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Shane gets checked against the boards by Ivan’s and goes down. It wasn’t his first game against the voyageurs since signing with Ottawa but this time was weirdly different, they were aggressive and it’d not like they weren’t always aggressive but this time it felt like even the rooks had a fight to pick with Shane. The fight is blurry, but it’s not a surprise since there always is a fight when the two teams play. But the twist is it didn’t start between Shane and a Montreal player but between Luca and Evans and with the commotion Shane caught a stray.
Shane is disorientated and only semi-conscious, unsure if he's imagining Ilya's panicked questions. Medics get Shane on a spinal board and into an ambulance. Next morning, Hayden visits Shane in hospital. Out for the entire season, the doctor said he has TBI, he would only be out for a day and then very short amnesia which only takes 2 weeks to heal but the doctor said he can’t play because it will risk second hand syndrome.
Hayden is in the hospital room and is not shocked to see Ilya walk in, but some of the younger nurses were very clearly interested but too shy to ask for a signature.
Hayden looks up and gives Ilya a sympathetic smile
"Hey"
Ilya just nods in acknowledgment
“Pike. Shane is okay?”
"He's got TBI; but it’s not like a scary brain injury it’ll take like 2 weeks tops, and he’ll only be asleep for a day...”
“What does.. that mean?” Ilya tried to group the words together but Hayden said them so quickly and under his breath due to the stress
“It’s just like a hit to the head..”
Ilya thinks for a minute, he looks at Shane and holds his hand
“Is out for season?”
Hayden nods and Ilya groans and squeezes Shane’s hand.
“He should wake up like tomorrow..” Hayden mumbles, looking at Shane’s peaceful state deep in his sleep.
“Sleep moya lyubov..” Ilya mumbles with a trembling lip
Hayden looks away, giving them privacy even though it wasn’t really privacy since Shane was asleep but Hayden still pretended to be busy on his phone
After a bit Hayden tried to break the tension with a badly run joke
“He’ll be really upset when he wakes up, he hates not being able to play..”
“Yes yes, haha, he will be upset i will beat the scoring record.”
“Oh man he’ll be so upset, back in like..” Hayden wants to say “when you were rivals” but he remembers they were never actually rivals
“Back uh like a long while ago he used to see your scoring record interviews.. he’s too competitive sometimes, hates it when guys rub it in.”
“I will make sure i win, so no guys will rub it in but me.”
"You're a real MVP, Ilya." He mumbles sarcastically, they still had banter him and Ilya but it wasn’t fueled with hatred anymore but more of out of habit.
After a couple minutes if silence, Hayden again speaks up to cut the tension
"But seriously, how are you holding up? This can't be easy for you to see him like this either."
“Hayden Pike you are good friend, Shane likes you.”
Hayden blinks slightly, caught off guard by Ilya's words. He rubs the back of his neck,
"Uh, thanks. I... care about him too. We've been through a lot."
Ilya smiles, Hayden’s phone lights up with a notification and the phone wallpaper was Hayden and his kids
“Is very cute, your kids. Mini pikes, they love me i am best uncle.” Ilya smiles when he sees the wallpaper.
"Yeah, they do love you. Probably because you spoil them rotten."
“They just say please and how am i supposed to say no? Manners, is good so i reward.”
Hayden tries to keep a stern face but can't help the amused affection in his eyes. “One of these days, they're gonna ask for a pony or something.”
“I know good pony shop, maybe i get them for Christmas.”
"Ilya, no," he sputters, "Please, please don't actually buy them a pony. It's not a normal Christmas gift!"
He can't help but chuckle
"Where would we even keep a pony? In the backyard?" Hayden mumbles to himself actually entertaining the thought before Ilya cuts his thought process
“Yes i know, Jackie would kill me. Will get boring gift like.. Xbox.”
"You know they'll probably be ecstatic about that, right? They'll end up glued to the TV for days."
“What do i get then, don’t tell me something boring” Ilya says looking at Shane, missing him, and his “boring” texts
"How about... books? Educational toys? Something that's actually stimulating instead of mindless screen time?"
