Princess of the Wolves

Chapter Nine:

I collapsed, sobbing. I couldn't believe it...Toni, who had been my friend for years, was gone. Although I didn't see her often anymore, I was tough to swallow that the girl I played card games with, shared girly secrets with, and gossiped about everything with was gone. It physically hurt to know that. My bones screamed in pain. I was curled in a ball and hadn't moved for hours. It was well into the early morning hours, but I couldn't sleep. Dimtri, who had carried me out of the room, had been in and out of the room to check on me and to deal with the crisis. I didn't know what to do so I didn't do anything. I had a pounding headache and was exhausted. I find a way to sleep. I would be okay, but then, I broke again. So, I didn't think about anything. I was just motionless, expressionless, and thoughtless.
Without knocking, a maid came in; she wasn't Anne. The nurse didn't say a word, but instead she gently laid a damp washcloth on my forehead. She went over the curtain and drew it closed, because the sun was starting to peak up over the horizon. I guess she didn't count on me moving anytime soon. Then she set out a glass of ice water with straw in it on a folding tray before leaving as silently as she came. I didn't know how long time had gone by, but I tried to guess by the sunlight that cracked through the curtain. I was too tired, upset, and all around exhausted to be bored. "You know you're supposed to take those right?" Dimitri, who showed up out of nowhere, told me. I jumped and ended up hitting my head on the hard, wooden headboard.a
I cursed and rubbed by head, which now hurt worse than before. "She speaks!" he exclaimed, trying to lighten a painful situation. He was changing out of his suit from last night, which ended up in a pile on the floor. He looked tired too, but he was trying to be the better of us two for my sake. For someone who should be used to not getting a lot of sleep, he usually didn't deal with being tired well. He yawned about ten times ever minutes.
"Geez, you yawn a lot," I told him in a quiet voice.
"Again!" he said loudly, then he added in a serious voice, "I'm being serious. Sit up andtake these; they'll help."
I didn't want to listen, but I was too upset to disagree. I wanted his minimal prying to be over. I wanted to go back and wallow in silence. I was basically unsuccessful in my attempt to be "normal." I wasn't ready. I didn't argue and took the pills from his hands, then I swallowed them with the water, which was now warm. It had been awhile since the maid had been in. I also peeled off the washcloth, which was only damp now. Dimtri took it to the bathroom, added more cold water to it, wrung it out, and brought it back to me. I laid back down, ready to break down again, but I was all cried out. My eyes were so dry that they hurt. "Try to get some sleep," he told me as he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.
"What?" I irritatedly asked, rubbing my temples.
"You didn't think I gave you those for no reason, did you?" he responded, "You of all people should know I don't do anything without meaning."
"I thought they were aspirin for my headache!"
"I didn't know you had a headache, but that'll be helped too," he smile a toothy grin.
"So you drugged me?"
"Relax, it's just a minor sleeping pill, nothing major," he responded rolling his eyes.
"How effective are they?" I asked as my eyelids felt heavier and heavier.
"Sweat dreams," was the last thing I heard him say.
It was sunset when I woke up. Dimitri was at the window, and I could see his defined back muscles through his thin dark blue v-neck t-shirt. "How long was I out?" I yawned as I rubbed my eyes.
"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he told me, "Well, it's six forty on Wednesday..."
I cut him off, "I've been out for two days!" He nodded at me like that was something normal. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I demanded.
"Calm down," he lightly warned me, "You needed the rest. Besides, you didn't miss much." I noticed the mess of papers, candy bar wrappers, chip bags, and clothes. I looked quizzically at the clutter on the floor. "I kind of camped out on the floor to wait for you to wake up. I didn't let the maids in so they couldn't wreck the space or accidentally wake you up."
"I see," I said, feeling relieved that I felt a much better. "Thank you, by the way. You're sweet." He blushed, but he quickly looked away so I wouldn't notice.
"So I have news though," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed to face me. "We are trying to reach an agreement with the rebels." He looked thrilled; my face face fell. He grew defensive, "What?"
"After all they did, you still are trying to have peaceful relations with them. People were killed!" I responded angrily.
"I though you were supposed to be the rational one," he said while running his hands though his hair. "I thought you'd be happy. There would be no more bloodshed."
"That won't bring them back," I argued, shaking my head.
"Having more people die won't either. I get this is hard for you, but I promise you your friend..."
"Best friend," I corrected stubbornly.
"...best friend and her family didn't die in fm vain. They are avenged. They will be honored. I...I thought you'd be happy."
"That won't bring her back," I stated.
"Nothing will," he agreed, and I stared at him quizzically for a long time.