Chapter 18: You Haven’t Lived…
Nikoloz started when the car door opened. He’d been watching the colored squares creep across the dashboard. Vikushka tugged at his arm.
“C’mon, partner. Let’s get you upstairs.”
Nikoloz winced as the wall of heat slapped him in the face. He staggered over to the foot of the stairs. “I do not think I can do that.”
Vikushka leaned over and grabbed Nikoloz around the waist, hoisting him carefully to his shoulder. “Good thing you’re such a scrawny little Russian.”
He shooed Margaret and Billy upstairs first. “You two get the door open and turn down the bed for me.”
Nikoloz closed his eyes as Vikushka climbed. He still saw colorful shapes, but at least the staircase wasn’t expanding and contracting. They reached the apartment, and Vikushka set him down on t
