Chapter Text
“You can’t seriously be considering this!”
Melnik slid his reading glasses off his nose, lightly setting his glass down with a quite thunk as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “And why, exactly, is that Anya?”
Anya stood before the Colonel, eyes wide and shoulders heaving. “What do you mean why!? There’s a whole list of reasons why that letter shouldn’t have even reached your desk!”
Melnik raised his eyebrows, “Anya–”
“Sir, if I may, I agree with the kid. Its a ridiculous, and – quite frankly – dangerous idea.”
Melnik sighed, shoulders pulling forward, “Sam-”
“No, Melnik. I’m tired of you doing this! Do you have any idea how much you scared me? How heavily your injury weighed on me? I swore my life to you, sir, and I was stuck on bedrest as some asshole reds blew you to kingdom come. I thought you died! I thought you died and I couldn’t do anything!” Sam’s voice rose as he talked, staring pleadingly at Melnik, chest stuttering.
Melnik glared stubbornly back at Sam from his position on his bed.
“Please, Colonel.”
His gaze faltered, he lowered his chin his eyes flitting back and forth. The words hung in the air, stagnant. “Fine.”
“Colonel?”
Melnik sighed, “I said fine. I won’t go meet with the Reds - this isn’t from Korbut or Moskvin; I won’t just ignore their offer for peace. I’ll be writing them back. Hopefully, we can come to some sort of agreement. You can’t deny they would be powerful allies against the Reich once they’re back on their feet.”