So many reviews! Goodness! How many did I get for the last chapter? Something like 16 or 17? I'm really quite shocked :D Thank you so much :D
Be grateful, by the way. I'm opting to write this as opposed to doing chemistry homework.
A few days later, I was told that Valik's condition had been stabilised; no word, yet, on Anton. I was also told that Valik wanted to see me, immediately.
"Yes, Rose, I am annoyed," he told me in a scarily calm voice, when I entered the room. The lighting was dim, and I could see him on the bed, sitting up, and watching me. "I'm annoyed that you weren't here to carry out your duty to help and protect the Moroi, because of your own selfishness. But more than that, I'm disappointed." It was one of those kinds of situations, that when you got caught in them, you couldn't stop thinking about how much easier the whole exchange would be if he was absolutely furious and raging, and wouldn't stop yelling at you. I generally preferred that to the 'I'm disappointed' talk, any day of the week.
I sat there, though, and endured, and half an hour later, he'd worn the topic out, and sat back, tired.
"How are you feeling?" I asked. I made the guilt in my voice quite evident, and he noticed it, and cracked a smile.
"Hey, cheer up, Rose. I'll be fine. I guess I went a bit over the top with the lecture, didn't I? It's just... we lost. I got hurt; Anton got really hurt. And... we lost. We don't lose. We don't like losing." I nodded, sympathetically. "So... where were you?"
Considering how, five minutes ago, he'd been ranting on like there was no tomorrow in his disappointed voice, I decided against telling him about my visit to Arine. He wouldn't approve, I was sure. I shrugged.
"I needed a bit of time to myself," I told him. He bowed his head.
"I can understand how you might feel you need that. We've been a bit... overprotective." He yawned, then.
"You should rest," I chastised. "Why didn't you say you were tired?" He grinned.
"What are you, my mother?"
Valik froze, biting his lip. His eyes glassed over.
"Do me a favour?" he asked. "Go check in on Anton for me." Then he looked away towards the window. Sighing softly, I left him.
Thinking about it, though, I'd never seen Valik's mother, apart from in the photos in Nadejda's house. She looked pretty young in those photos, though, and considering how old Valik was, I guessed she was probably quite a bit older, now. But... what confused me was, where was she? Yelizaveta and Nadejda lived together, so why wasn't she with them?
It dawned on me that something might have happened to her. That would explain Valik's expression. A wave of sadness swept over me, as I neared Anton's room.
None of the nurses were there to stop me at the door, so I went in. Anton was lying motionless on the bed. I cast a careful glance at him as I sat down on the visitor's chair by the end of the bed. His face looked paler than usual (and I wasn't sure how that was actually possible) and very gaunt. His skin also had several thread-like scars running across it, which hadn't been there before.
His hands were bandaged up. I wondered what on earth had happened to them, suddenly feeling terrible for not being there to help him. And, the worst part was, considering he wasn't even conscious right now, these injuries weren't the only thing that was wrong with him. What else? The possibilities reeled through me head, each making me feel fainter and fainter.
"Rose?" I jumped at the sound of my voice being said, and glanced about nervously. Then I realised who had spoken.
"You're awake!" I squeaked. Anton looked up, hesitantly.
"So I am. How long have I been asleep?"
"Few days," I mumbled.
"Jeez. What the hell happened?"
"I dunno."
"'Course you don't. You weren't there."
There was a sort of awkward silence. I ran a hand through my hair nervously.
"So where were you?"
"I needed time to think," I lied. Anton sighed.
"Sure." He replied.
"You're mad at me, aren't you?" I asked in a small voice. He sighed again.
"No, I'm not. But I'd really prefer that you didn't lie."
I didn't say anything to that. Nor did he. We sat in silence for a bit, and then the nurse came and shooed me out. He shot me a pleading look before I left, and said,
"When you're ready to tell the truth, Rose, come visit me?"
I simply nodded, unable to reply.
IT'S MY BRTHDAY TOMORROW! And I know it was a terribly short chapter (it was bound to be; it's a filler), but here's my birthday wish:
Please, please, please review? :P