

Khomyuk takes a moment to process everything before walking over to the bed and laying the blueprint out. She points to the bottom of the reactor.

"...Yes, the fuel would take a month to reach the concrete pad here, but first it's going to burn through the biological shield here by Tuesday. And when it does, it's going to hit these tanks. Bubbler pools. Reser-"

"Reservoirs for the ECS. I understand your concern, but I confirmed it with plant personnel-- the tanks are nearly empty." Legasov interrupts. 

He sees a glint of irritation in Khomyuks icy eyes. Why can't any man ever just let me finish. She thought, letting out a short huff.

"No, they were nearly empty…" Rukovskaya mumbles as she stumbles forward, catching herself on the bed frame.

Khomyuk looks at her for a moment and smiles a little. Finally, someone else understood.

"Each of these points, here, here, here in the reactor hall... all drain to the bubbler pools" Khomyuk begins, gesturing, once again, to the blueprints. 

"I'm guessing every pipe in the building ruptured. And then there are those fire engines I saw on the way in…" 

Pikalovs eyes widen for a moment.

"The fire hoses are still connected.They've been gushing water into the structure this whole time" Pikalov says, the words tumbling out of his mouth. 

"T-The tanks are full…" Legasov whispers, looking at Khomyuk, his eyes wide in horror and disbelief. 

All the color seemed to drain from his face, and he looked more likely to collapse than Rukovskaya. Khomyuk simply nodded the look on her face saying finally, you understand. Rukovskaya did her best to straighten up, her legs trembling beneath her, the room seemed to spin, but she looked at Khomyuk in silence for a moment before looking at Valery. 

"The tanks must be drained as soon as humanly possible…" she says, shooting Shcherbina a look as if to say he must comply. 

The room stayed silent, and she watched as Legasov nodded, knowing it must be done.

Rukovskaya shot Khomyuk a glance as she stumbled toward the door, almost pulling out her IV before Valery jumps into action, wrapping his arms around her waist and catching her. It was obvious that she needed a doctor more than they could fathom.

[dank-hp--memes]

A Companion (part 4 I think)

Tags: @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

---

Valery was snapped back to reality by a soft groan and Ulana moving in his lap, her hands held her lower belly and her lips parted to allow short breaths in and out. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she leaned back against Valery. He looked down at her belly and felt tears begin to well in his eyes. He knew even the slightest of movements caused Ulana to be in extreme pain and discomfort. Their child caused her an immense amount of pain, and slowly, it was killing her. Her body leaned against Valery limply as she took in deep breaths just as the pain dulled. There had been a particularly violent movement from within her womb. Valery gently rubbed the side of her belly, his chin resting on Ulana's shoulder. He pressed his nose to the crook of her neck, letting out a soft sob. Seeing her in pain was one of the hardest things for him, for there was little he could do to take away her pain.

It takes two to make a baby, but Valery could not help but feel responsible for the immense amount of pain she was in. His heart ached for her, for she was his other half. She was his soulmate and he knew they were meant to be together, one way or another.

Eventually, Ulana gently reached up and ran her boney fingers through what was left of his hair. Valery sniffled and managed to smile somberly at her. He could not help but wonder how their life together could have been different if Valery had stuck to the party line. Would she have hated him for it? Would she have aborted the child, unable to fathom being with him again? Would she have even told him about the baby? Sure he would have had his 'freedom' but would he have had his happiness? Ulana seemed to be the only source of true happiness in his life.

A few hours passed, Ulana had gotten up and moved to a rather plush armchair that Valery had next to the window. She had fallen asleep there, sitting in the sunlight. Sasha had crawled onto Ulana's belly and proceeded to lay down, purring quietly. Valery watched her for a while. She looked extremely peaceful, her feet propped up on a small ottoman that matched the chair. The chair reclined a little, and it was at just the right angle to keep Ulana comfortable, besides the fact that her uterus was squishing her organs. Valery smiled a little and proceeded to cover her with a blanket, which disturbed Sasha a little, but she returned to her rightful place on Ulana's large and swollen belly. Valery smiled solemnly as he brushed a few grey hairs off of Ulana's pale face.

Out of nowhere, there was a gentle knock on the door that made Valery jump. He glanced over at the door for a moment before approaching it. He pulled open the door to see his neighbour, Maritza, or Mara. She was a war nurse, sent by the KGB to train in the west to become a surgeon for the high ranking party officials. She was a Polish woman, who had grown up in eastern Poland, on the German border. She had been a nurse during the war, called upon to serve the Russian army after she had gone east, fleeing the horrors onset by the Nazis. She had seen and endured many horrific things. This left her quite hardened, personality-wise, but she was still extremely kind. She had quickly befriended Valery when he had been moved into this new, small apartment. She was not worried about the KGB, or the consequences. She was just over seven years older than Valery, though, stress made her look much older. She was on the tall side for a woman, but her frame was rather slim. She smiled kindly at Valery, her deep-set, coffee coloured eyes glimmering at him. She held up a small tray of tea and biscuits. Valery nodded and silently let her in, so as not to disturb Ulana. Somehow, Mara always had the most exquisite tea that one could not obtain in the soviet union. The scent of an extravagant earl grey Mara had brewed filled the apartment, making Ulana stir slightly.

"I noticed you had a visitor" Mara whispered as she set the tea tray down on the table. 

Valery smiled and nodded response, feeling embarrassed.

"She is mine… my lover…" Valery said, struggling to find the right word to describe his relationship with Ulana. 

Mara raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ulana before shaking her head, holding back a laugh.

"Your Lover?" She said chuckling softly.

"My… My soulmate" Valery whispered.

His heart began to ache horribly as he looked over at Ulana.

Mara chuckled a little. Valery knew that this woman did not believe in soulmates. Her whole life had been fairly rough, to say the least. He was roused from his thoughts by light footsteps. The strong scent of tea must have roused Ulana, for she was now making her way to the table. Valery watched as Mara went to Ulana's side, helping her silently to the table. Ulana groans a little, her hand resting on her belly. Mara looks at her, examining her closely. Ulana sits back in the chair, gingerly rubbing the side of her belly. 

"Would you allow me to examine you?" Mara asked after pausing for a moment. 

Ulana looks at her sceptically, not believing anything could be done for her. After a moment of thought, Ulana nodded.

"Alright… you may…" she mumbled, thinking nothing bad could come from it.

Mara knelt down beside Ulana, gently beginning to examine her, asking her a few questions.

In the end, Mara gave Ulana some iron supplements she had and told her the obvious, that she needed to put on weight. She explained that it would make Ulana much more comfortable and that it would make childbirth easier on her body. The older woman had promised to do her best to help, but Ulana would have to cooperate. It was obvious that Valery could not do this on his own, he could hardly take care of himself sometimes. Valery sat and watched as Mara spoke with Ulana, studying her closely. He watched as Mara helped Ulana back to the plush chair by the window. She was able to help Ulana get comfortable fairly quickly. It was early in the afternoon now, and Mara smiled at him as she gathered her tea tray.

"Keep a close eye on her Valery… I will be back later with some dinner for the both of you" she said before walking to the door.

Valery opened his mouth to protest, but the look Mara gave him pushed the words he wished to say away. He looked back at Ulana, and Valery knew he needed help. He knew he could not take care of Ulana on his own. He was sick too, and he knew Ulana needed the best care he could get for her, especially now. So, he simply returned to his spot on the sofa after covering Ulana with a blanket. He could easily watch over her from there without disturbing her.

[dank-hp--memes]

A Fate Worse than Death

This is a few chapters long...

Tags: @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

---

It was the middle of the morning, around seven when Ulana left the hotel. She often went out to take her own readings and do impromptu calculations. This morning was no different. Dressed in a creme blouse, a black skirt, and heels, Ulana made her way through the exclusion zone, taking some readings and recording the numbers. She had made her way to the outskirts of Pripyat, walking alone. Little did she know, an animal control team was in the same area with a rather trigger happy liquidator. It happened in a split second. Ulana rounded a corner, there was a loud bang, then silence. She felt a searing pain in her lower chest before falling onto her back, her legs were beginning to go numb. The grimy water from the puddle she had fallen into slowly soaks into her clothes as Ulana gasps for air, her lips parted slightly, her chest seems to spasm as her need for oxygen increases. Ulana stairs, wide-eyed, up at the greyish blue sky. Her body aches with an immense searing pain that originates in her lower chest. She can feel her warm blood soak into her blouse, leaving it stained a crimson red. She can hear the voices of the liquidators who were a part of the animal control squad, but they seem distant and muffled. Almost as if the liquidators were in another room, far away from her.

The clear sky reminds Ulana of her childhood. She would spend hours upon hours laying in the soft grass of the Belorussian countryside when she would visit her grandmother's house. She could watch the sky for hours, often lost in thought. Her grandmother would often scold her for slacking off on her chores, or simply for spending too much time lying on the ground and doing nothing. The sun had always warmed the long grass, making it a fairly nice spot to lay and relax. 

As Ulana laid there, her mind wandering about her thoughts, she could not help but think of Valery. Recalling all of the time they had spent together. The many seconds they had spent together in bed, with minimal clothing on, holding each other close. Valery always wrapped his arms around Ulana's middle and held her close. He would press soft kisses on her slender shoulders and up her neck. He would run his hand down her stomach to rest it on her hip. They shared more than just many sweet nothings in their hotel rooms. Ulana felt her breath hitch in her throat as she thought of the sweet and dorky smile Valery always had when he looked over her shoulder at her in the mirror after they got out of the shower. He would place his hands on her hips and rest his chin on her shoulder, whispering many sweet nothings to her as he looked at her in the mirror. She remembered the way looking into his icy blue eyes sent shivers down her spine and made her hair stand on end. As the world around her began to fade and her ears began to ring, Ulana could only hope to see Valery one more time. She felt someone lift her up off the ground and she could see the outline of a figure before everything went black. 

One of the liquidators had lifted Ulana off the ground and was carrying her to the truck. She needed immediate medical attention, for it was clear that, along with her blood, the life was draining out of her. The liquidators drove her back to camp, arguing in a panic. Their loud voices make Ulana stir a little, but she does not wake up. Her skin seems to become paler by the second. Upon their arrival back in camp, Ulana is handed off to two soldiers and flown to the nearest hospital equipped to treat her in Kyiv. The flight is long and bumpy, and Ulana is quickly losing blood. A cold sweat is soaking her clothes as she lays there unconscious. So far, no one has thought to notify any of the higher-ups, except General Pikalov, who is handling the situation on his own. Upon their arrival in Kyiv, Ulana is swarmed by nurses and doctors who quickly take her back to an operating room. They quickly begin transfusing blood, but it is hardly fast enough. They cut off Ulana's clothes and quickly begin operating, doing their best to stop her bleeding. They are extremely careful as they remove the bullet, for it had been resting over Ulana's spinal cord, but it is too late. The damage had already been done. She would have nerve damage in her upper body and there was a chance she would never walk again if she even survived. Hours had passed, and Ulana was still in critical condition. Her poor heart had stopped twice, only to be shocked back to life. The doctors managed to finish the surgery and close Ulana up, but, no matter what they did, the damage had been done. Ulana was taken to a small and cramped room in the ICU, it looked more like a supply closet than a proper room. She was hooked up to an insane amount of machines. They all served to keep her alive. A tube had been shoved down her throat and was breathing for her. One of the monitors was monitoring her heart rate and oxygen levels. Another was simply controlling her morphine drip and IV. There was also a feeding tube stuffed down Ulana's nose. She was still receiving blood and platelets so that just added to the whole mess of machines and IV's. They kept Ulana heavily sedated to make sure she was not in any pain. Other than that, there wasn't much that could be done for her. 

A few days passed. Valery had assumed Ulana had gone back to Minsk, as she did sometimes when she needed to do something important that could not be done in Pripyat. He had no idea that Ulana was on the verge of death and that he may never speak to her again. 

There was a knock on Valery's hotel room door. It was from Boris. He looked at Valery and Valery's heart sank. He knew from Boris' expression that something was wrong. He stood in the doorway, too nervous to ask, not truly wanting to know. 

"You should sit down…" Boris croaks, his voice dry, for he dreaded breaking the news to Valery. 

"What happened?" Valery asked, not moving from the doorway. 

Had something happened with the reactor? Was there another accident at the plant? Did something happen with the reactor core?

Valery mind was racing, but Ulana being injured, let alone shot and dying never crossed his mind, not even once. 

"Valery, you should really sit down" Boris' voice came again, interrupting Valery's thoughts.

Valery retreated into the room, followed by Boris. He could sense the older man's nervousness as the tension in the air grew. Very gingerly placed himself on the sofa, looking up at Boris.

"It's about Khomyuk…" Boris begins

He pauses the words trapped in his throat. Valery leaned in in anticipation. What had happened? Had Ulana been arrested again? Or was she in some sort of lab accident? Did she have radiation poisoning?

"A few days ago she was involved in an accident… she was shot in the chest" Boris says, stopping there, not knowing how to continue.

Valery's heart seemed to have disappeared. He could feel his throat tighten and his mouth goes dry as his lips parted to reply. Never in his worst nightmares could he imagine Ulana, his lovely Ulana, being shot.

"What?" Is all he manages to say, his eyes wide as he looks up at Boris, not truly believing him.

It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. They must have had the wrong person. Ulana had to be okay. He needed her. Not just to help him with Chernobyl. It was like he did not know how to breathe without her. He needed her to survive. She was the only thing he truly needed in his life. She was like his other half. She was his soulmate. She understood every word from Valery's lips, and he understood every word from hers. She was also the most wonderful cuddler. Her body always seemed to radiate heat and her skin was soft like silk. Not to mention that especially soft spot just over her hip. It was the perfect place for him to rest his hand and trace his fingers over while they cuddled. Valery suddenly looked up at Boris. Boris had said someone, but Valery had been too enveloped in his thoughts to comprehend what he had said. He simply stared blankly at Boris, his mouth slightly agape. 

