Being in a coma sucks. I should know. I'm in one. Or, at least, that's what the doctors are explaining to everyone that comes by. But, honestly, if I were in a coma, wouldn't I be, like, in my own world? I can hear everything people are saying. I just can't talk or see or move. I know, how great does that sound?

It gets interesting when people come along. I've had a lot of visitors. Lissa, who has only came basically every single day. I am her best friend. Christian comes with her some of the time. He never says anything though. I think he usually just sits around and waits, while Lissa holds my hand and encourages me to get better, sometimes for hours on end. I think he feels bad about everything that's been happening. But who am I to judge? I don't know what goes on in Christian's head. He could silently love every minute of my absence.

When I heard the door of the room open, I expected Lissa and Flame Boy. That's not what I got.

"Right this way." The nurse said. "I have to tell you, I wouldn't expect anything more than her body. She won't respond. Not unless a miracle came along."

"Thank you. I will take it from here." The woman said. I recognized her voice, and the hairs on the nape of my neck stood up on end. What was she doing here? I mean, she wasn't a bad person, but I knew that she wouldn't just come to visit me. That wouldn't be like her. Especially after the last little stunt Adrian and I pulled with the party of the dead.

Standing, maybe five feet in front of me, was Daniella Ivashkov.

"So… The great Rose Hathaway is in the hospital, huh? You actually got shot? Rose, I'm sorry, but I expected more of you." She said it with almost an evil, smug tone.

What the heck? What was her problem? I thought she liked me.

"Yes, I expected you to fail, but I didn't expect you to fall this hard." She gave out a hardy, totally evil laugh. "There is a war going on, Hathaway. You can't just jump in front of guns to save co-workers. It simply isn't done. You could have done us some good. But, instead, you go and kill yourself."

I was getting angrier and angrier. Who did she think she was? I wanted to go up and smack her. Was that a good idea? Probably not. I didn't care.

"If you do make it out of this alive, which I'm highly doubting, I think that you'll realize that the Moroi come first. They always have and always will. Don't go th-"

"I think you need to leave." Said my savior, and hers too. I wanted to hurt her. The Dhamphir people are just as, if not more important than the Moroi people. "You have said enough to this poor girl, even if she is not able to hear you. I know she would not appreciate these unkind words you are speaking." He said. And I realized; my savior came with a Russian accent.

"You do not control where I am and what I do, Sir. If you don't mind me saying, you interrupted me. I do not appreciate that. When I am done speaking to Rosamarie, you can have her."

There was a pause. It felt like hours as opposed to seconds. I would have held my breath, but I was on a ventilator, so it would have been impossible. Finally, there was a sliding of the door. One of them had left.

Someone grabbed my hand. It was big and calloused. God, I hope it was Dimitri.

"Please, Rose. Don't let her get you down. I heard what she said. She was horrible. But, in some ways, I agree with her. You are such a special guardian. You don't need to waste it on me. There will be others like me."

"No!" I screamed at him. "There will never be anyone like you. You're amazing. I love you." I wanted to tell him that. But what can you do?

"I just can't see you give away everything you've worked for. You deserve it."

So did he. Hell, he deserved it ten times more than I did.

"To… to be honest with you, I'm still never going to get over what I did to you when I was Strigoi. I hate thinking about it. And, to tell you the truth, I took your place in the murder because I thought that we might be even afterwards. I just- I hate it. I know you don't think that any of that matters, but there has to be some part of you that hates me for it, no matter how small it may be. I know that that part of you will never get over that. I will never forgive myself for it." He was starting to get choked up. I had never seen Dimitri cry. "With that, I have to say that you are the bravest person I know. You actually came to Russia to kill me; something that I wanted. You almost did it too. Just not far enough into my chest." He paused, like he was wondering what to say next. "You know, I still have a scar from it. It crosses the one Lissa made. I know it sounds stupid, but I kind of think of it as a Molnija tattoo. You know, like slaying an inner Strigoi." He chuckled to himself. "Yes. It sounds stupid out loud. What I've been trying to get at with this conversation, or lecture, whichever you would rather call it, is that…" He paused again. " You know? I don't think there was a point to that. I guess I just had things to get off my chest."

There wasn't anything I could really say. He had rendered me speechless. That's not normal.

I swear, when he touched my face, he was wiping away my tears.