Dimitri POV
My heart felt heavy as I slowly approached the ambulances, where medics were attending to the guardians who had endured a week of torture. I clenched my fists nervously as I watched Rose being promptly taken in by the medics after I had escorted her here. I had to help apprehend the perpetrators, whom we had rather roughly loaded, bound, into the van. My blood boiled at the thought of what they had done to my Rose.
She sat on the edge of the ambulance, tense, pale, and slightly shaken, but she didn't appear to be physically hurt. Her jeans were dirty and torn, and her hair falling to her shoulders was disheveled. Dark bruises stood out beneath her eyes, and her face was tense. I carefully scanned her, searching for injuries, but found none. When she saw me, she reached out her hand, and I took it as I moved closer.
"How are you feeling? Is everything okay?" I asked worriedly. She showed no signs of pain, but something in her eyes told me that something was wrong. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, and she hugged me back, still sitting. She trembled all over her body under my arms.
"I'm fine," she muttered without looking at me, just pressing her face into my duster, clasping her arms around me as if she was trying to hide from the whole world. I pulled her to me even tighter. I looked at the medic standing next to her, hoping he would answer me some more. The medic was busy writing observations but nodded his head.
"It's true, Hathaway's fine and there is no need for her to come back to the hospital with us. But as I said, Rose, after such an experience it is worthwhile for you to talk to our specialist psychologist."
"I know the drill," she muttered, continuing not to tear her face from my duster. I gently squeezed her shoulders in support and began to softly stroke them.
"Is there something I should pay attention to?" I asked, drawing her even closer to me and holding her head right next to me. The medic thought about it and shook his head.
"Not really. As always, you should watch to see if her condition worsens and get her to the medics if necessary. Just take good care of her."
Rose snorted quietly, but I nodded, taking the task with the utmost seriousness. Nothing was as important to me, not after a week of relentlessly looking for her. I allowed myself to close my eyes and feel her warm, familiar body in my arms. I kissed the top of her head as a powerful wave of relief surged through my body. I was finally able to breathe.
I helped her up, and we walked slowly to the car, her body still close to mine. Yet there was something in her demeanor that made my heart tighten with worry. Her sad, frightened eyes, the way she tried to melt into my arms, and her silence.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, halting our steps, but before I could finish, she shook her head firmly and gestured towards the many guardians walking the grounds.
"Not here," she said softly. Her words did nothing to ease my anxiety."
They can wait," I said, gently stroking her cheek. I frowned, noticing her skin felt rougher and more fragile than usual. She shook her head, snuggling into my hand.
"I want to go home," she whispered so faintly that I immediately led her to the car, tightening my grip on her shoulders.
On the way back, she stayed silent and withdrawn, clinging to my arm. I traced circles on her hand to reassure her, but my fears for her only grew. I desperately wanted to talk to her, but I wasn't going to push her into anything she wasn't ready for.
When we stepped into the house, she froze, as though she didn't know what to do next. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and kissed her temple.
"You okay?" I whispered, stopping my lips close to her skin. She nodded but said nothing. I couldn't help but notice how tense she was in my arms, or how tightly she gripped my shoulders. "How about you take a bath while I make something to eat?" I suggested. Rose nodded again.
"Okay," she replied quietly and headed for the bathroom. I watched her walk away, silently praying I could help her somehow.
I started preparing dinner, but tension gnawed at me. I couldn't focus on even the simplest tasks, consumed by thoughts of what was going through her mind. We still didn't know what methods the torturers had used, and the mere thought made my hands tremble with rage. I wished I could get my hands on them the moment we captured them, but I forced myself to focus on Rose and getting her out of there as quickly as possible.
Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed how much time had passed until the silence struck me — it had gone on for too long.I couldn't hear the shower running, nor any other sign of her in the bathroom. My heart leapt into my throat as I walked to the door and knocked.
"Rose?" Fear clouded my mind with every second of silence. "Rose, are you okay?"
Silence. Fear quickly turned to panic.
"Rose, I'm coming in," I called out, and gave her a solid second to respond. When she didn't, I pushed the door open and forced my way in. My heart nearly shattered at the sight before me."
Rose was sitting on the cold tiles, hugging her knees so tightly it looked painful. She was only in her black bra and panties, the rest of her clothes discarded on the floor. Her head was buried between her knees, and her body trembled with silent sobs she tried to hold back.
In an instant, I was kneeling beside her, cradling her face gently in my hands.
"Rose!" I said, my voice trembling with unmasked fear. I gently wiped the tears streaming down her face with my thumbs.
"It's all right," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. I examined her closely, searching for any injuries, but found none.
"Roza," I said softly, my voice filled with desperation. I kept wiping her tears with one hand while gently wrapping my other arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"
Rose swallowed hard, and I felt her body shudder.
"It's so stupid," she finally whispered. I pulled her closer, resting my forehead against hers.
"It's not stupid at all," I said firmly, stroking her shoulders, back, and neck, wherever I could reach. "Please, tell me," I pleaded. I kissed her forehead, her head, and her face, as I begged her until she finally relaxed and began to speak.
