Coup De Grace

Chapter 4

Word Count: 5504

"I'm really sorry, Sir...there isn't a way around this at the moment. I can talk with my supervisor shortly and my Director when they get here in a few hours."

Emily Rinkcoff smoothed down her braided ginger hair and her green eyes stood out from behind the mask she wore. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she looked anxious, as though this was somehow her fault.

With a heavy sigh Karasuma ran his hand down his face and took a moment to gather his own bearings. "It's not your fault," he said after a moment as he spoke to her, but his attention wasn't on her but rather the hallway he would be walking down shortly. "To be honest I should have expected this. We will get it sorted out in a few hours. Call me if anything changes in her condition." He told her as he held out his business card for her to take, as she did. He left the Critical Care Unit and made it to the elevators out of view of the staff.

He waited for the elevator, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall and moved only once the ding of the elevator signified he could go to the ground floor. As the elevator closed, his eyes looked for a camera out of habit and when he found none. Only then did his fist slam into the metal wall. He was angry, but it wasn't directed at her. He'd seen the way her features morphed into stark fear. The way for just a moment she couldn't school her features at whatever memory she was stuck in. His gaze had followed her hers as she mentioned the bracelets. She'd been joking, but he knew something was wrong when her heart rate spiked and she had flinched away from him, her eyes closed tightly, her body involuntarily shifting away from him.

When her hands had jerked violently against her restraints. He had grabbed her hands to keep her from hurting herself and had yelled for a nurse. He had tried to get her attention, to get her to look at him. Her breathing had increased in that way that someone who was having a panic attack would experience. When he demanded she look at him, he had immediately regretted his word choice as those frightened blue eyes had met his own, before the anger, the carefully controlled rage had lashed out. Looking to push everyone away.

"Damn it!" He cursed his fist slamming against the elevator wall one more time before it got to the ground floor. He closed his eyes wondering for a moment what was the best course of action. He could go back up there, refuse to leave. But all it would do is push her further and further away from him. He needed to be careful. He had to wait her out. He had to prove to her that she could trust and rely on him. If he distanced himself it would show that he didn't care. After a moment, he got an idea. He knew what he needed to do. The hard part would be finding them this time of year, but then again they were always in season...usually. It was something he would have to look into.

As he exited the elevator, he regarded the children still in the room, most still asleep. Just because she was upset with him didn't mean that they couldn't see her. He frowned, wondering if it wouldn't be better to give her a little time to herself. Would being alone in a strange place be a good idea? Yes and No...it would only isolate her. But is that what she would want? Time to work through what she'd been through. Frowning, he looked for the octopus and glanced toward the front door seeing him lingering in the early morning light. As he ran his fingers through his hair as he went over. He nodded toward the few students gathered around, talking quietly to themselves.

Nagisa was among them, but it seemed a few of them had left, which was just as well. They needed to rest and enjoy the rest of their weekend before school started back up on Monday.

Karasuma headed out to speak with him and paused for a moment to stand next to him as the two regarded the moon above them. For a moment, neither spoke. "Well Mr. Karasuma, how is she?" Questioned the yellow creature, his attention not wavering from the moon. For a moment he opened his mouth and closed it hesitating to spill her secrets and yet he pushed forward. Koro-sensei had a right to know, Karasuma owed her life to him and he had proven his loyalty on multiple occasions and Irina was on friendly terms with him and their students.

"Honestly, " he said with a heavy sigh as he rubbed his eyes. "I don't know what I was expecting, but she's already acting like nothing happened. That she can go home and be discharged later today and the world will fall in place with what she wants. She needs to be monitored for a few days." He frowned as he looked out to the parking lot, his tension in his shoulder not lessening.

"There is another thing, " he said softly, aware that Koro Sensei had gone utterly still and watched him with his beady eyes. "She's had two episodes within the span of thirty minutes that seem to be related to PTSD. The first when she woke up, the next about fifteen minutes later. She demanded to be discharged and barred me from her room." As he ran his fingers of his right hand through his hair, frustrated to a degree with how things were going. He couldn't say he was surprised, it sort of fit with everything he was seeing so far. "I'm not surprised I expected it given recent events...but closing herself off completely won't do. I have another alternative." He paused letting those words hang there between them.

"You already have an idea for gaining her trust. I'm impressed Karasuma, you're not as dense as the students believe. I've known better though, but it's all in good fun for them. It wouldn't be prudent for you to push her, so you want her to come to you when she's ready. So what are you wanting to do while she's here if you believe that her isolation isn't a good idea?" He wondered, but from his tone it seemed he may already have an idea, but he pushed it aside.

