Muddled Tears

by Kiamii

Chapter Thirty-Three "Get Back Up"

Dedication: In memory of my dad who died a year after the publication of this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider.

Warning: Chapter Thirty-Four "The After mentioned" will be the final chapter of the entire story. It will take place 3 years later...

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

The clear skies portrayed a day to look forward to. For one fifteen year old boy, this day was anything but. Alex Daniels (or Rider as he was formerly called) sighed as he dutifully jotted down the notes to his History lesson about War World II. He rubbed his stomach absently, wincing at the throb. It had been twenty four hours since he had heard about the antidote failing on him and he was already feeling the effects of it and he prayed that it didn't show as he winced. His hip hurt like hell but his stomach was now cramping painfully. He tapped his pencil against his spiral before turning to his friend Andrew, trying to take his mind off Smithers' words, but they refused to leave his mind like a fly drawn to light.

The bell rang for the end of school and Alex walked with his friends towards the parking lot where his dad was waiting for him, grinning as he spotted Alex. The former spy hadn't been able to tell Ben the news. He couldn't. Or rather, didn't know how to. He smiled weakly as Ben ushered him into the driver's seat and got into the passenger seat. Alex was fifteen and soon to turn sixteen, so Ben had decided to start letting Alex drive, having already helped him get a permit. Putting the car into reverse, he backed out with a wave to his friends and with Ben's help, drove to the house that he resided in with his uncle and father.

"How was school kiddo?" Ben asked with a lazy yawn. Alex absently noted how more relaxed Ben was now that he wasn't in need of care all the time when he was a child. The thought didn't help Alex out at all and he violently shoved the thought away from his mind. Even if a small part of him wished he was a boy again so that Ben could take all the pain and worry away like he had done.

Damn poison. Must be getting to me, he thought as he realized his own train of thoughts.

"Fine," Alex lied, "though I might have failed my Physics test over Electromagnetic fields." He added the last bit to distract Ben and thankfully it seemed to have work as Ben fired questions at him about the test and why he thought it was going to be a flunk grade. Answering obediently, it kept Alex distracted as well until they finally reached the house. He parked and the two got out. Slinging Alex's backpack over his shoulder, Ben tousled his son's hair with a small grin and led them inside. Alex protested Ben carrying his backpack, but Ben waved him off. In truth, the former father of a little boy was missing Alex when he was small enough to fall asleep in a car seat and small enough that Ben could carry him in his arms. Alex may have been fifteen in mind but Ben found the de-aged agent to have been the best thing of his life even though he had babied Alex quite a lot.

As Alex headed upstairs, Ben shook his head and headed towards his girlfriend and brother who looked at him questioningly when Alex didn't follow, something Alex normally did after school to inform them how school went and whatnot.

"He's not feeling well?" Zach asked when Ben told them Alex wanted to be alone. Ben shrugged, obviously worried, before he decided to just let Alex have his space. Perhaps he was coddling Alex too much? The boy wasn't small enough to hug away his problems anymore. He didn't know that Alex was truly not feeling well and the pain in his body was growing. That the poison was back and would be permanent if he didn't get an antidote in time. Maybe time would have been a more important factor to him if Alex had told him.

Alex lay on his bed with a small groan of pain escaping his lips. Shaking it off, he texted Tom and his friends about the upcoming project in French, karate and anything he could think of to distract himself as he felt himself growing uncomfortable. The sun was beginning to set and Alex couldn't help but feel the foreboding presence of the poison weighing on his mind as he lay there, hearing his adopted father's laughter downstairs. He didn't want this. Didn't want to intrude on Ben's life anymore. He gave no sign that anything was wrong while he lay there in the quiet, his fingers shaking as he struggled to type even simple words. His eyes were beginning to burn, like a bad illness instead of a poison overcoming his body. He rubbed his chest slightly before he gave up and threw his phone angrily to the ground, unfortunately catching Zach's attention who was walking past his room.

"What's up kid?" Zach questioned as he entered the bedroom, leaning on the door frame slightly. His adopted uncle grinned at him smoothly before noticing Alex's lack of sarcasm making its way to the fold.

