I coughed again, trying not to wake Dimitri. He was sicker than I was, and he needed sleep.
But his eyes opened anyway. Slowly, he started to sit up. "Rose," he rasped weakly.
"No," I croaked. "Stay there. You need rest."
But because he wouldn't be Dimitri unless he was stubborn, he got up anyway and moved around the bed towards the door.
"Dimitri, lie down!" I tried to order, even though I knew he wouldn't listen to me; he never did. I began coughing again.
He shuffled to the kitchen, and I could hear him coughing as he moved about.
I don't know how long he was in there. I was in a fog; not fully conscious, but not asleep, either.
"Roza."
I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri kneeling at my side with a tray, containing a bowl of chicken broth, a glass of water, and a spoonful of cough syrup.
"Here," he croaked, depositing the tray on my lap.
"Where's yours?" I asked.
"I'm not having any," he said hoarsely. "I'll be fine. I'm worried about you." All this speech made him cough again, and he coughed hard into his sleeve. When he pulled it back, the gray cotton fabric was spattered with blood.
"Dimitri!" I cried hoarsely.
"Don't worry about me," he whispered. "Eat and take your medicine. Take care of yourself."
"Go back to sleep," I said. "Please. You need rest."
He nodded and closed his eyes. Within moments, he was asleep.
After I ate, I lay on my side, studying Dimitri's sleeping face. I pulled the covers up over us both. He awoke briefly and pulled me closer, then fell back asleep.
I snuggled closer, shaking miserably with cold as I fell asleep.
I awoke hours later. The open curtains framed the full moon, completely visible in the night sky.
It had been hours since either of us had had any fluids, so I rolled to wake Dimitri.
"Dimitri," I whispered. "Wake up. You need to drink some water." I shook him gently. "Dimitri."
He didn't move. I shook him again. "Dimitri. Come on, wake up. You need water." And then, as I lay there, trying to shake him awake, I heard it.
Earlier the room had been filled with the sounds of his labored breathing.
Now there was silence.
"Dimitri!" I cried. Horrified, I pressed my ear to his chest. The place where I always heard his heart beating was also silent.
"No!" I screamed. I buried my face in his chest and began sobbing. The sobs turned into coughing, which didn't stop. My world went black.
"Roza."
I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri's achingly familiar face.
"Dimitri," I whispered. So I'd died too?
He smiled. "I knew you'd come."
I smiled, then threw my arms around the neck of the love of my life.
For the first time in my entire life, I was happy.