“Oh ughhhh you are so boring! I hear books and I stoped listening. No wonder you and Shane are besties.”
"Here I am, trying to promote some sort of intellectual enrichment for the kids, and you're just completely checked out."
“ no kid wants tel-ik-she-wal in-rich..” Ilya mumbles, looking at Shane as he talks
"Intellectual. Intellectual enrichment," he repeats with a grin.
“Is boring, boring. You are making Shane fall more asleep.”
Hayden and ilya talk for a bit more. The hospital lets them stay beyond visiting hours because they have Shane in an overnight private room.
“I will sleep here, is okay?” Ilya says, fixing himself a bed on the couch.
"Here, in the hospital room?" He glances around the room, taking in the sterile surroundings. The cold chairs, the sterile white walls, the beeping machines. Not exactly the coziest place for a sleepover.
"You sure you don't want your own bed, Ilya? You'll probably ruin your back trying to sleep in one of these chairs,"
“No I don’t want to leave him.” Ilya says quietly, he was not shy when it came to Shane but when he struggled when it came to being vulnerable. “You will stay pike?”
Hayden thinks for a bit, he knows Jackie told him he could stay since she had the kids at a sleepover at her mom’s house. “Yeah, I’ll stay. Let me just get a chair from outside.”
Hayden leaves and comes in hauling a heavy set one peice couch, he puts it down with a loud thud and flinches, he makes sure Shane is still asleep and sighs a sigh of relief when he sees he is. Doesn’t wanna wake him up any earlier, doctor said it’s not good.
“Look at us, 2 stubborn idiots guarding the sleeping idiot..” Hayden joked, Ilya laughs softly, he looks at Shane and squeezes his hand. He leans his head back, tries to sleep but it’s so uncomfortable .
Hayden watches Ilya struggle to get comfortable
"Christ, you're a mess,"
Without asking, Hayden grabs an extra blanket from the nearby supply closet and folds it haphazardly on top of Ilya's lap like a makeshift pillow.
“Thank you pike.” Ilya takes the blanket and snuggles it closer. It smells like.. laundry detergent and lemon, probably freshly cleaned. Hayden sits in his own seat, he gets comfortable easily since he’s used to knowing how after having to do it 4 times for when Jackie gave birth.
About an hour later Ilya is practically shaking in his sleep, Hayden assumes it’s because of the cold but even after covering him up it doesn’t help. He leans in and hears Ilya is whispering very soft incoherent Russian as if he is having a nightmare .
"Ilya." Hayden shakes him gently, scared to spook him "Ilya, wake up. You're dreaming."
Ilyas hands travel to Hayden’s back as he grips him tightly
“Нет, мама, минутку, пожалуйста. Я... я... я буду лучше. Всё будет хорошо..”
Hayden lets out a soft 'oof' at the sudden grip on his back, but he doesn't pull away
"Hey, hey, wake up," he repeats, "You're dreaming, Ilya. Wake up."
“На этот раз всё будет правильно, мама, мама, мама, мама, мама-“
"Hey- hey!" He says it louder now, shaking Ilya's shoulder gently but firmly. "Ilya! Wake up! You're in Ottawa. It's 2024. Shane is right there."
Ilya jolts away, in a cold sweat he quickly gasps and pushes Hayden off
Hayden raises his hands in a placating gesture, keeping his voice low.
"Whoa, hey. Calm down, Ilya. Take a breath. It was just a nightmare."
“Mama..” Ilya mumbled looking around
"You were dreaming about your mom, right?" he asks quietly, hoping he's not overstepping.
Ilya looks at Hayden, he looks so.. venerable. Hayden knew Ilyas mother’s story; it was said at one of the events for the irina foundation. He remembers the speech; he remembers the look Shane gave him. Not being able to comfort him in front of everyone but giving him a look that says “your so brave, you can do this, I love you, you don’t have to do this, I love you”
Now, as he looks at Ilya in the hospital room, all Hayden can do is offer empathy and understanding.
"Ilya..." he starts, his voice gentle.
“Mama.. mama..” Ilya mumbles
Hayden steps forward and wraps his arms around Ilya in a firm, grounding hug.
