Chapter Thirty - Close Call

So sorry for not having updated in so long. I've been completely without internet for a week and only had it fitted this morning. Thank you for all the follows and favourites whilst I've been gone, though; your support never ceases to amaze me.

"What have you done with her?" I yelled at the Strigoi, the anger coursing through my veins as I clenched my fists besides me. I stepped towards him threateningly, though he quickly reacted by grabbing my Roza's hair and roughly wrenching her head to the side. The muscles in my back ceased up as I saw the blood flowing freely from her neck, down his hands and pooling at his feet. She wasn't moving, and I couldn't see if her chest was rising and falling from this distant. The fear began to set in.

"I've turned her into one of us." The Strigoi smirked emotionlessly, dropping her body to the floor unkindly. She landed with a crack and a thud, and I recoiled at the sound. A part of me thought I heard a whimper when she hit the ground, but looking at her again her eyes were still closed and her facial expression was unchanged.

I clenched my teeth as I tried not to lash out, looking up at the Strigoi hovering above her. Now Roza was out of his arms, I could see the blood on his shirt and his arms - her blood. His clothes were torn and ripped, and I felt a swell of pride in my stomach at the thought of Roza being the one to cause damage to him.

He seemed oblivious to anything happening around us, including the half a dozen Guardians stood behind me - Alberta had backed up at some point when the Strigoi entered, I'd noticed. He simply watched me with an almost provocative smirk, just daring me to start a fight with him.

So I did.

The moment I started running towards the Strigoi, he bolted to the side, leaving his spot behind Roza. I was glad, because I didn't want to fight around her unconscious body through the fear of accidentally hurting her. I growled as I chased after the Strigoi, managing to weasel my way in front of him. He tried to barrel his way past me with a shoulder check, but he was too small to do much more than just shove me back a couple of inches.

I grabbed him by the arms and threw him as hard as I could in the opposite direction, watching as he flew through the air and hit the wall with a satisfying crack. He was on his feet again by the time I'd stormed over to him, swiping for his chest with my stake. He growled as he used his forearm to block the attack, knocking my arm back. He kicked harshly for the middle of my stomach, and I groaned as I stumbled back several paces.

He was fast to act, sending two consecutive swipes for my neck and head with either arms, but I was quicker, leaning back and successfully evading both attacks. I stepped forwards and raised my leg to knee him powerfully in the side, and he doubled over for a moment in pain. I tried to use this to my advantage as I grabbed his shoulder and threw him down to the floor, thrusting my stake down into his back to hopefully pierce his heart.

But he was fast.

He threw himself up just as I thrust the stake downwards, the point jabbing down through the top of his shoulder. He screamed a deafening scream and threw his body backwards in pain, writhing from the silver entering his body. He tried to throw himself to the side so I couldn't get to his chest, but the pain was winning, and I had pinned him to the floor before he even had a chance to act. He tossed and struggled beneath me, but it was too late. With a triumphant shout I buried the silver stake deep within his chest, almost reveling as I felt his body go limp beneath me.

I was panting heavily as I got to my feet, wiping the blood off from my stake before shoving it back in my duster. I turned around hurriedly in search of Roza, before seeing Alberta and another Mazur Guardian huddled over her body on the opposite side of the room. I was there in an instant, dropping down onto my knees by her head. With a choked sob I pushed her bloodied and filthy hair out from her eyes, tucking it gently behind her ear. "Roza. My strong, brave, brilliant Roza."

The Mazur Guardian had removed his woolen jacket and balled it up, placing it against her neck in an attempt to limit the bleeding. "It just wont stop." He shook his head as he applied pressure to the balled up fabric, looking up between myself and Alberta. "I don't know how to stop the bleeding."

"Bleeding is good." Alberta said hurriedly as she turned Roza's head to the side with two fingers to look at the puncture wound on her neck. "Bleeding means she might not be Strigoi. If she was, it would be healing." At her words I felt the figure on the floor moving, and my heart soared.

It was only minutely, but it was definitely movement. I could see movement behind her eyelids, before they weakly fluttered open. I swear, I'd never been happier to see those gorgeous brown eyes than I was then and there. "Comrade?" She spoke out hoarsely, searching for me.

"I'm here, Roza." I whispered to her, cupping her cheek as she looked up at me. "We're gonna get you to safety."

She nodded at that, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes. "Comrade," her voice was fading away, and it was almost impossible to hear. "I love you."

