Okay. So, It's been a while since I last updated. Things got busy here at school. In two weeks, I graduate and officially become an adult... Holy crap! That's scary.
Special thanks to Jess for the lovely review.
Jess said, "Plz update. I've been checking this and I get so disappointed when there's not a new chapter. I like this story a lot bc it's so different and I like that."
I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. I promise I will be finishing this story. I've just been going to college and my education comes before anything else:)
Anyway. Here's the next update. Onto the 14th chapter of my fanfiction "The Measure of a Spy" Rider Breaks.
ALEX POV
The sun's heat pounded down on Alex's neck. At end of the first day and his neck was blistering. Now on the second day, the heat was giving him a headache. His mind couldn't concentrate in it's dazed state. His legs were beginning to cramp from standing for too long.
Sweat coated his skin, making his clothes stick to him uncomfortable. He could feel sweat condensed and roll down the side of his face. The heat seemed to be trapped in the cement cylinder. It was practically unbearable.
"Still doing okay down there?" Ben's voice came from above him.
Alex sighed. He could remember the number of times he'd been asked that. He attempted to look up. He squinted. Ben's figure appeared black and the sky was a beaming bitch throwing him the middle finger.
"I'm fine. Stop asking."
"You don't look fine."
"No use in complaining about it."
There was silence from up above.
A wave of dizziness struck Alex. His vision darkened and his knees buckled. How the hell am I going to endure four more days of this?
"Alex!"
"I'm fine. It's just hot as fuck in here."
Alex managed to pull himself to his feet. He leaned against the wall, letting the hot cement burn his forehead in the attempt to let his feet be relieved of pressure. He could hear a muffled argument above him.
Alex attempted to blow at his chest to relieve some of the heat just as ice cold needles pieced his skins. Alex gasped. He heard the water splash against his skin. The water drizzled down his face and back. Instinctively, Alex thrust his face further under the water and drank what fell into his mouth.
"Oops. Sorry, Alex. I broke a sprinkler. I've sure it'll be a couple days before it's fixed." Alex heard Snake laughing and Wolf cursing. He smiled. The refreshing water coursed down Alex's skin soaking his clothes. His headache began to lift. The sunburn on his neck became less painful.
"You guys are going to get binned."
"Nah. Ben off to remove the video footage," Wolf grumbled.
"No evidence, then nothing happened," Snakes said.
"Agent Bauer and Agent Lamburt?"
"Went to lunch."
Alex began to grin. Well. Aren't they committed to their jobs?
He didn't ever appreciate these men the way he did now. "Thanks, guys. You're the best."
There was a chorus of wows before all of K-unit started talking.
"Was that a compliment?"
"I think it was."
"I shall commemorate this day on the fascist of paper with the gold-est of inks and frame it above my fireplace."
"You'll have to get a picture to go in the frame as well."
"Good idea. Say cheese, Alex."
"Oh, go fuck off," Alex's mood slightly soured at the soldiers' antics.
"Ahhhh. Now you've gone and made him mad. I was hoping for a parade memorializing the time Alex said we were ' the best'. Now, that's out the window."
Alex listened to the soldiers laughs as he centered himself under the water, letting it run over him.
The crowd accumulated around Alex's prison before the two heads of MI6 even able to make it to the hole.
Blunt gave the order. The two agents guarding Alex reached down and grabbed hold of Alex's arms, hauling him out bodily. He looked terrible. His face was covered in dirt. Smears of mud caked his cheeks and forehead. Alex's legs were soaked with water from his cafe down. His hair had lost its sheen. It wasn't near the blonde color it once was. It was matted down, slightly curling.
The light hit Alex's face. He winced visibly. The young man squinted at first, but after a couple seconded of rapid blinking, Alex squeezed his eyes shut.
The Agents set Alex on his feet. Instantly the young man's knees buckled. He fell, hunched over. Snake and Wolf rushed over, grasping the young man's arms.
Alex looked like he was going to be sick.
There were red angry welts in the skin of Alex's wrists. Some of the skin had been completely stripped off.
Ben came up behind Alex. The teenager's concerned protector glared down the two agents that pulled Alex from the pit.
"Agent Rider, where is Cheryl Deen?"
Ben whipped around to face Blunt. "Go to hell, you cunt!"
Mrs. Jones raise both her eyebrows. "Agent Daniels."
