Chapter 43
Duncan was dosing in the chair when the door opened, he blinked as he focused his eyes on the person entering the room "Joe? What are you doing here?" he asked as he got to his feet "How is she?" Joe asked, as he walked passed Duncan putting the tray he was carrying on the wheeled table at the end of Alex's bed "You don't look so good either, Mac" Joe smiled as he handed one of the cups to Duncan. "Alex had a really bad night," Duncan said pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he took the cup Joe offered with the other. Duncan pulled the plastic lid off as he walked over to the window, he watched as Joe looked down at Alex. Duncan took a sip of his coffee "So Joe what brings you here this early? It's not the normal time for visiting".
"Surely, the doctor's can do something?" Joe asked trying to change the subject, he hadn't realise how much this was effecting Duncan and now he wasn't sure he should tell him what he had found, he didn't look in any condition to face a challenge. Duncan walked round the other side of the bed, he looked down at Alex, he ran his hand down the side of her face "They're waiting for results from a laboratory that specialises in rare diseases but I don't think the doctor is too confident" Duncan then walked back to the window taking another sip of his coffee. "But you didn't come all this way so early in the morning for a progress report" Duncan said as he walked back to the window. Joe realised that he couldn't fool Duncan about his motives for this visit, as his fingers closed around the piece of paper that was concealed in his pocket he turned to face Duncan "I think we've found him" Joe said as he pulled the paper from his pocket "Lazarski?" Duncan said as he pushed himself away from the window placing the lid back on the coffee cup, Joe held out the piece of paper "He's got a little Chateau about 20 miles south of Paris" Joe watched as Duncan read through the address he had just given him "One of my guys saw him there yesterday"
Duncan turned back to the window, this had been what he had been waiting for but part of him didn't want to leave Alex. Joe walked over to Duncan "I don't think he's going anywhere for a while, so you have time. You need to think carefully about this one Mac he isn't someone to underestimate" Joe said as he walked over to the window. The sound of Alex gasping made them both look round, they didn't have time to react before the room filled with the duty nurses and doctor, they both watched as they worked neither wishing to say anything in case they tempted fate. Joe and Duncan stood in silence as they watched the doctor revive Alex again. It took quite a while before he was happy that she was stable, he dismissed the nurses before joining Duncan and Joe at the window. The look on his face told them that this wasn't news either of them wanted "I will be honest with you Monsieur MacLeod, I can't risk giving her anymore of the drugs I've been using without causing more harm to her. There's been no news from the tests I sent off" the doctor put his hand on Duncan's arm "I think that you should prepare for the worse, contact anyone you think should know before it's too late" Duncan turned away to the window, he didn't want either Joe or the Doctor to see that he was fighting his emotions "Thanks I will" Duncan said without turning round, Joe held out his hand to the Doctor "It's good of you to be honest with us, I'll make sure that everyone gets here in time".
"I just wish I had better news to give you" the Doctor said as he turned to leave but as he walked to the door his foot caught the leg of the wheeled table at the end of Alex's bed, the book Methos had given to Duncan had become balanced on the edge in all the activity that had just been surrounding Alex. The book hit the edge of the bed sending the piece of card that Methos had used as a bookmark fluttering to the ground by Duncan's feet. As the Doctor bent down to pick up the book as Duncan picked up the card, the Doctor handed the book to Joe, "I'm so sorry" he said before leaving the room, Joe put the book back on the wheeled table before turning to Duncan who had just turned over the card and was reading the words that were handwritten on it. Joe watched as his face darkened "Mac, what is it?" Joe said stepping forward "The flowers were from Lazarski, this is his message.I can't believe Methos didn't tell me" Duncan said as he picked up the flowers, throwing them in the bin. Duncan started pacing the room; he could think why Methos wouldn't tell him about the card with every step he felt the anger coursing faster and faster through his body. Duncan grabbed his coat but Joe barred his path "Mac, what are you going to do?" As he pulled on his coat he looked at Joe in the eyes, Joe could see that his eyes had grown cold and dark "I'm going to kill him" Duncan said through clenched teeth, Duncan went to go round Joe but Joe's hand on his chest stopped him "Your talking about Lazarski right?"
