Chapter 116

Kneeling down to Khristina's height, Haruki gives her a smile.

"Remember me? We had lots of fun togeth-

*SLAM!*

A woman shrieks in fear as Kazimir shoves Haruki into a bin of peppers.

"I told you not to go near her, you deaf bastard."

Picking the small girl up, Kazimir places her in the shopping cart.

"Good job getting the fruits, Khristina. Let's go see if we can find your Hello Kitty sheets."

"Is that creepy man going to come after us again?"

"If he knows what's best for him, he won't." the young man replies. "Like I said Khristina, no need to be afraid of him."

Looking ahead, a smile appears on Khristina's face as she points towards some mattresses.

"Looka the fluffy blanket on that bed! Can we get that one, too?"

"No where on this blanket is Hello Kitty to be seen, Khristina."

"Please can we get this one too? It looks fluffy and cute! Can I hold it?"

Picking up the blanket, Kazimir gives it to Khristina to hold.

"It IS fluffy! Please can we get it? Please, please, please?!"

"Okay Khristina, you can get it."

"Yay! But we still have to find my Hello Kitty sheets."

"I know, I know. Here's a few bedsheets. Let's see what these have to offer."

"HELLO KITTY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Running around the aisle, Khristina happily spins around while laughing. 

"Khristina come and help me look for your bedsheets. I still have to pick up a mattress for my own room after this."

"What kinda sheets are you gonna get, Mr. Kazimir?"

"I don't know. Probably gray. Or black."

"I think you should get Hello Kitty sheets too."

Kazimir shakes his head, looking at the children's bedding materials.

""I don't think I should. Look, found one before you did."

Khristina grabs the sheet package from Kazimir and looks over it.

"This says Kuromi. Not Hello Kitty."

"Isn't she Hello Kitty's friend?" Kazimir asks, picking up a Thor bedsheet set. "Same thing."

"Nuh-uh! Kuromi is mean! And Kitty is nice!"

"She can't be that mean if she shares a name with Black Beauty."

Placing the item back on the shelf, Khristina continues to walk along before sighing.

"Where's the Hello Kitty sheets? You said they'd be here!"

"Khristina, I don't work for the store." Kazimir says, rubbing his temple. "Maybe they're all out. Or probably somewhere else in the store. Look, maybe you can get someone else. Here's Pompompurin."

"Can we get this Elsa plus- A HELLO KITTY SHEET!"

Picking up the box, Khristina shoves it in Kazimir's face.

"I found the actual Hello Kitty sheets! Elsa was protecting it!"

"Well good, throw it in the cart."

Gently placing it down in the shopping cart, Khristina smiles down at the box.

"You're coming home with me. We're gonna have lots and lots of fun together!"

The two walk over to the next aisle and Kazimir grabs a couple of pillows.

"We're gonna need these for our bedrooms and the guest one downstairs, too. Khristina, why don't you look for some pillowcases while I look for some more sheets?"

"Okey doke!"

After a couple of long minutes, the two wrapped up their shopping to move into the new house.

"Mr. Kazimir, can we get pizza?"

"Why, Khristina?" the young detective asks, trying to organize his trunk.

"'Cause I'm hungry!

"I am too. And since we've already got groceries, we can make some BLTs in our new kitchen."

"What's a BT?" Khristina asks, throwing her Elsa plush up and down in the air.

"BLT is short for a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich."

"But I don't like tomatoes."

Kazimir chuckles as he puts another grocery bag in the trunk.

"Then you haven't tried grilled tomatoes. They're the best."

"You can grill?"

"Of course I can. I've had to help my cousin multiple times."

Shutting the trunk, Kazimir puts the cart away before putting Khristina in the car.

"Now-

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"KHRISTINA, GET DOWN!"

Pulling out his own gun, Kazimir fires back trying his best to ignore the little girl's scared screams.

"Why the fuck is someone on my ass everyday, damn?!"

Reloading the gun and trying to dodge bullets, Kazimir looks over at Khristina who had a look of brutal shock on her face before hearing a loud scream come from right behind his car.

BANG!

With one final shot, the young detective watches as a figure falls to the ground, immediately rushing to the back of the car.

"Naydine?! Where'd he hit you?!"

Kazimir watches as she lifts a bloody hand from above the bullet wound on her side.

Opening the passenger door, Kazimir places her in the seat, closing the door and rushing over to the driver's side.

"Are you alright, Khristina?"

"I think."

"Okay, well put your seatbelt on, we have to rush Naydine to the hospital."

Putting her seatbelt on, the small girl shakes in her seat and tears begin to stream down her face.

"Anything you wanna talk about, mushroom?"

"Who's mushroom?"

Kazimir turns around and gives her a smile.

"That's your new nickname. Do you like it?"

The small girl nods.

"Why did someone start shooting at us?"

"I don't know; some people just have no morals."

Pulling into the hospital's parking lot, Kazimir quickly gets out of the car and helps Khristina out before picking up Naydine and running inside.

"My friend just got shot!"

The receptionist looks at Naydine who winced in pain before turning to Kazimir.

"Take her to Room 37 on the 2nd floor. I'll immediately send for a doctor."

Picking up Khristina, Kazimir runs up the stairs and kicks the door open to Room 37.

Placing Naydine down gently on the bed he watches as the young woman breathes heavily.

"It hurts, Kazimir."

"I know, I know. The doctors will be here soon."

Grabbing her hand, Kazimir places the other one on her forehead.

"It hasn't become infected yet. That's good."

"Thump!"

Turning around, Kazimir runs over to Khristina who had fainted.

"Put the girl on the other bed—her head directly hit the chair and floor." The doctor says.

Placing Khristina on the bed, Kazimir watches as the doctor closes the curtains around both Khristina and Naydine.

"Why don't you get them something to drink for when they wake up, son?"

"Can I help with the surgery? Or hold something? I mean, this is my friend and my little girl."

"Son, I know, but this is standard procedure."

"I'm a detective, how can I not stay?!" Kazimir asks.

"Listen, the longer you stay, the longer it'll take for your friend and your little one to get better."

Groaning, Kazimir walks out of the room and takes a seat.

Placing his hands over his head, he looks down at the floor and huffs, getting back up and heading towards the elevator.