"She is in the Kyiv trauma centre. She is in critical condition. The bullet ripped through her at an odd angle. It tore through her liver, and one of her lungs before resting over her spinal cord. Her heart stopped twice during the surgery, leaving her brain without oxygen for an extended amount of time… so, if she does wake up, she may not be the Ulana you and I know" Boris says, trying to make sure Valery mentally prepares himself. 

Boris looks at the carpet for a moment, his eyes studying the grimy, horribly patterned carpeting. Over the phone, the doctors had said much more. Ulana could be brain dead or mentally impaired from how long her heart had stopped. She could be paralyzed. She likely had nerve damage. She may not recover. She could get a blood clot and die of a stroke or a pulmonary embolism. She could suffer a heart attack and her heart could stop again. Ulana could die before they even got close to Kyiv, fuck she could be dead as they speak. She could die of internal bleeding if the clotting agent they gave her does not take effect, for the radiation exposure had caused her some issues with her blood. There were many possibilities with what could happen to Ulana, and most of them had far from good outcomes. 

Valery sat in silence, processing what Boris had just said. He can hardly imagine Ulana, his Ulana, being shot in the chest. He could feel cold sweat dripping down his back as he placed his trembling hands on his knees. Valery took a deep breath before standing up. 

"How was she shot…" He mumbles, a dark rage slowly building within him. 

Boris pauses for a moment, surveying Valery, contemplating how much to tell him. He opens his mouth a few times before simply sighing. What on earth was he going to tell Valery?

"It was an accident with some animal control liquidators…" Boris says, not wanting to say too much. 

He feared to upset Valery more, for he did not care to see him in such a state. Valery simply swallows and nods, unable to find the words to respond. His jaw is clenched and his hands balled into fists. Valery's mind is surprisingly blank.

"I need to see her," Valery says, his voice flat and his tone dark.

His eyes are burning into Boris from behind his smudged glasses, but behind all of the rage, Boris can see the fear and helplessness that plagues Valery. 

"There's a helicopter waiting to take us to Kyiv…" Boris replies. 

The next few minutes are a blur. Valery hardly remembers leaving the hotel room, let alone walking out to the helicopter. The animal control team is standing outside the hotel with Pikalov, who looks quite unsettled.

Valery looks at them, a few stains of Ulana's blood that they had been unable to wash out still on their clothes.

"Which one of you shot comrade Khomyuk?" Boris begins, planning on having them sent away.

A rather small young lad steps forward, cowering in fear in front of Boris. Boris opens his mouth to speak hut is interrupted.

"How could you shoot her? She is not some animal!" Valery shouts, his voice shaking with anger.

An older man, obviously a soldier steps forward, his chiselled face, looking rather irritated. He was much taller than Valery and rather intimidating. 

"Nobody told us there would be someone taking measurements. She just appeared out of nowhere. It startled us. She wasn't wearing anything protective, and wandering around alone was rather stupid" he mutters, not wanting to defend himself to some stupid scientist.

That was it, the soldier had crossed the line. Nobody called Ulana, his Ulana stupid. 

"She has a name…" Valery growls his face bright red.

It looks as though Valery is ready to kill them with his bare hands. Boris grabs Valery's shoulder to pull him away. Valery's reaction had surprised Boris, and he was unsure of what Valery was capable of in such a state.

"So what? We all have names? Do you think the higher-ups care about what happens to us? Why should we care what happens to her" the soldier barks, irritation rising in his voice?

The other members of the animal control team have backed away, rather scared of Valery's reaction. 

"She is one of the most important people here… AND YOU'VE SHOT HER! YOU SHOT THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!" Valery shouts, finally admitting that he loves Ulana out loud. 

The tension in the air seems to thicken. Everyone has gone silent, even Valery. He had surprised himself by saying that. Never in a million years did he think he would admit, in front of people, that Ulana was the love of his life. Suddenly, Boris' hand was back on Valery's shoulder and pulling him back onto the helicopter. Valery did not protest, he was too busy being stuck deep within his thoughts. Valery aimlessly plopped down into one of the seats, his elbows going to rest on his knees, and his head resting on his trembling hands. He was silent except for a few stifled sobs. Boris did not take his eyes off Valery throughout the entire flight. He knew that if Ulana did not get better, Valery would never recover.

[dank-hp--memes-writes]

Ayyy yall this is @dank-hp--memes sideblog

I will be reposting (or atleast trying to repost) all of my writing content from my main blog here...

[dank-hp--memes]

Plot Potatoes: Chernobyl- Qualitly Time

So I just got the idea for this story and was unable to stop myself from writing it. The nickname "little bear" or "bear" comes from my nickname as a child. I would love to hear your feedback. Enjoy!!!

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

---

Ulana is 29

Valery is 32

---

It was around three-thirty in the morning. Ulana was snoring softly, laying beside Valery, who had one of his arms wrapped around her. She had gotten very little sleep, plagued by what ails any expectant mother, an almost constant need to pee. Ulana was roused by a slight wiggling from beside her and then something hard being pressed uncomfortably against her ribs. 

"Valery, you're elbowing me…" Ulana mumbles without opening her eyes. 

"It's not me…" Valery grumbles in response.

Ulana opens her eyes slightly and looks down.

She smiles a little as she sees the outline a ratty head of ginger hair. It, in fact, was not Valery who had woken her. It was their daughter Ekaterina, or Katja. They also often called her bear or little bear. She was just over three years old now. She had crawled into bed between Valery and Ulana and proceeded to nuzzle her head against Ulana's ribcage. Not that she didn't already have a little one lodged up near her ribcage all day. Ulana gently wrapped her arm around Katja, gently patting her back.

"Someones up early…" she mumbled, her voice still gravely from having been asleep. 

The little girl giggled and cuddles against her mother even more. Ulana readjusted a little and used her other hand to rub the side of her belly. She was just over 20 weeks along, but this was not like her first pregnancy, for this time, she was carrying multiples. They had found out a few weeks earlier, but Ulana had been speculating that there was more than one baby for weeks. She sighed and looked over at Valery, who had his arm wrapped around both of his girls. She could see his eyes glimmering in the darkness. 

"Bathroom?" Valery whispers as Ulana sighed frustratedly.

"You guessed it…" Ulana mumbles as she manages to crawl out of bed before making her way down the hall to their bathroom. 

She took a moment to look into the mirror, looking over her body. It was odd to see her belly protruding out from beneath her silky nightgown. She was studying her swollen stomach, remembering the last time she had been this size.

When she returned to the bedroom, Ulana found that Katja had stolen her spot in bed. Ulana smiled a little and picked up the little girl, moving her over a little before laying down beside her. Ulana laid on her side and wrapped her arm around the small being laying in front of her. Katja cuddled up against Ulana, wrapping her arms around her mother. Ulana smiled tiredly, managing to scoot back into her spot in the bed. She can see Valery smiling a little as he turns to face her and wraps his arm around them. 

"You're both so warm… and cuddly..." he mumbled, gently caressing Ulana's side with his thumb. 

Ulana smiles and leans forward, kissing him softly. It seemed like the last time they had cuddled like this was ages ago now, though it was only a few days prior. Katja squirmed a little, cuddling Ulana tighter. Ulana smiled drowsily and gently rubbed her back after she had pulled the blankets back up over them. Katja had, once again, nuzzled her head up against Ulana's ribcage. Ulana sighed and closed her eyes, practically praying for another ounce of sleep. She dozed off rather quickly, for the room seemed to quickly fill with her soft snoring. Valery could not help but smile as he cuddled his girls, feeling extremely lucky in that particular moment. 

A few hours passed and Ulana was roused by someone kicking her. She looked down to see Katja squirming slightly in her sleep. She sighed and wrapped her arms around the little figure, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. 

"Shhhh… it's an okay bear, it's only a dream" she mumbled as the little girl calms down and snuggles against her. 

She buried her face against her mother's breast, holding onto Ulana tightly. Ulana gently stroked Katja's hair, humming a soft and sweet melody. Valery opened his eyes a little, glancing down at Ulana. 

"Nightmare?" He grumbles, wrapping his arm around Ulana. 

Ulana nods and smiles tiredly. 

"I think it is over now…" she whispers scooting Katja and herself closer to Valery.

Valery gently rubbed Ulana's back as he looked down at their daughter, sandwiched between them. They cuddled for a few moments before a small fluffy ball jumped up onto the bed. It was Sasha, their cat.

Valery and Ulana had adopted Sasha just before they found out Ulana was pregnant with Katja. Valery had tried to get rid of the, then, kitten, but Ulana would not have it, for she somehow knew Sasha would do very well with their baby. Sasha had put up with loads of tail pulling and grabbing, as well as being dragged around like a stuffed animal. She was a wonderful companion for the two adults, and she simply put up with their child, allowing the little girl to drag her around and poke and prod at her.

Ulana smiled a little and reached down toward the end of the bed, and Sasha waltzed up to her hand, allowing Ulana to let her. The cat mowed softly, rubbing up against Ulana's soft thighs. She began to purr loudly, obviously ready for breakfast. Ulana glanced over at the alarm clock and sighed. It was just past six. 

"I'll come to feed you in a bit…" Ulana grumbles as she goes back to cuddling Katja. 

Ulana stuck to her word, and a few minutes later, she was waddling down the hall, Sasha following at her heels. She stumbled a little, tripping over the cat as she turned to return to the bedroom. Ulana yelped as she fell onto the ground. It was as if he had heard a scream, Valery was running down the hall to Ulana. 

"I'm fine Valera… I was just tripped up by the cat" Ulana says as she gets up. 

"Are you sure? Are the babies alright?" Valery says worriedly, looking her over closely. 

"Valery I caught myself. I am fine, I just his my knee" Ulana says, shaking her head a little.

"Maybe we should go to the doctor just to be sure," Valery says nervously.

Ulana shook her head and took both of his hand, placing them on her belly. 

"Valera your kids are fine. They are moving around as we speak" Ulana says, looking up at him, a slight smile on her face.

Valery sighs and holds his hands on her belly, still worried sick about her. Every little peep she makes draws his attention. He is constantly worried about her and their babies. He cannot help it, his heart aches for them, and he would do anything for his family. 

"Why don't you start making breakfast, and I will get our little bear showered and ready for daycare," Ulana says softly, looking up at him, her belly pressing against him. 

"Alright…" Valery mumbles, holding onto her for a few moments. 

Ulana kisses him softly before wandering back down the hall to their room. A few moments later, she is carrying a drowsy Katja into the bathroom. Valery smiled a little as Ulana raised her eyebrows at him, smiling. The bathroom door closes behind her and she can be heard trying to get Katja undressed. The little girl protested a little before finally getting undressed. Ulana helped her into the shower and gently began washing her beautiful ginger hair. Around thirty minutes later, Katja emerged from the bathroom, in a clean flower print dress and leggings, her beautiful ginger hair, still wet, done back in a beautiful braid. Ulana slowly followed, still in her nightgown. Valery smiled a little as he watched Katja running about the living room as Ulana made her way to the sofa. Katja chased Sasha around and proceeded to play with some of her toys as Valery prepared some breakfast. 

"Come on girls, breakfast is ready" Valery calls as he carries their food over to the table. Katja comes running and bounds into her seat. Ulana follows more slowly, waddling over to the table. Valery smiles as he places a cup of tea beside Ulana's food before sitting down. Ulana takes a sip and smiles.

"Earl grey, strong… just the way I like it…" she mumbled. 

Valery nods as he glances at their daughter, who has a glass of milk beside her. She had taken a few sips of it as she quickly ate her eggs and pancakes. 

"Slow down a little bear, or you'll make yourself sick" Ulana mumbles as she sips her tea.

"But momma…" Katja says, just wanting to play. 

Ulana gives her a stern look, and Katja sighs, knowing she can't argue with her mother.  

Valery and Ulana finish their breakfast in peace as Katja continues to play in the living room. 

Valery took Katja to the state-sponsored daycare around eight, leaving Ulana to clean up all of the dishes. Ulana then proceeds to take a hot shower. As she is getting undressed she hears their front door close. 

"Lana?" Valery's voice calls.

"I'm about to shower" Ulana calls back.

She can hear Valery's footsteps approaching, and he quietly enters the bathroom.

"Why wasn't I invited?" He says, leaning in the doorway, his glasses fogging up a bit from the steam. 

"You are more than welcome to join me I suppose," Ulana says, glancing at him.

Valery smiles and closes the bathroom door behind him, proceeding to wrap his arms around her.

"You know I am always more than happy to join you" he mumbled, planting some soft kisses on her shoulder and neck.

Ulana smiled and turned around, proceeding to unbutton the shirt he had thrown on before leaving the apartment. Valery gently picked her up and placed her on the bathroom counter holding her waist as she pushed back his shirt. 

"You are so beautiful… did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Valery mumbles, looking up at her, entranced by her beauty.

"Yes, about every day" Ulana replies, blushing a little.

Once they are both undressed, Ulana steps into the shower followed by Valery. He stands behind her, holding her against him as she washes her body. Her skin was so soft and all Valery wanted was to cuddle her. Valery smiled as she turned to face him, gently wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked extremely tired, but a beautiful smile spread across her face as she looked up at him, wetting her hair. She then leaned forward and leaned against his chest, pressing her body against his. They stood there for a few moments before proceeding to shower. They did not need to exchange words to know what the other was thinking. Their immense love for one another seemed to hang in the air.

