Barely surviving (A VA fanfic)

Clinic calling

RPOV
"Rose, get him to the clinic. Now!" Alberta ordered the second I stepped across the wards with an almost-unconscious Dimitri leaning on me.

I'd practically dragged him the five miles from the caves after he was almost drained. I'd staked the undead bastard who'd tried to take my other half from me by killing or turning him. The whole trek back to campus I kept chanting 'one more step', distracting him from the pain and wearing-off Strigoi endorphins by getting him to think about what we'd just done in the cabin and the promises we'd made. The rest of our group had been with us for the first few minutes but sped towards the wards when they noticed how low the sun was hanging.

My response to Alberta's order would have usually been a snarky something, and along the lines of 'duh!'. Not this time. I barely stole a glance her way because I was so worried about Dimitri, my Dimitri, my soulmate and sanity saver... the love of my life.
"Come on, Comrade!" I urged as I rushed us as fast as possible through the forest and off towards the clinic. "Don't go to sleep on me just yet. Keep pushing through 'til the clinic."
"Rose," he strained as his eye-lids struggled to stay open. "You shouldn't have saved me."
"You shouldn't have saved me from Strigoi Natalie. That asshole blond Strigoi wasn't getting you after trying to get Liss, he couldn't be allowed to continue existing."

I was almost hysterical when I entered the clinic. Dimitri was barely standing.
"This way, Rose," Dr Olendzki ushered me through to the nearest bed. I just barely got my lover on it. He passed out after his vitals had been checked. "What happened, Rose?" the doc asked after Dimitri lost consciousness.
"He got bitten and at least half drained," I rushed out before being assaulted by the images of it. She nodded.
"That all?"
"Yes. As far as I'm aware."
"I'll get Lissa and or Adrian to heal the cuts and what-not, put him on a drip and give him a blood transfusion."
"Why are you informing me?" I asked curiously.
"Because I know how you feel about Lissa using the magic and he always knows what happens when you're in here."
"He's meant to," I argued, getting suspicious that she suspected we weren't just professional. "He's my mentor." Damn, why was I arguing over knowing what was going on?! I guess someone had to play devil's advocate.
The good doctor raised a brow asking "you sure? With the hysterics you were just in being as bad as his when he brings you in?"
"Just fix him," I sighed.

She returned with Liss, the blood transfusion and the drip. Liss was exhausted. I could feel it. She'd had a draining and taxing twenty-four to thirty-six hours and had been worried sick that I hadn't returned earlier.
"Forget me, fix him!" I cried when she tried to send the magic through me while Dr Olendzki set up the transfusion and drip. "Fix Dimitri," I begged. "I'm fine."
'You're not fine, Rose,' came through the bond.

She was puzzled and confused as to why I cared more about my mentor and her guardian, why my face and aura was all over the place with worry, why I was so distraught. Liss took one look at my soulmate and back into my aura and it all clicked. She finally saw all the love I felt for him and it spurred her into action. My best friend sped to my soulmate's side and sent the magic through him. Meanwhile, I pulled the darkness from her.

'There you go, Rose. You and I are talking about this later. When your boyfriend of a mentor is better you are fessing-up. We are having a major gossip session and I expect everything in detail- including why you left me out of the loop. Love you sis and thanks for saving my ass time-and-again.' It all came through the bond while she pulled me into a hug and let me cry into her shoulder.
"I'm taking you to Adrian miss moo. No arguments. I know you worry about his sanity, but I don't want you pulling anymore and I know you will if I use the magic on you."
"I'm not moving. I can't, Liss. And since when were you the mind reader in this friendship?" I sniffled out.
'I should have known.' "I do know you to quite some degree." 'Just not as well as I thought. He knows you better, doesn't he?'
"Yeah, you're right."
"I'll go get Adrian." She squeezed gently before leaving.

"Rose, it'll be a day-easily- before he wakes. Go home, get some sleep and food." The doc looked as though she didn't believe it was worth saying.
"I can't. He's always here for me."
She debated something internally before saying, "I'll get Petrov to bring you some food. If you don't eat you're also going to be on a drip. I guess you're going to sneak back in anyway, aren't you? You're in that deep, it's written all over you."
"Yeah, I saw it through Lissa. I'm more of a mess than I realised."
A look of sympathy and kindness crossed her face. "I'm not reporting. No one else would have saved your generation's second most badass and lethal guardian."
"Second? He IS the most badass and lethal guardian of my generation." That elicited a wry look and gentle laugh.
"No. He's not, not anymore. His student far out-shines him." Now I shook my head and laughed.
"He basically said that once the battle in the elementary dorms was over."
"I'll leave you be, Rose. I've got others to check up on."
"Thanks doc. Seriously. And go. I'll be okay. Go help Liss and Adrian save the world."
"You're the one who saves the world, Rose. I'll be back in a few hours." With that, she left. And Adrian entered.

"You're a mess."
"So I've heard," I retorted then sighed.
"What happened to the all-perfect, can-do-no-wrong cradle robber?" he asked while sending the magic through me.
"He's not perfect, no one is. He's not a cradle robber. He got bitten, and over half drained," I responded as he pulled a chair over to sit opposite me. I had taken the chair by the head of the bed.
"So you finally realised? And blew the crap cover by the look on your face and in your aura. You've been crying, Rose. He's got his hooks in that deep, huh?" His voice and face were gentle, he was trying not to set me off, dancing on eggshells.
"You'd be crying if you were in my place. It was awful, like my soul was ripping in two. It's still touch and go. He's lost a lot of blood, Liss healed the injuries but..."
"I guess I would. You've basically got to refill his entire system with fluids? And the transfusion being a slow process is a worry?"
"Basically. And yeah, it's on the fastest it can go, but is still worryingly slow. It's not like Spirit can heal blood loss." My head fell in my hands as tears threatened to spill again.
"I don't stand a chance, do I? You'll be public practically immediately, won't you?" No, he never had, and I wished but Dimitri was going to be sensible about timing. That's if he still wanted me after this. He'd been pretty pissed at this most recent 'stunt' I'd pulled.
"Now you realise," I sighed. "That's up to him. He's pretty pissed at me right now."
"You save his ass and he gets pissed off? What's wrong with him? He constantly hurts you, yet you stay dedicated. Why?"
"I put a dhampir life above you guys, the Moroi. I did the opposite of my duty, defying a direct order in the process. He'll make me pay for it." I don't just love him, I'm in love with him. "He makes me want to be a better person. He understands me. I can't hide from him."
"You're drained, Rose. I'll let you go. I love you, little dhampir. I always will." Adrian stood, pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek.
"I love you like a brother, Adrian. Thanks for talking. Go get your own rest." I gave a light squeeze and sent him off after he'd returned the chair to its rightful place.