Hey everybody! Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. You all really inspired me to keep on writing and I thank you for that. I'm sorry it took so long to finish this chapter but life got in the way. As usual. But I hope that this chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All rights go to Anthony Horowitz.
Alex's eyes rolled back in his head as he fell unconscious.
Alex woke up to an irritating beeping sound. As soon as he opened his eyes, he was blinded by a bright light. He opened his eyes more slowly and waited until his eyes were adjusted to the light. And with the grace of a princess, he sat up and looked around. For a moment, he panicked when he didn't know where he was. But then he remembered that he was in Brecon Beacons and this was the infirmary.
What happened? He thought. His head started pounding and he felt a headache forming. Suddenly, he remembered. He had had a headache and collapsed. Embarrassing, he thought with a groan.
But... why? Why did he collapse like that? Sure, he had a headache. But would a headache make him fall unconscious. He racked his brain for things that could've caused it and could only come to one conclusion. He hadn't eaten a lot of the food that was served in the cafeteria. Actually, he had only eaten a fourth of his food. He was always busy trying to avoid his unit. And the water they served wasn't very clean so he hadn't drunk a lot of water. Was it possible that he had collapsed from hunger and thirst? He had to wait until a nurse or doctor told him.
He remembered when he had asked for water a few minutes before he collapsed. The water was the same dirty water that was given throughout the military camp. Alex groaned from embarrassment and laid back down. Seconds later, a tall doctor with kind brown eyes and black hair walked in.
"Ah," he smiled. "I see you're finally awake. Good."
"What happened?" Alex tried to say. He was surprised when the words came out croaky. The doctor handed him a cup of clean water. Alex nodded gratefully and drank the water. When he finished, the doctor took the cup and said, "I'm Dr. Phil."
"I'm Alex Rider. What happened?" Alex tried again, his voice coming out loud and clear.
The doctor made a mark in his papers. "Do you remember what happened?" He asked.
Alex nodded, "I know I fell unconscious. But why?"
"Have you been eating properly?" Dr. Phil asked him. Alex shook his head while thinking, yes, I was right!
The doctor continued. "You fell unconscious from hunger and thirst. You've been working hard and not eating properly. You pushed your body to the limit and when you became too weak, you collapsed. Get some rest, good food, and plenty of water and you'll be ready to go back in no time."
"There's also something else," Alex added reluctantly. "Before falling unconscious, my bullet wound started throbbing painfully."
"Can I see?" The doctor asked. When Alex hesitated, he added gently, "It's okay. I've read your medical file."
Alex relaxed slightly and lifted his shirt. The doctor examined it and felt it. After a while, he pulled Alex's shirt down and told him, "In your medical file, it says that you hadn't completely recovered from the wound. Is this correct?"
Alex remembered when he was kidnapped by Force Three when he was supposed to be recovering. "Yes," he replied.
The doctor made another mark in his clipboard and continued. "You hadn't recovered fully so when your body became weaker, the bullet wound began hurting again. I recommend some physical therapy. You can stay here and I can bring someone in to help you exercise."
Alex considered this. He didn't really want to stay. It would make him look weak. Besides, the hellish obstacle course was exercise enough. Alex shook his head and said firmly, "No. I don't need physical therapy. I'll be fine."
Dr. Phil smiled, "I thought you might say that. I've heard that you're quite stubborn."
Alex couldn't help it. He laughed. The doctor leaned over and ruffled his hair in a rare gesture of fatherly affection. He knew how old this child was and although he wasn't supposed to ask questions, he was worried for the boy's safety.
"Are you hungry?" He asked. As if on cue, Alex's stomach rumbled. "I'll take that as a yes." The doctor chuckled. "I'll be right back."
As soon as the doctor left, Alex leaned back comfortably and closed his eyes. He wondered where his unit was right now. He briefly recalled the last couple of minutes before he collapsed. Not only did he sing, but Snake also carried him to the infirmary. Talk about embarrassing. He wondered if they were going to come here and talk to him. Probably not, but if they did, he was not going to tell them why he fainted.
The doctor soon returned with a tray of a delicious and steaming bowl of soup and a cup of milk. Only when the tray was placed in front of him did he actually realize how hungry he was. He picked up his spoon and dug in. Dr. Phil smiled and was about to leave when Alex called him.
"Um... Doctor?" He swallowed. "If my unit asks you why I fainted, please don't tell them. Don't tell anyone."
Ashadow of guilt crossed over the doctor's face. "I'm so sorry. I already told one of them. The soldier had been waiting since you got here."