Once they had finished, Valery helped Ulana to dry off before drying off himself. He followed her to the bedroom, where she flopped down onto their bed,  obviously exhausted. Valery smiled a little as he followed her and laid down beside her, both still undressed. Ulana shimmied over to him and wrapped her arm around him, laying her head on his chest. 

"Don't you have work today?" Ulana mumbled as she glanced up at him.

"I called in this morning after you fell," Valery says, gently rubbing her back.

Ulana squints at him, going silent for a moment. 

"You called Dimitri and pressured him into telling you if I was working today or not, didn't you?" Ulana asks, almost as if interrogating him.

Valery's face turns bright red and he nods, looking away.

"Valery Aleksevich I swear…" Ulana says, glaring at him. 

"I wanted to spend the day with you, just us" he mumbles, smiling down at her innocently. 

Ulana sighs and looks up at him, shaking her head as she climbs on top of him, sitting on his stomach. 

"You better make me dessert tonight after dinner…" she says, grinning down at him. 

Valery chuckles as he places his hands on her waist.

"I can give you dessert right now…" Valery teases, rolling her over and pressing her into the bed.

"I won't protest if you do," Ulana says, giggling a little as she wraps her legs around him. 

They spend a few hours making love, for it had been quite a while since they had any proper alone time. By the end, Ulana's face is flushed and she is quite out of breath, wrapping her arms around Valery as he buries his face in her breasts. 

"I... love you... so much" Valery mumbles as he plants soft kisses on Ulana's chest. 

"I love you more" Ulana moans as she holds Valery tightly.

They cuddle for a while before proceeding to get dressed. Ulana lounges around the apartment, going over some work documents as she lays across the sofa, her head resting in Valery's lap as he grades some essays. Their day is fairly relaxed, they both go to pick up Katja from daycare, a little early, around three in the afternoon, just after Ulana finished taking a nap.

They proceed to take Katja to a nearby park. Ulana and Valery sit side by side, cuddling on a park bench as they watch Katja running around, making friends, and proceeding to get dirty. Ulana sighs as Katja runs up to her, covered in patches of dirt. She proceeds to hold up a large beetle, proudly showing her mother the squirming bug. 

"Wow bear, isn't he cool?" Ulana says, taking the bug from Katja. 

Katja allows her mother to hold the bug for a few moments before taking it back to release it. Ulana smiles, knowing she and Valery must be doing at least something right.

They spend only a few hours at the park before heading back to their apartment. Ulana instantly plops down into the plush recliner chair by the window, elevating her swollen feet. Valery smiles a little as he walks over to her, planting a soft kiss on her lips and gently caressing her belly.

"I'll clean up the little bear for dinner. You stay here and relax…" he says softly, gently pressing his nose to hers and looking into her eyes. 

Ulana smiles up at him and places her hand on top of his. 

"Good luck…" she mumbled, watching as an overly energetic Katja runs around the coffee table.

Valery smiles and scoops Katja up in his arms before carrying her into the bathroom, despite her many protests. Ulana chuckles as she listens to Katja, practically howling to be set free. Sasha slinks over to Ulana after jumping down from her favourite spot on top of the bookshelf. The cat gently jumps up onto the chair, crawling onto Ulana's belly and practically demanding to be pet. Ulana smiles and gently scratches behind Sashas ears before pushing the cat over and rubbing her belly, Sasha absolutely adored the attention, especially when it was from either of the adults. 

Almost an hour passed before the bathroom door opened and Katja came sprinting out, in one of her nightgowns. She jumped onto the chair and crawled up next to her mother, Valery slowly followed, drenched in bathwater that had been splashed all over him. He looks absolutely defeated, but at least Katja is clean. Valery walks over and stands beside the chair, looking down at his girls. 

"Did you have fun?" Ulana teases, gently tracing her finger over her belly.

"Obviously," Valery says grinning at Ulana, "why don't you make a bit of room for me?" 

"Valery I swear, do not get me all wet!" Ulana says, trying to push him away as he climbs in the chair on the other side of Ulana.

"Gah, Valery you are soaked!" Ulana shouts, squirming in the chair as the water soaks from his clothes into hers. 

Valery giggles, kissing her softly as he presses her against the chair, water dripping from his hair onto her. Ulana is struggling beneath him, furious at him for getting her all wet. Finally, she sighs and gives up, not fighting it anymore, letting him get her soaked.

"You owe me for his" Ulana growls as he leans down and kisses her passionately.

"I always pay you back, don't I?" Valery teases, finally allowing Ulana to push him off of her. Ulana rolls her eyes and readjusts in the chair as Valery goes to dry off. 

After drying off, Valery proceeds to make dinner. It does not take long for the savoury aroma of food to draw his girls into the kitchen. Ulana places herself in her normal seat at the table and Katja goes over to Valery's side to see what he is doing. Valery allows Katja to help him carry the food to the table, letting her take Ulana's plate. Ulana gratefully takes her plate, thanking Katja as she watches the little girl streak around the table and hops into her seat. Ulana smiles as she watches Valery place Katja's food in front of her before taking his seat. 

As per usual, Katja tells her parents all about how much fun she had a daycare. She talks about all of the things she learned and the friends she made. It is extremely cute when she begins explaining how she caught a butterfly and learned a new song, which she proceeded to sing for them.

After dinner, Valery proceeded to wash all of the dishes as Ulana got Katja ready for bed. She sat on the edge of Katja's bed and proceeded to tell her a story. Ulana also sang a beautiful german lullaby,  that had been a nightly tradition since Katja was only a few months old. Their neighbour, Petra Wilheim had taught it to Ulana, for Katja had been refusing to sleep. The sweet melody soothed her and most definitely did its job, alongside Ulana's cuddles, lulling Katja to sleep. Once Ulana had successfully gotten Katja to sleep, she wandered to the bedroom, desperately in need of some sleep.

Not long after she and Valery had gotten comfortable, they were separated by a little squirming mass. It was Katja, she had been having a bad dream and was desperately in need of cuddling. Ulana smiled drowsily as she looked down at her little bear. She smoothed down Katja's hair and proceeded to hum a sweet lullaby for her as Katja laid her head on Ulana's chest.

[dank-hp--memes]

Soulmates: chapter 5

This is an extra extra long chapter. And thanks to @letsriottogether for helping me write this chapter.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

---

Valery sat in his car in the hospital parking lot. How could this be happening? Surely this could not be real. There was no way Ulana was hurt. It had to be just a bad dream. Valery bit his lip and laid his head against the steering wheel, letting out an alone sob, knowing this was, unfortunately, not a dream. He swallowed his fears before turning off his car and walking inside. It was very loud and chaotic in the hospital, the groans and moans of injured and sick people, as well as the chatter of people searching for their loved ones, filled the halls. Valery attempted to ask a flustered nurse if he knew where Ulana's room was, but she was not much help. So, Valery wandered the halls, stumbling upon Ulana by accident. He saw her quickly being wheeled into an examination room. Valery stood in the hallway, dumbstruck. Was it just him, or did Ulana look much worse than she had before? There is a woman coming down the hall, a chart in her hand, her long legs carrying her quickly toward Valery as her long white coat flows behind her. She looked at him for a moment, then stopped. She glanced down at the chart before looking back up at Valery. Her hair was a deep dusty red. She squinted at him a little with her hazel eyes. "You must be her husband," she says, glancing into the room. The woman rivalled Valery in height, only a few centimetres difference between them. Valery looked at her, trying to read her expression.

Slowly, he nodded as he asked: "H-How bad is it?"

The woman slowly looked him over, seeing that he was wringing his hands and trembling a little. 

"I can't say. I'll need to see her labs. But she is not the worst I have seen tonight" she says, looking over Valery, analyzing him. She has a sharp and strong jawline and cheekbones that could cut someone if hit with enough force. Her red-painted lips part in a gentle smile. She reaches out a hand, which Valery gently takes.

"I'm Doctor Ria Wolframm, I will be taking care of your wife," she says softly, her voice comforting Valery a little.

She pauses for a moment to look at the state Valery is in.

"You'll want to sit down... this may be a long night," she says before pushing through the doors and disappearing into the examination room.

Valery watched the spot where she had disappeared, tears welling in his eyes. He longed to follow her into that room and sit beside Ulana, holding her hand. Ulana had always hated coming to the doctor. It scared her, though she would never admit it. Ulana had always feared the bad news that could come with doctors visits, ever since her mother fell sick when she was a young girl. Valery bites his bottom lip and sits down, knowing now is not the time, for the doctors must work their miracles to save his beloved wife. He stared at the pale walls of the hall. His mind racing, and at that moment he contemplated praying to some higher power to have Ulana safe. No matter how atheist Valery was, he needed some comfort that Ulana would come back to him. 

Hours seem to pass before doctor Wolframm comes out. She gently places her hand on Valery's shoulder, for he had dozed off.

"Come… your wife would benefit from your company" she says as she leans down toward Valery.

He jumps a little, her voice sending chills down his spine. Valery stands up and takes a deep breath, preparing for what he will see upon entering the room. He pushes through the door and into the room. It is now empty, except for Ulana and doctor Wolframm. Ulana is still unconscious, her head resting on the cheap hospital pillow with her singed hair splayed around her head. She is hooked up to an IV and many different monitors, that Valery glances at briefly. A small band is around her belly, monitoring the baby. Ulana has a plethora of second degree burns over her body, mostly covering her chest and left side. Most of her belly had made it out unscathed though. Wolframm gently urges Valery toward the bed. He feels his breath catch in his throat. Valery had never seen Ulana in such a state, not even in the worst of nightmares. She was the very thing that made his life worth living, and seeing her in this state made it extremely hard to breathe. He glances at the doctor, his lips parting to say something, but he cannot find the right words. Instead, he goes to Ulana's side, sitting down in a chair beside her bed. He stops as he goes to take her hand, finding it is extremely burnt. Valery thinks for a moment before gently pressing his hand to Ulana's cheek. Leaning down and kissing her forehead softly.

"I am here, Lana…" he says softly, reaching down and placing his other hand on the crest of her belly, caressing it gently with his thumb.

The doctor sits on the other side of Ulana's bed, a pair of large, thick-rimmed glasses resting on her nose as she scribbles down notes in Ulana's chart.

"Someone is certainly happy to see you" Wolframm mumbles, glancing briefly at Valery.

He gapes at her, bewildered.

"How can you…" he begins.

Wolframm simply gestures to the readings from the band wrapped around Ulana's lower belly. They are a bit higher than before and slightly closer together.

"She was having some problems with her heartbeat. It had been a bit too slow for my liking, but now?... well as you can see, you have a very strong little girl in there" Wolframm says as she records her observations on Ulana's chart.

Valery's eyes widened. It had just been a joke at first, but now he knew for sure. They were having a baby girl. He was to have a daughter. His heart seemed to swell with joy as he looked down at Ulana's belly, his eyes watering a little. He could not help but smile a little. Wolframm smiles a little before looking back at Valery, her face serious. 

"Your wife has some bones I need to set… I can come to get you once I have finished" she says softly, not wanting him to feel squeamish.

Valery, still in a bit of shock from the happy news, shakes his head. He is determined to stay at Ulana's side as long as they let him. He will not leave his girls, not anytime soon. Wolframm puts down the chart and moves over to the sink, thoroughly washing her hands and pulling on some gloves. She stands at the bedside and takes Ulana's arm in her hands. With a swift motion, she sets the badly broken bone. Valery flinches, looking at the ground. Wolframm looks down at him, knowing he had not realized how unpleasant this would be. Wolframm slowly moves down the side of the bed and takes Ulana's leg, swiftly setting one of the bones before struggling a bit with the other. Her eyes glimmered with determination, and her jaw was clenched as she focused hard on getting the breaks properly aligned.

Valery watches the motion, his eyes wide with shock, trying to push aside how much this must be hurting Ulana. Even though she is heavily sedated, uncomfortable groans escape her slightly parted lips, her forehead wrinkled as she frowns in her sleep.

Wolframm then wraps a splint around Ulana's arm before moving on to her other injuries. She is extremely meticulous, making sure not to miss anything. 

Valery sits back in his chair, taking a deep breath. His hands clenched tightly into fists, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms. He was shaking as emotion overwhelmed him. Be wished it would all be over soon, as the sight and sound were horrible, piercing through the otherwise quiet room.

Wolframm looks up at him as she wraps a splint around Ulana's leg. She doesn't say anything but her eyes seem to bore into him.

"You do not like the sound hmmm?" She says as she pulls up her chair to clean Ulana's cuts and burns.

"who would like to know what sounds the bones of a person you lovemaking?" he says, as a matter of fact, relieved that it's over.

Wolframm smiles a bit at his reply, glancing at him as she says: "some people do not like the sound, some don't like the sight… just a small observation…"

"When do you think she will wake up?" he asks, his eyes fixated on Ulana's face, wanting to change the subject.

"I am not sure... but she will in time…" Wolframm says as she sits back in her chair.

"She must have hit her head fairly hard. I am surprised she only has a concussion..." Wolframm mumbles as she looks at a lump that has formed on Ulana's head.

"I'm going to have to do some sutures, so you may want to look away" Wolframm mumbles.

Before Valery can reply, Wolframm is already

numbing a rather large cut. She begins to stitch it, being rather precise, so as not to leave much of a scar. She did not look up at Valery except for a small glance at him.

The sight of a needle piercing Ulana's delicate, porcelain skin makes Valery almost nauseous, so he looks away, tears welling in his eyes. He then remembers Mirra and Dimitri, knowing that Ulana will want to hear about them as soon as she wakes up. 