"Visitation is only a couple hours a day and it's one person allowed at a time and we can see which of the students would want to volunteer to stay with her. They would go after PE and be dropped off here after and then do their work remotely with the help of Ritsu of course. What do you think?"

The octopus grinned at him, as he rubbed his tentacles together. "That's a great idea, we can see who would like to volunteer and I can drop them off and pick them up a few minutes before school ends and then no one is the wiser. I could see if they want to make her cards too, they may like that, it would give them something to do. If Miss Irina decides it's too much we can figure something else out." He couldn't help but be excited. This was something to celebrate, but life was precious and it had taken him a long time to realize that.

"There is something else...for the first few days I think it needs to just be the girls with her." Karasuma didn't elaborate and Koro Sensei curled his tentacles together and tried to keep his anger in check. "That may be for the best," he said after a moment, his voice low as neither looked at the other. The implications of what he said and why were very telling and it was something both were uncomfortable with.

"For now let's get everyone home before their parents notice they're gone. We can discuss what to do in a few hours."

"Right!" Koro Sensei said with a salute as he went inside to get the children up and moving. For now this seemed to be the best course of action.

The Class E students were not thrilled to be going home, but there was little they could do about it. Karasuma drove the point home when he cut in any arguments saying it was what she wanted. No one argued further, while visibly upset. There was little that could be done. Koro Sensei recommended the card idea, if anyone wanted to make one it may not hurt. He also pointed out that it wasn't something to take personally. "When someone was used to keeping to their lifestyle you hid your weaknesses. To some extent that was what she was doing. Do you think Dimitri Belyaev is the only enemy she has gained in her lifetime?" He questioned from his place in the front seat.

The car ride was mostly silent as the students mulled over what was said and quietly said their goodbyes as they were dropped off at their houses. Koro Sensei also took several of the students home as well and ensured they didn't get caught going home.

Karasuma kept the van at his place for now and the two parted ways for the next few hours. Koro Sensei to work on his own card. While Tadaomi slipped into his home, removed his guns, clothes and took a shower washing away the blood on his body. He collapsed on his bed in exhaustion and sleep was soon dragging him under in the safety of his home.

Irina had done a very good job of ignoring the nurses as they filtered in and out of her room for the next few hours. She'd been labeled as the problem child. They didn't speak with her, unless it was asking about her pain level or something related to her charts, or if she asked them a question. The cold shoulder was just as well, she didn't want to be friends with them, all she wanted was to be on her way. She was confident she could manage her own injuries If she was careful.

Her only setback was the chest tube, she had a few more days until they ensured it was safe enough to remove. There was nothing they could do for her ribs but keep them wrapped, once the tube was removed. It was up to her body to heal from those injuries on its own.

She was exhausted, tired of the noise, tired of people in and out of her room. She wanted to be anywhere else but where she was...well not anywhere. But still she sucked in a careful breath and stiffened at the knock on the door. Watching as her doctor entered her room, her chart in his hand. Her fingers smoothed on the bed, keeping relaxed as she wanted nothing more than recoil away. She brightened her smile toward him, as best she could given her injuries.

Would he have stayed had you not kicked him out? He doesn't owe you anything.

Probably not...but he showed up, they all did…

Do you think that means anything? None of them are here with you now. It's what you wanted.

"Dr. Samuel, thank you for meeting with me, I was hoping we could discuss when I may be discharged from your facility. I am thankful for the help, but I have no desire to stay a moment longer."

The older man smiled at her and it didn't meet his eyes. Which left her nervous as her fingers curled on the blanket a little tighter. She didn't let her smile falter as her mind tried to figure out if he looked familiar or not.

"Miss. Jelavic I'm afraid we will have to keep you for a few days. You must understand you have been through quite the ordeal and we would like to monitor you for a few days. We don't know each other very well, but I can assure you we will be very well acquainted."

What the hell does that mean? Does that sound as disgusting to me as it would normally? I'm not wrong, something isn't right here. He said my name without any trouble...Who is he really?

She thought to herself as her eyes narrowed and she kept her heart rate regulated so that it didn't rise to give anything away. "That won't be necessary. I am quite certain my fiancé and I can manage ourselves."

As he came closer to her bed, her fingers curled all too aware of the lack of mobility she had in the situation. Why does he look slightly familiar? Where have I seen him before? He raised his hand to brush back a strand of blonde hair and she slapped his hand away from her. "Don't touch me!" She snarled, hating the way her voice wanted to tremble as another memory flashed through her mind.

