To The End With You

C h a p t e r F i f t y - F i v e

Photo: OTMA, Nicholas II, Alexei, and Nicholas's brother Grand Duke Michael. (1915?)

December 1915
I stand during surgery, helping take out bullets out of the mans leg. Thank goodness that he is under anesthesia because he would be screaming out in pain. I got the title sister Romanova 3 since I'm an 'adopted' daughter of the Tsar. Everyone constantly asking about my 'mama' and her charity work. To be honest my response is made up every time. Always I am bombarded with questions like, 'have you seen your mama recently?' Or 'you must miss her don't you?' And 'she must be so proud of you working as a nurse!'

They don't ask when mama is around because she gets annoyed at these comments and questions because I am her daughter not aunt Ella's. But as for now and probably forever it's a Royal secret. Anna got better and visits the hospital and keeps the soliders company, she still constant asks about papa and about his return. In my opinion she is jealous of mama. Anna is alone and has no children and she is power hungry, behaves dumb so the men can talk but little do they know she is listening like a hawk.

"Sister Romanova 3 the needle" I snap out of my thoughts as I look over at the doctor. "The needle" he repeats. I feel everyones eyes on me, waiting for me. I quickly hand him the needle and stand back as the doctor does his work. After a few minutes we finish as I walk over to the sink and wash my hands with Tatiana. "Stand still!" Lili says as she takes a picture of us.  Tatiana and I stand by the sink unexpectedly as she takes a picture. "Your mama will love it!" She says.

"Come on Vanya time to go home so we won't be late to the charity" she says as we get into the carriage. Olga is already there as no one accompanies us to our ride home. Tatiana mentions something to the driver as we don't head the direction home. I look out the window, "Where are we going?" I ask them. They mutter amongst themselves before Tatiana looks at me. "We are going to the shops for a second" she says. "The shops?" I say confused. "Do you even have money?" I ask them.

They look at me confused "Money?" They say at the same time. "Yeah you want to buy something you need money, rubles" I say bored as I look out the window. "Um- I didn't bring any" Olga says. "I didn't either! Our one opportunity" Tatiana says. Look at them, "I have some allowance with me." I tell them. They look up at me, "you do?!" I nod my head yes. "Please Vanya, we will give it back to you when we get home" Olga says. The carriage stops at the street full of shops. I shrug as I get out. My sisters follow me out. "What shop do you want to go to?" I ask them. "That one!" Olga and Tatiana say as they point out a hat shop.

I stay on edge, we are in public and no one is with us, what if someone tries to kill us? Like they did with Uncle Sergei? I follow them to the shop but it seems as if no one is recognizing us. Maybe it's the head wear? I enter the shop with them as they look at the hats. "Let's get these hats" Tatiana says as she and Olga look at the pretty hats. "What's the price?" I ask them. "The price?" They say as I look at the tag. I take out my money and count. "We should get something for the others" Olga says to Tatiana.

"I don't have enough money to buy everyone something, the hats are expensive" I tell them. As I look up from counting. "Then- let's get something for the little pair and Alyosha when he gets back" Tatiana says. I shrug as we purchase the hats and go to the toy store to buy Alexei a new toy solider. We get back into the carriage and make it home on time thankfully. We place down the presents on the little pairs beds and the new toy on Alexei's desk.

We go get changed into much more appropriate outfits. Mama joins us as we take the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. We get changed into our charity outfits and enter the charity. Rich women of the court attend ready to give their money to step up higher on the social ladder even if they don't like mama. I know they don't like her because of Rasputin. I love my mama even though I hate Rasputin with every bone in my body. The charity starts and the dancing begins. A few men that have come back for a short time attend including Dimitri Pavlovich and our cousin Igor Konstantinovich.

Dimitri charmingly walks up to us as he strikes up a conversation, mostly with Tatya, making her laugh. Igor looks... ill. He looks pale and coughs often into a handkerchief. Olga was asked to dance by someone else leaving me and Igor together. "Are you alright?" I ask him as he coughs again. He smiles at me, "Of course Vanya"

"Are you going to front again?" I ask him as I sip on my water. "Soon yes" he says as we watch the people dance. "How are your siblings?" I ask him. "As best as they can be" he says quietly. "I'm really sorry about the loss of your brother" I say sympathetically. He nods his head, "At least he had a heroic death, he will be remembered that way" he says. I look at him sadly. "At least he is in a better place now" I tell him.

"How is your nursing going?" He asks me, changing the subject. "It's stressful, trying to save every life you can and when you know that you can't do anything about it and they will die, but they don't know that is terrible" I say wiping a tear away. "So many times telling us to send a message to their families for a final goodbye" I say sadly, "some of them don't even get to do that" I wipe my tears away.

"War is terrible" I say. Igor sighs sadly as he looks at me, "I know" he says as he holds my hand in comfort. I give him a small smile as he smiles back at me. But something much more worse to come to us all soon, and that will have to be all resolved or else it will kill us all.

A/N
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
This chapter is dedicated to thelovergurlxx LePuresten and din0-pdf  for your sweet comments thank you!