"He what?"
Wolf's head snapped up at the sound of Fox's raised voice. He signaled Fox what the heck? And Fox flopped on the couch, turning the phone on speaker for the rest of the unit.
"The session was almost over anyway," the voice of Dr. Lance resounded through the living room, "I thought you would be waiting for him?"
'What happened?' Wolf mouthed at Fox. Fox made a gesture like, I'll explain in a minute.
"Don't worry about it, Doc. He'll show up later, he always does."
"Alright, well, call me if you need anything," the good doctor said. "Or if Alex needs anything either."
Fox was about to question Dr. Lance's last statement, but then the dial tone rang out. He'd hung up.
"What's up?" Wolf inquired.
"Kid walked out of his shrinking session just now. They weren't expecting it, and he disappeared," Fox pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "seems he likes to do that, huh?"
It was true, Wolf thought. It was Alex's favourite magic trick, the disappearing act.
"Should we go look for him, then?" Eagle asked.
"It'd be pointless," said Snake, "he knows how to disappear."
"Anyway," Fox added, "he'll come back eventually."
"And he won't be found unless he wants to be," Wolf added his two cents in a weary voice. Why was he even surprised anymore?
Wolf planned to bum around the suit for the rest of the day, awaiting Cubs return.
However, his unit had other plans.
"Come on, Wolfie," Eagle pleaded, "Cub will come back soon, and he's going to want food when he does. We need to scope out the take out options."
"I'm sure you're capable enough to do that without me." Wolf reclined lazily back into the sofa.
"It's a surveillance mission! We need our fearless leader!" Eagle continued to pester.
"Oh my- okay!" Wolf folded, "just to make you be quiet." Wolf groaned as he sat up again.
Eagle cheered, clapping his hands and swinging open the front door for him.
"After you, my Liege."
"Ijd gotch itd," Wolf mumbled around the takeout box handle dangling from his mouth. He balanced three paper bags on one arm, and dug the room key from his pocket with the other.
It took three swipes, but eventually Wolf gained entry. He led his unit through, and was immediately greeted by the sight of Cub. He was sprawled on the sofa, one hand flipping through TV channels with the remote. The other hand was holding a glass of clear liquid that Wolf severely doubted was water. Wolf dropped his plethora of bags by the door, not bothering to put them away or to the side.
"Hey guys," Cub acknowledged. "Ooh, Chinese."
"You're kidding me right now." Wolf said in a voice completely devoid of emotion.
"What?" Cub asked, sliding up from his reclined position.
"You ditched your psych session, disappeared without a trace, and all you can say is 'hey guys'?"
"Oh common Wolf," Cub tapped the side of his glasses, "you can't have been that worried, you ordered takeout."
"He's got you there, Wolfman," Eagle said helpfully.
"Anyway, it's not even 8:00," Cub continued. "If we leave now we can have breakfast on British soil."
"Leave now? Not likely, Cub," said Fox.
Cub have them a confused, petulant look.
"Yeah, come on, Cub," Snake drawled, "the deal was one session. You didn't finish."
"I'm not going back, Snake." Cub sounded thoroughly decided.
"You didn't even give it a chance."
"I'm fine, I don't need a shrink."
"If you don't need a shrink then what's the harm in one session?"
Cub made a frustrated noise and flopped backwards onto the hotel couch.
"No." That one word filled with venom.
Wolf walked over, knocking Cubs feet off the sofa and plopping down. He was worried. Cub was angry, exhausted, and unable to sleep. Cub always had nightmares, Wolf knew, but this was a different league altogether. The occasional glimpse Wolf got under Cub's sunglasses proved that he was right to worry. The bags under Cubs eyes could be made of leather, the kid was slowly but surely falling apart. And now drinking? Sitting this close to Cub, Wolf felt like he was in a bar. The liquid in his cup giving off the distinct pinched sent of vodka.
And by the scent of Cub's breath, which Wolf could smell from the opposite end of the couch, it definitely wasn't his first glass.
So yes, Wolf was worried. Cub didn't even bother checking in after the failed psych appointment until late in the evening. His clothes were dirty and rumpled and smelled like a bar.
"You're going back." Wolf grunted, unwilling to be moved from this point.
"Make me."
"I will if I have to. You're falling apart, kid. Grow up and admit you need the help."
Cub made a frustrated gesture. "I'm perfectly fine, Wolf. Leave it."
"You damn well know you're not, Cub. I'm not a moron, and you reek of vodka and whiskey."
"You're not my nanny. I can take care of myself."
"The hell you can, Cub! You're sixteen! You won't be legal here for another five years! You're not sleeping, you're not eating, pretty soon you're just going to bloody fall over like goddamn Humpty Dumpty. And what if we can't put you back together again?"
Cub made a noise, almost like a squeak. "Well, technically you are the Queens men, not the Kings."
Wolf made a frustrated growl somewhere in his throat.
"Go to your room."
"You're kidding?" Cub asked disbelievingly, "you're actually sending me to my room?"
"Yes, I am, Cub. Now move it before I beat your ass."
Cub gave Wolf a strange look before, surprisingly, picking himself off the couch and retreating to his bedroom. Vodka left abandoned on the side table.
Wolf turned to Fox, "maybe we should just call the cops. Get him charged for underage drinking and thrown in the slammer for a few days."
"Might scare him straight," Fox replied.
"Oh yeah," Snake snorted, "I'd love to be the cop that tries to book him. He'd be out in an hour and their career would be over."
"Well then what are we going to do?" Wolf asked exasperatedly. "If the kid insists on being a bastard."
"Not to mention making the hotel reek like booze," Eagle grumbled.
"Maybe we should just talk to him again," Snake suggested, "see if we can't sober him up and make him see reason?"
Wolf shifted from his spot on the couch, "I'll try anything once."
Together, K unit converged on Cub's bedroom door. Wolf knocked twice, but no answer was forthcoming. He placed his hand on the handle and found it unlocked. Exchanging a meaningful look with his unit mate, he pushed the doors open and entered Cub's room.
"Fiddlesticks," Eagle deadpanned.
Cub was gone, again.
Next Chapter: Alex is exhausted.