A/N: I was so happy to see all the reviews! Thank you to all those who reviewed, especially vampirefan101, who I recently found out was my best friend and bond mate :D
Also, in case you wanted to know, Richelle Mead is releasing the first chapter of Last Sacrifice on her book's website on November 29th, I can't wait :)
On with Chapter 21…..
I really meant what I said too. I wasn't going to leave.
Fuck Alberta.
Fuck the Russian job.
Dimitri needed me and I would be here as long as he needed me.
I sat with Dimitri, stroking his face and examining his wounds, which sounds pretty weird but I was trying to figure out how he was shot. I would talk to him too, even though he couldn't answer. I told him about Giorgio, explaining in detail how I was trying to think of a nickname for him like Dimitri's Comrade. I told him how I met Denis again and about the Strigoi invasion that had occurred a few days before. I shared my worry that there were still too many of them alive with him. I knew he could hear me because whenever I got emotional about something, his heart rate would double. That made me smile, even though it wasn't a very good thing. It meant that he still cared about me. Even in a coma, he worried about me. I always tried to avoid the subject of why he was in this situation, because whenever I mentioned his wounds or anything relating to the incident, his heart rate really did reach worrying highs. It was almost his means of communication. Good old Dimitri, making the best out of everything. Making a heart rate monitor a communication device seemed to be second nature to him. I laughed to myself as I wondered how on earth you could raise your own heart rate to orchestrate meaning. Then I remembered it was Dimitri; Dimitri could do anything.
I regretted thinking that.
Suddenly, my mind was swarmed by sad and suspicious thoughts. Who would shoot him? Why? Was it because he wouldn't say that he didn't love me anymore? Why was that so important?
I tried to push out all those horrible thoughts. I could ask Dimitri who it was when he had woken up. He'd help us. I also found out that he had been reinstated as a guardian in my absence. He was Guardian Belikov again, at long last. I teased him saying that I would call him that, as well as Comrade. I knew he'd hate that. I longed for him to just sigh and open his eyes. I could just picture it. He'd roll his eyes and mutter,
'Oh Roza…'
But he didn't.
He wouldn't for some time. Doctor Olendski said that he might experience breathing and respiratory problems after he'd woken up. But Dimitri was a strong individual and I knew that wouldn't happen to him. After a few moments of comfortable silence, where I just stroked his hair lovingly, I reached the 'bad subject'. But then again, I'm sure he knew it was coming, he knew me after all.
'I am so sorry… I didn't move on… I could never move on. I just didn't want you to lose a job opportunity because of a stupid girl like me…' I sighed and let go of his hand, resting my hand on the bed near his. The heart rate monitor bleeped and I laughed bitterly,
'Let me guess. You're trying to say Roza, shut up?' I guessed and his heart rate slowed again. I began to withdraw my hand off the bed, when his fingers twitched. I jumped up so quickly that my chair fell over and made a loud clatter as it fell to the floor. I grabbed his hand back and sat on the side of his bed, careful not to dislodge any IVs. I kissed his lips,
'OMG! You so just moved… hey, have you just been pissing me off with the whole heart rate monitor thing, when you could have just moved your fingers instead?'
No response.
'Oh right… Ermm.. move your index finger for yes and your ring finger for no. Same question.' I smiled and he raised his index finger.
'You're so mean. I was worried you'd be paralysed or something. But you were indeed covering up the fact that you could move your fingers. Anything else you can move?'
He lifted his index finger.
'Oh? Where?' I asked, confused. He opened his eyes,
'Two places actually. Wanna take a guess?' he whispered, grinning. I glared at him,
'You made me look like a retard. How long have you been awake?' I sighed, smiling and swatting him gently on his arm. He shrugged and I moved so he could sit up. He wasn't wearing a shirt and I only realised that I was staring at his beautifully sculpted muscles when he waved a hand in front of my face.
'Hello?' he grinned and pulled my face towards his, kissing me sweetly. I sighed happily, taking pleasure in the feel of his body near mine. Sadly, he pulled back and settled just for an arm around my waist.
'Do you promise that you'll stay this time?' he asked, frowning ever so slightly. His eyes portrayed hope, yet pain, most likely from the last time I left. I almost shed a few tears from his weak expression,
'Of course.' I spoke before I could consider my words. His smile intensified and before I knew it, I was being consumed by a passionate kiss. The intense passion I felt for him was taking me over and soon it bubbled over and I was on top of him, kissing down his chest.
And the best thing was that he didn't stop me.
What did though, was Doctor Olendski as she walked in.
I froze and jumped off the bed, offering Dimitri my hand,
'He's awake?' she asked, shocked and I nodded. Dimitri took my hand and stood up beside me. She approached us and felt Dimitri's neck glands.
'You don't feel any pain?' she asked incredulously. He nodded,
'I can feel the wound, but it's….. it's bearable.' Dimitri smiled. Would he ever learn to admit that he was in pain?
'Can we go now, Doctor?' I asked, impatiently and Dimitri laughed softly, leaning down and whispering in my ear,
'Roza, shut up…' I looked up at him and failed, yet again, to raise my eyebrow. He grinned,
'Oh so you heard that?'
'Yup. You're just so beautiful when you're being compassionate. I might try and be ill more.' Dimitri grinned and I swatted his arm again,
'You will not. You almost gave me a bloody heart attack. Besides, you're still hurt. Where does it hurt, just out of interest?' Doctor Olendski was ignoring our ramblings while she was studying the readings from the monitors.
'Everywhere, really, but don't worry about it.' Doctor Olendski looked up when he said this,
'Were you in pain a lot? Your heart rate was spiked up everywhere!' she said, shocked. Dimitri glanced at me and we both stifled laughter. She seemed to understand and she smiled to herself, returning to studying the readings.
'Come on, Dimitri. Let's go.' I took his hand and he reached for his shirt which was on a shelf that was about a foot higher than me. I watched him as he took it from the ledge. He saw my look and questioned it,
'How come you're so tall? It's unfair.' I pouted and he rolled his eyes. He put his shirt back on and we walked to my room. Once we had walked in, I sat on my bed, while he made a drink. When he returned, I spoke,
'Okay. You know what we're going to talk about. What happened?' and that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a Russian squirm.
A/N: I couldn't leave Dimitri comatose for too long! Review please :)
xxxx
BelikovsRoza1697