"She's not here,"
Ilyas breath hitched
"but you're safe now. You're on the centaurs. Shane is right there."
He pulls back just enough to meet Ilya's gaze.
"And I'm not going anywhere either."
Hayden has 4 kids, of all ages. He knows not to take care of people, he knows how it’s like when someone is clearly a child
“Shane..” Ilya mumbles and looks at Shane
"Yeah, Shane's here. He's asleep, but he's alright."
He pauses, studying Ilya's face worriedly.
"You feeling better, Ilya? Do you- do you want to talk about it?"
Ilya just looks at Shane “Touch.. touch Shane?”
“Of course of course you can, hold his hand.”
Ilya very timidly holds Shane’s hand “eepin?” Ilya asks Hayden, looking up
“He’s just sleeping Ilya, he’s alright.”
“Shane… Shane dream of?”
"Shane dream of...? Well, knowing him, probably something boring," he muses. "Pucks. Hockey drills. Scoring goals, winning games."
“Hehe, yes.. bowing..” Ilya says with a very soft but noticeable speaking quirk
"Yeah, he's a bit obsessed," he admits, his tone playful. "Boring Shane and his endless hockey stats. Can't take the man anywhere without him turning it into a game analysis."
“Haha.”. Ilya is giggling. Giggling! At Hayden’s! Jokes! He’s never even laughed at them, not even smiled a little pity smile
Ilya tries to get into bed with Shane, Hayden tries to pull him back
"Uh, Ilya, you know there's not enough space for both you and Shane in that bed, right?“
“ ‘Ayden..” Ilya mutters as he sits back in his seat “yeah?” Hayden gets a bit closer to make sure Ilya doesn’t try and get back in bed and possibly hurt Shane
“Bed wif Shane?” Ilya points at the bed
"You wanna cuddle with Shane, is that what you're asking?" he teases lightly. "In his tiny hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and sterile, cold sheets? I’m sorry Ilya, you can’t.. you’ll hurt him.” Hayden pats Ilyas back
Ilya is upset that Hayden says no, he pouts and crosses his arms
"Oh, come on," he says, "Don't give me the pouty face." He ruffles Ilya's hair
Hayden recognizes the childlike behavior, he's seen it countless times in his children,
“Are you three ilya..?” Hayden knew something about this, but he’s never had to take care of Ilya
Ilya gets close to Hayden, which is woah cuz why is Ilya suddenly so small, Hayden almost feels bad for fighting with the guy
“ m fouw not thwee..”
"Okay," he mutters after a pause, “okay, you're not three. You're four..”
“is diffewen ‘ayden..”
"Different how, Ilya? I need you to use words here.“
“Hmph.. want Shane.”
“I know you do Ilya, he needs the sleep, mkay?”
Ilya, does something Hayden would never expect, Ilya leans against Hayden for comfort. “Hey you okay Ilya?”
Ilya doesn’t reply, he hides his face, he has his hand still interlinked with Shanes.
Without another word, Hayden shifts slightly and pulls Ilya closer into a proper hug
"Alright," he mutters under his breath, "alright."
“ ‘ayden w why.. uhm, thought you didn’t.. wike me..”
“Ilya.. you think I’d be here if I didn’t care? Maybe at first but it wasn’t your fault it was just my own personal insecurities I thought..” Hayden was going to go on but he noticed Ilya getting bored, Hayden stops talking and Ilya lifts his head and he’s smiling. “We redo dinnew..” Ilya mumbles
“Yes Shane would be happy, good thinking Ilya.”
“Okie.. He scolded me, said.. said pike is best fweind and uh h he wants us to get along..”
“Shane said what..? I’m his best friend?” Hayden smiled, Hayden was, well he knew they were best friends but he never heard Shane say it aloud. It was nice to hear it. “Uh huh..”
Ilya looked at Shane and nudged him slightly and then looked at Hayden with an idea
“Shane wake up, maybe he will get mad and wake up. Shane. Shane I didn’t close the bedroom door. Shane I ate McDonald’s for breakfast. Shane I I let anya chew on your Reeboks..”
He waits a little bit, Shane isn’t moving so he gets a bit closer “Shane I didn’t pick up my socks, and I didn’t pick up my towel.”
