12

Cornelius stopped me at the stairs and took off his shoes.

— Do you have hard-soled slippers?—he asked.

— I don't think so, but they make a nasty sound...—I said, and immediately took off my shoes.

Danger attacked from around the corner and it was a man.

Although I do not know if this can be considered a person.

I hit my temple on the step and blood flooded one eye.

Kicking his incredibly long legs, Cornelius threw the attacker aside and he ran into Kirby's knife, which...

damn it!

I forgot that every room here has a door!

Kirby staggered and sat down on the bedside table.

— Okay, Kirby, stay there... Careful, man...—Cornelius held my brother's shoulder.—Adrianna, you better not move either... I'll come to you now...—

Cornelius took the knife from my brother and cut off the head of the creature attacking us. Then he walked around the corpse and helped me up.

— He hit you hard, my dear...—Cornelius sighed, wiping the blood around my eye with a T-shirt.— Can you see me well?—

I looked at the headless body sparkling on the floor.

— Was it a robot? Cornelius, was that a robot?—I lower my eyes, then slowly begin to look up.— Cornelius... My dear, you're hurt! Did this robot hurt you?—

— It's okay, I'm fine... I am well... You remember that I'm not easily damaged...—Cornelius whispered, leaning close to my ear.

— Likewise, handsome...— I hugged my beloved tightly.

We took the unconscious Kirby from both sides and carefully headed to the living room in a safe way.

Darek was waiting for us there.

The air smelled of Gloriaterran blood. This smell can never be confused with the blood of a human, that is, an Earthman.

— Darek, if Kirby wakes up while we're not here, take the tea off the fire, cool it and add sugar. I used to help Ryan with anemia with this tea. I'm going to get something out of Cornelius for now.—I said.

We entered the bathroom.

— We will now deal with the most exciting process - undress.—I said, and for some reason I almost laughed.

— I don't like your reaction like that...—Cornelius grimaced.

— Okay, let's do it differently...—Grabbing the edges of his T—shirt, I yanked the fabric in different directions. It is necessary to take off your clothes,

to pull the blade out of it and then wash the wound.

This way you can avoid getting the fabric into the incision itself.

— It seems that the robot's weapon is very strongly hooked on the bone. I'll try to pull it hard so that the blade pops out right away.

Then we'll check how well everything is...—I said.—And you'll recover when I pull this piece of metal out of you, won't you?—

My beloved nodded and I braced my feet against the doorway and pulled on the hilt of the blade as hard as I could.

There was a hideous creaking sound and Cornelius ran back by inertia.

— At least I feel more comfortable breathing now... Look! So you were able to pull it out entirely.—Neil B. pointed to the wound.— The wound is healing...—

Our landline downstairs rang, startling both of us.

— You go find out who called, and I'll do the cleaning...—Cornelius said.— Do you have vinegar at home?—

I shook my head.

— Hmm, it's bad... Then I'll go and buy it, it will be simply impossible to clean up here without vinegar... —

***

I watched Cornelius' car leave and moved away from the window.

Kirby was talking to someone on the phone.

— Yes, I will come. Is it possible at lunchtime or after? Thank you, goodbye.—He said.

Sighing, he hung up the phone and stared out the window.

Then Kirby picked up his favorite toy from the couch - a bright green hippo with pink clothes and buried his nose in plush toy.

I've seen this for many years and I know that these moments when Kirby hugs Dad's gift mean that Kirby is completely broken.

— Kirby... Honey, what happened?—I went over and hugged him as much as his posture would allow.

— Yanika... Last night...—My brother whispered through his tears.—She... At night...—

— Don't, Kirby... Don't say it out loud. Let the tears take and wash away the sadness... I know you don't believe that right now, but

it can be much easier after that. You just need to erase all the pain. Then there will be longing, but you can live with it. To longing is possible

get used to...—I buried my face in the back of Kirby's head.

— She was pregnant with my child, can you imagine?—Kirby wiped away his tears.— Ed, and you... Can you teach me how to shoot? I would ask Darek, but I'm not sure he'll agree, and you... You've spent so much time on the roof with a rifle...—

— Do you want revenge? Kirby, if you start killing, you won't be able to stop. Believe me... It all started with me, too, because of longing for my parents...—I handed him the gun.—And you said you could shoot...—

— Almost none. I hit the target only by great luck.—Kirby took the gun from me.— Let's go. —

***

I was arranging unnecessary flower pots in the basement, Darek was cooking dinner upstairs, I think I even heard the squeak of a brush,

Cornelius was upstairs scrubbing the alien's insides off the floor with vinegar he had bought.

— Brother, have you changed your mind?—I asked.— Well... So, screw on the muffler.—

— And show me how.—Kirby said.

— Screw it up yourself, I'll fix it if something goes wrong. Compare the diameter of the muzzle and choose the most suitable of these silencers.—

I nodded at the table.

Picking up one of the silencers, Kirby looked at it, compared it to a pistol by eye and began to adjust it.

— Great. Don't you have the same vision in both eyes? Aim and shoot.—I said.— Do you see the dots

with a marker on the pots? The bullets should hit exactly there.— I stepped aside a little bit.

The muffler slammed faintly.

— Come on, take it a little higher than the target.I said. Maybe then you'll hit the exact center of the target.—

The muffler was popping and popping.

— You're getting better and better...—

Kirby flinched, and I smiled.

And how much does Cornelius staying here?

— I threw out your carpet and the wallpaper will also have to be replaced, but the walls themselves, fortunately, were not badly damaged...—Cornelius said.

— We had a few extra rolls left... Is it safe to walk down the corridor now?—I asked.

— Yes. Let's practice shooting together later, Dariusz has prepared lunch. Since we haven't known each other for ten years

you saw, I will not undertake to praise him, but before he had just an irrepressible passion for cooking. He often helped our mother while she was

not...—Cornelius sighed.— Darek likes to cook. I was buying groceries.—

Dariusz was putting rice noodles, stewed vegetables and fish on plates.

— You look cute in Ryan's apron.—I said as I passed.— Wow, it smells delicious!—

— Yes, Darus, the smell is like in a restaurant!—Cornelius said.

— I'm giving it away? Maybe I should remind you what Grandpa called you, Cornus? Oh, how I miss home...—removing the apron from

smiling like a dog, Dariusz carefully folded it.— Believe me, I did not spoil or dirty it.—

— It's okay, because we have there is a washing machine.—I smiled.— And Ryan himself often dirtied it.—

For the first time I tried a combination of fish, tofu, rice noodles and assorted peppers, quite spicy and even sharper.

— I think I burned my poor stomach.—Cornelius said.— But it's delicious, Darek, very tasty! Did you go to culinary school? —

— My school is a street and all the things that I knew how to get for myself until Mariusz found me. He tested my blood and threatened me with everything

the nightmares of this world from the CIA to their basements.—Darek began to eat noodles quickly and nervously.

— Mariusz is not as scary as he is painted. He can be quite normal sometimes... well... Tolerable...—I looked back at the cups.—

I think the last time we were here, we ran out of coffee...

— Calm down, I thought about it much earlier than you did.—Cornelius said, and the sun of his smile shone in the zenith again.

What kind of god gave Cornelius such a smile?

Apparently, the relaxed state after cleaning and the absence of danger lifted his mood.

Cornelius twirled his finger in the air and the hot coffee pot flew on a small black cloud.

— Your strength is amazing.—I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

— Sometimes I like it myself...—