A/N: Hi everyone! We're reaching the end of this story, who has 39 chapters. So I publish two today, and tomorrow you'll have the three last ones. Hope you enjoy it, and please write a review! I still haven't got a single one, it makes me depressed... But please enjoy!

Chapter 35

Sam was driving like a Nascar pilot in the deserted streets of Baltimore, speeding like a maniac and thanking all heavens that it was the middle of the night. He said to Grim, seated next to him and looking frightened:

_ Please call Dr Collins. Maybe we'll need him.

She took out her smartphone at once and dialed the doc's number. Sam listened with an ear to the conversation, staying focused on his driving.

_ Doc, it's Grim. … Yes, we found him. He's at his place, but he's not in his right mind. … He thinks he has a mission, he's downright confused. …You think so? ... Please. I think we'll need you. … In Shipley Hill, I'll send you his address right away. … Thanks, doc.

She hung up, sent the message and said seriously:

_ He's on his way. He thinks he's confused because of the special anesthesia the surgeon has insisted to give him. The drugs they used apparently have some weird after-effects on some patients, and among other things memory losses, confusion and sleepwalking disorder.

_ Great, Sam groaned. Just great.

_ I think he was sleeping, Briggs chimed in. He had a very strange voice. Maybe he was sleepwalking.

_ Even in a sleepwalk he can be very dangerous, Sam said grimly. He's a very talented ops, like you.

_ Thanks, Sam, but now's not the time for compliments.

Ten minutes later Sam slammed the breaks at the foot of Kestrel's building, and they hastily ran to the third floor. Sam tried the door, it opened at once. He walked in, not caring to be silent, and made his way through the dark living room. They spread in the small apartment, and soon Grim called them from the threshold of the bedroom.

Sam went next to her and saw Kestrel, snoring softly, eyes wide open and glassy, fully clothed, sleeping on his bed. He cautiously approached his ops and waved his hand in front of his eyes. Kestrel didn't stir but muttered in Russian:

_ Hello, there! Nice weather today.

Sam then checked his pulse, but it was quite normal, maybe a little bit slow. He carefully retreated to the door and said in an undertone:

_ He's fully asleep. But he usually doesn't snore, and his open eyes are quite disturbing.

_ I'll stay next to him, Briggs said, swallowing hard. You can have the living room.

_ Okay, Briggs, Sam nodded. Grim, please call Charlie. I hope the doc will arrive soon.

Grim went in the small kitchen, and Sam sat on the couch after switching on the small lamp. All around him he could see a neat and ordered room, with no personal belongings, a very Spartan living room. The only thing he could see that betrayed a living presence was a photo frame with a picture of Alpha on the empty bookshelf.

Grim came back and murmured:

_ I called Charlie. He's going back to bed.

_ Good. Thanks, my love.

As he was kissing Grim, a strangled yelp rose from the bedroom, and Briggs appeared, his back on them and slowly walking backwards as Kestrel advanced, eyes still glassy and empty but apparently seeing nevertheless. Sam calmly rose and asked:

_ What's the matter, Kestrel?

_ My chest hurts, the ops said with his strange, sleepy voice. I need a painkiller.

Sam looked carefully at his sling and saw that it was not correctly set, not doing its job properly. So he said very calmly:

_ Your sling isn't right. Would you like me to help you setting it right?

_ Yes, please, the ops muttered, like in a trance.

Sam walked cautiously towards him, minding his every movement as he knew that waking abruptly a sleepwalker could be very dangerous. He unstrapped the sling and Kestrel let him putting his arm back in place, then strapped the sling back.

_ Thanks, the ops said, and he turned, heading back to his bedroom.

Sam followed him and saw him lying back on his bed, eyes still open, and soon heard louder snores. He came back to the living room, utterly destabilized, and he said:

_ We really need the doc.

But five minutes later, the doc knocked once and went in. Sam led him to the bedroom, and Dr Collins carefully examined Kestrel, with very slow movements like Sam. Then he rose and they went to the living room and gathered around the low table on the sofa and armchairs. Dr Collins said calmly:

_ Exactly what I told you, Anna. It's the adverse side effect of the anesthesia. But it's the first time I see someone sleeping with his eyes open. And he can't be awoken for now, he could have a cardiac arrest. We'll just have to wait for the effects to wear off and watch over him in the meantime. Does he have a weapon here?

_ His P228, Sam realized with dread. He has one here, but I don't know where.

_ Let's find it, Brigg said grimly. But silently.

_ Doc, please look out for any reaction of his, Sam said, getting to his feet.