Alex's face fell. It was probably Ben or Coyote. They're the only one who would come. "Oh... Did you only tell one person?" Alex asked.
The doctor nodded and Alex continued, "That's okay then. What does the soldier look like?"
The doctor thought a little. "He has a Scottish accent, fair hair, green eyes, and a lithe body."
Alex frowned. That doesn't sound like Ben or Coyote. That description matched...
"Snake?" Alex asked, surprised.
The doctor shrugged, "I think. He's still here. Would you like to talk to him?"
Alex nodded and the doctor left. Of course, Alex thought. Snake's the medic.
A few seconds later, Snake knocked twice before opening the door and walking in.
"Hey Cub," Snake greeted. He sat down on the chair opposite Alex.
Alex smiled, "Hey, Snake. How long have you been here?"
"I brought you here an hour ago. That's how long I've been here."
Alex knitted his eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be on the assault course right now? If the Sergeant finds out, you'll be in big trouble."
Snake waved it off. "I already told him you're here and I have permission to stay with you. I am the medic after all."
After a couple of seconds, Alex smiled. "Thanks."
Snake raised his eyebrow. "For what?"
"For staying with me."
Snake looked at him strangely. "People usually leave me," Alex muttered.
Snake's expression softened and he reached over and hugged Alex. Alex froze and then slowly wrapped his arms around Snake's waist. The man let go of him with a smile. He put his hands on Alex's shoulders and suddenly became serious.
"This is why I've tried to help you, Cub. If you had let me take care of you, you wouldn't be in the infirmary right now."
"It's not that bad. I'll be fine." Alex shrugged.
Snake sighed. "I know you'll be okay but it's my job to help my unit if they're hurt. From now and on, you cannot hide from me or refuse to show me your scars."
Alex scowled. "No! The doctor checked everything already. Besides I didn't faint because of my scars."
"I should've examined your bullet wound and made sure you recovered properly. And I will make sure you go to sleep early and you eat and drink enough."
"I'm fine." Alex insisted. "Ben was right. You are a mother hen." He muttered.
Snake crossed his arms, "It's my job and no, you're not fine. You will sit with us when we're in the mess hall and you will finish all your food. I don't care if I have to force feed you myself. Is that understood?"
Alex huffed. "I understand Mum!" It could've been worse, he thought.
Snake grinned triumphantly. Alex's soup had gone cold but Snake still pushed it in front of Alex.
"Great! You can start eating now." Snake told him.
"I already ate half of it. I'm not hungry anymore." Alex laid back down on the bed. Snake crossed his arms and tapped his foot with an exasperated sigh.
"Why do you like being so difficult?"
"I'm not the one being difficult," Alex retorted.
Snake plopped down next to him and lifted a spoonful of soup. "Open your mouth Cub."
Alex shuffled away from him. "Stop treating me like a child! I already drank half the bowl."
Snake dropped the spoon. "You are a child!" He pinned Alex down and forced his mouth open. Before Alex can do anything, he shoved the spoon in his mouth and Alex swallowed.
Alex gaped at the soldier, who was grinning at him. "I cannot believe you just did that."
Snake shrugged and lifted the spoon to Alex's mouth again. Alex scowled and crossed his arms but he still opened his mouth reluctantly and allowed Snake to feed him.
As K-unit, minus Snake, finished their exercises for the day, they ran into the Sergeant and immediately saluted.
"At ease, soldiers," he shouted.
The men relaxed. "Have you seen Cub yet?"
"No sir. But Snake is still with him." Wolf replied.
The Sergeant nodded, "Do you know why he fainted?"
Everyone shook their heads. "Let's go see him." The Sergeant walked towards the infirmary and K-unit exchanged looks and followed him.
They stepped in the infirmary and the Sergeant and doctor nodded respectfully to each other. The door to Alex's room was right across the main door and it was wide open. They walked toward it quickly and saw Snake laugh as he fed a spoon of soup to a scowling Alex.
Eagle jumped forward quickly and went right to Alex. "Hey Cub! I missed you!" He gave Alex a bone crushing hug but for once, Alex didn't mind. He actually looked relieved.
"Hey Eagle! Please save me. Snake's going to kill me." He pleaded dramatically.
Snake rolled his eyes.
"I'll save you Cubby! Eagle shouted. He put his hands on Alex's waist and the boy yelped as Eagle lifted him off the ground and twirled him in the air like one would do to a ballerina. Alex laughed and the others couldn't help but join in. Eagle turned around and sat on the bed gracefully, gently setting Alex on his lap. The boy leaned against his chest with a smile as the others came over to greet him and Snake.
