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Rose POV

I felt warm. It stood out as strange to me because the last time I felt aware of myself, I was in pain. The memories of when I woke up in the hospital, I was always cold and sterile.

I woke up warm and comfortable. A thick blanket covered me, pulled up to my chin; the pillow felt like a cloud compared to what the hospital had. Even the bed was far better than I remembered. Abe must have pulled some serious strings to put me in a nice room. That or I was committed to the expensive psychiatric hospital in the city.

The soft wisp of a page being turned drew my attention. Though I was awake, I hadn't opened my eyes; they felt too heavy, and I didn't want to break the illusion of my comfort. I feared what I would find when I did.

Had I been committed?

Was I locked up in a room with cuffs attached to the bed?

My memory after reaching the hospital was cloudy—flashes of my father and Dimitri mainly. In the small moments I could remember, I wasn't lucid enough to see Mason; I was both upset and grateful about that. If I couldn't see Mason, then I couldn't see the other ghosts who walked those halls.

It took a few minutes for me to build the courage to open my eyes; it was so bright in the room. On the third attempt, I managed to open my eyes enough to look around. I definitely wasn't in the hospital anymore. I recognised the dark wood walls but couldn't place them. The source of the light came from the window opposite me, the silk curtains drawn back to let the sunlight in.

"He's turning too fast for me."

"Learn to read faster."

I recognised those bickering voices instantly. I turned my head and was greeted by three people; Abe sat in an armchair with a book in hand, Mason hovering behind him, and Ivan reclined in the chair beside them. It was one of the strangest sights.

Ivan and Mason weren't clear, a haze to them; I had to squint to see them properly. Abe turned another page, and Mason groaned.

I eyed the book title and huffed; it would have been a laugh if it didn't hurt so much. "Are you planning a great escape?" I drew three sets of eyes.

"Kiz," Abe grinned and laid the book down as he stood. He crossed the room to me with one hand in his pants pocket, and the other resting on the bed's headboard. "How are you feeling?"

I licked my lips and took a slow breath. "Tired. Thirsty. A little pain," I listed. I didn't move much; if just deep breaths hurt, I wasn't attempting anything else. "Where are we?"

Abe cocked his head. "Home. I decided to set you up in the spare room because they recommended avoiding stairs for a while."

Home? I took in the room again and realised he was right. I was home. "How did you get me out?" I thought my runaway would be the final nail in the coffin, and I would be locked up and drugged up.

His brow creased, and a deep frown tugged at the corners of his lips. "You don't remember—Guess I shouldn't be surprised. It took some convincing, but I got the hospital to release you after three days. It might have been against medical advice, and it would have been sooner if they didn't push for a seventy-two-hour hold." He dragged a hand through his hair, eyes holding mine, "You haven't been taking your meds."

"I don't like what they do to me," I replied honestly.

"I don't like it either." He drew back, "I'm going to find you a new therapist—one that actually does their job correctly—and I have hired a nurse to help take care of you for the time being."

"A nurse? I don't need–" Abe cut me off with a look.

"You were hit by a car, Rose. I might have gotten you out of the hospital, but you still need to be monitored."

I frowned. If they explained my injuries to me before, I couldn't remember it. The blanket hid most of me, but I could see that it laid strangely over my legs. The brief memory of the ambulance and being told my leg was hurt returned.

Fuck.

I tried to move, and I discovered that the pain was even worse. My calf felt sore, and even a wiggle of my toes sent a shot of pain through me. I became aware of more aches, including how my forehead stung if I squeezed my eyes too tight. Then, I saw the cast on my arm; I wasn't willing to try moving my fingers. It was my dominant hand—that strangely upset me more than anything else.

The fact I got hit by a car took a second to settle—it sounded crazy. I bet others saw it that way too. They didn't understand why I did it.

"Was the girl okay?" I asked. Abe was confused, but then his eyes lit up.

"The one you pushed out of the way? She's fine. Her mother was at the hospital and asked how you were; that was how we found out why you ran into the road. I appreciate that my daughter is a hero, but I wish it didn't cause you to get hurt." His tone was proud, a smile on his lips despite the bleak look in his eyes. "I'm not fond of receiving the call that you've been injured."

"I don't like it either," I replied wryly.

