What Happens in Vienna {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 11 (Carter)

Tobias wasn't in the room when I woke up, and my hand was cold, curling into a fist when my eyes opened like I wanted to signal to him I was awake. Sasha was the one in the room, waiting for me patiently with another platter of food, Kiefer leaning against the wall behind him like he was a silent guardian.

In my sleepy haze, I wondered why I never saw Klaus, then remembered he didn't speak English and was probably trying to avoid miscommunication. I could understand that.

"Guten Morgen!" Sasha greeted, standing up from his chair when I pulled myself to sit up, wincing from the strain put on my wounds before Sasha hurried to lift the back of my cot so I could lean back comfortably.

"I brought you breakfast!" Sasha said, rotating the little table in front of me before setting the platter of food on top and sitting back down with a smile still on his face, like he was just ecstatic that he could help me.

"Thanks," I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before looking at the empty chair to my left, "What happened to Tobias?"

"Working," Kiefer was the one to answer me, "He likely fell asleep at his desk again."

"Oh," I murmured, looking down, "That's not good."

"It's okay, he does this a lot," Sasha assured, "He'll be up soon, he just wanted Kiefer and I to keep you company! You should eat, it's almost noon! I made sure to grab everything I thought you would like!"

"Yea, thank you," I nodded, picking up the fork.

For a long while I ate in silence with Sasha chatting my ear off, arms folded on my bed a little too close to my bad leg for my comfort. Oftentimes I would just stare at him, thinking this was exactly what a fourteen-year-old should act like, then feel guilty because of what Demi must be going through without me there. I had to force the rest of the food down my throat because I felt like throwing up from the hatred and disgust I felt for myself.

"Hey," I stopped Sasha from leaving the room when I'd finished the food and he was bringing the platter out, "Um, this is a strange question, but you wouldn't happen to have a violin lying around somewhere?"

Sasha and Kiefer both stared at me with blank expressions before Kiefer snorted and bent over a little from the force of containing his laughter.

"This is Austria," he said to me, pushing off the wall, "Of course we have a violin lying around."

"I don't know how to respond to that," I admitted, and he chuckled.

"Why do you want it?" Sasha asked, and I felt my cheeks burning.

"I just, uh.... Wanted to play."

"You play?" Kiefer hummed, and I nodded slowly.

"Not good, but.... Yea."

"I'll find it!" Sasha decided, hopping on his feet and rushing from the room with the dishes clattering hazardously on the platter.

I wanted to yell at him not to run or he'd break something but just kept my mouth shut as I watched him go, then looked over at Kiefer like he would explain the boy's antics, but Kiefer just shrugged and leaned back against the wall.

He didn't say much, and by the time Sasha had returned with a worn black case hugged in his arms I was ready for anything to happen besides them just sitting there.

Opening the case was like remembering my childhood, hands skimming over the wood of the instrument before pulling it and the bow into my hands, running the bow over the strings to test the tune. It had Sasha clapping his hands over his ears and Kiefer cringing, both stepping a little further away from the bed.