"Do you know anything about comrades Rukovskaya and Maksimov?" He says, looking over at Wolframm, cautious to keep his eyes off of the cut she is suturing. 

"I believe they are down the hall a few rooms. Though I do not know which rooms specifically... I know Rukovskaya was taken into surgery a few hours ago. Though I am not sure why... and Maksimov is being treated for his burns and concussion" Wolframm answers as she glances at Valery, pulling the needle away from Ulana's skin.

Valery sighs and nods in response, deciding it is better to stay here than wander about the hospital looking for them. 

Wolframm looks up at him, surveying him quietly, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. 

"You should try to get some rest. You will need it as much as your wife does. I will be sure to wake you if there is any news" she says, peering at Valery over her glasses.

It seems odd to rest at a time like this. With his nerves still rather high. Valery leaned forward a bit and kissed the side of Ulana's belly, nuzzling it gently with his nose and mumbling under his breath, expressing his love for her and their daughter. Sleep envelopes him rather quickly. Still, he is aware of his surroundings, hearing the voices in the corridor and the door being opened and closed again as nurses come in to check on Ulana and speak with Wolframm.

Wolframm sits quietly, scribbling down notes in Ulana's chart. She had turned out the lights in the room to help Valery sleep, now only lit by the many monitors of machines. She hums quietly, filling the silence with her sweet melody. She looks over Ulana. She is fairly lucky. With enough encouragement from the doctors and the help of medicine, she can fight the toxins she was exposed to. She did not need surgery to fix anything, unlike many others. Ulana could be considered one of the lucky ones, unlike Mirra. 

A few hours pass before Wolframm gets up to stretch. Her heels click softly on the tile floor as she gently wraps Valery in a blanket. She leaves the room, having a nurse stay and watch over them. She is gone for no more than thirty minutes before returning. Wolframm silently entered the room, thanking the nurse as she sat down, placing her untouched coffee on the floor beside her. The smell of the rich dark liquid rouses Valery. His stomach growls as he sits up. Valery looks around the room, almost having forgotten where he was and what had happened. One glance at Ulana brings it all back, flooding his mind with the memories of the previous day. He looks closely at Ulana, seeing that some colour had returned to her skin, making him feel a bit relieved. Wolframm had glanced at him and sighed. She was holding her coffee out to give it to him. 

"You need this more than I do" she mumbled, a tired smile curling her lips.

Valery gratefully took the cup of warm dark liquid. He mumbled his thanks before taking a sip of the soothing dark liquor. It brings him a bit of joy in this dark time. Valery took a moment, convincing himself to leave Ulana for just a moment to go and grab some food, and hopefully get some information on Dimitri and Mirra.

Wolframm stands up, encouraging Valery to stretch his legs while she changes Ulana's bandages. Valery looks longingly down at Ulana, studying her face, so he could remember every detail. He stretched his aching muscles before heading into the corridor. It was calm, much more peaceful than it had been only a few hours before. He looks around, hoping, deep down, to see the familiar face of either Mirra or Dimitri. Though it would be almost comical to suddenly see either of them. Valery takes a moment to clear his head. Food, he needed food. He looked around once more, finding a sign that pointed toward the cafeteria. Though he hardly remembered it, his legs swiftly carried him down the hall, his mouth-watering a bit at the very thought of food. Though hospital food was rarely ever remotely edible, Valery knew he had to eat something. Valery wandered through the rather empty halls and into the cafeteria. Valery eats alone at a table that will not stop moving, for its legs were uneven. A bowl of soup sat before him. He did not know exactly what was in it, but it was surprisingly good, for hospital food. It made him feel nice and warm. His only complaint was that the slice of bread was rather stale. Valery sighed and looked around. There were many people in the cafeteria as well. Some were alone, others gathered in small groups, but all of them were only leaving their loved ones for a moment, much like him. Doctors and nurses can be seen scurrying about the halls. Somehow, the cafeteria remains in solemn silence, only broken by the softest of whispers. Valery swiftly finishes his food, returning his tray before making his way back out to the hall. He passes Ulana's room before going to the nurse's station and inquiring about Dimitri and Mirra. They give him a room number. Mirra got out of surgery just before dawn, and Dimitri had been discharged. So, Valery wandered quietly through the halls before finally stumbling upon Mirra's room. She was still unconscious, of course. The toxin had ravished her tiny body, causing many complications. Almost the entirety of her right side was burned, including her face. The burns were not exclusively on her right side. Some stretched across her back and others over her chest and legs. Her hospital gown covered most of the sutures that held together with the opening the surgeons had made in her chest. Upon closer inspection, Valery could see that some of the burns on Mirra’s legs were from the acid that had been spilt over them.

The sound of approaching footsteps causes Valery to turn around. His lips part slightly before curling into a sombre smile. It is Dimitri. He appears to be alright besides a few burns and singed hairs. Valery gently pats Dimitris shoulder in greeting. 

“How is Mirra doing,” He says, glancing back at the bed. 

Dimitri swallows as he glances at Mirra. 

“The surgery went well, but the next 24 hours are crucial. So, she is not out of the woods yet” Dimitri says, his voice a bit shaky, “How is Ulana?”

Valery takes a deep breath as he thinks about the miserable state of his beloved. 

“She is not doing great, but they are keeping a close eye on her and the baby,” Valery says, his voice trembling a little.

Dimitri nods slowly biting his lip as his eyes filled with tears. Images of the previous night flashing in front of his eyes. 

“When I saw them, I-I did not know what had happened… Mirra was… she was covered in acid as she scrambled across the floor toward Ulana and Ulana… she was laying on the floor, it almost looked like she was t-twitching… People were screaming and the halls were filling with smoke…” Dimitris's voice quivered as he spoke, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

At first, Valery thought he wanted to know the details, but now his imagination was running wild, sending chills down his spine. Valery swallowed the knot that rose in his throat. He knew Dimitri needed to talk about his terrors, but Valery did his best to block out every word. Ulana’s horrified expression burned into his mind as he imagined her being thrown to the floor. The immense detail Dimitri used to describe the incident caused Valery to shudder.

As he finished speaking, Dimitri's words turned into sobs. Valery watched as Dimitri sat down beside Mirra's bed, putting his head in his hands. Valery gently Pat's Dimitri's shoulder and makes sure to tell him what room Ulana is in just in case he needs anything. Dimitri simply nods, looking up at Valery with his bloodshot eyes before turning his attention back to Mirra. 

Valery exited the room in silence and looked around the halls. After what he had just heard, he was not quite ready to return to Ulana's room. Just as he turns around, he sees doctor Wolframm coming down the hall. She has a fresh cup of tea in one hand and a file of labs in the other. She looks up at Valery, feeling his eyes burning into her. She smiles a little, her kind eyes appearing extremely tired. She tilted her head a little, taken aback by the devastating look plastered to Valery's face.

"I haven't been back to see her yet" he croaks, knowing he must say something, though his throat feels extremely tight.

There is a pause as Wolframm closes the distance between them, standing right in front of him. She looks much more exhausted close up.

"I-I have just heard what happened yesterday… about the accident…" Valery mumbles, his eyes wandering to the labs clutched in her hand. "I'm sorry, but are those Ulana's lab results?" He continues, gesturing to the papers. 

Wolframm nods in response, taking a sip of her tea. 

"They are. They are not exactly pleasing. Her numbers are all over the place…" she stops herself, knowing Ulana's life is hanging in the balance, but not wanting to scare Valery.

She pauses, choosing her words carefully.

"We are going to do our best to help her and keep your daughter healthy," she says, smiling tiredly at Valery.

Valery opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself, he couldn't figure out if she was just avoiding unpleasant news. He sighs and removes his glasses, rubbing his temples as he thanks the doctor before heading in the direction of Ulana's room. Wolframm continues down the hall before disappearing into a staff room to make a list of medications to be administered to Ulana. Valery swallows, ignoring the murmurs surrounding him as he pushes into Ulana's room. She is still there, just like he left her. He takes a few steps towards the bed, his eyes fixated on her burnt arm, then it hits him. Her wedding ring is missing. He glances frantically at her other hand, remembering how she had thrown it at him during their argument. It seemed so foolish now, to have argued over his safety. How would she feel if it was him, laying, unconscious, in a hospital bed? He remembers what she had said that morning just before throwing the ring at him 'If anyone here is stupid it is you… Have a good time sleeping alone' At that moment, he had not bothered to pick the ring up off the floor, nor to search for it, so he did not know exactly where the little golden ring had landed. He had been too angry and hurt that she had attacked him. She did not understand that he was to be a part of something huge, a historic turn of events for mankind. Now, all of that seemed so foolish, and it made her words sting even more. Would that be the last thing she said to him? He could not help but wonder if he would be bringing her home in a wheelchair or in a casket. It hurt more than he imagined it could, seeing his strong and independent woman laying there, without the ring that he had used to proclaim her his. His chest felt extremely empty, as though his heart had been pulverized. Valery thought back to the day of their wedding. He could picture how she had waltzed down the aisle, her confident strides carrying her quickly toward him. A confident smile had been plastered to her face. She was the picture of genuine happiness, thrilled to start their journey as husband and wife as they vowed their lives to one another. She had worn the most beautiful dress. It was unlike any other on the market, and he had no idea where she had gotten it. It had been just as white as the sheets that covered her now. 

Valery holds back a sob, feeling his legs become weak and his throat tighten. This was what had become of his beautiful and perfect bride. The love of his life laid before him, like nothing more than a corpse. He thinks back to their vows, to what they had promised each other, and what he had promised her. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized he had failed her. Valery sits down at her side, overtaken by sobs. Valery sobs softly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked at his brilliant wife. Ulana had to pull through, she was the strongest and most stubborn person he knew. Somehow, Valery managed to calm himself down enough to stop sobbing. He tried desperately to remember some old prayers his grandmother would say, but too much time had passed, and he paid far too little attention anyway. So, he sat awkwardly as silence engulfed the room. All he wanted was for Ulana to open her eyes and say something, say anything. He would do anything to hear her voice once more, even if she screamed at him. Knowing he could do nothing was killing him and making him feel hopeless. 

Ulana did not open her eyes that day, nor any of the following days. At some point, the hospital staff forced Valery to go home. Valery reluctantly listened and went without a fight. He needed to shower and shave. He could hardly remember the last time he shaved, for it had been the morning of the accident. Valery looked like nothing more than a shell of his former self.

The silence in their apartment is practically suffocating. Only now does Valery notice all the small noises that he had become so accustomed too? Ulana talking to herself, her belly, or Sasha. Quiet music that came from the radio she had turned on. Her humming as she looked over papers. The absence of all of these noises made the apartment seem empty and lifeless. Now, it was just Valery and his thoughts. Sasha brushing up against Valery's legs brought him back to reality. He had asked their neighbour to look in on her while he stayed at the hospital. Valery looked around the desolate apartment as the door closed behind him. He made his way through the apartment, heading to their bedroom. His throat tightened as he looked at their bed. Ulana's side of the bed was still unmade from that morning. The blanket was kicked to the end of the bed and her pillow was tossed aside, from when she had thrown it at him. He wandered around it, not daring to get any closer to the bed.

He made his way over to Ulana's table instead. It resembled a vanity. It served as a place for her to put on makeup, make notes, and do basically anything. One of her dresses was tossed on the back of her chair. Valery gingerly lifted up the soft red dress and pressed it to his cheek. Tears formed in his eyes as her sweet scent drifted from the dress into his nose. Valery looked down at the bed, his eyes wandering over the blanket Ulana always slept with, and the nightgown she favoured that laid on the floor beside it. Then, something sparkling caught his eye. It was Ulana's wedding ring. Valery practically pounced on the tiny ring, his eyes wide, still clutching her dress. He was almost afraid the small ring would run away. Valery could not help but smile as he held up her ring. It looked so small in his hand, and, compared to his ring, it was small. Just then, Valery made a promise to himself, that when she wakes up - not if, when - he would place it back on her finger where it belongs. Maybe he would even get down on one knee and ask her to marry him all over again. Valery laughed a little as he walked over to his bedside table, he still had the box for her ring. He stored the ring safely in the box before pocketing it. Valery then proceeded to fold up Ulana's blanket and her nightgown, packing them in a small bag along with some fresh clothes, a comb, and other things she used daily. Valery wants to make sure she has everything she needs when she wakes up. He knows there will be a long recovery ahead for Ulana, so Valery makes a mental note to make sure she rests, even if he has to tie her to their bed. Valery takes a moment to make sure he has packed all of Ulana's things neatly before heading into their bathroom. His eyes widened as he looked in the mirror, he looked nothing like himself. Valery appeared dirty and unshaven, his eyes were sunken in and dark from lack of sleep. The few times he had come home, he had been unable to sleep in their bed. Without her, his life was empty.

After his shower, Valery laid down on the sofa with Sasha, who splayed herself over his chest. It was as if she could sense that Valery needed her to watch over him while Ulana was gone. Sasha could practically tell that something was wrong, she knew it was strange that Ulana had not returned, and Sasha missed the cuddles and belly rubs she always received from Ulana. Valery smiled solemnly as he cuddled Sasha, nuzzling his nose against her fur. He found comfort in Sasha. She was the support he needed in this dark time. She had wise eyes, and Valery often wondered what she would say if she could speak. Valery gently scratched behind her ears, staring up at the ceiling. He would always rest for a bit after returning home from the hospital or work before returning to Ulana's bedside. Valery looked around the empty apartment, it was now early morning and he was contemplating returning to the hospital. He had to try his luck. 

