Betrothed (currently being edited)

Chapter 29-Beating Ghosts (Just revised)

Carina could feel Dimitri carrying her into the house and up the stairs to their bedroom.  He sat her down on the bench, at the foot of their bed, and bent down to remove her shoes. He disappeared into the bathroom, but came back moments later with a warm wash cloth and started to gently wipe her face.  It felt good letting him take care of her.  

After he'd finished wiping her face, he stood her up and pulled her jeans off and then took her top off.  He grabbed one of his long sleeved tee shirts and pulled it over her head and helped her get her arms through the holes.   When he was done,  he sat her back down and gently pulled her brush through her hair getting it smooth. 

Carina watched him go around to her side of the bed and pull the covers down, then he came back and picked her up and put her in bed.  It felt so amazing and soft and then she felt the bed dip down as he got in next to her,  laying on his back,  he pulled her to his chest so that her head was resting on it. 

She was so tired but her mind wouldn't shut down, so she decided once he was asleep, she would change and go down to the gym.  She knew that would wear her out.  When Carina was sure he was asleep,  she snuck out of bed, went into the bathroom, got changed and carried her tennis shoes and towel and crept downstairs to the gym.

Walking over to the weight bench she sat down and put on her shoes, laced them up and walked over to the tape and began taping her hands.  Once they were taped well,  she put earbuds in and played some Disturbed and went off on the bag.  She actually felt sorry for the pounding she was giving it. 

She spun around with a roundhouse kick and then one-two punches, just going at it like a mad woman.  She could feel her hands starting to hurt,  but she didn't give a rat's ass, she just kept punching and kicking, like she was fighting to save her life...maybe she was.  Carina stopped for a moment, walked away and took in some deep breaths, moved her neck side to side and then went back at it.

Dimitri woke up to find her side of the bed empty.  He sighed, picking up his phone, he pulled up the cc TV and there she was beating the shit out of the punching bag.  He was mesmerized that someone of her size could punch and kick like that.  She was definitely stronger than she looked.

He grew concerned when she continued to shake her hands, like she was in pain, but wouldn't stop.  He knew she needed this so he continued to watch for the duration.  About ten minutes later he watched her slide to the floor and onto her back, her body racked with sobs as she covered her face. 

Time for an intervention, he thought as he pulled on black joggers and walked from the room. When he got to the doorway he could still hear her crying and she just kept saying 'fuck' over and over again.  He walked over to the table, unbeknownst to her, and grabbed the first aid kit and the scissors. He just silently prayed that she hadn't fucked up her hands.

Carina had stopped crying and laid her hands on top of her stomach when she realized she wasn't alone.  She knew it was Di, coming to rescue her again from herself.  She watched him sit down on the floor in front of her. 

"Come on Car I need you to sit up" he instructed.  She sat up, knees bent in front of her and forearms resting on them causing her hands to be out in front of her.  

"Jesus Christ Carina, what were you trying to accomplish?" he asked very concerned about her hands.  She just shrugged; she honestly didn't know.  He took the scissors and started to cut away the tape on her left hand, she winced as he pulled off the tape to reveal red knuckles but no broken skin or bruises, yet.  Then he cut the tape off her right hand, that one hadn't fared so well.  Her knuckles were bleeding and they had already started to bruise. 

"Fuck" he cursed. "It might be broken.  We need to get the swelling down so I can look at it again" he said pulling his phone from his pocket he dialed a number.  A disembodied voice came through on the other end and Dimitri called the man doctor and filled him in on the situation.  Carina took it from the conversation that the doctor was on his way. 

"Let's get you up and back upstairs. Dr. Malikov is coming to take a look at your hand."   They made their way out of the basement and on the way to the room,  Dimitri grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and told her to put it on her hand.  She hissed as the extreme cold hit her hand, but kept it on there anyway knowing she had to.

Dimitri led her to the den,  just off the master suite,  and motioned for her to sit down on the couch;  all the while he just kept looking at her.  She felt like a little kid that was in trouble, maybe she was. 

His phone rang and she could hear that it was Marco, the doctor was here and he was bringing him up.  A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door and in walked an older gentleman, tall, but not tall like Dimitri, graying hair and a gentle voice and good bedside manner.  

He shook hands with her husband before turning his attention to her. 

"Well young lady" he started "Congratulations first of all on your marriage." 

"Spasibo" Carina said politely.  He raised an eyebrow, was he impressed?  

He continued in Russian, "You speak our language?" 

"Da" she responded.  They continued to converse in Russian, him admonishing her on what she'd done to herself,  but then very gently returning to English, he informed her that it wasn't broken,  but a bad bruising to the bone and soft tissue. 

He took a metal splint out of his bag, placed it under her hand and had her fingers resting on it as he wrapped it with blue medical tape.  He said it was latex free so no chance of reaction and then he gave Dimitri a huge bottle of pain killers. 

"Your hand will hurt much worse before it feels better" he said sympathetically. "Tape is no good my dear.  Get real gloves" he said smiling.  Carina returned the smile and thanked him while Dimitri walked him out and she prepared for a lecture.