Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Blair

I got a nice cup of coffee from the hospital cafeteria before going to Dimitri's room, immediately regretting the first sip.

That was the worst thing I had ever drunk in this country! Well, maybe the second worst thing, I thought as I remembered the Kompot.

I threw the almost untouched cup in the trash before going to the room where the nurse said she would take Dimitri, finding his entire family there. Before I could greet them, Masha pulled me into a corner.

" Did you talk to him? " she murmured.

" Yes, I've taken care of everything."

Engaged! I can't believe I'm engaged!

" And how are we going to tell my parents?"

" We won't. We decided to keep it the story," I shrugged.

" Keep it? What do you mean to keep it?"

" I'll explain later," I cut her off as I saw the nurse pushing Dimitri's stretcher down the hall.

I entered the room and greeted my fiance's parents', who seemed about to shower me with their enthusiasm, but the arrival of their son overshadowed the situation a bit.

I backed myself into a corner, watching as he smiled and received attention from each member of his family.

" I am so happy for you, I had no idea," Joanne declared, motioning for me to come closer.

I stood next to Dimitri, holding his hand, feeling embarrassed by all the attention.

" I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but we were going to talk when she came and everything was official," Dimitri assured quietly.

" You have no idea how happy you make us," Yaroslav let out with satisfaction.

" So you're really getting married? " Masha's eyes widened, receiving a warning look from her brother.

" At some point, we don't know the date yet," I said in a suggestive tone.

" We'll help you with all the details, you don't have to worry," my mother-in-law assured.

Before we could get any further on the subject, Nadia approached with a tray containing some medicine bottles, a serum bag and syringes.

" Excuse me, I have already prepared the medication to relieve your pain," she informed Dimitri, to my surprise.

" Are you in pain?"

I asked worriedly, remembering her sudden movement earlier.

" Yes, but don't worry."

" It's completely natural, so much so that Dr. Pavlova has prescribed some painkillers," Nadia assured me.

She was right, I remembered how much I suffered in my post-surgery period, and I didn't touch any of my organs.

" Well, in that case we'd better let you rest," I started to walk away, but Dimitri held my hand.

" No, stay," he practically begged.

I frowned, alternating my gaze between him and his family, who seemed divided on what to do. Nadia merely prepared the medication and placed it in the access in his arm before leaving.

" Dimitri, I've taken painkillers after surgery, this kind of medicine is very potent, you'd better sleep," I stroked his hand.

" I've taken it before and it only made me a little sleepy. I want you to stay, I miss you all," he assured me.

I couldn't deny his wish, even though I preferred him to rest.

" So, what do you plan now? " Masha resumed the previous subject.

" Well, we can't get married until Dimitri makes a full recovery, and there are still some details that we need to discuss, but for now let's focus on his recovery," I assured, looking at my fiancé who seemed more and more at ease.

" I will prepare your room for when you are discharged," Joanne stated.

We both exchanged a look, not knowing what to say to his parents.

" Actually, I am going back to my apartment, Mama."

" Dimulya, you will need care, at least for the first few weeks you can't be alone," my father-in-law intervened.

" I will stay with him," I interrupted the little family dispute before it could even form.

" That's great, but what about your job, Blair?"

" She resigned," Dimitri explained, looking a little sleepy. Maybe the medication is already taking effect.

" I'm moving into his apartment," I added.

" Oh, so you're moving in together? " his father alternated his gaze between the two of us.

This information didn't seem to please my father-in-law, and Dimitri replied in a slower and slower voice.

" I know what you're thinking, Dad. But it is different."

" Yes, it will be. And anyway, now is not the time to discuss it," Joanne returned.

We were silent for a few seconds. I watched as my fiancé grew sleepier and sleepier, struggling to stay awake. I was about to ask him to sleep when he spoke up again.

" Blair, did you eat?"

" What?"

" Are you feeding yourself? Is she feeding? " he turned to his sister, slurring his sentences at an increasingly slurred pace.

His parents frowned at his sudden change of subject. I myself didn't understand what he wanted.

" I am, I just haven't eaten today. I tried to buy a coffee from the cafeteria, but it's horrible."

Dimitri closed his eyes, and for a second I thought he had fallen asleep, but it didn't take long before he spoke again.

" You can't do like your mother. Or I'll have to do the same to her," he muttered, starting to stare into the void without even blinking.

What did he do to my mother? I thought she was eating again because of the salad!

His family seemed increasingly lost on the subject, but I couldn't help asking.

" What do you mean? What did you do?"

He offered me a sideways smile, answering in a not-so-slow whisper, as if to keep a secret.

" I promised to throw that salad in the trash if she ever ate again, or else we would both cook for her every day."

I stared at him dumbfounded. He threw the salad in the trash!

" Dimitri, I think you'd better stop talking and go to sleep," Masha advised.

" Or you can keep talking so I can film it," Yuri joked, receiving an unfriendly look from his mother.

" What do you mean you threw the salad in the trash? We made the salad to cheer up my mother!"