Doctor Wolframm had offered to have another bed put in Ulana's room for Valery, for she felt deep empathy for him. She knew what it was like to have the person you love in the hospital. There was also something nothing Valery. Ulana's test results. They had not been great, or so the doctor's said, but he had expected her to be awake by now. What Valery did not know about was the toxins Ulana had been exposed to as a result of the accident. The doctors had worked quickly to save Ulana, practically pumping her full of meds to keep her stable. The baby had struggled a little as well, but not as much as Ulana, for her body had to nurture the small life that resided within her. Valery would always freak out a little if he did not feel a movement from the baby for a long time, but their baby girl would always give a small lick when he pressed his hand to Ulana's belly to let her father know she is alright. She was a fighter, just like her mother. 

When Valery returned to the hospital, he found that a spare bed had been set up in Ulana's room. As he looked around the room he realized Wolframm had dozed off after checking Ulana's readings. She had been the one person who was able to help him in the darkest of moments. Wolframm always did everything in her power to help Ulana, and Valery trusted her deeply. Seeing her dozing off at Ulana's bedside, knowing they must have seen him like that countless times, made Valery laugh out loud for the first time in days. Wolframm opened ed her eyes drowsily as she looked up at Valery. She was probably the only person in the whole hospital who had gotten less sleep than Valery. She stood up and pulled out her stethoscope.

"I know you sleep with your head on her chest… I was wondering if you would like to get a clearer listen to her heart…" she says, softly, beckoning him over.

Valery's heart lurched and the words got caught in his throat, so he simply nodded at her. He always enjoyed cuddling Ulana and listening to her heart beating. The thought of experiencing Ulana's heartbeat through a stethoscope excited him. Valery watched in anticipation as Wolframm found the best position for the stethoscope. This is the first time Valery has gotten a good look at her. She must have been a few years older than him, for she appeared young, but her hair had begun to grey and there were a few wrinkles set deep in her face. Suddenly, she was handing him the earbuds, holding the stethoscope in place for him. Valery took a deep breath as he placed the ends in his ears. He feels his stomach lurch as breath hitches in his throat. Tears well in his eyes and a smile spread across his face. He had never heard her heartbeat so loud and clear before. He could not help but chuckle happily. Wolframm smiles up at him and gently places her hand on his shoulder. 

"I cannot promise anything… but you may be able to listen to your daughter's heartbeat as well" She says softly, not wanting to excite him too much. Valery looks at her, dumbstruck. He is unsure whether she is teasing him or being serious. This was something he couldn't even begin to imagine. He handed the stethoscope back and watched as Wolframm meticulously moved the stethoscope around Ulana's belly. It took a while, but she eventually found the heartbeat. Valery had managed to help, his gently caressing of Ulana's belly coaxing the little one to cooperate. Wolframm once again turned the earbuds over to Valery. His heart jumps when he places the earbuds in his ears. He can hear his little girl's heartbeat, even though she hasn't been born yet. Valery sat there, his hand on Ulana's belly, listening to his daughter's heartbeat. He could not stop smiling, for the joy that he felt was indescribable. 

Wolframm had picked up her chart and was recording some of the readings. She glanced at Valery and smiled at his reaction, her eyes glimmering a bit. 

"You've got quite the little fighter in there," she says as she sets the chart back down.

"She definitely has Ulana's spirit…" Valery says as he looks up at Ulana's face.

"I think she gets it from both of you," Wolframm says as she looks at the machines once more. 

She then stands up and stretches a little.

"If you'd prefer, I can have that bed moved beside your wife's so you can lay with her," Wolframm says as she pushes some type of medicine through Ulana's IV.

Valery pauses for a moment, taking in her words. He had desperately missed laying beside Ulana.

"I-I would love that. Thank you" Valery says softly, his lips curling into a slight smile. 

"But you must know, that if we need to move quickly, we will have to push it back" Wolframm states.

She disappears into the hall before Valery can reply. Valery is unable to contain his tired smile. He could finally be able to rest beside Ulana again. 

A few moments later, a nurse comes in and helps Wolframm move the bed so that it is pressed right up against Ulana's. They quickly adjust some of the equipment before the nurse leaves. Wolframm gently urges Valery to lay beside her. 

"I believe your wife would benefit from some cuddling" 

Valery thanks her, looking at the bed. He is hesitant to lay down while she is still there, so he waits for Wolframm to gather her charts and leave. He gingerly sits down on the bed before laying down. He looks over at Ulana, almost afraid to touch her. Slowly, Valery moves closer to her body, until he is pressed up against her. He had missed the heat she seems to radiate and the sensation of her soft figure against his. Valery leans down and presses his nose against the top of her head. His heart seems to melt as her scent drifts into his nose. She still smells faintly of orchids beneath the smell of hospital soap. Gently, he begins to caress her silky hair.

"Oh god, you have no idea how much I miss you…" he whispers, tears welling in his eyes. "Please, sweetheart… I need you to wake up for me, Lana" 

As if on command, a slight groan escapes Ulana's slightly parted lips. The sound seemed to fill the room. It was the first peep she had made since entering the hospital. Valery looks down at her, his eyes wide with shock. He began thinking he was delusional from lack of sleep, but it happened again. Another, slightly louder, groan escaped Ulana's lips. That little groan was the most beautiful sound Valery had heard in days. He caresses her belly gently, hoping to get a response. 

Valery stares in shock as Ulana's eyes open slightly, she blinks a few times, looking up at him with her beautiful blue irises. She groans again, for her whole body aches. Ulana cannot help but smile a little at the stunned look on Valery's face.

"What? Did you come to apologize to me?" She teases, her voice extremely weak and raspy. 

Valery leans down and presses his lips to Ulana's, reaching over and sliding her wedding ring back onto her finger where it belongs. 

"You didn't have to almost get killed to make me say I am sorry," Valery says as tears roll down his cheeks. 

"Noted…" Ulana mumbles, but don't make me laugh, it hurts too much"

Valery smiles a little before kissing her again. He gently brushes a few stray hairs off of his face. He then got up and pulled the blanket he had brought from home out of the bag he had packed. She smiled at him as he gently placed it over her. Ulana always slept with that blanket, and Valery knew how much she loved it. He then laid back down and cuddled her, telling her how much he loved her as he traced his finger gently over her belly in soft swirly patterns. It did not take long for Valery to fall asleep, cuddling Ulana, his nose pressed into the crook of her neck. At that moment, he knew everything would be alright.

[dank-hp--memes]

Soulmates: Chapter 4

Thank you all so much for your support in writing this. I need to thank @letsriottogether for helping me with these ideas. And I love all of your feedback on this story.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

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It is now late autumn. Ulana is a few days into the 26th week of her pregnancy. She and Valery have hit a few bumps in the road, fueled by the pregnancy and Ulana's raging hormones. 

A few weeks prior Valery had gone out to get Ulana something to eat. She had locked him out of the apartment because he had been refusing to have sex with her, making her quite irritable. Valery did not want to hurt her accidentally and it was hard to manoeuvre around Ulana's belly. 

They argued loudly as Valery pleaded to be let in. Eventually agreeing to fuck her, but only after the whole apartment building heard their argument.

Ulana had awoken extremely early, it was around four in the morning, for she had been feeling a sense of restlessness lately. Proper sleep was few and far between for her. Ulana silently crawled out from under Valery’s arm, waddling down the hall, urgently needing to pee. She waddled to the living room, sitting on the sofa and proceeding to write in her journal. She had pages upon pages of baby names and notes about her pregnancy. She writes down just about everything. Every little detail of how she feels physically and mentally is written there. She also had a page dedicated to her measurements. She would measure around her breasts, her waist, her hips and both of her ankles. She also had started keeping track of her weight.

After writing a little, Ulana proceeded to get dressed, now having to wear maternity wear if she wanted to be comfortable. She had her approximate due date written in her notebook and they had marked it on the calendar. She glanced at the desk to look at the calendar. There is a file resting on Valery’s desk that grabs Ulana’s attention. Of course, Ulana waddles over to the desk and opens the file, glancing briefly at Valery, who is fast asleep. Ulana briefly flips through the file, a rage beginning to simmer within her. It was an experimental and extremely dangerous test involving reactor fuel for an improved nuclear reactor. They will be working with highly reactive materials, with the risk of a substance reaching criticality and releasing near-lethal doses of ionic radiation. Ulana glared at the sleeping Valery, her face flushed as she was overwhelmed with frustration and anger. He was always nagging her about safety, yet he could go out and risk his life for an experiment, leaving her as a widowed mother to be. Ulana pitched up her pillow and smacked him over the face with it. 

"What the hell Lana?" Valery mumbled as she smacks him again.

"You nag me about safety, but you can participate in an experiment which could end your life?!" Ulana growls angrily, her voice trembling with anger. 

"It’s not the same Ulana, you do not understand," Valery says tiredly as he sits up.

Ulana's face turns bright red as she is seething at him.

"You think it's different, just because I am pregnant and you aren’t? Well then Valery Alekseyevich Legasov, you can shove all of that shit up your ass!" She shouts, throwing the file at him, making papers go everywhere.

"You are comparing two completely different things Ulana, do not be so stupid!" Valery shouts, getting frustrated with her.

That was the final straw. Ulana rips her wedding ring off of her finger and whips it at him. How could he, of all people, call her stupid? 

"If anyone here is stupid it is you… Have a good time sleeping alone" she growls before turning her back on him and exiting the room. 

Valery huffs a bit before rolling his eyes and laying back. 'How could she be so unreasonable? What he was doing did not compare to what she did. How could she be so naive.' Valery thought as he rolled over.

The door to their apartment slammed and Valery knew Ulana had left. They had never been in such a horrible fight. 

Ulana waddles down the stairs of the apartment building, grumbling angrily under her breath. Valery acted as if he were not as important to her as their child. They could always make another baby, but there was only one Valery. She huffed quietly as she walked across the parking lot toward her car. At that moment, she hated Valery. Ulana climbed into her car, placing her bag beside her. She sat there for a moment, staring up at the dark windows of their apartment. She shakes her head, pulling on her seatbelt before starting the car and heading to work. 

It is around five-thirty when Ulana pulls into the parking lot. There is another car there already. Ulana looks at it for a moment before realizing that it belonged to Mirra Rukovskaya. She was a few years younger than Ulana and lived in the same apartment building. Mirra was very petite, but only a few centimetres shorter than Ulana. She had large, emerald green eyes that his behind her thick-rimmed glasses. Her hair was deep brown, almost black, and it was always set in neat curls. Ulana had spoken to her once or twice, but never for too long. Mirra was always holed up in her lab, doing some crazy experiments. She was something of an anomaly, for Mirra had studied organic chemistry and nuclear physics before becoming a nuclear engineer. 

Ulana quietly enters the building and heads for her lab, one hand gently caressing the side of her belly. She stopped outside of Mirra’s lab, curious as to what she may be up to. Ulana gently knocks on the door.

“Comrade Rukovskaya?” She calls as her hand mindlessly goes back to caressing her belly. 

The door swings open and Mirra smiles a little.

“Comrade Khomyuk, how lovely to see you,” She says, letting Ulana in.

The lab was extremely neat, except for the lab table that Mirra was currently using. 

“I did not expect to see anyone else here this early” Ulana says as she sits down at Mirra’s desk.

Mirra chuckles a little in response as she mixed a solution. She glances back at Ulana, her eyes glinting a little as they catch the light. 

“I am surprised to see you here so early in the morning Ulana…” Mirra mumbles before beginning to clean up her experiment. 

Ulana begins to explain what happened. How she awoke, how Valery spoke to her. Just the thought of their argument made her angry. Mirra was a wonderful listener, nodding quietly and giving slight verbal responses every once in a while. Ulana watched as Mirra washed her tools the silence in the room was not uncomfortable as one would assume it to be. As she finished, Mirra turned to Ulana and leaned back against the counter. "Sounds like you and Valery need to talk more…" she says, her brilliant green eyes seeming to look into Ulana's soul. Ulana could not help but laugh, for she was not wrong. They spent the day together in Ulana's lab, doing calculations. Mirra doing her best to keep Ulana's spirits up. Mirra was always great company. She teased Ulana a bit, forcing her to keep off her feet, knowing that growing a person wasn't exactly easy. Mirra sat in a chair at the end of Ulana's desk, doing calculations and recording the results of her lab. They chatted and worked on paperwork until after lunch when Dimitri came in. Then they started working on a tedious and long experiment. They spent hours working and recording their observations.

Mirra is sitting near the far wall, measuring out some reactive substances. There is a London rumble and the building seems to shake. Suddenly, the wall behind Mirra is blown open, throwing Mirra forward, causing her to be doused in the acid she is mixing. The shockwave throws Ulana onto her back, causing her legs to be doused in the solution she had been mixing. Dimitri was in the process of walking across the room. He had been thrown back against the cabinets.

The right side of Mirra's body was badly burned and she ignored the acid that burned her skin, rushing toward Ulana, limping slightly. The only debris to significantly hit Ulana had struck her in the leg. Ulana gasped for air, having had the wind knocked out of her. She sat up a little, her hands flying to her belly. Ulana is in horrible pain but cannot really tell if the solution burned her belly as well. Everything on her body seemed to burn, making her fear for the health of the baby. Dimitri sat against the wall, disoriented. Mirra was acting quickly, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she pushed a respirator over Ulana's mouth and heaved her to her feet. By the time Ulana was stably on her feet Dimitri was standing out in the hall, swept away by the rush of people trying to get out of the burning building. Mirra clenched her jaw and took a step, supporting Ulana against her, worried half to death about Ulana. This happens shortly after Valery arrives home from work. Normally, Ulana would have been there to greet him. He just assumed that she was still in her lab sulking. A few hours passed and Valery had not heard from Ulana, so he attempted to call her lab. There was no answer. Even if they were fighting, Ulana always answered her phone, even if it was just to say something sour. When she did not answer on his third call, Valery could feel a pit forming in his stomach. He decided to drive to her work to make sure everything was alright. Upon his arrival, Valery was not allowed into the parking lot, so he parked his car in the side of the road and made his way toward the building. He could see thick black smoke pouring from the upper windows. Dimitri was being treated as he sat in the bumper of one of the ambulances. He and Valery exchange a look that makes Valery's heart sink. He knew Ulana was still inside the building...

