In Search of Home

Chapter 80

Awareness and movement came in snippets to Viktor. His memory was foggy, but he remembered snatches of dark rooms, beeping noises, and whispered, unintelligible conversation.

He woke up sporadically, sometimes only for a few seconds and other times for a minute or longer. Often, it was just to open his eyes, squint in the bright light, and fall back asleep. When he was awake for longer, it was mostly due to adrenaline streaking through his system in a futile attempt to stay awake and get away.

His room, blurry and unfamiliar, terrified him. There were no bars and no scent of straw, but Viktor wasn't in Vok'Rul's home, either. He was being kept here against his will.

When he tried to get up, it attracted someone's attention. Viktor, startled by the sudden realization that he wasn't alone in the room, tried to lift his arm to defend himself. It didn't move.

He was tethered to the bed.

"Kohgrash, jah frh. Kas tih," their voice was deep and scratchy. He screamed hoarsely in response, but barely a whisper came out. Still, the alien took a few steps back, and Viktor couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

The next time he came to foggy wakefulness, there was loud conversation happening above him.

"- like some animal!"

Someone answered with the Vokkrus language, growls and clicks. Their voice was hushed and calming. It just made Viktor more nervous.

"I don't care if you think that, you purple idiot! Viktor is not some deranged, rabid dog!"

More growling, this time a bit more aggressive. Viktor peeled open his eyes slowly, alarmed at the voices' hostility toward each other.

"He could be the second coming of Jesus Christ, for all I care. If that thing comes near my son again, I'll -"

"Dad?" he murmured softly, barely able to hear himself. The alien stopped talking, and Viktor suddenly felt pressure on the side of his bed. He turned to look, seeing his dad smiling tearfully at him. He shut his eyes again and slept once more.

The next time he woke up, it was dark. Someone was touching his arm, sliding something heavy and rough down toward his hand. There were jingling noises, like they were playing with a belt buckle. The pressure tightened before it disappeared completely. Something dropped onto the floor with a soft clang.

He hummed a question, cracking open his eyes to see what was happening. Soft, yellow eyes met his.

"Rohsh, cho'k," Vok'Rul's voice was thick with fondness and shaky relief. "Byr mrio, tih?"

Viktor watched as he stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, crouching down at his arm. The alien fiddled with something around his wrist, and he couldn't help but tighten his fingers around the claw that lay still in his hands. Vok'Rul chuckled wryly. Another ring of pressure tightened and loosened.

Viktor didn't fight back when the alien hesitantly reached out to pet his head, brushing his bangs back. His eyes fluttered shut.

Ezekiel's loud mouth woke him up next. "And she told me, guys, that'd she'd rather jump off the top of the Eiffel Tower than, and I quote: 'listen to me snore like a wild pig for another night'! Can you believe that?"

"You do snore," Nikolas's reply came. "You should get her something nice for putting up with you."

"Like what?" Ezekiel scoffed. A hand thumped on the end of Viktor's bed, and he opened his eyes in response. Ezekiel was thrown over the edge of his bed, arms thrown out dramatically. "She doesn't like gifts."