" I had to, if your mother ate that thing she would be hospitalized, and we would be arrested for poisoning the poor thing," he returned, shocking me even more. "That was by far the worst thing I have ever eaten, worse than the birthday lunch Masha made for my mother last year."

" Hey," my sister-in-law exclaimed offended.

" What? To this day I don't know what I ate. It tasted like dirty feet and mama wouldn't let anyone tell you," he returned, making Yuri nearly cry with laughter at her sister's indignation.

I couldn't contain my own laughter as all the pieces fell into place in my mind.

" Oh my God, that's why my mother decided to give me cooking lessons, because the salad turned out horrible!"

" Horrible is a compliment," he rambled, "We should both take cooking classes, or we'll never have children. Unless they come with a cook included."

It was my mother-in-law's turn to laugh at the situation.

" If the situation was that bad, I'll take care of teaching you both how to cook," she joked.

" If you don't eat, Blair, I swear I'll get out of this bed and cook for you…"

Despite his fit of sincerity, he was adorable doped up. That's because he said he would feel only a little sleepy.

" Naked…"

I was surprised when he spoke again.

" What?"

" I'm going to cook for you naked, remember you wanted me to? " he opened his eyes again, causing me to choke.

WHAT DOES THIS IDIOT THINK HE'S DOING?

" Dimitri!"

" Wow, too much information," Masha scoffed as Yuri sat in one of the armchairs, already bent over laughing and Dimitri's parents' looked embarrassed.

" You said that after a reconciliation I had to cook for you naked, and this was a great reconciliation, we even got engaged," he continued, much to my chagrin.

" Dimitri, you really need to stop talking," I pleaded with an embarrassed smile on my face.

" Dimulya, you better get some sleep, and you better put that cell phone away, Yuri," Joanne ordered before scolding the other son.

But Dimitri seemed unwilling to follow our recommendations, raising his hand to stroke my face, hitting it without any gentleness in the process.

" You look so beautiful when you're red. Isn't she pretty? " he looked at his parents for confirmation.

" She's very pretty, son. Why don't you sleep? " Yaroslav tried to argue.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment I felt relieved, thinking that he really would sleep.

" I'm going to have a scar on my stomach," he said again.

" You had surgery, it's normal, now go to sleep," I assured him.

" What if you don't like it when you see me naked?"

This time I really had to hold back from smothering him with a pillow.

" Dimitri, forget about it, please," I groaned.

" Forget about it? Blair it's been six months since I've…"

" All right, that's my limit, I'm out of here! " Masha held up her hands, leaving the room.

" Where did she go? " Dimitri asked.

" Mama, you have to let me film!"

" Dimitri, if you don't sleep now, I will throttle you," I threatened him in Turkish.

" Your father!"

" What about her father? " my father-in-law was surprised.

" That's an excellent question! " I growled.

" Your father can operate on my stomach to remove the scar, so you don't…"

" For the last time, Dimitri, I don't care about the damn scar! " I tried to keep him from repeating the word "naked" one more time.

" But what if you don't like seeing me?"

" I'm sure she will, Dimitri. Now go to sleep! " Joanne was categorical.

He alternated his gaze between everyone, and to our frustration, spoke again.

" Do you want to see? There's going to be a big scar " he began to move around, trying to lift the hospital gown he was wearing.

" Okay, I'm not in the mood to see anything," Yuri stood up quickly, leaving the room like his sister.

I held his hands, forcing a smile in an attempt to dissuade him from whatever was going through that morphine-troubled mind.

" Blair, dear. I think I'd better…"

" Go ahead, I'll put him to sleep," I didn't wait for my mother-in-law to finish speaking.

The two of them hurried out of the room, leaving me behind with the son, who kept a disappointed expression.

" Why did they leave? I wanted them to stay."

All the frustration I felt vanished when I saw his face. It was clear that he wanted the company of his family, and this eased some of the irritation at his indiscretion.

" Well, then you should have dropped the naturalistic crap. I was the only person in the room with the slightest interest in seeing you naked," I intertwined our fingers, "and before you say anything, I'm sure I'll like the scar."

He sighed, laying his head back on the pillow, looking depressed. Great, now that we're alone he doesn't want to say anything to embarrass me,

" Hey, what's the matter?"

" I don't want to be alone," he stated simply, making me understand what was going on in his mind.

The last few days it was terrible to be away from him and only be able to see him through that glass, but I can't even imagine how frightening it must have been for him to wake up alone, with no familiar face to comfort him.

" You are not alone, Commander, I am here. You can sleep and when you wake up, I'll still be right here," I assured him before leaning over and kissing his forehead.

Dimitri gave in, closing his eyes and letting his body relax. I was convinced he had fallen asleep when his voice, his eyes still closed, caught my attention.

" Blair."

" I'm here."

" After I'm asleep, go get something to eat," he ordered, making me laugh.

I stayed by his side, watching over his sleep for a few minutes until I decided to fulfill his wish.