The women make it to the stairs without much trouble. Once in the stairwell, Mirra begins helping Ulana down the stairs, but her leg gives way and she grabs the railing. Luckily, the women do not fall. Mirra looks down at her leg which is badly broken and coated with acid. The building is now filling with thick smoke, making it difficult for Mirra to breathe she pushes herself to stay conscious, knowing if she fell, Ulana would attempt to help her. Somehow, they made it to the door. Both women stumbling badly. They had been exposed to high levels of a toxin from the lab explosion. Upon seeing Ulana Valery rushes to the door, his eyes beginning to water. He makes it to them just in time to catch Ulana, who has fallen unconscious. Mirra falls to her knees beside him, coughing badly, finally succumbing to the extent of her injuries. A fireman rushed to Mirra's side to help her as Valery carried Ulana over to the ambulance. The paramedics quickly laid Ulana out on the stretcher, removing her respirator and placing an oxygen mask over her mouth. They worked quickly as they loaded the stretcher into the ambulance. Valery rushed forward to inquire as to which hospital they would be taking Ulana to. A paramedic quickly replied before slamming the ambulance door. The ambulance pulled away, tires screeching and sirens blaring, leaving Valery dumbstruck. He looked over at Dimitri and Mirra who were sitting side by side, paramedics swarming them. 

"What… How…" he stutters, his lips parted slightly. 

"There was an explosion… a fire…" Dimitri begins, but he is silenced by Mirra. 

"Valery you need to go… you need to be with Ulana" she says, her green eyes, practically looking into his soul.

He could see the worry behind Mirra's and nod. He needed to be with Ulana. As he walked to his car he stopped for a moment, the true reality of the situation hit him. Ulana was fighting for her life. It seemed as though his whole world began to crumble around him. She was the one thing that got him through each day, and now she may not live to see tomorrow. 

[dank-hp--memes]

Soulmates: chapter 3

I have gotten loads of positive feedback about this Valana AU. I would like to thank everyone for their comments and DM's. I would live to hear your thoughts on this chapter, and where this story should go after this. I love all of you and thank all of you for your support. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Tags ❤: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

(P.S. leave a comment if you want to be tagged)

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It is a brisk fall morning, Ulana is now approaching the twentieth week of her pregnancy. Nights, where she gets more than a few hours of sleep, are few and far between. Her belly now barely fits in her blouses and her skirts are too tight to wear at a normal height, so she has resorted to wearing dresses. Her dresses also fit better over her swollen breasts, which have increased two cup sizes, from a C cup to a double D.

It is around five-thirty in the morning when Ulana finally gets out of bed, only because she can smell the food Valery is making for breakfast. The walk from the bedroom to the kitchen is a straight shot down the hallway. Valery looks up and smiles at her as he sees her coming down the hallway. Ulana has resorted to wearing a few of Valery's old shirts and her underwear to bed. A slight aching in her pelvis and the weight of the baby have caused Ulana to walk with a very slight waddle. Of course, Valery cannot help but find this extremely adorable, and he often finds it hard to be intimidated by her. 

"Good morning Lana," he says with a smile as she wraps her arms around him sleepily.

Her soft belly pressed lightly into his side as she snuggled against him. Her eyes wander down to the food Valery is cooking.

"Morning…" Ulana mumbles as Valery wraps one of his arms around her.

Valery smiles as he finishes cooking them some fried eggs and pancakes. Carefully, Valery takes the food over to the table where Ulana had placed herself after giving him a soft kiss. Valery smiles as he places a plate in front of her, looking down at her and then her growing belly.

Of course, Ulana thanks him as she swirls some honey into her tea. Valery sits down across from her and takes a sip of his coffee. The aroma of the fresh, dark liquid makes Ulana's mouth water and she shoots him a jealous look. 

"What?" Valery teases, grinning at her a little. 

Ulana just squints at him a little as she takes a few bites of her food. She finishes a large breakfast rather quickly, and Valery smiles as he watches her lean back and sips her tea. He had noticed her increased appetite a few days before, so he had been preparing her a bit more food with each meal to help keep her from rummaging through the fridge and pantry every few hours. 

"How are my girls this morning?" Valery asks as he takes her empty plate. 

Normally Ulana was the one who washed the dishes, but Valery had taken it upon himself as of late. 

"Good… I am a bit bloated, but the little one is definitely doing good…" Ulana says, chuckling a little as she drinks her tea. 

Valery smiles a little as he turns his back on her to wash the dishes.

"Has she moved at all?" Valery asks, glancing over his shoulder at her. 

"Nothing significant yet" Ulana replies as she gets up and walks over to him, placing her empty mug beside the sink. 

"Just the little flutters still?" Valery asks, looking over at her. 

"Well besides the few kicks we got the other night there hasn't been much," Ulana says, grinning as she watches Valery put the dishes away. 

"She must be shy," Valery says as he wraps his arms around Ulana, smiling down at her.

Ulana giggles a little as she presses her body against his. They stand there for a few moments, sharing a few sweet kisses as they hold each other close. Valery gently picks Ulana up and places her on the counter. He then leans down and kisses her belly. 

"Be good for your mother while she is at work today" he whispers, glancing up at Ulana and smiling before kissing her belly once more. 

Ulana giggles a little and runs her fingers through his hair, her heart aching as she looked down at him, overwhelmed with love.

"She is going to be such a daddy's girl" Ulana teases, wrapping her legs around Valery.

"Do you think we are having a girl?" Valery says, wrapping his arms around Ulana.

"Well I hope so," she says, smiling up at him.

They share a few more peckish kisses before Ulana goes to get ready for work. 

It only takes a few moments for Ulana to get dressed in a beautiful red dress. Then she quickly curled her hair and brushed her teeth before grabbing her purse and work bag. Valery was pulling on his shoes as Ulana approached the door. Upon seeing her, Valery stood up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately. 

"Have a good day…" he whispered before letting her go. 

Ulana smiled and kissed him once more before leaving the apartment. Valery could not help but smile as he watched her begin to make her way down the stairs, waddling slightly.

Ulana made her way down to the street level. She stood in the entranceway to the apartment building for a moment before making her way to her car. She placed her things in the back seat before getting into the car.

The drive to work was uneventful besides the few slight movements she felt from within her womb. 

At work, Ulana carried her things inside, one of the few people who showed up to work so early. Even though she was so young, she quickly rose through the ranks at the nuclear institute and was a high ranking physicist.

Once in her lab, Ulana placed her things down at her desk and hung up her coat. Of course, the higher-ups had her lab running some experiments and tests today. Ulana sighs and plops herself down in her desk chair. She was alone in the lab, for now, so she decided to finish reading through the documents she had been given a few days before. 

As a few more of her colleagues and Dimitri arrived, they began setting up for the experiment.

"You should probably sit this one out, Khomyuk" one of the men called as he gathered the materials.

"I'm pregnant, not impaired" Ulana replied, not looking up as she signed a few papers, her glasses resting on her nose. 

Dimitri and the man's intern both snickered at the reply. It was just the four of them in the lab, and of course, Ulana insisted on running the experiment.

"But you should be careful" a voice interrupted from the doorway.

Ulana looked up to see Valery smiling at her and holding up her thermos. 

"You're forgetting that this is my lab, not yours, and if you want dessert after your dinner tonight you have to be nice to me" She teases as she gets up and takes her thermos from him.

Valery smiles and wraps his arms around her.

"Just be careful, I don't need something to happen to you" he whispers, giving her a quick kiss before leaving.

Valery knows that no matter what he says, he cannot keep her away from her lab.

The experiment goes rather smoothly, the only hitch was when the other intern blew up a beaker and burned Ulana with an acidic solution. Of course, Ulana did not panic or react with anger as the others did, she simply washed it off and finished her experiment before concluding her results.

The rest of her day was rather calm, she walked Dimitri through a few failed experiments, which were a learning experience for him, and she finished a large amount of her paperwork. 

As lunchtime rolled around, only Dimitri and Ulana remained in the lab. Ulana was finishing her paperwork, and leaning back in her chair, her hand mindlessly rubbing her belly. Dimitri was staring at her blankly, and he jumped a little when Ulana shot him a look over her paperwork.

"It is impolite to stare, Dimitri" She mumbled as she set down her paperwork.

Dimitri opened his mouth to speak but made an odd croaking sound, causing Ulana to smile. 

"She's moving, if you would like to feel her," Ulana said, looking over her glasses at Dimitri.

Dimitri looks embarrassed as he nods and stands up. He stands awkwardly beside Ulana his hand hovering over her belly nervously. Ulana scoffs and takes his hand, placing it on her belly. His eyes widen as he feels a few kicks. 

"You're actually having a baby," he says, laughing nervously. 

Ulana rolls her eyes and shoves him gently. 

"You'd better go eat lunch, you don't have all day," she says, teasing him a little.

Dimitri nods and quickly scurries from the lab, keen to eat and get back to work. 

The rest of the day was uneventful, Ulana left work around 4 pm, waddling because of how sore her body was at the end of the workday. She arrived home first and proceeded to lay on the sofa with Sasha. The cat climbed quietly on top of Ulana and gently kneaded her paws into Ulana's belly and breasts before settling down on her belly. Ulana smiled and gently stroked Sasha as she began to drift off.

A few hours later, Ulana awoke to see Valery standing over her, a stern look on his face.

"You've got a burn on your arm," he said seriously.

"It was just some acid..." Ulana mumbles as she begins to sit up after moving Sasha.

"Acid? Lana, you need to be more careful…" Valery said, beginning to scold her. 

Ulana scoffed as he rambled on about safety. She sat up and began to waddle toward the kitchen. 

"If you don't quiet down you won't be getting a piece of this after dinner," Ulana says, smacking her ass. 

Valery went quiet and shook his head, his lips curling in a smile.

Of course, Ulana had gained weight with the pregnancy. This made her butt and thighs quite soft and round. Ulana knew he could not control himself when she shook her hips or danced. She smiled back at him and began to let her hips sway from side to side, dancing a little. She looked over her shoulder at him, her hands on her hips. Valery's lips pulled back, exposing his adorable tooth gap as he grinned at her. Silently, he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her. His hands gently cupped her lower belly as he pulled her against him.

"Now you're just being a tease" he whispers as she looks up at him.

Ulana chucks as she reaches up and places her hand on his cheek. Valery smiles and rests his head on her shoulder, nuzzling his cheek gently against hers. They stood like that for a few moments, Ulana's hips still swaying slightly. 

"I love you…" Valery whispers, his eyes wandering down over her body.

It was rare for them to express their love with words, but sometimes it was the only way.

"I love you too Valera…" Ulana mumbles, blushing deeply. 

Valery smiles and kisses her cheek, caressing her belly gently before heading past her into the kitchen. Ulana smiles and follows him, sitting on the counter and watching him cook. 

They talked quietly about work and the baby. They did not eat at the table that night. Valery sat beside Ulana on the counter and they talked about sweet nothings as they ate dinner. As Valery finished he placed his plate in the sink and proceeded to stand in front of Ulana, caressing her lower belly with his thumb as she ate. He smiled as he felt their daughter move. Valery slowly leaned down and kissed Ulana's belly. 

"I love you princess" he whispers as he rests his hand on the side of her belly. 

Ulana cannot help but smile as Valery begins talking to her belly. His voice seems so stimulate their daughter, making her move a bit more. 

"Your mother and I cannot wait to meet you.  Though, she needs to slow down a bit and be more careful" Valery says, teasing Ulana a little as he kisses her belly once more.

Ulana rolls her eyes and leans over, placing her plate in the sink. 

"I am completely fine at the pace I have set," Ulana says as she wraps her legs around Valery.

Valery smiles and kisses her softly as he wraps his arms around her.

"I know…" he mumbles as he pulls her close.

Ulana smiles and tightens her legs around him.

"I must be the luckiest man alive," Valery says as he rests his forehead against Ulana's.

"Oh? Why is that?" Ulana teases as she looks up at him, a deviant grin curling her lips.

"Because I have you…" Valery replies, one of his hands squeezing her hip. 

Before Ulana could say anything, Valery pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. Parting only when he desperately needed air. He had run his hands up under her dress and began to pull at her underwear as they kissed again and again. Unsimultaneously, Valery began to make love to her. Their moans carrying through the entire apartment. Somehow, they ended up in bed, both mostly undressed. This night Valery fell asleep first, in only his underwear, which he had pulled on after they had finished. Ulana managed to crawl out of bed and pull on a thin nightgown before laying back down beside Valery. Ulana propped herself up to a little on a pillow as she lay on her back. Valery wrapped his arm protectively around her middle and cuddled her tightly as he slept. Ulana smiled slightly as she watched him sleep. Her mind is full of thoughts about their family. She picked up her journal and wrote down a few more of the baby names that lingered in her mind, and she listed a few things she wanted to purchase for their child. She fell asleep a few minutes after turning out the light, overcome by sweet dreams of their family.

[dank-hp--memes]

Soul Mates: chapters 2

Hello y'all, I am extremely excited to be posting the second chapter of my Valana AU short story. I really love hearing all of your ideas and feedback, so please do not hold back on your comments. I absolutely love hearing your feedback. I need to thank all of my readers once more for being so wonderful to me. I hope you enjoy this. Thank you for reading!

