By
Summer
Beta read by Bonnie!
MFU Slash story: Continuation of Silent Night, Going to the dogs, First Time affair, A little thing Called Possession and Disneyland affair
The coughing sounds awoke Illya from a sound sleep. He and Napoleon had been gone for four days on assignment for UNCLE and just got back that night. Lisa had been babysitting Paul until their return and informed them that other than Paul having a cold nothing was amiss.
Hearing the wretched coughing, Illya narrowed his eyes and grabbing his robe got up and headed to his son�s bedroom.
Opening the door, he could see the small figure in the moonlight sitting up in bed holding his hands to his mouth coughing uncontrollably. Katrina, their pet, was lying next to him looking gravely concerned.
"Paul?" Illya stepped towards his son and saw the smile come to his child�s lips.
"Papa? You back?"
"Yes. How are you feeling?"
He sniffed and coughed several times and then shrugged.
"I got a cold."
Smiling, Illya sat down at the edge of the bed and taking his son into his arms hugged him tightly. Kissing his forehead Illya could feel the heat coming from the small body. "I think you are running a fever. Stay here and I will get you an aspirin to lower it."
Getting the children�s aspirin from the medicine drawer, Illya returned with a glass of orange juice and had Paul take the medication. Then easing his son back against the pillows he stroked his child�s head until he drifted back to sleep.
Satisfied, he rose and returned to bed to see Napoleon was awake waiting for him.
"What�s the matter? Paul ok?"
"He had a bit of a fever. I gave him an aspirin. I think he�ll be alright."
"Sure he will. Illya, kids get colds all the time. Stop acting like an overly protective mother and come to bed."
Getting into the bed, Illya was wrapped in a warm embrace and kissed thoroughly by his lover. After a brief time Illya broke the kiss and staying in Napoleon�s arms slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift to sleep.
***
Sunlight drifted into the room by the nearby window. The two bodies were entwined in each other�s arms on the bed. Although both of them were awake neither wanted to get up.
"It�s after eight am we really should get up." Napoleon whispered into Illya�s ear before nibbling on it.
"Hmm, just a few more minutes."
"Paul needs his breakfast?"
"Hmmm."
Sitting up Napoleon laughed and grabbed his pajama pants.
"I�ll make breakfast, while you check on our sick little patient."
Lying on the bed for a moment longer, Illya finally roused himself headed into his son�s room to check on him.
A moment later Illya�s alarming cry had Napoleon running into the room.
"He�s burning up!" Illya tried to awaken his son, but Paul remained in what appeared to be a deep sleep. Illya felt for Paul�s forehead and shook his head.
Concerned now, the two parents hurriedly dressed and with Paul bundled tightly in a blanket Illya and Solo rushed him to the hospital.
***
Minutes dragged into hours. Illya paced the lobby silently cursing himself for not taking Paul to the hospital earlier. Arriving at the emergency room, the child had been taken from him and rushed into the main work room. Not knowing what was going on and being forced to wait for the doctor, Illya could feel his patience being tested. Napoleon returned with some coffee, handing him a cup.
"I called Waverly and told him we wouldn�t be in today to make those reports. Here drink this."
Taking the offered coffee Illya pushed it aside onto a table and continued to pace the room.
"Illya? It�s not your fault. OK? Everything is going to be alright. Kids get colds all the time and bounce back."
Illya refused to meet his eyes. He only stared at the doors where Paul had been taken away.
***
Twenty minutes later a young female Asian doctor stepped out of the room.
"Mr. Illya Kuryakin?"
Illya nodded and went directly to her.
"How is my son? Can I see him? Is he going to be ok?"
She looked back at him sadly and gestured to a small room.
"Let�s talk somewhere private."
Getting a bad feeling, Illya did as she requested. Entering the room, Illya refused to sit down. Napoleon took one of the seats and sipped his coffee.
"Mr. Kuryakin. Paul, to put it delicately, has developed a complication to the flu that he caught."
