With one last rotation of the screwdriver, the stupid thing is finally installed.

I get up from my kneeling position on the bathroom floor, having previously installed a metal bar in the bathtub, used as an assist for getting in or out. I've also put a mat at the bottom, to prevent slips or falls. Dimitri watches from the doorway with disinterest.

"There, at least this will help you get in and out of the bathtub on your own."

He sighs. "Once again, thank you, Rose." His voice is saturated with sarcasm, and he turns away from the doorway and slowly makes his way towards his lumpy mattress. It's too low for my liking, he'll struggle to get up as his illness progresses, but he's a stubborn man.

I've already installed several of these bars around the house, close to the toilet, his bed, the bathtub, and just along the wall towards the kitchen. He's not impressed, but doesn't fight me about it. I think he just wants me to shut up, so he remains silent. At least this way, I won't pester him.

"Alright, so I got you a ton of canned fruits and vegetables, just in case there's a day when you're too tired to get to the grocery store. There electric can opener is on the counter, I know your hands aren't as strong as they used to be..."

"I can open a damn can, Rose. I'm fine."

I roll my eyes, but nod anyways. "Yeah. Now."

"God, Rose, would you relax? I can take care of myself. I haven't had someone hover over me like this since I was a child!"

"You're acting like a child! 'I can take care of myself. I'm not a child, Rose!' God, Dimitri, would you just shut up and let someone look after you for once in your life?"

"I've been doing this for three years, Rose. No one was taking care of me when I was going through this. No one was taking care of me when they told me I was dying."

"You had friends here, Dimitri, there were a ton of people who cared for you, and you left it all behind. You could have had all the support you needed."

"I couldn't stay! You have no idea what's happening to me, Rose! You'd never talk to me again!"

I growl in anger. "You have no idea, Dimitri, what my reaction would be. Don't you dare assume that I would hold your own illness against you. Dying, Dimitri, is a word, it doesn't have to be a sentence. It doesn't define you."

He runs his thin fingers through his scraggly hair, annoyed. "Just leave me alone, Rose. I don't have to have you look after me like I could drop dead any second."

"Don't talk like that! You seem to forget you still have a long way to go before this is over."

"Not if I end it first," he remarks, sipping his cup of coffee.

I spin quickly, and the look of horror on my features must have given him some indication as to what I was thinking.

"It was a joke."

"It's not funny," I snap, jerking the mug from his hands and pouring the coffee down the sink. "That stuff is not healthy for you. Get some sleep," I snarl, before slamming the door behind me.

Ass.


I try to avoid shifting my weight back and forth. This is what I hate about being a Guardian.

Standing around.

Queen Vasilisa is currently meeting with several of Lords of the royal families. I cannot remember what the meeting is about, but I stand watch, tuning out any of the words they speak, my mind wandering to Dimitri. Damn it, I hate that.

It's been about a month since I've seen him, I try not to think about him, anyways.

It hurts too much.

No, I don't want to see him, I'm angry as hell, but I'm worried that I haven't heard from him, so I vow to stop by his apartment this evening, even if he does yell at me.

My feet are killing me, and Dimitri's apartment is on the other side of Court, and I'm tempted to just save it for another day. It seems like a long hike, especially since it's pouring outside, just to have Dimitri tell me he's fine and slam the door in my face. But, my worry for him overpowers my annoyance, so I make the treck anyways.

On my way home, I stop at the grocery store, picking up a few fresh items for him, although he'll never thank me for it. But as soon as I reach the door of Dimitri's disgusting apartment building, I have a feeling, deep in my gut, that something's terribly wrong.

Balancing the bags of groceries, I knock on the door once, twice, five times, and still don't receive an answer. "Dimitri? God, Dimitri I know you're in there! Open the door!"

I don't hear footsteps, even a shift of movement, but I hear his croaking voice call out weakly.

"Rose?"

"Dimitri?" I cry, my voice getting high with panic. "Open the door!"

Silence. Then, "I can't, Rose."

I try to tell myself that I'm being overdramatic, that Dimitri just doesn't want to see me, that he's being stubborn. He's Dimitri, after all. But as the seconds pass, I can take it no longer.

"Dimitri?"

No answer.

I set the bags of bread and vegetables on the ground, and then, tensing my body, slam my foot into the lock repeatedly, until the wood splits, the lock giving way, and the door creaking open.