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion

(P.S. if you want to be added to my tag list, leave a comment letting me know)

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Time Period: late 1960's 

Valery is in his mid-thirties 

Ulana is in her late twenties

-

A few weeks passed, and Valery could not help but smile when he awoke in the morning to the shower running in the bathroom down the hall. Slowly, he forced himself to get out of bed and wander down the hall. As he entered the bathroom, he saw Ulana standing in front of the mirror in her underwear. Her hands were on her stomach as she looked over her figure. Valery smiled and gently wrapped his arms around her, wearing only his pyjama pants.

"You look wonderful…" he said softly as he ran his hand over her belly. 

Ulana sighed and smiled before turning and kissing him.

"I knew you'd come and join me" she teased as Valery's hands rested on her hips.

"You did?" Valery asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You always wake up at some point during my shower… and I had a feeling you would join me today" Ulana said, chuckling softly as she wrapped her arms around him.

They stand in silence, rocking from side to side in a sweet embrace.

"Well, why don't I join you in the shower" Valery whispered as he gazes into her eyes.

Ulana grinned in reply before proceeding to remove her underwear and stepping into the steamy shower. Valery chuckled softly as he watched her. He then removed his pyjamas before following her into the shower. 

The water was hot, and it made their skin a bit flushed, but it felt very nice on their bodies as they proceeded to shower. They spent a rather long time in the shower this morning, for Valery had brought it upon himself to make love to her. Of course, Ulana could not object. She craved the sensation of his hands on her body, and the soft kisses he planted over every inch of her. He made her absolutely crazy, to the point where she could hardly control herself. As they finished, Valery helped her to dry off, holding her in his arms. 

"We should just take the day off… we could go out, or stay here and not get dressed" Valery said softly.

"Valera…" Ulana mumbled, leaning back against him with her eyes closed, unable to resist him.

Valery smiled as he rested his hands on her lower belly. His chin rested on her shoulder and he looked at her in the mirror. He caressed her belly with his thumbs, grinning at her in the mirror.

"Come on… I know you want to" Valery said, swaying with her from side to side. 

"Fine, but I have to do some work later" Ulana mumbled. 

Valery smiled, celebrating by gently nipping her ear.

They lounged around for a few hours, in only their bathrobes. Valery cooked some breakfast for them. Ulana sat on the sofa with her feet propped up. Valery ate quickly before bringing Ulana her breakfast. He sat at her feet while she ate, gently massaging her petite feet and slender ankles. 

"How did I get so lucky?" Ulana said as she looked up at him from across the sofa.

"I ask myself the same question every second of every day" Valery chuckled as he moves to sit beside her.

Ulana blushes and holds eye contact with him. They sit in silence for a few moments as Ulana finishes up her breakfast and places her plate on the coffee table. Valery cannot help but smile as he watches her readjust, her hand naturally resting on her growing belly. There is the softest curve to her stomach and it protrudes slightly from almost all of her button-downs. Valery smiles as he looks at her, unable to keep from smiling. The very sight of her makes his heart leap with joy. They spend a few hours cuddling on the sofa as the sun rises in the sky. Valery sits across the sofa, leaning against the armrest. Ulana sat between his legs, leaning back against him. Valery's hands wandered over Ulana's body as she read through some work documents. He was very gentle as he massaged her back and caressed her belly, knowing that the growth of their child often left Ulana feeling physically uncomfortable. When he finished with her back, Valery moved on to massaging the soft tissue of her tender breasts. Ulana moaned softly as Valery put gentle pressure on her breasts. She leaned back against him and sighed. Valery always did his best to fix anything that ailed her.

When she finished her work, Ulana slowly rose from the couch, fairly content. She stretched and moaned softly before wandering into their bedroom to get dressed.

After a few moments, both of them were fully dressed and going out. It was extremely rare for them to go out together. They walked the streets, hand in hand, and in totally trivial conversation. They walked a few blocks to a small bakery. The weather was absolutely beautiful, which Ulana remarked. In the back of her mind, Ulana hoped that their baby would come on a nice day such as this one. 

After buying a few pastries, they walk around Moscow a little before heading back to their apartment building. 

The entire time, Valery could hardly keep his eyes off of Ulana, having almost walked into a lamppost. His mind was filled with thoughts about her and the family they were building. He could not stop thinking about how much he loved Ulana. Valery knew, without a doubt, that he would die for her. 

As for Ulana, she could not shake a few baby names that lingered in her head, her mind never leaving her baby and her lover. Her heart ached with love for Valery, every second of every day.

As they arrived home, Ulana sat down and opened a particular worn notebook that Valery had seen her writing in a few times. He smiled as he recognized the notebook. It was one of her journals. She would write down her thoughts in notebooks when she felt as though her head was particularly full. 

The rest of their day was fairly relaxed, they lounged around, cuddling while Ulana worked on some documents for work, and Valery graded some papers. Of course, Ulana fell asleep in Valery's lap, her work resting on her stomach as she snored softly. As per usual, Valery carried Ulana to their room and put her to bed, not only kissing her lips but kissing her belly as well. 

"Sweet dreams my princesses" Valery whispers as he climbs into bed beside her. He sees Ulana's lips curl into a smile as she snuggled up to him, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm over his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. Valery laid there quietly, staring at the ceiling, imagining what their child would be like. The thought of a beautiful little girl with brilliant blue eyes and dark, brown/ginger hair made his heart melt. No matter what, Valery knew he would never love anything or anyone more than Ulana and the life she was growing in her womb. Eventually, Valery fell asleep, Ulana and their baby never leaving his thoughts.

[dank-hp--memes]

Soul mates

Hello yall. I have been awake all night, and I have been writing non stop. I have written this Valana AU story. There may be another chapter or more if you all want. Please let me know what you think about this story, your input is always appreciated.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion

(P.S. if you want to be tagged, leave a comment letting me know)

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Time Period: late 1960's 

Valery is in his mid-thirties 

Ulana is in her late twenties

-

It was a beautiful summer afternoon, Ulana was napping peacefully on the sofa in the apartment she and Valery shared. She had fallen asleep waiting for him to return from work. Normally, Ulana would also be at work, but today was something of an anomaly for her. She had been feeling sick on and off for a few weeks, and Valery had been begging her to go to the doctor. So, she had taken the day off of work. She had been speculating reasons for her illness, but she had not truly expected what the doctor would tell her. 

It was late in the afternoon when Valery returned. His lips curled in a smile as he laid his eyes on Ulana's figure, curled up on the sofa. Silently, Valery removed his coat and set down his briefcase before wandering over to the sofa. He took a moment to look down at Ulana, who was still sleeping peacefully. Her lips were parted slightly and she snored faintly. Valery reached down and placed his hand on her cheek. 

"How did your doctor's appointment go?" He whispered as he leaned over her a little.

"Good…" Ulana mumbled, opening her eyes a little and smiling groggily.

"Oh really? What did they say?" Valery says as he sits on the edge of the sofa in front of her.

"Well, all your hard work paid off. They said that you're going to be a father" Ulana mumbled, smiling mischievously as Valery's eyes widened.

His eyes wandered over her body, stopping on her stomach. It was as if Valery could not comprehend the words from Ulana's mouth. 

"You're pregnant?" He whispered, his voice fairly audible.

"Unless another woman is going to have your child" Ulana teased, taking his hand. 

"Oh, Lana…" Valery said a radiant smile plastered to his face. 

Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks as he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips locked and they shared an extremely long and passionate kiss. 

They part a few moments later, both rather short of breath.

"How far along are you?" Valery asked softly as he looks into Ulana's eyes, drowning in her beautiful blue irises.

"Almost ten weeks" Ulana whispered, smiling up at him. 

Valery could not help but smile. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a tight hug. Ulana had joked about being pregnant when they speculated what may be the cause of her illness, but she had never been serious. Though, deep down, Ulana suspected that she was pregnant. Valery cuddled her tightly in his arms as he situated himself on the sofa beside her. Slowly, Valery began to kiss Ulana, starting on her lips and making his way down over her neck, chest and finally landing on her belly. He looked up at her as he kissed her lower stomach. He could feel his heart lurch as Ulana smiled brightly at him. 

"I must be the luckiest man in the world…" Valery whispered as he placed his hands on her sides and caressed either side of her stomach with his thumbs. 

Valery could not help but gush affection whenever he was near her, and today he could not help but express his deep love for her. Ulana was the love of his life, and she was giving him the family that he had dreamed of as a young and ignorant boy. It was only a few moments ago that Valery realized how fortunate he was to be able to call Ulana his, and how fortunate he was to have found her. She was his soulmate, and now, she was the mother of his child. Valery wrapped his arms around her as he laid down beside her, becoming her big spoon. He pressed his nose to the crook of her neck and took in her sweet scent. 

"What would you like for dinner?" Valery mumbled as he heard her stomach growl softly.

"Are you offering to make me something special?" Ulana teased, still a bit drowsy.

Valery gently traced his fingers over her stomach in soft circles and lines. 

"Maybe… After all, today is a special day" Valery said as he looked down at her. 

Ulana smiled and adjusted, a little, unzipping her skirt. 

"Valera, you know I will eat whatever you prepare," she said, chuckling softly.

Valery smiles and kisses her neck, his hand wandering over her body.

"Then I suppose I will surprise you" Valery chuckled as he cuddled her. 

They laid there for a few moments, cuddling in silence. Valery knew he had to get up to make dinner, but at that moment, he did not want to free Ulana from his embrace. She was warm and cuddly, and this almost coaxed him into skipping dinner.

After a few moments, Valery got up. He kissed Ulana softly before covering her with a thin blanket, for she looked quite drowsy. Silently, Valery made his way to the kitchen to prepare some dinner for them. Ulana could hardly keep her eyes open, succumbing to the sweet lulling of sleep as Valery's footsteps departed. 

A few hours later, Ulana awoke. At first, she did not know what had roused her. Upon further thought, Ulana realized it was the decadent smell that wafted from the kitchen, making her mouth water. Slowly, she sat up and stretched her lanky arms above her head. Ulana looked out the window at the beautiful evening sky for a moment before getting up. She then wandered into the kitchen where Valery had almost finished their dinner. 

"Looks like someone had a good nap," Valery says softly as he plates their food. He places a soft kiss on her lips as heads past her to the dining table.

Ulana smiles and silently follows him to the table. He had already set out some drinks for them, keeping the alcohol tucked away so as not to tempt or irritate Ulana. They sat in silence for a moment as Ulana drank some of the tea he had made for her. She could not help but smile at Valery as they talked about trivial and insignificant things while eating dinner. Somehow, pregnancy did not come up as a topic. They talked like they would any day, and once they had finished dinner, they sat together on the sofa. Ulana laid across the sofa long ways, her head in Valery's lap. She was always the first to fall asleep, and tonight was no different. Ulana was quickly coaxed into sleep by her full belly and Valery's cuddles. Valery could not help but smile when Ulana began to snore softly, her lips parted a little. He placed the book he had been perusing on the coffee table before gently picking Ulana up. Silently, Valery carried Ulana to their bedroom and laid her in bed, tucking her in before climbing into bed beside her. He laid on his side with his arms wrapped around Ulana. He smiled as her sweet scent enveloped him.

Ever since the day they had met, Valery struggled to go more than a few hours without her. Valery needed her more than he needed air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat. Ulana gave him life, and he could not survive without her.

[dank-hp--memes]

A Companion (continued)

I have been running low on inspiration as of late, and am struggling to write a bit, so feel free to send some ideas my way of what you would like to read 😊. Thanks for all of your support.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

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Ulana awoke early the next morning, disturbed by the movements coming from within her womb and an urgent need to pee. She crawled out from under Valery's arm and drowsily made her way to the bathroom. Upon seeing herself in the mirror, tears came to her eyes, it was obvious that she was dying. She was no more than a shell of her former self.

Upon returning to the sofa she laid back down, wrapping her arms tightly around Valery, her body pressed up against his. Valery sleepily wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her lower back.

"Little one bothering you?" He mumbled his nose pressed against the top of Ulana's head. 

"Not any more than usual" Ulana whispers, mentally noting that today has been a fairly good day. 

Valery smiles sleepily and gently rubs her lower back.

"I am so lucky to have you here with me…" he whispers.

Ulana smiles and cuddles him quietly, wrapping one of her legs around him. They cuddle while quietly discussing many little sweet nothings.

After a while, Ulana gets back up, rather uncomfortable, it is not hard to see even the slightest movement of the child growing within her, for she is merely skin and bones. Valerys eyes watered as he watched her walk around, uncomfortably. 

"Why don't I make us some breakfast?" He says softly, rising from the sofa.

"That would be nice…" Ulana mumbles as she sits down on the floor to pet Sasha. 

Valery cooked them a simple breakfast and sat down on the floor beside Ulana, almost tempted to feed her, practically praying for her to gain some weight before the birth of their child. It was likely she would not survive labor and childbirth at this weight.

Ulana hardly ate anything and Valery watched as she placed her plate on the coffee table. 

"Just eat a bit more, Lana…" Valery says softly, picking up her plate. 

Ulana sighs and allows him to feed her a bit more. She manages most of the plate before laying back on the floor and cuddling Sasha. 

Valery smiled and gently kissed Ulana's belly. 

"Be good for your mama, little princess" He whispers as he gets up to wash the dishes. 

Ulana glances at him and smiles and she pets Sasha, who has climbed into Ulana's lap.

Valery hears her groan softly as he is in the kitchen washing dishes. 

"Are you alright?" He calls, looking toward the living room.