"I agree," came Alex's hoarse voice. "You both can go to hell."
"It has been decided that the students remaining above the age of 14 are to be instated as low-level agents," Blunt said, completely ignoring his two best agents rude behavior.
Alex paled. "You can't do that. They're not ready."
"They will be sent on basic information collecting missions to start," Blunt continued.
"Hey," Wolf yelled. "Didn't you hear him. These kids aren't ready. The exams aren't finished."
"Alex has removed over 120 students from the program. The thirty remaining students should be the best of the bunch."
Alex attempted to get up only to fall completely, hitting his head on the pavement before Wolf and Snake could catch him. Alex looked at Blunt from his fallen position. "That doesn't mean they'll be successful." Alex shoved himself off the ground with the help of Wolf. "Face it Blunt. This academy is a screwup. None of these kids know what the outside world is like. They don't know how to socialize. They don't know how to blend in. More than likely, none of these kids will never be ready." Alex's voice grew harsher by the second. There was no moisture in his throat to help him speak. The sprinkler Ben had broken had been fixed earlier today. It left Alex in a state of misery with only the water at his feet and the humidity in the hole to satiate his need for water. "If you wait for my third exam, we can determine safely which kids can blend into the public."
Blunt disregards Alex's argument. "You've had three months to complete the exams. It's your own fault if they aren't ready."
Blunt turned away. Mrs. Jones trailing after him all the way to the car.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD," Alex screamed after the MI6 Head. "I'll have your heart, pull it right through your rib cage, and I'll have your head on a fucking pike, if it's the last thing I do." All three soldiers flanking Alex tensed. Mrs. Jones turned back to face Alex. "And you, Tulip." Alex shoved Wolf and Snake aside with surprising force. He managed to get his feet underneath him and he rose to his full height. Alex swayed in the cool evening breeze. The strength he had managed to find ebbed away quickly. "I'm going to finish what I started three years ago." Alex's hand came up to form what resembled a gun. "Nothing will be able to save you from me. Not this time."
Instantly, all three soldiers took action. Ben clapped his hand over Alex's mouth, apologizing on Alex's behalf. Snake took to a defensive stance and positioned himself in front of Alex as if to shield him from the woman. Wolf grabbed Alex around his shoulders and forcibly spin the young man around away from Ben. Alex was now behind Wolf. Wolf's back to the second-head of MI6.
"Alex hasn't had any nourishment for 5 days. He's dehydrated and delirious. Please don't take anything that he says too seriously, Mrs. Jones. You know how Alex gets. He's a teenager. They say shit all the time" Ben jabbered, trying to keep the boy out of the hole after he just got out.
Mrs. Jones didn't respond. She left, joining Mr. Blunt inside the car.
"What the hell were you thinking, Cub," Wolf growled at the boy in his arms. Alex's head lulled on Wolf's shoulder. "Snake! He's unconscious!"
ALEX POV
Ben helped Alex to bed. The man was fussing over him, picking at the bedsheets to make sure they fully covered him.
"Ben. Stop." The agent disregarded Alex and brought a damp washcloth from the bathroom.
"You're covered in dust."
"Ben." Ben started to attempt wiping the dust from his face. "Ben. I haven't eaten in five days. Some food, water would be better than cleaning my face."
"Yes. Food." Ben muttered distractedly.
Quickly the older Agent left in a hurry. Snake, however, stayed behind.
Snake sat at his bedside. "Let me eye your eyes," he said, leaning into Alex's bubble. Snake did a quick checkup, going through the motions with practiced ease. He could tell Snake was just as concerned and depressed about his punishment as the rest were, but for some reason, Snake didn't say anything. He didn't pester over him the way he normally would. "You'll be okay," Snake informed him. "The reason your legs can't support you is because of the position your legs were forced to endure while in that hole." Alex nodded. Snake was being very cryptic. "Once you get some food and water, have a couple day's rest, and stretch out your muscles, you'll gain the ability to walk again." Snake turned around and put his equipment away.
"You okay, Snake?"
Snake's head jerked up. A laugh burst from him. "I've just been tortured by your own employers for five days and you're asking if I'm okay." Snake shook his head and slumped. "You're still a kid. Yet, it seems you're the only one who can get anything done around here."
Alex looked at Snake thoughtfully. He's feeling useless. Alex had the nagging thought most of the adults at the academy were feeling that way.