I don't know how much blood she'd lost by the time we got her to Doctor Abdil back at Abe's compound, but I know that it was a lot. Enough that she probably would have been dead if not for the fact her Dhampir abilities were fighting every inch of the way to keep her alive.

Upon returning we'd found out that Alicia had gotten back safely with the other Guardians, and Pavel had been right about her having a broken leg. It would have to be in a cast for the next day or two, and she had a bandage around her upper arm and shoulder to protect the wound she'd received there, but otherwise she was fine and would live.

Roza, on the other hand. We weren't too sure about.

She'd been in the room with the doctor for almost half an hour, with half a dozen anxious people stood outside waiting for her. I was pacing up and down the hallway, unable to settle my nerves no matter how many times Abe told me to sit down and relax. How could he expect me to relax when the only woman I've ever loved is dying just twenty feet from me?

Eddie Castille was sat on the floor with his back against the wall directly opposite the room Roza was in, and Adrian was lingering not too far away from him on the same side. Some of the Mazur Guardians had grabbed some chairs from the dining hall and placed them besides the door, two of which were occupied by Christian and Lissa as they cuddled close together, the other two with Abe and Janine. Abe had his arm wrapped around her waist, and his other hand was holding hers tightly in her lap. I couldn't help but think it was an odd gesture, considering how long they'd gone without seeing each other, but then I guess the thought of their daughter dying outweighed the dislike they felt for each other.

The sound of a door clicking open alerted everyone, turning to face the doctor who was emerging from Roza's room. Abe unwound his arm from around Janine as he stood and walked towards him. "How is she doing?"

"She's stable, Mr Mazur," Doctor Abdil furrowed his brows, a sure tell that he had bad news to follow. "But she's lost a lot of blood. Too much for her Dhampir abilities to regenerate. We're going to have to have a blood transfusion."

"Then do it." Janine ordered, stepping around Abe to square up to the doctor. "I don't care if you have to get blood from every single person under this roof - just do it! Save my baby girl!" She choked up at the end of her words, and Abe carefully wrapped his hands around her arms to pull her back behind him. He mumbled some comforting words to her, and I saw her nod, before sitting back down in her seat.

"I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy, Miss Hathaway." I narrowed my eyes at him and stepped forwards, eager to hear what he had to say. "Rosemarie has an uncommon blood type that is only compatible with two other blood types, both equally as uncommon. Going through the medical files of everyone in this compound, there are only two people who are compatible." He flicked through the papers I hadn't realised he was holding, before settling his finger at the top of a page. "Eddie Castille and Marvin Karkavitch."

In an instant Eddie was on his feet, standing keenly in front of the doctor. "I'm Eddie Castille." He said almost desperately. "What do you need me to do?" I hadn't even considered that the Mazur Doctor would have the medical files of Roza's friends, before I realised Alberta probably sent them in case anything ever happened to them.

The doctor nodded formally at him, lowering the folder so he could talk to him. "I'm going to need to take some blood from you. More than the standard limit, since that alone would not be enough to recuperate Miss Hathaway, so you may feel dizzy and drowsy afterwards."

"Done." He said immediately with a tone of finality, barely even allowing the doctor to finish his sentence. "Whatever it takes to make sure she's okay."

Again, Doctor Abdil nodded, turning to Abe this time. "I'm going to need Guardian Marvin Karkavitch as well. With the amount from him and Novice Castille, we should have enough to ensure Rosemarie comes through."

Abe then disappeared to go find the Guardian in question, and for the first time in almost a week I felt a weight lift off from my chest. Although Roza was unconscious, they had a plan, a plan that would make sure she was okay. Because if she wasn't okay, then I don't know what I'd do with myself.

I choked back the tears at the thought of losing her as I turned my back on the doctor, just to give myself a moment of composure. I heard footsteps behind me, before surprisingly Lissa spoke up, presumably to the doctor. "Do you think we could see her before the transfusion?"

I turned on my heels at that, equally as eager to see her, but the doctor shook his head with a solemn expression. "I'm afraid that so many visitors before the transfusion may be unsafe for her. Once it is finished, however, you are free to see her."

Abe returned at that moment with a familiar Guardian following close behind. He was tall and large, built up like a tank, with buzzcut blond hair and stern blue eyes. "Mr Karkavitch, I assume?" The Doctor asked upon seeing him, and the Guardian nodded. "I assume Mr Mazur has explained the situation at hand?" Again, a silent nod. "Good. Will both of you young men please follow me, and we will get the procedure started." Doctor Abdil vanished back inside Roza's room, and Guardian Karkavitch followed immediately. Eddie was more unsure, turning to his friends for emotional support.