Ben hugged Alex and whispered in his ear, "Looks like you've really warmed up to Snake."
Alex smiled as Ben winked at him and walked away.
Coyote came over and gave him a hug. Up until that moment, Alex hadn't realized how long it had been since he had a good, long conversation with the soldier. He missed talking to him. He hugged him back tightly.
"I missed you," Alex whispered softly. Coyote smiled and ruffled his hair. "I missed you too Alex." His voice was so low and if Alex wasn't in his arms, he would've never heard him. Coyote let go of him.
Alex leaned his head back on Eagle's broad chest and the hyper soldier wrapped his arms around Alex and squeezed.
Wolf and the Sergeant just nodded at Alex and the boy nodded back in greeting. Once everyone had settled themselves around the room, the Sergeant began to speak.
"Are you feeling better Cub?" Alex nodded and the Sarge continued. "So what happened?"
Alex was just about to reply with an annoying "classified" but before he could, Snake spoke, "He was hungry. The hunger and thirst made him weak and he fell unconscious. He also wasn't having enough sleep. He goes to sleep late and wakes up early."
Alex's intense glare made Snake wince. "I never said you can tell anyone."
"But you never said I couldn't tell anyone either." Snake replied.
"You're a medic. Aren't medics supposed to gain their patient's trust?!" Snake's shoulders slumped in embarrassment. Alex was right. He should have kept it a secret.
"I'm sorry Cub." Snake said sincerely. "But you can't keep hiding things from us. We're going to find out eventually. Besides, we want to help you. Let us help."
Alex didn't reply to that. Instead, he slid off Eagle's lap and started walking toward the door. Snake put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Cub, I'm sorry. You're right. I should never have told anyone."
Alex wanted to yell at him but that there was no point in it. Instead, he muttered a "whatever" and walked out the door. Snake's shoulders slumped and his expression was one of guilt.
"Why doesn't he want anyone to know? Why does he want to hide everything?" Snake frowned.
Ben walked over and sat next to him. "That's just the way he is." Ben didn't just speak to Snake. He was talking to everyone in general. "He's afraid you might get hurt because of him. He doesn't want to be close to anyone."
"He's close to you," Eagle pointed out. Ben had been nice to him in Dragon Nine. He made up for the way he treated him when he was training with K-unit a year ago. But he couldn't tell them that he was the original Cub. How could he explain it?
"That's different. It's just that... he doesn't trust people, but that's normal for a spy. But he's not just a normal spy, he's..." Ben took a deep breath. "He doesn't trust you. He doesn't trust any of you. Okay, that's not true. He trusts Coyote a little. But, what I'm saying is that I've already proved that he could trust me. And even so, I still don't know a lot about him. I don't know what he's been through but I once ran into him on a mission. And if all his missions are like that, then he's been through some really horrible things." He turned and put his hand on Snake's shoulder. "When you told us why he collapsed, he felt like he couldn't trust you. But I'll talk to him, okay? I'll try to get him to see sense. Just be gentle with him. He has major trust issues."
Ben got up and was about to leave when Wolf spoke, "Wait Fox. I'm coming with you."
"I don't think he'll..." Ben hesitated.
"I'm coming," Wolf insisted. "I want to talk to him too."
"Okay," Ben said, although he still looked uncertain.
Ben and Wolf walked away just as the Sergeant told the others to go to their cabin and get some rest.
"Where do you think he went?" Ben asked.
"Follow me," Wolf said simply. He wasn't completely sure that Alex was where Wolf thought he was but he might as well check. The two soldiers walked in a comfortable silence into the woods. And just like Wolf thought, Alex was near a lake. In the same spot that him and Alex were talking before. Ben and Wolf walked behind him silently but were startled when Alex suddenly punched the tree next to him with a frustrated yell. The force of the punch was really strong and the bark on the tree came off. Alex's hand was bloody but he didn't seem to notice. He plopped down on the ground.
Wolf and Ben exchanged horrified looks and they walked towards him, making some noise so he doesn't get startled.
"What did the tree ever do to you?" Ben asked.
Alex sighed and looked down. Wolf sat on his right and Ben on his left. Alex put his head on Ben's shoulder and closed his eyes. Wolf cleaned Alex's hand and bandaged it.
"Are you okay?" Ben ruffled Alex's hair and spoke gently.