"I've had many years working with limited resources. It's not that you're useless. I'm just more practiced at maneuvering through this type of situation. It's just safer for me and the students if you, Wolf, and Ben, stay out of it."
"You're a kid."
"By age, maybe. Mentally, I haven't been a kid in a long time."
"We want to help, Alex."
I know. Alex pulled his phone from his pocket. It had long since died. Being disconnected from the world had caused him to be nervous. There was too much information and updates he could have missed.
"Can you plug this in for me?" Alex held out his phone.
Glumly, Snake did what Alex asked. "Snake. Right now, I'm laying out cords." Snake gave him a quizzical look. "All these cords are going in different direction. They're lying on top of each other. Some look like a tangled mess, but they're that way for a reason. Some of these cords are invisible. They are cords no one is aware of and that's the way it has to remain." Snake handed Alex's phone back to him, cord attached. "If someone were to trip over a cord or move a cord without my knowledge, things could go terribly wrong." Alex powered up his phone. "That's why I need to keep an eye on all my cords and make sure nothing is out of place. It's easier for me to keep an eye on my cords if there are fewer people to mess with them. Understand?"
"I feel like you're treating me like a child."
"Welcome to the club."
Alex entered his phone's password. His phone buzzed almost immediately. Tons of emails, texts, and other updates popped up on his phone.
"Popular aren't you," Ben said, carrying in a plate brimming with food Wolf followed closely behind with a huge jug of water.
TOM: Hey still alive?
TOM: Hey. need to talk. parents are fighting.
TOM: Mind if I sleep yo place.
TOM: call me when you have the chance.
It was normal to get a bunch of texts from Tom. His friend worried incessantly during Alex's long absences. Tom pretended like they were no big deal. Acted like they were cool even. But Alex knew. He understood Toms reasons for acting like Alex's 'job' as the adolescent James Bond was cool. He was trying to take the pressure off of Alex, to let Alex pretend it wasn't real by turning his life into a movie starring himself as the protagonist.
But something didn't sit right with Alex. He dialed Tom's number.
"Alex!"
"Hey. How's it been?"
"It could be bad or terrible. Depends on how's it's been for you."
"Well, let's see… since we've last talked… I've been shot, poisoned, brutally beaten, made to deal with a bunch of me wannabes. Heaven and I finally made a breakthrough before she slammed the proverbial door in my face. MI6 kept me in a cement cylinder for five days without food and water. Blunt decided to make me the scapegoat if his little experiments go wrong. But I'm sure your problem is worse. So, let's hear it," Alex said tiredly.
All three men sitting around Alex's bed looked taken aback.
Alex suppressed a chuckle. Normally he wasn't so forthcoming with information, but this was Tom, his best friend. And talking smack about Blunt was exactly what he needed right now. He could pretend the soldiers in his bedroom were non-existent for a while.
"They did what!"
"Yeah, considering I one of their greatest assets you'd think they'd treat me better."
"They're trying to break you is what they trying to do."
"I know. I'm just afraid that they'll be successful. Maybe I should just lay down and roll over. It'd be less painful." That got Ben's attention. Snake also reacted to his words. His fists clenched on his legs.
"And a detrimental blow to your pride- Wait! hold on, back up. What do you mean you and Heaven made a breakthrough?"
Alex let himself smile. Nope. I still don't regret it. The dust on his face made his skin stretch uncomfortably. He knew somewhere down the line Tom would pick up on his clue on Heaven and his current relationship status.
Tom had met Heaven a couple of times before. Both times Tom had declared that they just needed to skip the parade and get down to business. It's obvious to say that both Alex and Heaven completely ignored him.
Wolf looked at Alex curiously.
"Holy crap! Really? She's hot, dude. You know… in an 'I can kill you' sort of way, but still. It's about time. I know it's been a while for you." Wolf, who was closest to the phone, sniggered. Alex couldn't help smacking his face with his free hand. Wolf sniggered more loudly. Alex ignored him, clicking the volume down on his cell.
Alex frowned at the last remark. "What do you mean 'it's been a while'?"
A broad grin stretched across Wolf's face. The other two looked curiously at their leader. "What," they whispered, trying to put together the half-heard conversation.
"Dude. I could just tell," Tom started to ramble.
Wolf opened his mouth to speak.