"Just make sure our Rosie's okay, Castille." Christian said comfortingly, giving his friend a one armed hug. That seemed to settle Eddie's nerves as he nodded, before walking into the room and shutting the door behind him.

It had been a further two hours by the time we saw the doctor again. Eddie and Guardian Karkavitch had appeared an hour before, Castille slightly woozy from the amount of blood they'd taken. Abe and myself thanked the Guardian profusely for his assistant, though he insisted that it was his honour and his duty to help save a fellow Guardian. I smiled at the thought of him considering Roza a fully fledged Guardian, and knew that she would appreciate the sentiment. After that he had gone on his way, back to his daily duties around the compound.

When the doctor had remerged, he'd told us that everything had gone without a hitch, and that Rose was now able to survive without being hooked up to any machines. He'd said he'd keep her breathing through an oxygen mask, though, just in case. After that we were allowed inside, though under strict instructions that we were not to wake her or disturb any of the equipment. "She should wake within the next few hours," he'd said, before disappearing out the room.

It had been almost three hours since we were admitted to see her, now, and nothing of her state had changed. Janine and Abe were sat closely together on one side of her bed with Janine holding her hand tightly, while Lissa, Christian, and Eddie, were sat on the other side.

As much as it killed me, I'd decided to stand on the other side of the room from her, giving her parents and her friends space to see her first before I got all protective over her. As much as my body urged to be near to her, to hold her and to kiss her, I told myself that it could wait.

Adrian wandered up besides me where I was leaning against the wall with my arms folded, matching my stance from where he stood next to me. His gaze fixated on Roza's, much like my own. "She's a fighter." He said out of nowhere, loud enough for me to hear but quiet enough that the others couldn't. "Any other Dhampir in her position probably would have died from the amount of blood she'd lost. But not Rose."

"No, never Rose." I shook my head as I agreed with him, a small smile on my lips as I looked at my love. The blood had all been washed off from her neck and body, though her hair was still matted with blood and dirt. I mentally made a note to ask the doctor if she could be washed and bathed when she woke up, knowing she'd appreciate it.

"She's lucky to have you, Dimitri." I felt Adrian's gaze on me, and I shifted to glance down at him. For once he seemed genuine in his words, a softness in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. He didn't have as deep circles beneath his eyes as he usually did, and I wondered if that meant he'd stopped drinking as harshly since Roza was captured. "I know that you'd do absolutely anything for her, and the lengths you went to save her just shows that."

He leaned up of the wall and took my hand in his, shaking it firmly. I laughed softly, wrapping an arm around him in a brotherly hug. He smiled at the gesture, and I nodded a confirmation of acquaintance. "I'm still pissed at you for trying to steal my girl back at Christmastime, though." I told him jokingly, and he chuckled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

I heard movement from the other side of the room as we pulled away which alerted my attention. I looked up over at the bed where Roza laid, hearing soft whimpering coming from her. "I think she's waking up." Abe explained, and I found myself subconsciously moving to stand at the very end of her bed.

Her chest was convulsing and the whimpers were becoming louder and more panicked. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to hold her to me, whispering soothing words to her in hopes that it would calm her down. But with an audience that included both her parents, I couldn't exactly do that. Instead I just helplessly watched as her mother ran her hand through her hair, whispering to her in what sounded like it might have been Gaelic.

Eventually her whimpering stopped, and her body relaxed against the bed. The room was still for a moment, and I let out a sigh of relief as she settled. I heard Janine laugh at something, and watched as she rest her head against Abe's chest. "I swear that girl does nothing but give me heart attacks." She said, and the room let out a chorus of laughter.

I watched Roza carefully, and even from where I stood I could see movement behind her eyelids. She turned her head in her sleep, and a small murmur left her lips. Janine reacted immediately once again, placing her hand on the top of her daughter's head as she ran it down her hair. She mumbled again, and it sounded like she was actually trying to speak. The oxygen mask across her mouth muffled her noises even futher. I could see her chest rising and falling at a faster pace as her breathing quickened, and I could have sworn I saw her eyes flutter open for a split second.

Then her eyes really did open, although barely. She looked dazed and confused as she stared up at the ceiling, her eyes searching for something. Her hand weakly went up to the mask across her face, and it looked like she'd wanted to tug it off, but she was too weak to do much more than rest her hand on top of it. She dropped her head to the side again and sighed, eyes drooping shut again.

"Dimitri..."