For a long time, Alex didn't speak. The truth was, he hated it here. But he didn't want to be back at Ian's house either. He didn't want to be anywhere. Everywhere he went, misery and pain hung over him like a dark rain cloud. He was tired of being alone. He was tired of living.
"I hate it here," he finally said, his voice filled with so much emotion. Both soldiers turned to look at him. Wolf opened his mouth to say something but Alex wasn't done. "But I don't want to work for Blunt either. And I don't want to be back in my uncle's house."
"Then where do you want to go? Where do you want to be?" Wolf asked.
Alex thought. "I want to be with my family."
Both soldier's eyes opened wide as they realized what he meant. Wolf put his arm around Alex's shoulder and pulled him in. Alex snuggled into Wolf's side.
"Oh Alex..." Wolf whispered.
It took Ben a couple of seconds to understand what Wolf said. He didn't say 'cub,' he said 'Alex.' So he must know that Alex was the same guy that came here a year ago. When did Wolf figure that out? Thinking back to the way Wolf had treated Alex, Ben found it hard to believe that those two would ever hug each other, even though they were both sitting in front of him and doing just that.
Ben moved closer and wrapped his arms around Alex and Wolf.
"I love you Alex." Ben whispered, his voice filled with such warmth that Alex wanted to stay in that comfortable position forever. Although he couldn't stay like that forever, they did stay together for nearly ten minutes. And Alex enjoyed the rare moment of love and affection.
"I wish I was normal." Alex said. "I'm tired of playing Blunt's stupid games."
"I don't get it Alex. If you don't want to be a spy, then why do you work for him? Please tell us."
Alex's shoulders slumped, "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I can't. Even if I wanted to tell you, I can't. Everything about me is classified. I can get in serious trouble for breaking the OSA."
"But we already signed the OSA," Wolf pointed out.
"I don't want to tell you."
Silence descended over them. Ben laid his head down on Alex's back.
Suddenly, his head shot up. "We can be your family!" Ben said abruptly.
Wolf and Alex both looked at him in confusion so he clarified.
"Alex, you said you wanted to have a family. I know your family is... gone. So we can be your family."
Wolf's mouth formed an 'o.'
"He's right. It's just like our unit. We're not related but we are family. We all care for each other."
Alex let go of Wolf and covered his face with his hands and gave a sigh of frustration. "We can't. You're all going to get hurt because of me. I can't let that happen."
"How?" Ben asked. "How are we going to get hurt?"
"I can't tell you."
Wolf growled. "Alex, if you don't tell us anything, how are we supposed to help you?!"
Alex glared at him. "Don't help me! That's all I want you guys to do. Leave me alone!"
"We're not going to! You are part of our unit, whether you like it or not! So get it through your head. We are not leaving you alone!" Wolf shouted back. Alex was about to reply with a no doubt cutting reply, but Ben interrupted him.
He threw his arm around Alex's shoulders. "Okay, okay. Calm down, both of you. Alex, I know you want us to leave you alone but I agree with Wolf. We all want to help you. And we won't stop until we have. We love you. Why is it so hard for you to accept that?"
"Because nobody loves me." Alex replied. "Why can't you accept...? Whoah!"
Alex was cut off by Ben, who hugged him very tightly. "I love you Alex. I love you!" He kissed the top of his head and buried his face in Alex's hair.
"I love you Alex. Snake loves you. Eagle loves you. Coyote loves you. Wolf..."
"Loves me," Alex finished. "Right."
"Wolf loves you in his own... twisted and delusional way." Wolf rolled his eyes at that.
"You said you didn't want to hurt us." Ben continued. "But you're hurting me. I love you. How do you think I feel when you say you want to be with your family? When you have suicidal thoughts?"
Ben separated himself from Alex but put his hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.
"I don't want you dead," he said firmly. "I don't want you hurt. I want you to be safe and happy. And when you say you wish you were dead or that nobody loves you, that hurts me. That honestly breaks my heart. I don't know how we can be hurt if we're close friends but I do know that emotional pain hurts more than physical pain. You should know that better than anyone else. Please, please, please don't hurt me Alex. And don't hurt yourself."
A lump formed in Alex's throat and his voice cracked when he spoke. "I... I'm sorry Ben." He spoke in a whisper.
A single tear raced down Alex's cheek and he bit his lip and tried to stop the tears.
Ben gently pulled him in a hug and whispered, "It's okay to cry Alex. It's okay."
And Alex just couldn't hold it in anymore. He let out all the emotion that was bottled in him. Every feeling that and memory that had haunted him. Anger, sadness, guilt. Alex let out every tear he had been afraid to let out before. And Ben just held him tighter.