"Why do you think I was pushing for you to go out with the school slut," Tom continued.
Alex quickly got ahold of Wolf's attention and drew a finger across his throat menacingly. Wolf shut his mouth, but that mischievous amusement was still carved into his stupid face.
Alex opened his mouth to respond to Tom but was cut off before a sound could come out. "That was obviously a rhetorical question Alex. Now on to what's important." Alex could almost feel Tom staring him down, as if he was in the room with Alex, cornering him like he always did when something slightly normal happened to him. "How was she?"
"You know I don't do that." Wolf's shoulders started to shake with laughter. How fuckin' good is this guys hearing, Alex practically roared inside his head. Alex turned the volume down again. He could feel the warmth of a blush turning his ears red.
Tom started to roar with laughter. "Do what? Kiss and Tell. Please tell me it was more than that." Once again, the impression that Alex was being corner swallowed him whole. "Come on. At least tell me it ended well. You guys have been flirting for so long. It's amazing you've lasted this long, Alex."
"Would you shut up." Both Snake and Ben had started skooching closer in the effort to hear a little of the conversation that had Wolf rolling with silent mirth.
"Well."
"I told you how it ended, remember? Proverbial door." Wolf was now busting a gut. Alex attempted to kick the bastard off the bed as best he could.
"Oh… Well… Why'd that happen?"
"I don't really know." Wolf got off the bed, containing his laughter. Alex sighed, becoming more serious. "I think something's going on with her. Something bad. I actually think she's too scared to tell me." The smile slid off Wolf's face. Ben and Snake's curiosity increased ten-fold.
"A scared assassin. That's not good."
"I don't think so either."
"What do you think it is?"
"I don't know," Alex said exasperatedly. "Heaven's a smart girl. She knows how to pick her fights." Alex saw all three soldiers look at each other. Something nagged at him in the back of Alex's brain, but he waved it off. "I doubt she'd ever go into something without back up unless she knew absolutely sure she could make it out." Alex looked down at the hand resting in his lap. "Although, this last time she came to me wounded. I never seen her wounded before. At least by someone other than me."
Ben raised an eyebrow at Alex's statement.
"You two have always had a kinky relationship."
"Shut up, T-" Alex cut off on Tom's name. Suddenly the nagging feeling he had clicked into place. He had said Heaven's name. K-unit heard and, something told him, someone else had too. He glanced around. He hadn't been in his room for a couple days. With his latest rebellion, MI6 might have justified planting listening devices. He scanned the room. "Shit." He reached towards the lamp on his bedside table. When he pulled his hand away a small bug was held firmly between his fingers.
Instantly, Ben, Snake, and Wolf dispersed, searching the room.
"What?"
"Nothing. MI6. The usual." Alex felt anger course through him. How many times had he said Tom's and Heaven's names? Alex thought back. I don't think I said Tom's name at all. But Heaven's, he had said at least twice. He began to pray that the name he called her by wasn't a name she had affiliated to an alias.
"Anyway. Enough about me. What about you? From the messages you sent me, something was up."
There was a pause on the phone. "God. Alex. I'm sorry. Your dealing with a lot. It just that." Tom let out a frustrated sigh. "Does MI6 have the power to revoke scholarships?"
Alex's arm tensed. Six months ago, Tom had applied to Stanford and got in with a full ride. It was an impressive accomplishment. Tom had never been good at school. He was more of an athlete. But since Alex started coming to Tom to have his injuries taken care of, Tom started to dive into his studies. He learned as much as he could to give Alex the best care he could. Surgical techniques, diagnoses, medication, and drug doses all became apart of Tom's studies. Quickly, math became Tom's best subject. Science became a very close second.
"Not directly. I'm sure they can pull strings." Tom continued in his silence. "Why?"
"I'm still an accepted student. I just… no longer have my scholarship. I called the office to ask why and they couldn't provide me with an answer."
Alex's blood ran cold. They wouldn't! "It could be a clinical error."
"Yeah…It's just the way it was done. I wasn't contacted about a mistake or anything. The money just disappeared. I would have dropped it if they said the full ride was a mistake. But nothing! Alex, I can't afford to go there if I don't have some sort of scholarship."
"I'm sorry." Alex's stomach was wrenching. "I should have seen this coming."
Ben had taken a paperweight from Alex's desk and was smashing the bugs as Snake and Wolf found them.