"Flu?"
"Yes, influenza, and though it is a concern especially in young children, a great many of them, more than 90 percent, recover without any real problems. Paul however falls into the 10 percent category. The flu he developed weakened him enough to allow a secondary infection. He has developed a bacterial pneumonia; he is having difficulty breathing."
Illya swallowed. "Pneumonia?"
"We are already treating him with antibiotics. IM Penicillin and placed him in a oxygen tent for his problems of breathing."
Illya felt his heart twist in his chest.
"What I am more concerned about right now is the fever, he has a temperature of about 103.8 and so far we haven�t been able to bring it down. Hopefully the antibiotic will start to work and it will come down by itself."
"And if it doesn�t?" Illya asked. His face paled and he suddenly didn�t feel well.
The Doctor looked at both men and nodded. "One step at a time. There is no reason to think that things will get worse. However you must be prepared."
"Prepared for what?"
"Mr. Kuryakin. Although the death rate is rather low for pneumonia it is ..."
Illya suddenly couldn�t breathe.
"Are you telling me that my son may die?" Illya had to sit down.
"I�m only telling you to be prepared. You can go in and see him if you want to. Stay as long as you wish. I will make arrangements with my staff to let you visit when ever you want. I will let you know if anything else occurs." Rising she lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"We will do everything we possibly can for your son."
After she was gone, Illya stared at the wall in complete despair. Napoleon reached for him but Illya only brushed him off and rising to his feet hurried from the room. Napoleon slowly followed.
***
Illya entered the hospital room and could see the small figure lying on the bed. He was draped in a white sheet with an oxygen tent around him. He looked to be asleep but even so his body was wracked with hard coughing spells.
Taking a seat beside the bed, Illya stared on at the limp and pale form and felt very helpless.
"Pasha, Paul...Papa is here. I�m right here. Paul?"
Reaching in to take his son's hand into his own Illya stared at the little boy and wished devoutly he could pull him into his arms. Wishing Paul would open his eyes and smile and ask for a cookie. But Paul didn�t open his eyes. He lay still, oblivious to all that was happening around him.
Napoleon watched the two of them by the doorway. Not knowing what to do or how to help he backed away and closed the door behind him.
***
Midnight
"Papa...Papa..where are you? Papa...papa...I�m scared. Papa!"
Illya sat up straight jolted out of sleep to see his son was tossing in the bed.
"Paul, I�m right here...Paul?" Tapping him lightly on the wrist he saw that his son was lost in deep dreams and oblivious to his father�s presence. Paul continued to call for his Papa.
Illya sent for the head nurse.
She arrived a few seconds later and checked the child�s status. She called for her nurses and asked for Illya to leave.
Half way out the door, Illya heard the nurse talking to her fellow workers the child�s temp had risen to 104.
***
Illya found his way to the hospital chapel. He didn�t know why he had come. He didn�t believe in God. At least not directly. But here he was kneeling by the altar and staring up at the large crucifix on the wall.
"A little Prayer now and then never hurts."
Hearing a voice, Illya turned to look up to see a gentle elderly man dressed all in black. His eyes matched his clothes. He smiled at the Russian and took a seat beside him.
"I...don�t know why I came. I�m not Catholic or religious in anyway. I don�t even believe."
"Really?"
"My Mother did...Katrina...she even went so far as to get our son baptized."
Biting his lip in revealing so much Illya turned away and stared at the cross.
"But you don�t believe in God?" prodded the elderly man gently.
Illya shook his head then paused, his thoughts tumbling back to a few years ago. A frightening day that he was sure would meet with his and his son�s death.
The little child was tightly clutched in his arms as he ran through the forest and snow, trying to out run the dogs chasing them. If they were caught they would be torn to pieces. He seemed to be running onwards forever.
Running and still the dogs seemed to be a few steps behind them.