Ilya looks at Shane, his eyes start to tear up. Hayden pulls him close, trying to distract Ilya “what are you doing?”
“He will wake up to scold me.:”
Hayden is about to say something more when his wife Jackie calls, Ilya looks at the number and says something in Russian under his breath, Hayden gives him a smile and gets out of the room to answer the call.
“Hey Jackie”
“Hey hun, how’s Shane?”
"He's... he's holding on," he responds quietly, leaning against the wall for support. "The doctors are still doing tests, but he's stable. Breathing on his own, and he's responding to stimuli. It could have been worse, so that's something, I guess."
“Oh will he play again for the season?”
“Uhh no but he’ll be better before the next, he has to. Ilya would sulk for weeks.”
“How is he by the way?”
"Honestly?" he admits, “He’s... not great. Worried sick about Shane."
A pause as Hayden struggles for words.
"...Actually kind of acting like a kid right now? Which is weird since I've never seen him act like that before."
From Jackie’s end Hayden could hear their newest baby amber crying
“Is that- is amber okay?”
“Oh she’s just being a fussy baby, she wants her dad..”
"Ugh," he mutters, he misses his family, wishes he could just fly to Montreal “tell her I'm stuck here for now. Shane's got me on babysitting duty."
“What were you saying about Ilya?”
Jackie says as she shushes amber, Hayden is reminded by Ilyas whines
"Just that he's acting like a kid right now," he mutters under his breath. Jackie does something with amber and then quickly answers “Maybe just.. I dunno, treat him like amber.”
“I miss amber, I miss you Jackie I can’t wait to se-“ “wait wait Arthur is- let that go Arthur that’s your sisters!!”
"What are they up to over there?" he asks jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh Hayden I have to go Arthur and amber are fighting!”
“Bye babe, I love you”
“Bye honey, love you too!”
Hayden hangs up with a sigh, he sees his phone is dry from important notifications only having some spam bullshit and work emails. He closes his phone and opens the door to see Ilya was now sucking on his thumb, just watching Shane with almost watery eyes.
“Ilya.. you okay?”
“ ‘Ayden..” Ilya doesn’t take his thumb away
“Uhm…” Hayden rakes his brain thinking what to do “want a uh.. juice box or something bud?”
“Da..”
“Okay bud, anything else?”
“ uh do you have m m ‘ippy up wif kiko wiki..”
"A sippy cup... with Kiko Wiki. Sure. Why not."
“Is at home..”
“Okay, can I get you a straw and a juice box instead?”
Ilya nods, he could do with a normal one, maybe Hayden could turn on Kiko Riki for him to watch instead
“Do you want snacks too bud?”
“Da..”
When Hayden comes back Ilya looks up and does grabby arms for the apple slices “ ‘juice ‘Ayden?”
Hayden puts it down for him, the apple slices and juice.
“Yeah Ilya, here’s the Apple juice bud.”
Ilya nods frantically, his thumb very slightly slipping from his mouth
“Don’t worry little guy, here I’ll fix the straw up.”
Ilya takes a sip from the juice to make sure it’s up to his tastes before nodding, “Is good, fank chu ‘ayden..” Ilya drinks his apple juice, until he squeezes the empty bottle.
“Very welcome, want another one bud?”
“Da..”
“You’ll get a sugar rush like this bud.”
Ilya just blinks up at him and finishes his second box
“Jesus you’re gonna be bouncing off the walls with all that sugar Ilya..” Hayden takes the box from him and throws it in the trash.
“.. более..” Ilya points at the 6 pack of juice Hayden got
"...More?" he repeats in disbelief, “You're already on your second juice box."
A pause as he stares down at Ilya who was just looking at him with his lips parted like he had something to say but he didn’t know how to say it
"...Fine. One more. But then you have to sleep for a bit."
“Nuh uh neyt!” Ilyas face changed into a mad pouty face
“No more after this one bud, sorry.”
“Neyt neyt neyt!” Ilya gets up and stomps around angrily, oh so he was that type of kid, Hayden thought
“Oh come on kid, stomping around like that won’t get you another juice box you know..”