"Why? What happened?"
Alex glanced around his room, looking for more locations of MI6's listening devices. They'd stop at nothing to put him in his place. "I can't say right now. I think MI6 has bugged my room again." Alex heard Tom start to swear like a sailor. "Listen. I've got to go. I'll take care of it and…" Alex scrolled through his texts. "In regard to your third message, yes."
"Wait, Alex."
Alex hung up. He closed his eyes and tapped the back of his head repeatedly against the headboard. He knew Snake and Wolf were giving him concerned looks. The last time his head made contact with the headboard, Alex slammed his head back with a crack.
Snakes hurried over to him. His hands jutted out to grab hold of Alex's head. "Personal space, Snake." He smacked Snake's hands away.
Once again, Alex dialing a number.
"Hello."
"Hello, this is Alex Rider. I'm ready to sell.
"Excellent," the voice on the other end exclaimed.
"You said you would be able to sell all furniture and décor at an estate sale, right?
"Yes, Mr. Rider. I can pull together all your loose ends."
"Good. I have a deposit box at SNB, I want all personal effects to be placed there. Everything else can be sold. I want all earnings to be put into a trust under the name Thomas Harris. His birthdate is October 25, 1996. Make sure to tell Jerry Harris when the trust is fully set up. Tell him all earnings are in place for Tom's education."
"Of course, Mr. Rider."
"Right now. I have a friend staying at the house. Just work around him. He'll leave when the house has been sold."
"That sounds fine. Just so you know, Mr. Rider, I will be taking a five percent commission off the top, but the rest will go to Thomas. Leave it to me."
"Thank you."
Alex shut his phone off and handed it to Ben. "Would you smash that for me." Ben took the phone without expression and began to break the phone into pieces.
"Alex, what just happened?"
Alex took a breath to steady himself. "I just cut all ties with my best friend and I sold my family home."
Wolf froze. Snake looked down at his hands. The pity that emanated from the three men was suffocating.
"Get out. I want to be by myself," Alex said, pulling the food towards him. Alex tucked into the plate as both Ben and Snake filed out of the room passed Wolf.
Over the course of Alex's recovery, many of the 30 remaining students came to sit with Alex. Once the kids learned Alex's room was free of spyware, they spilled their juts. Some of the kids cried. Every single one of them thanked Alex. All of them thanked him for eliminating so many of the candidates. They would talk about their friends who were eliminated and how they were all so relieved to leave. Every single one of them looked fearful and frustrated that they themselves weren't taken out of the running.
It was funny to Alex. The students at the academy hadn't ever treated Alex very badly. They did keep their distance. None of them really made an effort to talk to them. They would often stare at Alex with a mixture of fear, bewilderment, and awe, but they never approached him. Now, these kids were putting time aside to come visit him in his dorm.
Alex watched Timmy walk a tearful nine-year-old girl to the door. Once the door was closed, Alex called out to Timmy.
"Why the sudden change?"
Timmy looked confused. "What change?"
"Kids in this school have avoided me as much as possible until a couple days ago. So, what's the change?"
Timmy grabbed a book from Alex's shelf. He had been borrowing the series of Unfortunate Events from Alex. "Since you were put in the hole, a lot of the students have been fighting with the teachers." Alex's interest rose. He shifted on the mattress. "It scared a lot of kids that you were treated like that. A lot of kids are scared that they will be treated the same." Timmy turned the book over in his hands. He stood nervously by the bed. "After you were brought out of the hole, it was scary. You were always so strong, even when you were injured. To see you fall to the ground like that, to see you unable to stand…it was scary." Timmy's hands turned white as he gripped the spine of the book. "I think a lot of kids realized you didn't want to be here either, that, maybe, Mr. Blunt made you take assignments like he's going make us take assignments."
Alex glanced thoughtfully at the bedsheets.
"You threatening to kill Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones was a plus too. I think we've all fantasized about them dying."
Alex laughed. "I wasn't kidding."
"Nobody said we thought you were." Alex looked at Timmy.
"Tim. You know, you're a pretty brave kid, smart, too. Don't worry about everything that's happening right now. Everything will settle down in a few months."
Timmy searched Alex facial expression. Slowly, a determined look spread across the boy's features as he nodded. "I'll leave it to you."
Alex waded in knee-deep blood. Urgently he pushed forward, checking the bodies of the children that floated in the endless ocean of blood.