He crashed to the ground, out of breath, unable to take another step. Looking up, he heard the growling snarls and could see the white fanged teeth coming at him. Six large wild dogs. He had hidden the wrapped child underneath him hoping to protect the child to the last.
Then suddenly just like that the dogs backed away. They began to yelp in fear and then ran off scrambling for their lives. Surprised, Illya turned to see what could have caused the dogs to run off. That was when he saw it. What he thought he saw. What couldn�t be. What he didn�t believe in.
"Katrina?" Then the figure was gone, or had it been there at all?
"You don�t believe that somewhere out there, a higher power exists? Do you? Or that life after death exists?"
"I don�t know. I only know that my son is dying and there is nothing I can do to save him. Nothing."
"Tell me, what would it take to make you believe?"
"If only Katrina was here. Maybe I could ask her what I did wrong?"
Looking down at his hands Illya shook his head closing his eyes tightly in anger.
"What did I do wrong?"
....................
"Illya."
Hearing his voice, Illya looked up to see that the man was gone, and that Napoleon was coming towards him.
"Illya come quick! It's Paul!"
Getting to his feet, Illya hurried back to Paul�s room.
***
Blue eyes blinked happily on seeing the familiar form enter the room.
"Papa! There you are!"
The oxygen tank was gone and two arms stretched out to be held. Illya ran into those arms holding his son tightly. The Doctor was present and smiling at the two of them.
"The fever is gone, it broke a few minutes ago, and I just checked his lungs. They are much better and he�s breathing normally. The penicillin seemed to have done the trick. You can probably take him home in a day or two. But I would like him to stay in bed for a while and be monitored just in case."
Illya nodded not able to believe that his son was going to live. He was alive.
Napoleon bent down and joined the family hug, happy that the worst was over.
***
"And then Peter Pan returned to Neverland. The end."
Illya closed the book and stared down at his son, who although still pale, looked much better. Katrina, the Golden Retriever, was lying next to him sleeping peacefully now that her little master was safe and sound and on his way to recovery.
"Now, you get some sleep ok?"
"Ok. Papa?"
Illya stood up and paused at the doorway.
"Yes, Paul? What is it?"
"I had a wonderful dream at the hospital. I dreamed of mommy."
Illya smiled and nodded. "I bet that was a nice dream."
"Yes, I wanted to go be with her. She was in this really big place with a bright light all around her. She looked so happy and beautiful."
Feeling his spine tingle, Illya stared at his son who was stroking his pet and smiling blissfully.
"I wanted to go be with her. I told her I missed her. But she said I had to come back. To be with you and Uncle Napoleon. Cause you needed me. She said she would see me again someday. She promised."
Illya nodded unable to speak.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Paul looked up his eyes shinning brightly.
"Mommy told me to tell you something. I don�t understand but she said for me to say...You didn�t do anything wrong."
Turning away and pulling the blankets up to his shoulder Paul coughed slightly and closed his eyes.
"Good night Papa, I see you in the morning."
Illya closed the door behind him.
Napoleon was waiting for him in bed.
Getting under the blankets, Illya smiled and looked at Napoleon.
"Napoleon?"
"Hmm." Almost asleep, Napoleon turned to look at his lover.
"Yes..."
"When Paul is old enough...I would like him to attend church. If that would be alright with you?"
Napoleon opened his eyes and stared at his lover perplexed.
"Huh?"
"There is an Orthodox church a few miles from here. Do you mind?"
Napoleon smiled and shrugged.
"You want to tell me what brought this on my Communist?"
Illya shrugged and kissed his lover on the lips. Breaking away he cuddled closer in Napoleon�s arms. "Maybe....well just maybe there is someone higher up that exists. Good night Napasha. I love you."
"Good Night Illyusha, I love you too."
Illya then reached over and turned out the light. But before he drifted off to sleep he said a brief thank you to the man upstairs.
What would it take to believe? Perhaps a little thing called Faith.
The end.