"Nothing," muttered the blond. Zach's eyebrow quirked doubtfully before he walked over to the boy and sat on the bed, his hand instinctively moving to rest against Alex's back. He hesitated, reminding himself that Alex was not five anymore, but continued to rub the teenager's back gently, smiling when Alex gave in and relaxed against his hand, though the back felt warmer than normal to Zach's surprise. As Alex eased up, Zach placed his other hand to Alex's forehead and frowned in disapproval. He looked down at Alex who frowned right back at him. Normally such a thing would amuse him at Alex's obvious imitation but for the moment he was too concerned with the fever raging around.

"Why didn't you tell your dad or I that you were sick?" Zach asked.

"'m not sick," Alex mumbled as he closed his eyes, his cheeks flushed from the rising fever. Now that Zach got a good look at him, the boy was beginning to show the signs of the flu or anything else really. He stood up and with a few tugging and pushing, got Alex on his stomach under the covers, half asleep. He exited the room to find Ben and tell his brother about the boy's incoming illness. He headed downstairs determinedly, not wanting his nephew in anymore discomfort than he had to be. Zach had grown quite attached to the young lad who had become his youngest brother's kid and his parent's only grandchild. The death of Anthony had been a cold blow to the entire family and Tony's wife had gone to live with her own parents, distraught. His parents now knew that Alex was formerly a teenage espionage.

Making his way into the kitchen, the middle Daniels brother fished around until he managed to accumulate medicine and a light soup for the kid. He had to make sure it wasn't the child medicine that he usually gave to Alex when he was sick, seeing how Alex wasn't five anymore. Getting that settled, he set about finding his brother and explaining that Alex wasn't feeling well, causing the father to frown in concern. The two brothers headed upstairs and into the teen's room to find Alex asleep, sweating profusely and shaking somewhat. His hand was holding his hip tightly, as if pained. He was shirtless and his pants looked impossibly baggy on his lithe frame. Ben covered Alex back up and brushed a lock of the blond hair from his face, feeling the heat radiating off the boy.

"Alex," Ben said gently, "wake up, kiddo. We need you to take the medicine." Alex groaned and tried to close in on himself but Ben eased Alex into a more relaxing position and stirred the boy awake, helping him take the medicine and lay him back down.

"Poor child," Kaitlyn said as she joined them in the room, having been downstairs with her boyfriend earlier. Alex said something and rolled a little onto his side, yelping in pain and snapping awake as he landed on his hip. Ben hushed him and soothed the weary teenager until Alex was relaxed once more, causing Ben to wonder how Alex got this sick in so little time. Had he really not noticed? The thought did not settle well with Ben and he frowned, watching his son. Eventually Zach and Kaitlyn left him alone with Alex as Kaitlyn had to go to work and Zach set about calling a coworker about an issue he needed to deal with.

"'m sorry dad..." Alex whispered as his eyes fluttered open. Ben looked at his son, confused. When he questioned the boy about the apology, he was stopped as Alex tensed up. Alarm bells rang in Ben's head as he watched his son. The boy's forehead was matted in sweat, his hair clinging to his face and the teenager's breathing was becoming shallow as if he was losing his ability to breath.

"Get Smithers," Alex could only say before he began to scream. His ribs stabbed at him as if strangling his breath away. His entire body suddenly felt engulfed in flames and he couldn't hear his father's alarmed call as he screamed himself hoarse. His ears rang in pain and he felt like he had been thrown in a fire. His limbs, his face, everywhere it hurt. His bones strained as if being tugged on violently and he began to thrash, the unbelievable pain consuming all thoughts as he fought against it. Oh god it hurt. It hurt so much. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He began to gasp desperately for breath as he fought against the darkening pain until at least he saw spots in his burning vision and he surrendered willingly to blackness.

Author's Note: Ever heard of the Machine Gun Preacher? Random question but he's Sam Childers and he's pretty inspiring. He came to my school and Aaron Hendra sang "One Man's War" for us. You guys should check it out. Movie starring Gerard Butler is coming soon about Sam Childers. But enough of my advertising, what did you think about this chapter? Sorry it took so long to finish this one. The LAST chapter is coming out soon though. I'm sure you can see what happened though.