"Their preferred method... of extracting information…" she glanced at me briefly. Even though I tensed, I tried not to let it show, wanting her to continue. I vowed to avenge her suffering once she was alright. "...was waterboarding."
I froze. Every muscle in my body was so tense I feared I might snap. Fury surged through me, but I forced myself to remain calm to let her continue. Rose took a shuddering breath and continued:
"They bound our arms and legs and put our heads in pools of water, face down, of course." She trembled more violently, so I held her closer. "I knew it would be painful, but... I didn't expect this. They held us until we were gasping for breath, drowning. I couldn't move or breathe, no matter how desperately I struggled against my bonds. They pulled us out only when we lost consciousness, and we woke up gasping for air on the ground. Then they dragged us back in, over and over, until I couldn't even remember my name. I didn't tell them anything, but... I thought I was going to die in that water," a single tear fell from her eye, which I wiped away with my trembling hand. "And I know it's stupid and that I'm safe now, but just the thought of taking a shower... I can't, Dimitri. I just can't."
I held her close, and she clung to me, finally relaxing her tense arms. She nestled against me, and I embraced her tightly, gently rocking her.
"This isn't stupid, Roza. I'm so sorry that you had to go through this and that we didn't find you sooner. They will pay for everything, I promise you."
"I'm a guardian. I'm supposed to be all strong and tough, but the idea of taking a shower has me completely paralyzed," she snorted her voice trembling.
"You are the strongest person I know," I said firmly, catching her gaze. She had to know that I was telling the truth. "And that has nothing to do with it."
Rose sniffed once more and snuggled closer. I held her in my arms, kissing her hair. She relaxed, letting her entire weight rest on me. She tucked her head into the crook of my neck and breathed deeply, letting her tears soak into my shirt. Once she had calmed down a bit, I whispered, "You don't have to force yourself to do anything. I can bring you clean pajamas."
Rose wrinkled her nose.
"It's just that I'd like to wash it all off."
"In that case, I can help you," I offered gently. She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and hesitation. "I can stay by your side and control the flow of water if you'd like."
Rose glanced at the tub, and a powerful shudder shook her. To my surprise, she nodded, willing to give it a try.
She couldn't control her trembling as I helped her into the tub. Her body quivered when she saw me reach for the shower head, and my heart clenched in sympathy.
"I'll turn the water on to a low stream, but maybe you'd like to keep your hand on the knob so you can turn it off whenever you need to?" I suggested gently. Rose inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, trying to stave off a panic attack. She nodded, and as I adjusted the water to a low pressure, Rose gripped the knob tightly. I made sure the temperature was comfortable, but Rose still trembled violently as the water began to flow under her toes.
"Don't worry, it's all right," I murmured reassuringly. "Now I'm going to start with your feet, okay?"
Rose nodded, so I gently directed the stream to her legs. She began to breathe faster, so I paused to give her time to calm down. I whispered softly, blending Russian and English until I heard her exasperated sigh.
"This is so embarrassing," she groaned. I shook my head.
"Says someone who hasn't uttered a word after a week of being waterboarded. Believe me, Rose, this is just a show of strength. And strength also has its limits." The last sentence tasted bitter in my mouth. Rose finally looked into my eyes, and I could see that she had visibly relaxed. She extended her hand to me, and I grasped it tightly.
The bathing process was smoother after that. I gently guided the water over her body—her shoulders, back, and everywhere else—moving carefully and attentively. Rose stopped trembling, and after a while, her breathing normalized. She soaped herself with her favorite cream, repeating the process three times until she was certain that every trace of the past week had washed away. I handed her a towel so that she could wash her face, without dipping her face in the water, and she gladly used this option. I washed her hair taking care not to let the water pour down her face, and Rose closed her eyes, relaxing under my touch.
When she was finished, I helped her out of the tub and wrapped her in a thick, fresh towel, covering her from head to toe. Once she was wrapped up, I drew her close, holding her tightly in my arms. Rose sighed in relief, resting her face on my chest and closing her eyes. Her entire body relaxed in my embrace.
"Thank you, comrade," she murmured sleepily, snuggling into my shirt. "Thank you for helping me, for caring. I love you so much."
I leaned in to place a long, tender kiss on her forehead. My lips lingered on her skin as I pulled her as close as possible. She tried to pull away to dry herself, but I wouldn't let her go.
"Can I hold you for a while?" I asked in a voice thick with emotion. "Just for a moment."
Rose lifted her head to meet my gaze. I couldn't be sure what she saw in my eyes—perhaps the desperation from the past week, the fear for her well-being, or the profound relief simply from having her here. Or perhaps my raw love for her, which burned me from within and must have been visible on my face. Whatever it was, it made her eyes soften.
"Of course," she murmured softly, nestling closer to me. "I'd love to," she added with a hint of amusement in her voice. I embraced her tighter, placing my cheek on the top of her head. For a moment, I forgot about everything she had endured and the vengeance I longed to exact on those who had hurt her. I felt lightheaded from the relief of holding her in my arms and for that long, sweet moment, that was all that mattered to me.