Several minutes later, Alex's sobs reduced to sniffles. He let go of Ben and wiped away his tears.
"I'm sorry Ben," he whispered. "I love you."
Through all of that, Alex had forgotten about Wolf but now he turned to him and said, "I love you too Wolf."
Wolf ruffled his hair and gave him one of his rare smiles. "Does this mean that you're not going to hide things from us anymore?"
"I won't tell you guys everything. But I won't hide everything either." Alex said.
"Good," Ben said, standing up. "And no more talk to suicide. Please."
"No more. But I'm still afraid that you guys might get hurt because of me." Alex admitted.
Ben extended his hand to Alex, who took it and stood up as well. "Alex, I would die for you. Literally. That's how much I love you. Don't be afraid."
Wolf stood up and stretched. "You should also apologize to Snake. He cares about you. Don't be mean to him."
Alex crossed his arms. "He shouldn't have told anyone."
"That's true." Ben said. "But he is genuinely sorry and he really wants you to forgive him."
Alex sighed. Wolf and Ben were right. He was being a little harsh to Snake. "I will apologize. But he's too motherly."
Wolf smirked and Ben laughed. "True, but that's his job. Come on."
The three left the woods and went into their cabin. Snake, Eagle, and Coyote were playing cards on the ground. Coyote was distracting Eagle while Snake cheated. Then Snake distracted Eagle while Coyote cheated. But when the door opened, they all froze and turned their heads to the door.
Everyone stayed in an awkward silence until Eagle jumped up happily and shouted, "You're back!"
Coyote face palmed and the others rolled their eyes. Alex walked toward Snake but the man didn't look at him. He was looking at Alex's bandaged hand.
Alex sat down in front of him and Snake gestured at his hand and asked softly, "What happened?"
"It's nothing," Alex replied but then he heard someone clear their throat loudly from behind him and added, "I punched a tree."
"You punched a tree?" Coyote grinned. "What did the tree ever do to you?"
"That's just why I said!" Ben exclaimed.
Alex ignored them and looked at Snake. "I'm sorry I was being mean to you in the infirmary."
Snake's expression softened. "That's okay. And I'm sorry I told everyone why you fainted. I was wrong to do that. Forgive me?"
"I forgive you," Alex said with a smile.
"Aww..." Eagle exclaimed happily. "That's so sweet. Give him a hug Cub! He was feeling really bad."
Alex hugged Snake and the soldier laughed. "Now that we've forgiven each other, you need to go to sleep."
Alex frowned. "What?"
"You need to get some rest." Snake reminded him.
"What? No! It's only 11 o'clock. I'm not tired." Alex complained.
Everyone laughed and Snake picked Alex up, bridal style, and put him on his bed.
"Sorry Cub. But it's bedtime." Snake told him, grinning.
Alex humphed and turned his back on everyone. Snake tucked him in tightly and ruffled his hair. "Goodnight Cub. Sleep well."
Although Alex said that he wasn't tired, he fell asleep very quickly. And almost two hours later, the rest of the unit went to bed.
A couple of hours later, Alex woke up suddenly. He looked up at the ceiling and wondered what it was that had woken him up. He didn't have nightmares or anything. But he still had a bad feeling about something. His body was tingling. He turned to his side and noticed something. The rest of the beds were all empty. His unit was gone. The strangest thing was that their blankets and pillows were on the floor. It was like there was a fight or something. For a moment, Alex panicked. Then his mind cleared and he realized that this was probably RTI. Well, he wasn't going to let anyone catch him by surprise.
Alex heard a footstep behind him, rolled off his bed, and immediately swung into action. He brought his leg up and lashed out, his foot powering into the man's abdomen with so much force that the man crumpled to the ground instantly.
Alex bent down and looked at the man's face. The man was wearing all black and most of his face was covered. The man looked young, probably in his mid-twenties, and had olive skin and dark hair. Alex was just about to stand up when something smacked him to the ground and the air was knocked out of him. While Alex was examining the man he had knocked out, another man had crept up behind him silently. Alex struggled but this man was much too strong. A man with brown hair and ice blue eyes loomed over him but that was all Alex was able to see before a cloth was pressed against his face and his whole world turned black.
Phew... that took much longer than I thought. I'm really sorry. Our internet has been down for a month and we just got it fixed. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I promise that there will be a lot of action in the next chapter. We've got two weeks off school and I'm going to make the most of that time. I'm going to try to finish as much chapters as I can before I have to go back to school.
Night Riders