Ilya sighs and sits back down, he wants his juice box. Hayden watches Ilya huff and plop back down, pouting.
He grabs another juice box from the table but holds it just out of reach.
"...Say 'please' first."
“ p pozha-lustwa..” he mumbles
"Close enough,"
He hands Ilya the juice box, shaking his head slightly. Ilya takes his juice box, he drinks it still very quickly, Hayden would have savoured it if he was in Ilyas place since Ilya wasn’t getting another one.
“Slow down kid, keep chugging it like that and you’ll end up puking.”
Ilya slows down, he finishes it still pretty quick but at least a little slower than before.
“Now your gonna be hyper than crash hard later..” Hayden mumbles, he had enough kids to know how this thing works by now.
Ilya finishes up his apple slices, then goes next to Shane, then starts to go around the room checking it out curiously. “ ‘ayden..” Ilya picks up a box of tissues, it was all he could find, he starts to take out the tissues and scatter them all over the place.
"Hey—hey! No no no," he says quickly, "Put those back."
“ ‘apkwins..” Ilya points at the napkins on the floor. Hayden takes the box from him with a bit of struggle and then Ilya hmphs and goes up to Hayden
“Bleh!” He sticks his tongue out at him and goes to take back the napkins. Hayden couldn’t fight back Ilyas tough grip as he snatched back the napkins. “Excuse me? Kid, put those down. Now. You have to the count of three..” Hayden puts on his best dad voice, Ilya looks at him and holds the napkins tighter “neyt…”
"No? Come here."
He makes a come-hither motion with his finger, his tone firm. “Neyt neyt neyt!” Ilya stomps around and throws the tissues. Hayden tries to get ahold of him but Ilya doesn’t want to listen, he stomps and goes to Shane, he holds his hand and jumps.
"Oh my—Ilya, stop that. You're going to wake him up—" “Wan Shane to ‘ake up!”
He rushes over to grab Ilya by the wrist before he can shake Shane harder.
"You don't want him waking up right now, kiddo." Ilya loosens his grip and just looks at Hayden with those same sad eyes as before with his mouth open. He thinks for a bit then finally finds the words
“Miss him..”
Hayden's grip on Ilya loosens slightly, his chest tightening at the quiet confession. The kid isn't just being stubborn, he just misses Shane, he’s lonely.
"...I know," his voice softening, “But he needs to sleep. He can't talk to you right now."
A pause as he studies Ilya’s face, the pouty lip, the tired eyes that are starting to water a little.
"C'mon... let me take you somewhere else for a bit."
“hmph..” Ilya looks at Shane one last time before taking Hayden’s hand. “You’ll see him soon, okay? He’s not going anywhere.”
Hayden tried to soothe them but as they’re walking out of the room, Ilya starts to tear up and sniffle.
"Hey..." he stops walking, they didn’t have to hide since the hospital was empty. It was a private clinic and this late at night no one was wandering. “Don't do that. You're okay." he pulls Ilya in for a hug. "...You just miss him? Huh kid?"
“Da..”
Hayden pulls Ilya closer, rubbing the tallers back to help soothe him “I know kiddo, but he’s gonna wake up soon. He needs to rest to be okay, okay?” Ilya doesn’t reply, he sniffs. Hayden thinks for a bit, then
“How about we go out for a walk or a ride?”
Ilya shakes his head yes, but he starts to cry in Hayden’s chest. “skuchayu.. Shane, p pozhalustya..”
He hushes him gently, continuing to rock Ilya slowly back and forth.
"I know... I know you want him, little one. But I've got you right now. So you'll have to settle for me, okay?"
“W wittle bit? pwogul ya 'sya... tow’a ow pwo’awwya..”
Ilya babbles in Russian, Hayden can’t understand. “I I don’t get what you’re saying.. point or show me?” He says as he wipes Ilyas tears with his thumb.
Ilya thinks for a little then points at Shane
“ budi’..”
Ilya then makes a walking motion
“Sorry kiddo, he needs sleep..”
“Hmph.. den.. uh, mak-dowandls..”