"Let's agree not to have any more for a while," he proposed with a soft look; emotions wavered in his eyes, and a tightness around the corners of his mouth—I think I scared him. Memories of him by my bedside were hazy, but I remembered him holding my hand. It was comforting—I felt safe.

The same with Dimitri.

A painful emotion twisted in my chest. Dimitri saw my reaction to the ghosts and saw them drug me. If he didn't think I was crazy before, he would after that.

An expression must have crossed my face that Abe mistook for pain. "I'll let Sonya know you are awake. She'll get you something." He stepped out of the room before I could say anything.

It left me alone with Mason and Ivan, who had both been silent. I tried not to focus on them, the blurriness gave me a headache—they were just out of reach.

"Do you think she can see us yet?" Ivan asked.

Mason stepped closer, "I don't know. It's been a while since she was on that stuff." His hand hovered by my shoulder but drew back before touching me.

"I can see you," I responded with a half smile. "You're fuzzy, but I can see you."

"Thank fuck," Mason groaned, "I've been stuck alone with this guy for almost a week. Did you know he will speak Russian just to be a dickhead? He pretends he can't speak English!"

"I don't know how she has put up with you for years," Ivan shot back, "I would rather spend time with Emre if he weren't yelling all the time."

I started to laugh, cutting the sound off with a soft moan. "Depending on the painkillers they give me, you two might have to put up with each other for a bit longer. I don't know if they are going to give me my other stuff as well," I sighed. The clarity I felt was likely brief. Abe said I would have a new therapist, but who knew what they would prescribe, and the nurse would make sure I took them.

"Just pain meds for now," Mason assured me quickly, "I listened to their conversation. Your dad told Dimitri he didn't want you on anything else for now."

My face dropped. "Dimitri's still here?" I glanced at Ivan, I should have guessed he would be. Dimitri had been at my bedside, I couldn't remember what he said, just his presence beside me.

"He's not going anywhere," Ivan mused. He and Mason shared a look, and Mason blanched.

"Yeah. There's something I need to tell you–"

Mason was interrupted by a tall woman walking into my room. Glided would be a better word, she moved so gracefully in her flower-patterned dress. Her soft features were surrounded by a tangle of auburn curls. "Rose," she greeted with a sweet smile and soft voice, "I'm glad you are awake. Your father mentioned you were in pain."

She went up to a set of drawers on wheels, angling it towards the bed as she searched through them. I took in the equipment I hadn't noticed; an IV stand sat beside the bed, the long tube wrapped over the hook. I felt the pull of tape on the back of my hand; the needle must still be in. "I guess you're the nurse," I mumbled.

"My name is Sonya," she replied as she worked, "and I am." She spun with a needle in her hand that made me wince. "It will help with the pain. I read through your doctor's notes; no walking for a week, and then we can ease you back into walking on that ankle. But it's safe to say, you and I will be seeing each other a lot for the next few weeks."

I pulled a face. "Yay."

Sonya laughed, amused by my lacklustre response. "Don't worry, Rose. I won't be like the others. You're special, I can see that."

"Special? That's a nice way to put it."

"Am I wrong?"

I eyed her, a little put off by the look on her face—like she knew something. "Others would say troubled."

She tutted, shifting the blanket back to expose my arm; she was gentle as she cleaned a spot with a wipe and injected the meds. "Others just can't see what you can, that doesn't make you troubled—it makes you special."

The injection hurt, but I was distracted by her words. "What do you mean?"

Sonya ignored my question, spinning on her heel again, muttering words under her breath. "I'm going to get you something to eat, try not to fall asleep."

Again, I was left alone in the room. "She's weird," I whispered to Mason. Whatever she gave me worked quickly, spreading through my system and easing my pain. I looked over at Mason as he slowly faded out again. "Stay close?"

He smiled, though it lacked any warmth. "Always."

I was right—Sonya was weird. Mason commented on it, wondering if she was all there when she would talk to herself, but I couldn't pass any judgment on that. She never made mention of my being special again, and I didn't have the energy to question it. I had a terrible track record with mentioning ghosts and didn't want to deal with another fallout—which brought me to Dimitri.

