When Vasily had woke up, it was evening, and the sun was setting. Shadows flickered through the trees as the last rays of sunlight disappeared through the forest. Vasily put a hand to his side, and then quickly jerked it back. The tips of his fingers were covered in oozy, sticky blood. His side was coated in the same, but he felt no pain. His body felt numb, and his head throbbed.
Vasily rolled over on his back and looked up at the top of the trees. If he didn't try to head back to his home soon, he would be stuck out here in the dark woods all night.
At the sound of footsteps, Vasily held in his breath and stood still. He squeezed his eyes closed tight, not wanting to see who it was who was so close by him.
"Vasily! Why are you out here, alone--Your side! It's covered in blood! What happened to you?"
Vasily's eyes flew open, and he looked up at his older brother. Giving a quiet whimper, he turned his head to the side and said nothing in return to his brother's questions. Oregano stared down at the small bloody boy on the floor for a moment, then he removed his jacked and carefully wrapped the child in it.
After he had fully wrapped his side, he picked up Vasily and held him close to make sure he wouldn't fall out of his arms. "Stay still and rest. We'll be home in just a moment."
Three days later---
"Why Oregano? Why did she have to die? Tell me you're lying!"
Vasily was curled up, his knees pressed up to his chest, sobbing his heart out on his bed. His brother was sitting on the bed next to him, staring at his lap.
"Vasily--I don't know. I don't know. She's--All I know is that she's in a better place now," Oregano said, then laid back and covered his face with his pillow. Vasily looked up and rubbed his red eyes and saw that his brother's body was shaking. Pulling aside his blankets, he crawled out of his bed and ran over to where Oregano was lying. Climbing up into his bed, he laid down next to his brother and wrapped his arms around him.
"A better place, now? Better than being with us?" Vasily whispered, a few more fresh tears sliding down his face and soaking into his brother's shirt. "Why would she want to be anywhere else but with us?" His last words turned into sobs, and he buried his face into Oregano's side.