Hayden blinks as Ilya mumbles something about "mak dowandls"
"...Mak what?” he asks, "Ilya. What are you even saying?"
A pause as he wipes at Ilya’s tears again.
“You want me to make you... something? Like what?"
“Mak Donald ‘Ayden!”
He can't help but laugh, his expression softening as he realizes what Ilya's trying to ask for.
"McDonalds, baby?" he repeats, amused, “You want mcdonalds?” “Mhm..” Ilya nods and holds Hayden’s hand and wants to go running to the elevator dopr.
"Okay, okay... calm dow. We're gonna go to McDonald's. Stop trying to rip my arm off!”
Ilya stops suddenly and
“ ‘ayden!” Ilya points at a sports car through the window he saw passing by. “Vwoommmm vwooom!” Ilya pretends to be driving a car as he lifts his arms and steers an invisible steering wheel around Hayden
“Vwooommm vwoom!! Beep beep ‘Ayden!”
“Oof! Look out you almost hit me!” Ilya races down the hospital halls to the elevator making vroom sounds. Hayden walks behind him, Ilya clicks the button excited before Hayden comes.
They get inside the elevator and Hayden and Ilya stand close to each other as a random man is with them. Ilya looks at Hayden, he slips a thumb in his mouth.
“Uhh ground floor?” The man asks, not really caring about what Ilya was doing, Hayden nods
“Yes thank you..”
They get into Hayden’s car, Ilya gets in the backseat
“Bowin caw ‘ayden..”
Hayden looks back and raises an eyebrow “it’s a safe car, is what it is. Jackie picked it out.” “Bowinnnng! Hehe..” Ilya is giggling at his joke. “Okay kiddo, buckle up or no McDonald’s. I wanna hear it buckle!” Hayden says as he starts up the car.
“Hab a spowt caw, dis is bowing..”
(Have a sports car, this is boring car)
Ilya babbles as he puts his seatbelt on, it snaps on with a “click!”.
"Boring car, huh?" he teases, pulling out of the hospital parking lot. “Well, sorry to break it to you, but this 'boring' car is the only way you're getting your McDonald's. So buckle up and shut up, pipsqueak."
“Hehe, pipsqueak..?”
“Yeah pipsqueak?” Hayden looks through the window to make sure he’s okay. “Uhm.. what it mean?”
"It means little. Small," he answers, a teasing lilt in his voice. “Tiny. Like you."
“Small.. tiny.. Wike me..”
Hearing Ilya parroting back the description of "small" and "tiny" makes Hayden's chuckle. “Exactly. You're tiny. Little pip squeak, you. Barely even three years old and still sucking your thumb." He ruffles Ilya's hair affectionately as he stops at a red light. Ilyas face morphs into a smile, a wide bright white smile and looks out the window
“ ‘ayden..”
“Yeah?" he replies, his tone soft and affectionate. “You need something, pipsqueak?" “muzyka?..”
Hayden turns on a kids radio, it was already the first thing to come on. “Is that good kiddo?” “Da!” Ilya says enthusiastically from behind
They pull up to the McDonald’s drive through, Hayden lowers the volume and asks Ilya what he wants
“Mc gwiddle!”
“Oh sorry pipsqueak, they don’t have that it’s mornings only.”
“Neyt! Mc gwiddle!”
“It’s too late for that, what else do you want a happy meal?”
“Hmph.. why? ne ponimayet..”
"Because McDonald's only makes them for breakfast," Ilya still isn’t satisfied it he’s listening "It's lunch time now, pipsqueak. They can't keep making breakfast food all day."
He pauses as he turns back to see if Ilyas expression changed
"...But they have Happy Meals. How about you have that instead?"
“I I.. da, happy meal. Nuggies n a buguh.”
"Great. Nuggets and a burger."
He turns forward and rolls up to the order kiosk, rolling down the windows to speak into the speaker.
"Hello. Can I have a Happy Meal with six-piece Nuggets and a cheeseburger, please?"
“Buguh! Wif fwies.. ‘appy meal! ‘Ayden ayden appy meal!!”
Ilya yells out from behind, kicking Hayden’s seat.
