𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫'𝔰 𝔇𝔬𝔩𝔩

Bonus No. 1

"Whosoever delights in solitude is either a wild beast or a god."

- Aristotle

Kate had been on bed rest for quite some time. She had no television to listen to since Fyodor only had those in his study as well as the sitting room, despite the sitting room television not working. All Kate had was a radio that was spotty so even its functioning was not guaranteed. Fyodor decided to take some time out of his ever so busy schedule to visit her and check up on her since Ivan certainly wasn't going to do that. However, when he got there, he was greeted by her dull, bored expression.

"This house is never silent." She remarked.

"What?" Fyodor looked at her quizzically.

"I can hear the hum of the heater through the walls, and the water as it goes through the pipes. I can hear when Ivan is walking around completing tasks for you. Somehow I can hear you typing away on the computer as the clock in that room ticks every second. I know about Ivan's fish tank in his room because I hear that water splash and flow like a lazy river. I think of how calming it would be if I wasn't driven mad by the sound. This house is suffocating me with noises I forgot existed." She gave a sad smile, only her eyes showing the true madness growing within her.

"You need rest though, Kate." Fyodor sat down on the side of her bed and looked down at her crazed eyes.

"If I rest in this same environment for much longer, I will end up killing something." She muttered as she pushed her back deeper into the mattress. She was not only restless, but she was also losing her shit.

"Alright, you wish to leave the house, that message has been conveyed perfectly. How about we compromise since you need rest still. I will take you out for half an hour in a wheelchair but you have to return after and rest. Deal?" He asked. Her eyes instantly lit up with excitement. She nodded her head enthusiastically.

Nearly 10 minutes later, the pair were outside. Fyodor was pushing Kate in a wheelchair, just like he promised. He was lucky enough to have had one at the house for emergency purposes because this was an emergency. Kate wasn't exaggerating the state of her boredom. In fact, she had already tried suffocating herself with the pillow to stop the sound of the clock ticking, which didn't work at all much to her dismay.

Kate silently sat in the chair and watched the people walking around. She also took in the beautiful nature around her. She missed the green trees and the floral scents from which the view from her window did little justice. She needed the fresh circulating in her lungs. This break gave her peace of mind which she was ever so thankful for.

"Thank you." She said to Fyodor as she stared into the sunset.

"For what?" He asked, looking down at the top of her head.

"That was far longer than 30 minutes." She replied monotonously.

"You're welcome. Let's return home, Ivan is making a warm soup for us." He squeezed her shoulder. She laid a hand atop of his and leaned her head into his touch.

"Alright."