When the door of her room was wrenched open, the doctor turned toward the door clearly not expecting any visitors.

"What do we have here?" Came the question from Koro Sensei as he strode into her room, a large folded card under his arm. It was probably the largest card she'd ever seen.

"I was just discussing with Miss. Jelavic that we would need to keep her a few more days." The older man replied his gaze regarding Koro Sensei and his disguise as though he knew exactly who he was dealing with.

"Oh really?" He drawled his eyes shifting to Irina and the phone on her bedside table. "That's not what Ritsu picked up when I left her here last night."

As those words hung in their air, the Doctor tried to head for the door. He would have to try again later. "I assure you, there was nothing untoward going on."

"Who are you really?" Irina questioned feeling braver, than she should.

He laughed and turned his head to shoot her a look over his shoulder. "The Great Black Widow is down for the count, you've got a bounty on your head little girl. Do you believe the people you've taken out don't have those looking for revenge?"

At her look he laughed as he hit the door fully intending to leave without any consequences.

The knife protruding into his neck was unexpected. He gave a wet, watery gasp as he slumped forward, the knife having hit its mark. Koro Sensei kept the door shut and curled his tentacles around him, to keep him from making too much noise. The chuckle he gave as he regarded Irina from where she was lowering her hand, was sinister.

"Now that wasn't something I left last night, " he teased as he moved to the window, taking the body with him. "I'll be back in a jiff, " he promised as he opened the window and was gone before she could say anything about it.

He was back minutes later, that mach 20 speed of his truly something else. Closing the window and locking it as he turned to look at her. "Are you alright?" He questioned as he regarded her pale complexion, dark circles under her eyes, the flush along her cheeks, and was listening to the wheezing of her breaths even as the chest tube worked to remove the excess air and fluid from the right side of her lung.

"Thanks, " she told him as she pressed her wrist to her forehead, feeling the rise of her temperature. "I've got to get out of here, " she muttered to herself, her mind working for her alternate routes. She had to have backup plan

"Irina, " he said softly as one tentacle held out the knife for her to take, he'd made sure to clean it. The other was getting her temperature reading as he pressed it to her forehead. "102 isn't bad given your injuries, but you should probably try and rest. Don't worry; I'll hang out till you wake up. Then we can figure out what to do from here."

She regarded him a moment as he stepped away and sat in the chair by the window. He hummed to himself as he began digging through his bag and working on the kids' next upcoming test. As she laid down, pulling the blanket over her, she pulled the second one up as well. Irritated that it was so cold in here. It also cemented something else, how dangerous her life would continue to be even if she got out. Perhaps that was the saddest part. She didn't bat an eye at the death of the other assassin, she'd long sense shed the vast majority of her humanity. The only way to get out of the game was to find who'd put a bounty on her head and take them out. Only then...maybe could she try something else with her life.

"Relax, we'll get through this. For now try to sleep."

She was sure there was no one way she'd be able to sleep. It came for her anyway, the soothing sound of someone she could trust.

"Ritsu?"

"Yes, Koro-Sensei?"

"Good job today,"

"You were the best person to be notified of the situation. It was nothing special, but thank you."

"Send a message to Mr. Karasuma. We will need to discuss our next move."

"Of course, "

With those words hanging in the air, he went back to his work.

Karasuma shifted his attention from Irina to the single red rose and small hand written card under it, that he'd left beside her bedside table as he leaned against the wall to the left of the door and gave him easy access to reading her stats as they filtered to the monitors beside her bed where she slept. He had come over after waking to the message from Ritsu. She'd delayed in sending it for a few hours at the behest of her teacher. Something he was still not thrilled about.

With his arms crossed over his chest, he waited for the groveling to stop. "Are you done yet?" he asked, keeping his voice low, but the anger was there.

"It's more fun this way, but don't be mad. You, humans, need your rest after all; I've long since passed that phase of my evolution." Koro Sensei told him from his bowed position in front of him.

"Are you worried Karasuma?" he questioned, teasingly his smile wide as he rose to his full height.

Karasuma couldn't keep the flush from his cheeks as he narrowed his eyes at him. "The knife you left was a nice touch, I wasn't expecting it and neither was he, " The yellow octopus said with a dark chuckle. The slight tug of Karasuma's lips was the only inkling that he found his dark humor funny.

Before he grew serious "Had I not been on my way, something else could have happened. Imagine for a moment if that Ativan drip would have been used, we are just lucky she was conscious and refused it. We still don't know what they are after, if it's just the bounty on her head, it's something we can work around. Finding who put it out, isn't that difficult to do, people talk. Or is there something she knows that they want."

