"To get born, your body makes a pact with death, and from that moment, all it tries to do is cheat."
- Louise Glück
Fyodor was worried for Kate. All morning, she had never emerged from her room and he heard no sound from inside. Kate wasn't the type of woman to be late or not attend something as important as their negotiations. After an hour passed from their designated negotiation time, he decided to finally check up on her.
At first, he knocked softly on her door. He knew she would hear it if she were inside. He waited for another minute before he carefully opened the door. He found her bed to be unmade but she wasn't seen. Her bed sheets were twisted and it almost looked like someone had gotten into an altercation with them. He made his way around the room, looking for her but he didn't find her. As he looked around some more, he realised the bathroom door was mostly closed with about an inch open. He made his way over and carefully pushed the door open.
His eyes widened and his heart raced at what he saw. Kate was laying on the floor, drenched in sweat. Her face was pale and had a sickly green glow to it. She was curled up on the floor with a hand reaching out towards the sink. Fyodor threw himself to the floor as he rolled her onto her back. He brought his ear down to her face to feel and listen for breathing. When he couldn't find anything, he brought his fingers to her neck. She was burning up, even on her neck. But thankfully she had a pulse. He screamed for Ivan with desperation.
Ivan had never heard such an animalistic sound leave his master's body. He was frightened beyond belief when it rang through his ears. He felt as though he were a child who had heard a banshee's scream-- he just knew something was terribly wrong. So he ran to his master, his heavy, urgent footsteps echoing through the house.
When Ivan found his master in Kate's room, Fyodor was holding Kate in his arms in a bridal style. Her head was tilted back, eyes shut. Her entire body was limp and she was in a sorry state.
"Ivan, get a towel with cold water for her, and an extra sheet," Fyodor ordered in a desperate state. Ivan simply nodded before rushing out, not wishing to see his master in such a state.
Fyodor laid her on the opposite side of the bed, where the sheets and covers were still made. Her hair was sticking to her forehead and Fyodor ever so delicately plucked it off of her face and brushed it back. She stirred-- only slightly, but it was enough to motivate Fyodor. He cursed Ivan's slowness at this moment and wanted nothing more than to fetch the things himself... but he couldn't leave her like this, not when her life depended on him.
Fyodor always knew that because of his ability, people's lives literally were in his hands, but this was different. Then again, it was always different with her. He felt that in this instance, her life was in his hands but not because she was unaware, because she depended on him. She needed him or else she was most likely sure to die. In his eyes, this reliance upon him made it so different from the others.
Ivan finally returned with everything Fyodor had asked for. Together, they put the sheet over Kate's entire body. Fyodor then placed the cold towel over her forehead, trying to cool her down. Together, the pair sat in silence, watching Kate. This continued for nearly three hours, but neither had noticed how much time had truly passed.
"If tomorrow she is still in this state, I want you to fetch a doctor who performs home visits," Fyodor stated to Ivan. Ivan nodded his head.
Throughout the remainder of the day, Fyodor remained at her side, not eating, working, or ever leaving. It was Ivan who urged his master to eat and take breaks, but he refused. Fyodor had even taken her hand and held it in his. The warmth was different from the previous time. Her warmth was shockingly hot and burned him if he held onto it for too long. It was then that he knew this sickness was not something within ordinary bounds; this was a sickness being brought on by a special ability. The only question he had was whose?
It was late in the night when Kate had finally begun to regain consciousness. It was slow, but Fyodor noticed the smallest changes in her breathing. She opened her eyes in a way that showed she was in pain. It pained Fyodor to see this in her, but he could do nothing to ease her suffering.
"Fyodor?" She croaked out. Her voice was scratchy and breathy. He instantly was grasping her hand once more.
"Kate, you're alright. You had us worried there." Fyodor spoke lightheartedly.
"What's the date?" She asked.
"It's Thursday." He answered.