"Yeah, just a bit sore" Ulana says, now sitting on the couch with Sasha stretched over her belly, purring loudly.

Valery quietly sits beside her once he has finished washing the dishes.

"A bit sore?" He mumbled as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm in my forties and I am growing a person… so yeah, I am a bit sore" Ulana replies, rolling her eyes a little.

Valery chuckles a little and kisses her softly.

"Well now… why don't I help you with that?" He whispers.

Ulana smiles a little, giggling a bit as Valery proceeds to plant soft kisses over every inch of her body. He ends with her belly and proceeds to whisper quietly to the small life growing inside of her while rubbing his hand gently on the side of her belly.

Ulana could not help but smile as Valery caressed her belly, kissing it and whispering softly.

She reaches down and runs her fingers through his thinning hair. "I love you…" She whispers.

He smiles up at her, his tooth gap making her grin.

"I love you more" he replies.

Ulana blushes, feeling her face get warm. The man of her dreams expressing his love for her always made her feel warm and fuzzy. After a few moments, Valery gently helps Ulana onto the sofa, his thumbs gently rubbing her boney hips in a circular motion. She resembled a skeleton, her skin seeming to cling desperately to her bones. Her belly and breasts protruding awkwardly from her tiny frame. For a moment Valery's mind went to a dark place as he wondered how much longer they had together. Days? Weeks? He knew months was too much to hope for. He pressed his nose to the top of her head, the sweet scent of orchids seeping off of her. She hardly resembled the woman he had met those many months ago when she stormed into the empty hotel. She had been so soft, her figure curvy and easy on the eyes. She was an absolute wonder to cuddle, her soft hips acting as the perfect place to hold. He remembered the evenings they had spent, enveloping one another in sweet embraces as they laid in their hotel room. It was as if he had fallen for her at first sight. Maybe he had, but he could hardly remember that now. Valery reached down and placed his hand on Ulana's belly, rubbing it gently as she leaned back against him.

"I could spend an eternity here with you" Ulana mumbles as she leans her head back against Valery's shoulder, her eyes closing peacefully. It had been ages since she had slept well. Her body always seemed to ache and it felt like the life she was growing never ceased its movements. As she sat there in Valery's arms, she felt rather tranquil, the small human within her resting peacefully. Ulana was comfortable against Valery and the gentle movements of his broad hand on her belly lulles her to sleep. Valery smiles as he hears Ulana begin to snore softly, her lips parted ever so slightly. He smiled and continued to caress her belly, keeping the baby calm so that she could rest. He began to hum a soft and somber melody as Sasha crawled into Ulana's lap, keeping her warm. It seemed like no time at all had passed before Ulana was getting up to pee again. Valery could not help but chuckle at the sight of her waddle. It was cute in a somber sort of way.

Her body may have hated pregnancy, but Ulana seemed to radiate that deep motherly love for the small life growing inside of her. When she thought Valery was not looking, he would catch her tracing her finger over her belly and humming quietly. No matter how much her body ached or how sickly she felt, Ulana could not contain her love for the child he had fathered.

When she returned from the bathroom, Ulana smiled tiredly and sat in Valery's lap. He gently wrapped his arms around her, gently rocking from side to side, his hands on either side of her swollen stomach. He looked up into a grimy mirror that hung on the side of one of his cabinets. 

As he looked into the mirror, he was able to imagine the life they could have had. Ulana looked young and happy, her body soft and curvy a layer of plush fat coating her body, evidently from her pregnancy cravings. She had a thick head of hair and her skin was flawless. She resembled a porcelain doll. Her belly looked full and round, and her belly button was protruding from the crest of her swollen stomach. Her face looked soft and her wrinkles were nonexistent. 

Upon looking at himself, Valery saw a much younger version of himself. A young man, built like an ox. Broad shouldered and fairly muscular, but definitely not like a bodybuilder. His arms looked strong and his legs were more than athletic. Valery recalled, for a brief moment, how he used to run through the streets of Moscow for exercise. That was, when he was not holed up in his lab with his books and experiments. Valery's hair was thicker and far more ginger than now. It looked fairly tame, combed back neatly. They looked like a perfect young couple, happy and content with their lives, and more than excited about their little one on the way.

[dank-hp--memes]

A Companion Continued

So I have been unable to sleep, and I really wanted to continue writing this. It was inspired by "Circles" by @letsriottogether and their many beautiful comments on the first part of this. If yall want me to continue writing this, please let me know.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion

(P.S. if you want to be tagged whenever I post new fics, leave a comment letting me know, or send me a dm)

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They sat for hours on the sofa, chatting about many insignificant things. Valery kept his hand on Ulana's belly, feeling the small movements of the life they had created in a hotel room around 6 months prior. Valery could not help but be overcome with joy when he felt the life move within the woman he loved. Though she was thin, Ulana still had her beauty and her charm. But it was not beauty that drew Valery to Ulana, it was the way she held herself when she walked into the room. She seemed to gush with confidence. The way she spoke as though she was the smartest in the room, for she often was. He was drawn to her because he could talk about his life and she understood every word that slipped from his lips.

Valery was drawn out of his thoughts, for he could feel her bones pressing into him a little as they cuddled. At first, he found this a little alarming, but he was content just holding her in his arms. Ulana was leaned back against Valery, the weight of the baby pressing back against her organs, but she was still fairly comfortable.

They fell into silence as the peaceful rain turned into a storm. They listened to the thunder as Sasha, Valery's cat, settled in Ulana's lap, her chin resting on Ulana's belly. This brought a smile to Ulana's face as she reached down to stroke Sasha. Valery could not hold back his smile as he watched as Ulana cuddled Sasha. Ulana's cooing, accompanied by Sasha's soft purring filled the silence. Valery gently held Ulana in his arms, his heart aching with joy, simply because of her presence. His hand rested on the side of her belly, his thumb mindlessly caressing the soft curve of her stomach as he watched her cooing at Sasha.

"I think she likes you" Valery mumbled as he rests his head against Ulana's shoulder.

"I think she is trying to assert her dominance over me…" Ulana joked with a soft chuckle as she pets with Sasha, who is now kneading her paws into the soft tissue of Ulana's breasts.

Valery smiles "oh?" He mumbled as he kisses Ulana's neck.

"She needs to make it known that she is the woman of the house" Ulana chuckles as Sasha settles down on her belly.

Valery smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around Ulana. 

"I think she is just accepting you two into the family" 

Ulana smiles and leans her head against Valery. They are once again overcome by a peaceful silence. Ulana laying in Valery's arms and petting Sasha. Her mind wandering as she thought of how happy she was in that very moment. The struggle with the KBG to be allowed to join Valery had been like going through hell, but she would do it all over again just to be with him. The KGB could not suppress the love that burned within her and drew her to Valery. She would risk getting arrested a thousand times over for him.

The storm raged on outside, making the two scientists extremely thankful to be safe and inside. After a while, Ulana had fallen asleep in Valery's arms with Sasha dozing quietly on her belly. The sight brought a radiant smile to Valery's face, for he realized just how thankful he was for them. They were the family Valery had always dreamed of, and he was determined to make them feel the same sense of joy that was brought to him by the very sight of them. Valery hand hardly left Ulana's swollen stomach, for feeling his child moving within her was an indescribable thing. It made his heartache, and he could feel as the most basic of chemicals surged through him, causing him to feel filled with joy. It felt completely natural for them to be together, almost as if a higher power had willed it. Valery had known since he had first laid his eyes on Ulana, back in Pripyat, that they were meant to be together. Valery sat in silence, watching the raindrops roll down the window as the sky began to darken. His thumb still mindlessly caressing Ulana's soft belly. She was snoring ever so softly as she slept, her lips parted very slightly. Valery could not help but smile at the soft snores that had developed in their time apart. Of course, he found them to be extremely adorable. Valery gently kissed her cheek, careful not to disturb her. He knew sleep had been hard to come by for her, for she never seemed to stop working, and he could not help that he longed to listen to her peaceful snoring for a while longer.

Valery watched as the sky turned from a deep navy to black. The storm had yet to cease, and the apartment was still filled with the pattering of rain on the windows. Valery could feel his eyelids begin to get heavy as he struggled to keep his eyes opened. He looked down at Ulana, who was still fast asleep, and he could not bring himself to wake her. So, he gently adjusted her so that they could both lay on the sofa. Valery laid on his left side, his arms wrapped around Ulana's middle as he became her big spoon. He pressed his nose to her slightly damp hair and took in her comforting scent. Soft wispy hairs tickled his nose. He had covered them in a thick and fluffy blanket, determined to make Ulana as comfortable as possible. Ulana's snoring had become softer as she adjusted to laying on her side. They both fit surprisingly well on Valery's sofa, despite Ulana's protruding belly.

In the few moments before overtaken by sleep, Valery could not help but smile. It was as though the family he had dreamed of since boyhood had finally become a reality. What made this even better was that this family included the one woman he had ever truly loved, Ulana.

[dank-hp--memes]

A Companion

So my power went out today... so i wrote this on my phone in google docs. If you would like another chapter following this storyline, please let me know 😊. I really want to hear your opinions on this. It is sort of inspired by "Circles" by @letsriottogether so if you have not read that, please go and do so. I send much love to all of my readers and would like to thank yall for all of the support.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion

(P.S. if you want to be tagged leave a comment letting me know)

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It was a few months after the trial. Valery was struggling to become accustomed to his new life on his own. It was just him and his tabby cat, Sasha. It was a rather rainy day, Valery was sat at his kitchen table having a cup of tea when there was a knock on the door. The now unfamiliar sound made him jump. The knock was gentle and timid, definitely not like that of the KGB agents. Reluctantly, Valery stood up to answer the door. His hands trembled as he reached for the doorknob. Valery's head began to buzz with thoughts. Who could possibly be looking for him? Who on earth awaited him on the other side of the door? As he pulled open the door, he was left dumbfounded. Standing before him was Ulana. Her wet coat and clothes were clinging to her now rather a thin body. Valery's eyes wandered over her, stopping on her stomach. His mouth went dry as he stared at the round belly that protruded from her frail frame. They stared at each other for a few moments, realizing it looked as though the other had aged significantly. Valery could see that Ulana had become extremely thin and boney. Her hair had begun to grey and her skin looked extremely pale, almost lifeless. She looked absolutely exhausted and sickly. As Ulana looked at Valery, she realized just how badly the radiation had affected him. He too appeared thin, and his skin seemed to have aged significantly. His hair was thin and greying. Valery's eyes looked tired and sunken in, but he definitely did not appear as exhausted as Ulana. One moment they were stood in silence, the next, they were holding one another in their arms. Valery nuzzled his cheek against Ulana as the water that soaked her clothes seeped onto him. This must have been the best and worst surprise Valery had ever received. Seeing her was one of the few things he had wanted since being exiled, but seeing her in this state shattered his heart. 

"You're soaked" Valery mumbled as a greeting, still holding her in his arms.

"Oh really? I had not noticed" Ulana whispered as she pressed her nose to the curve of his neck.

Valery slowly pulled her into the apartment. Ulana wrinkled her nose. The scent of cigarette smoke plagued the air. A thick dust-coated many of the surfaces. Ulana smiled a little as Valery's hand wandered down to the side of her belly. 

"Is this my doing?" He said as he pulled away from a little to look at her.

Ulana nodded, a faint smile crossing her face. Valery stood in silence for a moment as he looked down at her protruding stomach. After a moment he looked past her belly at the puddle that had formed on the floor beneath Ulana.

"You must be freezing…" Valery said softly as he looked back up at Ulana.

She chuckled a little as water dripped from her hair.

"I suppose I am a bit chilly," Ulana said softly.

Valery smiled a little before saying: "why don't I run you a hot bath?"

"That would be very nice…" Ulana mumbled as she began removing her soggy coat.

Valery retreated into his apartment, heading into the bathroom and drawing Ulana a warm bath. Suddenly, Ulana was standing beside him and undressing while he placed some clean towels beside the bathtub. Valery allowed his eyes to wander over her body as she stripped down to her underwear. Ulana's bones seemed to protrude from under her soft and pale skin. Her swollen stomach and breasts seemed out of place. Valery felt the sudden urge to undress and join her, for he longed to hold her body against his. It seemed as though his love for her seeped from his pores as he stood there and watched her finish undressing. 

"Care to join me?" Ulana said as she squeezed the water from her clothes.

"Would you like me too?" Valery asked in response, smiling cheekily at her.

"I would love you too," Ulana said as she turned to Valery. 

Slowly, Ulana began unbuttoning his shirt after Valery removed his sweater. Once they were both undressed, Valery climbed into the bath and sat down. Ulana sat in front of him as he straddled her between his legs. Slowly, Valery wrapped his arms around Ulana, his hands resting on her belly. Her skin was soft to the touch and her body had relaxed in the warm bath. They sat in sweet silence as Ulana leaned back against Valery. His touch was comforting, and she could feel the slight movements of their child beneath his hands. after taking some time to warm up, they climbed out of the bath. Valery changed into some clean clothes and offered Ulana his robe. Gratefully, Ulana tied the large fluffy robe around her and followed Valery into the living room. Ulana instantly sat down on the sofa and propped up her slightly swollen feet. After a moment, Valery sat beside her and placed a blanket over both of them. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and held her close. His other hand rested comfortably on her belly as they listened to the rain pelting the windows. Valery looked at her and smiled, gently caressing her belly with his thumb. As they sat in silence. At that moment, there seemed to be nothing to worry about. He now had a companion, and it was not just anyone, it was the woman he loved. His many lonely nights were now behind him. Valery could now share his life with the woman he loved and their unborn child. It did not matter how sickly they both were, for they brought joy into each other's lives.