He shrugged and turned back toward the window as he paced toward it and back. "All questions we don't know, maybe she'll know more when she wakes up. This does change things a bit for tomorrow but we can discuss it in a little while."

With that he slipped back into his chair by the window and picked up a magazine he'd been reading. "You could hold her hand you know, " he remarked as he flipped the page.

Karasuma was furious with himself for a variety of reasons that only continued to get longer as the days progressed. After a few moments of careful consideration, he walked over and sank into the chair beside her hospital bed. He hesitated feeling foolish as he laid his hand on her bed. It would take a few heartbeats before he let his fingers curl gently around her own.

As her fingers tightened around his own, he couldn't explain the feeling that surfaced.

"Karasuma, I'm going to head out for a bit. Let me know when she wakes up." With those words hanging in the air. He left them alone.

In the privacy of her hospital room. Karasuma laid his head along his arm that he folded on the empty space of her bed, his fingers still carefully entertained with her own. "I know I should have said this earlier. My biggest regret is that I didn't press to find out what was wrong. I noticed and chose to keep up the appearance you wanted. I know you could handle yourself; you'd proven that point all your life."

He let his thumb brush along her bandaged knuckles. "I guess you could call me a coward for not telling you how I feel when you're awake. I was never completely sure how you felt till I found your letter, I should have looked earlier. You left the clues and I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you do whatever you had to alone." He carefully raised his head and cupped her hand in both of his as he bowed his head. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

As a tender touch brushed through his hair, he jerked his attention upward toward her. His red eyes meeting her own, the soft smile she gave him left him with an unexpected feeling in his chest a release of tension. "Hey," he said softly, his gaze carefully regarding her before doing a quick sweep of the room, before he was back to giving her his full attention. She swallowed carefully testing herself to see if she was going to cough or not. The tickle was there but she tried to ignore it for as long as she could. She turned her head away, her hand jerking out of his hold to cover her mouth as the cough worked its way through her system. Her other hand rubbed at the spot between her sternum, aware of the stitches. As another coughing fit stole her breath, Karasuma's steady hand on her back was new, a support she wasn't sure what to do with, but she didn't object, his hand was warm.

The cup of water held to her lips wasn't exactly new either, they'd played this game earlier. After a few careful sips, she leaned back, frowned and tried to get comfortable, but it was impossible. She didn't want to be here. "Thanks, " came her soft reply, aware of the heat on her cheeks. "Can I talk to my real doctor now?" she asked her lips, lifting up in a dark sense of humor given what she'd done earlier. "I can arrange it," he told her as he sank into the chair next to her bed. "I can't stay here Karasuma," she told him seriously, her fingers curling on the blanket. "I know, we are looking at other arrangements."

"My head hurts," she muttered as she pressed her fingers against her forehead, irritated with how tired she felt and how foggy her brain was. The pressure behind her eyes was something else too. It was probably thanks to being dehydrated a bit, and her constant sense of unease. She couldn't really rest here. "I want to go home," she murmured, her voice almost nonexistent. "I want off the pain meds too...I don't need them."

"I'll see what I can do about the pain meds," he promised, but he wasn't sure that was a good idea, his gaze studied her form looking at all her injuries. They were probably the only thing making her pain level tolerable. "We have to see what the doctor says before we can get you out of here, but you won't be here long either way," he told her his arms crossed over his chest. They had a few ideas in mind, but none of which had been discussed yet. This new assassination attempt brought home the issue of safety and unanswered questions.

She gave a hum of sound signifying that she had heard him and while Irina was curious to know what the plan was, she knew she had to take care of something far more important. "Listen," her voice was low and her gaze was on the door and she had pulled her knee to her chest and curled her arms around it as she set her chin on her knee. "I'm sorry for before...I owe you for looking for me."

'No one will come to save you.'

'No one is looking for you.'

'Stay with me'

'Don't leave'

'Stop!'

She blinked her gaze still on the door, and the room was quiet. So eerily silent, except for the rapid beat of her heart. Her gaze jerked around the room, searching for anyone, any sign of life.

No!

As her blue eyes skirted across the room, she saw him. He pressed his finger to the off switch of her heart monitor. He for a moment his back was to her. For one terrifying moment, she couldn't tell the difference between reality and fiction. Couldn't differentiate her savior from the twisted monster of her past.