Dead. Dead. Dead.
He had yet to come across anyone who was alive. Alex pushed down the rising bile that threatened to force its way out of his mouth.
There were so many bodies. Too many to count. But if Alex had to guess, if he did count, there would be 264 lifeless children floating of the surface of their own blood. The exact number of children who had lived in the walls of the academy when he first arrived.
Alex turned over the body of a small child. He stopped breathing. Amanda stared up into the darkness of the raven sky. Droplets of blood formed on her face as the remaining blood collected together to slowly run down the sides of her face. Her hair black with thick blood.
Alex stared down at her face with horror. Slowly, the lifeless eyes turned toward him. "Why didn't you stop them," her mouth formed the words.
In fear, Alex shoved Amanda's body away from him. The body bobbled beneath the surface of the blood before rising to the surface. His heart was racing. Alex backed away from the body of the small child he tucked into bed countless times.
His back hit cold flesh.
Fingers gripped his wrist. "You know what you have to do! Why don't you do it!"
Alex let out a scream. He tried to rip his wrist away. Brian stood there, a hole in his chest, half of the top of his head missing. "You let us die!"
"No!" Alex clawed at Brian's hand, despite to free himself. "There are still pieces I need to collect. If I do something now, you'll all die anyway!"
Alex was crying. His breath getting away from him. The pounding in his ears was so loud he couldn't hear anything Brian said, but he could hear Amanda.
"Alex. It's time to close my eyes. It's time for me to sleep forever." The voice was trying to coax him to Amanda's side. "Please come tuck me in. Tell me a story and stay with me. We'll both sleep together."
"NO!"
Alex breathed raggedly as the pool of death faded from his vision. He smacked a hand to his face, hiding. He shook. The pounding in his ears continued. He still couldn't hear anything. Thankfully he couldn't hear Amanda in his head anymore.
He tried pulling his other hand towards him only to find resistance. Dread filled his being as looked up, expecting the zombie version of Brian. In his clenched hand was one of his knives. The knife was hilt deep in the back of the couch Alex was laying on.
Alex let out a stuttered breath.
Eyes were watching him. He glanced around. Brian was standing against the furthest wall cradling Amanda and Piper against his chest. It was obviously an attempt to keep the girls safe from Alex's night terror induced attacks. It was a scene Brian had already seen.
Alex's heart started to settle as he drank in his unharmed charges. However, the world didn't sit quite right. His panic still fueled his thoughts to spin. The bile in his throat began to rise. Nausea overcame him. He stumbled over the counter to grabbed the trash can just in time. Puke spewed into the trash can. He retched a couple times, gripping the trash can as if life depended on it. Several minutes dragged by as Alex continued to be sick in the trash.
After dry heaving for the fifth time, he focused on his breath, trying to get his gag-reflect back under control. After a few moments, Alex was sure he wasn't going to puke again. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it under the faucet. He swished the water in his mouth, ignoring Brian asking if he was okay. He spit, filled the glass again, and drank.
Alex leaned against the sink, hands braced over either side.
He was still trying to regain control of his heart.
"Come, sleep with me." Amanda's sweet voice rang in his head. No. I'm not ready. I can't die. Not just yet!
"You know what you have to do! Why don't you just do it!" I can't. I shouldn't have to. I shouldn't even be here.
"It seems you're the only one who can get anything done around here." The memory of Snakes statement surfaced. I know. Alex started sobbed. His legs gave way. His forehead smacked into the counter as he fell. I know. "I just can't," Alex whispered. What am I supposed to do?
Behind him, he heard Brain frantically telling the two girls something before running out of the room.
There are too many factors. Too many things could go wrong. I can't be certain. Alex shuttered. His arms dropped his sides.
There's something missing. I know it. If I can just…find it.
There were pounding footsteps in the hallway outside the dorm. It sounded like a herd.
Slowly, Alex slid sideways down to the floor, his forehead pressing against the cabinet the entire way down.
Alex curled around himself on the floor as four sets of feet burst through the door. Ben, he supposed, was a first to approach.
"Alex," his voice sounded urgent.
"m' fine," he mumbled. "gest a phyca-loga-cal brea'. 'm good. 'na the firs tim."
Hands grabbed him and hauled him off the floor.
Why can't everyone just leave me alone?