Dr Collins nodded and went on the threshold of the bedroom as Sam, Grim and Briggs spread out once again in the apartment. Sam chose to search in the bedroom, as it was a logical choice for a gun. He silently checked the nightstand and the wardrobe, but found nothing. Then he went in the kitchen as Briggs and Grim shared the living room. He inspected every cupboard but came empty-handed. Then Briggs said softly:

_ Got it!

Sam joined his ops in the living room, in front of the low table, where Briggs had found the pistol in a well-hidden drawer. He swiftly removed the magazine and pocketed the pistol, then they all sat back down around the low table. Sam could hear Kestrel's snores growing louder, and he asked the doc:

_ How much time before he goes back to his normal state?

_ Difficult to say, Dr Collins answered thoughtfully. The average time for normal men was about thirty-six hours, but he isn't an average man. It's been almost eighteen hours since the operation, so I suppose we still have a few hours of watching before us.

Sam nodded, then sat up. Kestrel's snores had abruptly stopped. He jumped to his feet as his ops exited his bedroom, ignoring them, and strode towards the front door. Briggs hastily put himself in front of it, and said very calmly:

_ It's too early, mate. Where are you going?

_ I'm hungry, the ops said in Russian with a monocord voice. I'll go to Irina Kirillovna's teashop.

_ It's five in the morning, Briggs explained, keeping his cool. The teashop is closed. You'll have to wait a little, mate.

Kestrel hesitated, his eyes still glassy, and at that moment Sam's smartphone rang loudly. Cursing inwardly, he saw Kestrel making a violent jump, his eyes wide with surprise and shock, then crumpling to the ground. The doc hastily ran to him and made him roll on his back, checking his pulse and breathing. Sam saw that it was Sarah calling him, so he picked up the line, retreating to the kitchen with a feeling of guilt and worry twisting his guts.

_ Yes?

_ Dad? It's Sarah.

_ Honey! Is everything all right?

_ It's quite all right, but we are worried. The surgeon told us that Kestrel has disappeared, and he needs to ask him questions for James.

_ Kestrel is with us, Sam said with a constricted voice, looking out the doorframe towards his sprawled ops and the team kneeling around him in alarm. But he's not fit for questions just yet.

_ What's happening, Dad? Why has he left hospital?

_ He's been sleepwalking, and now I awoke him with the ringing of my phone. I can't stay, honey, but I'll call you back as soon as possible. Okay?

_ Okay. Take care of him, Dad.

_ Will do.

Sam hung up and ran towards the small group. Dr Collins was massaging Kestrel's ribcage, but the Splinter Cell saw with relief that it wasn't CPR. Briggs was calling out softly his teammate:

_ Kestrel? Wake up! Come on, mate! Wake up!

_ Anna? the doc asked her. Please bring me a glass of water.

Sam was already up, so he ran to the kitchen and brought back the glass to the doc, who said:

_ Pour it on his face, Sam. I need him conscious, or he'll have a cardiac arrest.

Sam obeyed, and made the water trickling on his ops' face. Kestrel slowly awoke, his eyes fluttering open, his breathing jerky. The doc said with a soothing voice, still lightly massaging his ribcage:

_ Agent Kestrel, please relax. You're at home, and your team is around you. Everything's all right.

_ What... What happened? Kestrel asked, disoriented and wincing. Ouch!

_ Where does it hurt, agent Kestrel?

_ My chest.

_ I'll stop massaging your ribcage, but I really need you to relax, the doc said. You're too tensed, you've been startled very hard.

_ The hospital... Kestrel said in a halting voice. James... The transplant...

_ Agent Kestrel, just relax. We'll talk about all this later, but for now I really want you to relax. I don't want you to arrest. Tell me about your stay in the chalet in Boise. What did you do?

_ Chopped wood, Kestrel said with a grimace, clutching his chest with his right hand. Made a new low table. Ran. Watched the waterfall. Went fishing a couple of times. Cooked.

_ That's good. Do you want to go back there?

_ Yes. I love this place.

_ That's good. Now, I want you to picture yourself near the waterfall. You're lying on your back on the ground, the sun is shining and the water is running softly next to you.

Sam watched his ops with anxiety, but Dr Collins' hypnotic voice and the images of the chalet did the trick. He saw Kestrel' tense muscles starting to relax, his breathing becoming deeper and slower.

Within ten minutes his hand unclenched and left his chest, and he let out a huge sigh. Dr Collins smiled:

_ Good. Now can you get up, agent Kestrel?

_ Yes.

_ Okay. So we're going back to the cars and we'll drive you back to hospital. And...

_ No.

Sam fixed his gaze on his ops, who was looking sleepy but determined. And Kestrel added:

_ I want to go home.

_ But, mate, Briggs said, frowning. You are home! It's your apartment we're in!

_ No, Kestrel said weakly, shaking his head a little. Here is where I spend my time between missions. This is not my home.