It's so dark that not even my Dhampir eyes can detect anything clearly. Although, threw the flash of lightening every few moments, I can see his form, on the bed, trembling.

I switch on the light, but the damn thing flickers and buzzes, illuminating his terrible apartment only half of the time.

"Dimitri?" I move towards the bed, shaking myself, until I am able to see his tense body. I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, turning him over so I can see his face.

Oh God. His brow is moist with sweat, his skin so pale, he nearly blends into the sheets. He is shivering furiously, tears streaming down his face.

"R... Rose." His voice is so ragged, it sounds as though he hasn't had anything to drink in days. I run over to the kitchen to grab him a glass of water. To my disgust, the taps only spurt out a beige, foggy liquid. Desperately, I dig into my bag, pulling out a water bottle. I press the lid between his lips, and lift his head, allowing him to swallow deeply.

He groans, letting me know he's finished, and I throw the water bottle back into my bag. "Dimitri, God, are you alright?"

He shakes his head furiously, well, as furiously as his weakened state would allow.

"Can I help you with anything?"

He reaches up from his position, head cradled in my lap, and grabs the front of my Guardian's blazer, gripping it in his shaky hands. "Rose, please, you need to help me. Please, I need to get out of bed."

I immediately nod, and carefully assist him in rising from his bed. It's not hard, he's lost an enormous amount of weight.

Once he is raised into sitting position, he begs me to find his shoes.

"Where are we going?"

"Out," he croaks, and I lift the water bottle to his lips once more, knowing he's desperately dehydrated. How long has he been lying there, unable to get up?

I slip each foot into his leather boots, and pull his duster over his thin, trembling frame. With a great tug, I lift him onto his feet. He stumbles, but wraps his arms around my neck, steadying himself. I follow his lead, allowing him to urge me out the door of his apartment. The elevator is old and broken down, so we're forced to take the steps, and by the time we reach the bottom of the staircase, he's already completely exhausted, leaning even more heavily on me for support.

"Dimitri, I don't think is a good idea-"

"Rose, please. Please. I need this." His voice is so pleading and desperate that I nearly burst into tears.

I swallow the thickness in my throat and nod. "Okay, alright. Where are we going?"

He doesn't reply, just continues to stagger off in some unknown direction. Every once in a while, he'll stumble, though I'll catch him, and he'll hold onto me a bit tighter.

It's only when we start heading towards the common area, and away from the infirmary, that I really begin to get worried.

Dimitri, where are we going?"

He doesn't answer, just leads me into one of the main buildings at Court, and down a spiral staircase. It's a grand room, with high ceilings and marble floors, an enormous granite reception desk sitting in the corner. Staggering up to the desk, Dimitri slowly releases me, transferring his weight onto the smooth stone. Although he tries not to depend on me, I still hold onto his hips, wrapping one arm across his waist.

Coughing, Dimitri croaks, "Dimitri Belikov."

The receptionist looks up from her rectangular glasses. "I'm sorry, sir, we're closed for the evening."

He groans, and leans farther back against me. "Please, you don't understand, I haven't... it's been a couple of weeks."

Her eyes widen in shock, and almost...horror, and she hurridly nods. "I'll see what I can do. Please, take a seat while you wait."

Shaking, Dimtri slowly turns, elbows on the desk, supporting himself, and shifts his weight back onto me, his arms wrapping around my neck.

I lead him over to one of the plush, velvet sofas. He sinks into the cushions, and allows me to sit beside him, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Dimitri? What the hell is going on?"

He shakes his head, clearing his dry throat, and I quickly dig the water bottle out of my beg again and allow him to drink. "Are you alright? Does anything hurt? Are you in pain?"

Nodding, Dimitri grips my hand. "My back, my head, my throat, my legs, my stomach. God, everything hurts."

"Do you have any pain medication I can give you?"

He shakes his head. "I got a prescription from the doctor, but I can't afford it."

A tears leaks from the corner of my eye, and I quickly wipe it away. "Dimitri, how long had you been laying there? Before I got to you?"

"I'm not sure," he whispers. "A couple of days?"

I'm about to speak, to utter my apologies for abandoning him, but the next words spoken make the breath rush from my lungs.

"Dimitri Belikov? The feeder will see you now."


Dun duh duh...

So, I know this plot is getting rolling early, but I am planning on making this a shorter story, in my defense :)

Please review, guys!