“Well, you passed the exam with flying colors,” the doctor grumbles, checking the rest of my vitals. “You’ll stay here in the clinic until you’ve recovered from pneumonia and the additional lung infection. Your classmates can bring your study materials here.” He stabs a finger at Lucca. “You have fifteen minutes, then she needs her rest. Don’t agitate her.”
Extending my hand, I see there’s an IV taped to it. There’s a breathing tube looped under my nose and a plethora of machines around me. Lucca looks down at my hand for a moment and sighs, taking it and sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed. “Why did you do that? Do you know how close you came to dying?”
“You saved me, right?” I croak, “I remember… your jacket? And you were so warm.”
“You lasted the longest of any of the Spy group,” he said angrily. “They’re supposed to monitor your vitals. I had to get past the guards into the Catacombs to look for you. Fuck, Tati! You were blue and you weren’t moving. Thosestupidi bastardididn’t even notice how bad off you were. The notes praised you for being sotough.‘She hasn’t spoken once!’”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He gently lifted my head, helping me take a sip of water. It felt so good going down my sore throat. “Take a little more,” he said. “I’ve been feeding you ice chips for the last week.”
“A week?” I rasped, “I’ve been here for aweek?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
“I’m sorry.” His hand smooths my lank, greasy hair back from my forehead, and I close my eyes. “I must look and smell disgusting,” I groan.
“You’ve smelled better,” he’s trying to smother a grin.
“Nice bedside manner,” I sass weakly.
“Everyone’s worried as hell,” he said, “the Dean and Professors Suarez and Campell even came by to check on you. Campbell said to tell you that you get a guaranteed passing grade for the rest of the year in her class. In fact, she would really prefer that you not participate in any more practical application exams.”
My little chuckle turns into a very unattractive coughing fit. Lucca helps me sit up to catch my breath. Over his shoulder, I see an uncomfortable-looking little metal cot with a blanket. “Have you been sleeping in here? Your back must be killing you.”
He snorted, “I… persuaded Dr. Giardo into letting me stay here, but he made it as miserable as possible.”
“He really sucks as a doctor,” I agreed, resting my head against his shoulder.
“I thought you were dead in that room,” he said, the pain in his voice evident. “Why would you do that, baby?”
“I’d like to see my fiancée!”
It’s Aleks, and he’s practically shouting outside the door. He opens it painfully slowly and I realize he’s giving Lucca a chance to back away.
“There’s my soon to be daughter-in-law!” Oh, nothim.It’s Leonid Rostova, not quite shoving his son aside to get a look at me. Lucca fades into a dark corner of the room like a sentinel.
Leonid looks me over thoroughly, and apparently even being disgusting and unwashed is not enough to discourage his leering.“Bednaya malenkaya tykv, poor little pumpkin,” he croons. His gaze fixes on my left hand. “And where is your engagement ring?”
“Ah, Aleks has been keeping it for me while I’m here in the clinic,” I lie. “We didn’t want anything to happen to it.” I force a smile, pleading with my eyes for Aleks to step closer. “Hello,moy zhenikh,my fiancé.”
I see Lucca stiffen out of the corner of my eye, and he slips from the room.
“Hello,moy predpolagayemyy,my intended,” Aleks says, edging past his father, blocking him slightly. “You look much better today.”
“It would be hard to look worse,” I give a weak little laugh before I get a good look at him. “Bozhe moy!What happened to you?” He’s sporting a monster of a black eye; a split lip and I can tell he’s favoring his left side a little.
“Just a sparring session gone wrong,” he says dismissively. Aleks is huge like Lucca, though more of a gentle giant. It’s hard to picture who could have messed up his face like that unless they had lots of help.
“That you should lose to anyone is an embarrassment!” Leonid scoffs, “You will meet them back in the ring and beat them half to death. I will expect pictures of their damage.”
I take Alek's hand and squeeze it. His father is a complete bastard. “With great respect, Leonid Rostova, your son has done so much damage in the ring that I fear the administration will throw him out if he sends yet another student to the medical clinic.”
This definitely seems to cheer up the old pervert. “Well, if you say so. We do want Aleks to graduate at the top of his class.”
“He’s a true leader, even in the Leader’s division,” I smile weakly.
“Very well,” Leonid approves. “I shall tell your brother that I have seen you for myself and you are recovering nicely, Tatiana Aslanova.” His eyes wander down the front of my thin gown again and I wish there were hospital-issued turtlenecks.