Sam bent over him and locked eyes with him, asking softly:

_ Where is your home, sonny?

_ The Paladin. My cabin. My family.

Sam, moved, smiled, and around him the faces lightened with grins. He saw Briggs and the doc putting their arms under Kestrel's torso and the doc said:

_ On the count to three, then. One...Two...Three!

They made Kestrel sit up, and Sam held out his hand for his ops, who took it with his good arm. Soon he was on his feet, swaying a little but supported on either side by Briggs and the doc.

_ Do you feel dizzy? Dr Collins asked Kestrel. Nauseous?

_ Just tired, Kestrel said with a sigh, his eyelids half-closed.

_ It's quite normal, agent Kestrel. Okay, we're going to the Paladin's infirmary.

_ Sarah told me the surgeon had some questions for you, Kestrel, Sam realized with a start.

_ He'll have to phone me, the doc said firmly. If agent Kestrel feels better in the Paladin, then that's where we'll go. In such circumstances, it's far better.

True, Sam thought. And it would be easier for him to watch over his ops in the plane and prevent him from sleepwalking again. So they carefully brought Kestrel to the doc's car, and Sam and Grim went back to the van, following the Ford Mustang. Grim was driving, allowing Sam to call his daughter back.

_ Sarah, it's me.

_ Dad? Is Kestrel all right?

_ Yes, honey. He sleepwalked to his apartment, but now we're driving him back to our plane.

_ But the surgeon...

_ He'll have to phone Dr Collins, Sam cut her gently. We don't want to run after Kestrel again, he'll be better with us.

_ Yes, you're probably right.

_ How are the twins?

_ They're better, especially James. For the moment we see no sign of transplant rejection, so that's good. We keep our fingers crossed.

_ Me too, darling. I'll be in touch.

_ Okay, Dad. See you soon, then.

He hung up, his heart lighter. He told Grim the news and saw that she was relieved like him. Soon they reached their private parking next to the hangar, and Sam watched Kestrel, still supported by Briggs and the doc, climbing out of the car and going inside the Paladin. He followed them, Grim right next to him, and they held hands as they walked to the infirmary.

There the doc and Briggs took care to settle Kestrel comfortably, and the exhausted ops fell asleep almost instantly. The doc, although looking tired, sat on an armchair next to him and said:

_ I'll take first watch, until breakfast.

_ Thanks a lot, doc, Sam told him gratefully. We'll have some sleep, then.

_ Enjoy.

Sam, Grim and Briggs left on tiptoe and went straight to their own cabins, and Sam, without bothering to undress, collapsed on his bed. He was asleep in the following two seconds.

A wonderful smell of coffee woke him up, and he slowly emerged from his deep sleep. He rolled on his side and sat up, checking his OPSAT. It was 10.36 am. A little more than four hours of sleep, he thought dimly, not bad.

He went to take a hasty but reinvigorating shower, then headed towards the kitchen. And he found Grim preparing breakfast, looking better and more rested than the night before. He kissed her, and she smiled while kissing him back.

_ Hello, there! she said softly. Sleep well?

_ Not enough, he confessed, but well.

_ You started to snore ten seconds after you closed your door, she said maliciously. You truly were tired.

_ I'll admit, I was. So, what news?

_ None for the moment, she said while bringing everything in the dining cabin. For once I went straight here without starting to work.

_ Good, he nodded, helping her. You need to relax too. I was thinking about a trip to Europe for our next holidays.

_ That's a brilliant idea, she beamed. I'd like to visit France and England with you.

_ Then we'll do it soon, he smiled, his heart leaping in his chest. As soon as we can get decent holidays.

_ So it won't be until some time, I'm afraid.

_ It will. We'll take the time, my love. There are other agencies in the USA aside from us, after all.

_ Good morning! Charlie said loudly, entering the room. So, everything all right? Kestrel still there?

_ Hi, Charlie! Everything's all right so far, Sam said calmly. And I suppose Kestrel is still on the infirmary's bunk.

_ No, I'm not, a calm voice resonated behind him.

Sam turned and saw Kestrel, the doc and Briggs behind him, walking in the dining cabin with a smile on their faces.

_ Hi, there! Sam said. Feel better, then?

_ I feel fine, Kestrel answered him while sitting and grabbing a handful of bagels with a coffee. Starving, though.

_ And he stayed in his bed, Dr Collins said seriously. A good thing. So I rewarded him by allowing him to have breakfast here with the team.

Sam smirked, and Briggs winked at him. But Grim got up and exited the dining cabin without a word. Startled, the team exchanged puzzled looks, but she soon came back, an envelope in her hand.

_ Here, Kestrel, she said with a small smile. This came two days ago for you.

Konovalov's letter, Sam thought, feeling uneasiness creeping in his guts.