"I'm sorry. Negotiations were my responsibility and I ruined that." She apologised, closing her eyes once more.
"Stop apologising so much, this was nothing you could help. Look, you can have whatever you want. I don't care anymore, just take what you will from me; I know you're fair." He shook his head. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Her ability had worked; negotiations with Fyodor were complete.
"Please, write them up for me so I can report it to mister Fitzgerald." She pleased. He nodded and instantly fulfilled her request. He signed the paper and Kate held it in her hands. Her paper victory was signed and ready to unite the two organisations.
"Thank you so much." She closed her eyes and held the paper tight to her chest.
"I assume you know what an ability user is?" Fyodor's next words surprised her.
"Of course." She nodded.
"You are being targeted by an ability. Why or whose I'm not quite sure. I promise you that I will find them though. You will receive justice." Fyodor looked at her with determined eyes. Now that they were allies, Kate was free to reveal her ability.
"I'll share with you whose it is-- it's mine." She coughed.
"What?" He asked, brows furrowed together.
"My ability is called The Awakening. It allows me to control probability, however, in return it makes me very sick." She explained.
"Controlling probability..." Fyodor repeated. He had heard of this ability before, it was almost legendary. In fact, it was the power of a God if it wasn't so unreliable because of its downside. This God-like ability belonged to Kate Chopin? The most frail, weak person he's ever come across. It was ironic.
"What did you ask?" He questioned, turning away from her.
"Only that negotiations were finished soon. Fitzgerald ordered me to use it so that you two could begin working together as soon as possible." She explained.
"What was the percentage?" He gave her a follow-up question.
"88%." She answered.
"What happens if the number were higher?" He asked, his mind swirling with the possibility of getting her to use this ability for his cause.
"The closer to death I'll be. The highest number I've ever produced is 92. I had to be kept alive by machines for weeks. If I were to produce a 100, I would surely die." She revealed a lot more information than even Fitzgerald knew. She felt as though she could tell Fyodor these things without consequence. She trusted him for whatever odd reason.
When Fyodor heard this from Kate, his plans were instantly extinguished. He could never ask anything of her if this was the result. According to her, this wasn't as bad as that other time, but to Fyodor, this was the most frightening he had seen. He told himself that he would never ask for her to use this ability on his behalf ever. He hated what it did to her and he hated how it made him feel.
"Kate, I wish you would never use this curse again." His words were laced with a sad truth; her ability was a curse. The thing with curses is that they never go away, not even after death. Kate was a victim of her ability, and she would die from it someday.
She only fueled his hatred for special abilities. They harmed innocent people for no reason. Kate was going to be a casualty of her ability no matter what she did. That's why he needed the book. He would erase all ability users from the world and save Kate from her certain demise.
"As do I." She nodded with tears in her eyes. When Fyodor turned back around to face her, he was finally able to see the victim within her. She was broken and she had been used over and over again by those she trusted.
He was infuriated by this look on her face. If he could kill everyone that had ever made her use her ability, he would have done it in a heartbeat. Her face held such an unmistakable sadness that lay deeper than she would ever admit.
As she blinked, tears ran down her cheeks. Fyodor brushed them away with his index finger.
"You are so beautiful, even when you cry, but I wish you wouldn't do so." He whispered. Kate choked on her silent sobs, gasping out. She was unable to hold back the tears.
"You are with me now, I promise you'll never have to use this again... I won't let anyone tell you to use it." He scooped her head up and cradled it. She wrapped her arms around his back and clung onto him, wetting his shirt with her sweat and tears. He cooed into her ear and whispered reassurances as she clung to him.
Fyodor had done it, he had broken through to her. He might not have realised it just yet, but with these words, he had gained her loyalty. From this point forward, he had promised to protect her and she had made her own promise within herself. She promised she would give him anything he asked for. Fyodor was the man to break the conditioning pounded into her by her parents. She had no loyalty to them in her heart, only her head. The head is easily overpowered by the heart though.