When Nikolai opened his eyes, his vision was blinding white. He blinked a few times, before he heard the scream of a woman. "Nikolai! Oh my, Nikolai! You're finally awake!" It was his mother.
Confused he sat up. His whole body ached and he tried to remember what had happened. Then it hit him, almost literally. "Where's Fjodor?! Is he okay?" His father, who sat on the other side of the bed, avoided his gaze. "Tell me!" Rapidly he sat up, ready to run around the hospital himself searching for him. "Nikolai, please, it's just... He didn't wake up yet."
Nikolai's hand was clenched to a fist. "I want to see him." His mother laid her hand on his. "You should stay in bed and rest. There's nothing you can do right now but waiting." He shook his head. Of course he could do something. He could be by his side. "Where is he?", he asked again as calmly as he could. His mother sighed. "Okay, but don't overstrain yourself, please." She looked genuinely worried.
When he saw Fjodor, patched up in bloody bandages, laying still without moving a finger, a single tear formed in Nikolai's eyes. His hand tightened around the infusion stand he had to wander around with." Fyo..." In two steps he reached the bed and sat down at the edge.
"Mom" He looked at her. "What happened after I passed out? Did you get the messages?" His mom nodded slowly. "I did, but only half an hour later. I immediately called the police, but when they arrived..." Her voice cracked. His father then finished her sentence. "When we arrived, he was already gone. They found you in the living room and your mom drove you to the hospital. Fjodor was taken by an ambulance. He had countless bruises and two of his ribs were broken..." Then he also stopped.
"What is it?" Nikolai knew there was more to the story. Gently he brushed over Fjodor's hand while looking directly at his father. "It was him, wasn't it?", his father asked and Nikolai nodded. "I told that suspicion to the police too, but he wasn't there anymore. In their records, this was a fight between you and Fjodor."
Nikolai couldn't believe what he heard. He would never do this. Not ever. He looked at Fjodor. "They are still missing your and Fjodor's testimonies. If you both state the truth, they will believe you." Well, all he could do now was hoping.
The police officer didn't say a word. He didn't even move a single muscle in his face, while Nikolai retold the last evening in its entirety. He could feel his hands starting to shiver as he tried to remember every small detail. But he could still only guess how Fjodor must have felt, yesterday, and all those years. Forcefully he focused on the facts, stating everything as cold as possible.
Never had he been so afraid. It felt like, in that situation he just acted, he didn't think about it. Sure, he had been frightened, but the memory now was more than that, not scary but terrifying. And having to relive that memory now, telling every single event to that stupid, stoic officer, who looked at him like he didn't believe a word of it all, made his whole body shiver.
Twice they asked him if this was the version he wanted to stick to. As if it was some fantasy he had made up. His mind was still spinning when he stood in front of Fjodor's room again. A warm hand lay on his shoulder. "We belive you, Nikolai", his mom said and his father nodded. Then he opened the door.