"Shhh! Calm down, pipsqueak," he chides, but there's no real bite to it. He glances back and grins.
"That's what I'm trying to order, you little maniac."
“Otay fank chu ‘ayden..”
"You're welcome, pipsqueak," he mutters, fighting against the urge to smile. He rolls his eyes, but he's not mad in the least.
"Quit kicking my seat, or I'm not getting you any toys with your Happy Meal.
They get the food and Hayden puts it in the back, Ilya wants to start eating, he reaches for the food that Hayden put beside him.
“Hey no wait, let’s get home first..”
Ilya pouts and sneaks a fry in his mouth but doesn’t eat more, not wanting to get his toy taken away.
Hayden highers the music and Ilya smiles and bounces his head to it
“dyadya ‘Ayden..”
"Yeah?" he replies, glancing back at Ilya through the rearview mirror. “What is it, pipsqueak?"
“Dyadya ‘Ayden!”
“I can hear you, no need to shout..”
“Uh w whewe da caw.. goin?”
“Home, we’re going home. Maybe take a short nap Ilya?”
“Home? Dyadya’s home?”
"Yeah, My place. You're crashing with me tonight."
A pause as he flicks on the turn signal again.
"...Unless you wanna stay in a hospital?"
Ilya shakes his head no, the hospital is sad and scary and.. he doesn’t like it.
“Is otay..?”
"Of course, it's okay," he clarifies, his tone reassuring. “You're not staying alone in a hospital, pipsqueak. You're staying with me. Got it?"
“Da..”
Ilya falls asleep, head against the glass of the window as he was holding on to a blanket one of Hayden’s kids must’ve left in the car, Hayden lowers the volume of the music when he hears soft snores. As Hayden parked the car into the driveway, he pulled up Google translate and types in
“Dyadya”. Hayden’s phone chime as Google Translate pulls up the translation for "Dyadya" makes his chest feel oddly tight. The Russian word flashes on screen—“Uncle."
He stares at it for a second, blinking.
"...Huh."
he glances back at Ilya, still dead asleep in the backseat. His throat feels weirdly thick all of a sudden. Hayden gets out of the car, he can’t pick up Ilya so he just goes to the backseat and nudges him until he wakes up, he looks up and grumbles in Russian before getting out and going to the door. Hayden gets thr McDonald’s bags and follows him. He opens the door with his key, Hayden’s house is quiet. Hayden makes a “shhh” hand signal to Ilya as they tiptoe to the guest room, Hayden closes the door with a sigh of relief behind him.
“You can talk now buddy..”
“ dyadya..” Ilya mumbles very tired and points at the food bag.
"Eat fast before you pass out on me and don't choke. I'm not doing CPR on a nugget." Ilya giggles, as he eats his food happily. Hayden knows eating is banned on the bed but he’ll let it slide this ttime. Ilya finished his burger and puts the empty wrapper in the bag, he eats his nuggets and fries. Hayden is sitting with him on the bed, eating his own meal. Ilya is sipping on his apple juice before he gives it to Hayden
“Dyadya, i wanna ‘ippy ‘up..”
“You want your juice in one of those bottles?”
“Da..” Ilya eats Hayden’s fries as Hayden gets a sippy cup from the kitchen. He found one unopened gift that they got at white elephant and washed it and put the juice in it.
Hayden comes back and hands him the sippy cup, “drink slowly Ilya.”
“fank chu dyadya..”
Ilya gets into bed properly, he puts his sippy cup on the bedside table and cuddles up into a ball with his blanket as Hayden cleans up the food.
He finishes cleaning up the food wrappers and tosses them in the trash before turning back to Ilya. "My rooms right outside if you need me, Goodnight, pipsqueak."
“ nochi dyadya..” Ilya mumbles as he slips his thumb into his mouth, a telltale sign he was falling deeper into sleep.
Hayden looks at him one last time and Ilya opens one eye and then says a bit louder but it’s muffled with his thumb
“Schpashibo dyadya..”
Hayden keeps the night light on, he closes the door but makes sure the heater is on. When he closes the door he smiles softly to himself, still holding the McDonald’s bag and remembering he needs to take out the trash.