When he turned toward her, he was quiet, his gaze assessing her. Slowly he reached up and tapped his ear. She blinked her mind slowly fluttering back into focus. The pressure around her ears, the pain in her arms, along her fingers. At one point during her lapse with reality she had covered her ears with her hands. Slowly she lowered them. Her breathing was gradually returning to normal, her fingers fisting the blanket that surrounded her.

"Irina, " her name was soft and low. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Her frustration mounted with every single lapse of clarity, as her control over her own thoughts wavered back to the events she knew she needed to lock down. She was better than this, stronger than this, and yet she was letting it affect her.

Get it together!

The soft touch along the ridge of her knuckle had her stiffening, but she didn't draw away. "It's ok, " his index and middle fingers tapped the top of her hand twice, a simple code that their class and enacted before he slowly drew his hand back. She could hear him as he moved around her, could hear the heart rate monitor as it powered back on.

"Listen, " he started his voice low. "You don't owe me or anyone else for looking for you, " he kept his voice low and his arms crossed over his chest. He watched her tighten her hand as she refused to look at him. He could tell when she was shutting him out. He didn't blame her, but at the same time, she couldn't expect to tackle this alone. He slowly sank into the chair he'd vacated earlier and continued to talk. "We were worried about you...we wouldn't have stopped looking," he said softly watching as she drew her arms tighter, closer to herself. He didn't take it personally as he saw her shoulders tremble. He was silent as he rested his arm on the bed, his palm facing upward a small gesture to show that he was here, that he would wait for her no matter the time it would take.

He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. He had seen his fair share of women cry. He gave her his silent support if she would accept it.

Irina covered her mouth with one hand to silence any sounds she might make. It was hard to accept that level of loyalty and the guilt that curled and tightened deep in her chest a constant ache. If they had tried...it would have made a difference at least a little, instead they had moved on, left him behind and hadn't tried to save him.

Somehow someone like her had people who would look for her, would have kept searching, those who had saved her. She hated herself, hated her past self for the choices she couldn't change. Her fingers curled around her shoulders and she bowed her head, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders hiding her features.

The fact that she was safe was still something that was a struggle to get used to; she kept expecting to wake up back in the basement. That her capture was far from over, that she was still suspended above the rats. It was part of the reason she couldn't sleep, she was afraid of what she would remember, what she wasn't ready to remember. She remembered bits and pieces and the fight, but there were other time lapses where it was as though her memory was just blank.

As warmth spread along her shoulder, her fingers clutched at his own as Karasuma had moved to stand alongside her bed. "I wouldn't have stopped searching." His words were little more than a low murmur, but it was what she needed to hear. As he tried to pull back to give her space, her fingers tightened around his own and he stilled. His thumb carefully traveling over her bandaged knuckles.

Nothing was said as she accepted the tissue that was held out under the curtain of her hair. As her blue eyes caught the flash of yellow, her cheeks heated with color, as her free hand curled around the soft piece of paper as she whipped at her eyes and her nose still hidden from view.

"Class E sticks together, Irina. I hope you realize how important you are to everyone there. It wouldn't be the same without you." Koro Sensei told her as his tentacle ruffled her hair gently on the head. He'd only returned a few moments ago, but it was long enough to catch onto the mood of the room.

As the two men made eye contact above her, it wasn't hard to see the way Koro-Sensei was waving his extra arms and clearly trying to make a point. As the silence only increased and neither felt like breaking it, she took a soft inhale and spoke. "You have questions...so ask them."

Her fingers had retreated from Karasuma's hold and she brushed her fingers through her hair as she sat back against the pillows, carefully beginning to remove the tangles from her hair. She paused as Karasuma stilled her fingers and didn't comment as they shook. He didn't say anything as he carefully began to pick up where she had left off.

Irina instead curled her hands into fists and then hid them as she crossed her arms over her chest. The two shared a look over her head, but she only sank lower, shifting over as the chest tube pulled at one of her movements. Her gaze skirted to Koro-sensei who seemed to be looking everywhere but her. Why did that leave a heavy sense of dread in the pit of her stomach? She glanced toward Karasuma but he wasn't giving anything away, his fingers moving through her hair gently working in sections and starting at the bottom of her strands instead.

"Miss Jelavic...I returned to the scene where you were held." he paused watching her features, but she'd locked up any stray emotion. "I have reason to believe there may have been a second assailant. Did you see anyone else?"

A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone in getting this up, but this little curveball will make sense as the story progresses further. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are amazing to read, it helps me motivate me. Once again, this story will touch on some heavy subjects, so talk to someone if you ever need to, a professional or a trusted friend or family member. Stay safe everyone!

AJ Aviary