After I woke up, he tried approaching me with a hopeful smile and offering brownies. I just ignored him. I knew Dimitri forgave me for mentioning Ivan, and I forgave him for his reaction. I gladly gave it, but I still couldn't act the same around him. Dimitri would never believe me, and I understood that now.

I swore never to bring up ghosts around him again.

After what happened at the hospital—Dimitri witnessed what would have looked like a complete breakdown from me—I couldn't let my guard down around him.

He was still my bodyguard, but that was all he could be. Dimitri wasn't my friend, and I had to stop pretending he was.

I spent two weeks confined to the house, either in my bed or on the couch. The times I did move, it was with a crutch. I didn't break my leg, but the bone was bruised badly and I had a badly sprained ankle. I only left the house for doctor appointments, and to test out a new therapist. I never thought I would miss Deirdre. While I hated her with a burning passion, we had developed a habit of me sitting there and not saying much. The new one kept trying to make me talk.

To say I was in a bad mood was an understatement.

My pain was bearable enough that I could manage it with normal painkillers, and with the cast on my wrist replaced with a brace and my ankle healing, I didn't need Sonya's help anymore. The day they gave me the brace, she declared her work done and wished me luck in the future.

I finally gained back my minimum privacy and a small amount of independence.

I sat on the couch in the sunroom, watching the snow fall outside, while old Christmas music played on Abe's record player. It was an attempt to get me into the Christmas mood, but none of it worked.

I was nearing my anniversary of seeing ghosts—the same day Mason died.

The weight of a gaze burned into the back of my head, but I didn't turn to look at them. Dimitri was always hovering. It was like when he first started, and we spent most of the day in silence. Only he kept trying to start a conversation.

"Are you hungry, Rose?"

I didn't look at him. I never met his eyes anymore. "No."

He shuffled on the spot, the floor creaking. "You need to eat something with the painkillers," he reminded me gently.

"I don't need one," I lied, hoping that would be enough to make him stop. Relief washed over me when his steps moved away, but it was short-lived when another took his place.

"You need to eat, Kiz," Abe repeated, though he put on a stern tone. I was sure if I looked he would be attempting a fatherly glare.

I hugged the pillow to my chest and dropped my chin to rest on it. "I don't want to take anything."

"Rose–"

"Stop," I snapped, climbing off the couch as quickly as I could with my injuries. "I'm going to bed," I muttered as I pushed past my father; I didn't even glance at Dimitri.

Despite being able to climb the stairs again, I continued to sleep in the spare room on the first floor. It was too much effort to climb the stairs, and I wasn't going to ask for help. I slammed the bedroom door behind me and limped to my bed. The curtains were opened, and enough light shined in for me to find my way in the dark; I laid on the bed and continued to watch the snow drift down.

Abe sighed outside my door, the deep tone full of disappointment. "I don't know what to do," he admitted.

There was a beat of silence, and then Dimitri spoke, "I might have a suggestion."

My father had to be desperate, and I was withdrawn enough not to put up much of a fight when I discovered what Dimitri's suggestion was. I curled my fingers around my seatbelt, staring at Abe as he waved at us with a forced smile. He didn't believe the plan would work but had no other ideas.

"How long is the flight?" I questioned, wondering what I had gotten myself into. Dimitri glanced at me from the passenger seat; Pavel drove and kept eyeing me in the rearview mirror.

"It's a four-hour flight and then an hour's drive," Dimitri explained; he held more hope for the plan working. "You'll like it there, Rose, and my family is looking forward to meeting you."

I scoffed. Right. I was sure his family were jumping for joy to meet the crazy rich girl he watched like a nanny.

Whatever Abe was drinking that made him agree to the plan, I wanted some. In what world did the best way to cheer me up involve taking me to a small town I had never been to, with a family I'd never met, for their Christmas celebration?

Despite how much I hated the thought of it, I was doomed to spend the next two weeks with Dimitri and his family.

Things really couldn't get worse.

I really shot myself in the foot with attempting to post daily...especially during the holidays. Work is killer, and I'm still not 100%, and today was my husband's birthday, so we had a busy weekend.

Let's go with I'm going to try for daily, but I might skip a day here or there. :)

I apologise again for any medical stuff I get wrong. Let's all agree to blame google if there's mistakes :3