Duncan moved Joe aside without answering his question, he turned back as he got to the door "stay with her Joe, I don't want her to be alone" Duncan waited only long enough for Joe to agree before closing the door and heading down the hall to the elevators. As Duncan passed the door to the stairs he felt the presences of an Immortal he waited but as Methos opened the door he continued walking towards the elevators "Mac, wait Mac!" Methos called after him, Duncan stopped a few metres down the hall but didn't turn round "Where are you going?" Methos asked as he walked around Duncan.
Duncan took the card out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands "Joe's found Lazarski and I'm going to pay him a little visit" Duncan thrust the card into Methos's hand as he stepped round him and continued to the elevators. Methos looked at the small white card, screwed up his eyes and shook his head "Mac, you can't do this" he shouted as he rushed after Duncan grabbing hold of his arm "Just watch me" Duncan said as he turned to face Methos.
"It's not your choice Mac, you promised Alex that you wouldn't let him get the disc"
"I didn't know that it could save her then, I do know" Duncan wrenched his arm from Methos's grip as he turned away "Mac, you can't do this, it's her choice not yours, you might be able to live with it but do you have the right to make Alex live with it, she already made her choice"
"But she'll die, Methos"
"No, not necessarily I think I've found a cure" Duncan thought for a moment "You might think you have but Lazarski knows he has, I'm not willing to risk it" Duncan said as he walked off. Methos wanted to go after him but knew he had first try to save Alex, he only hoped it worked. Methos met the doctor dealing with Alex's case as he walked to her room; he spent some time finding out what had happened over the previous night before going into Alex's room "Adam did you see Mac?" Joe asked as Methos walked into the room "Yes, I saw him but I couldn't talk him out of going, you now how stubborn he can be" he said as he walked over to Alex's bed putting the small black bag on the bed.
Joe smiled "Yeah, I tried too, so what's in the bag?" Methos smiled "I think I've found a cure for the virus" he said as he took a syringe from the bag, he checked there were no air bubbles, as he moved to Alex's arm, Joe leaned across the bed "Woo.wait a minute shouldn't you check with the doctor?" Methos moved Joe's hand away "They've run out of options this is her only chance".
"So what is it?" Joe asked as he sat back down in the chair "I did some of my own tests, this is a little something I learned many years ago when I was travelling through the Amazon" as Methos injected Alex he looked back over at Joe "Did you know there are things the Amazon Indians used centuries ago that haven't been discovered by modern medicine yet", Joe smiled as he shook his head there was so much he didn't know about this man stood in front of him and he wondered just which century Methos had been in the Amazon.
I would like to hear from anyone who is reading my story; I welcome constructive criticism as I am always looking for ways to improve my writing.
Duncan was dosing in the chair when the door opened, he blinked as he focused his eyes on the person entering the room "Joe? What are you doing here?" he asked as he got to his feet "How is she?" Joe asked, as he walked passed Duncan putting the tray he was carrying on the wheeled table at the end of Alex's bed "You don't look so good either, Mac" Joe smiled as he handed one of the cups to Duncan. "Alex had a really bad night," Duncan said pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he took the cup Joe offered with the other. Duncan pulled the plastic lid off as he walked over to the window, he watched as Joe looked down at Alex. Duncan took a sip of his coffee "So Joe what brings you here this early? It's not the normal time for visiting".
"Surely, the doctor's can do something?" Joe asked trying to change the subject, he hadn't realise how much this was effecting Duncan and now he wasn't sure he should tell him what he had found, he didn't look in any condition to face a challenge. Duncan walked round the other side of the bed, he looked down at Alex, he ran his hand down the side of her face "They're waiting for results from a laboratory that specialises in rare diseases but I don't think the doctor is too confident" Duncan then walked back to the window taking another sip of his coffee. "But you didn't come all this way so early in the morning for a progress report" Duncan said as he walked back to the window. Joe realised that he couldn't fool Duncan about his motives for this visit, as his fingers closed around the piece of paper that was concealed in his pocket he turned to face Duncan "I think we've found him" Joe said as he pulled the paper from his pocket "Lazarski?" Duncan said as he pushed himself away from the window placing the lid back on the coffee cup, Joe held out the piece of paper "He's got a little Chateau about 20 miles south of Paris" Joe watched as Duncan read through the address he had just given him "One of my guys saw him there yesterday"
Duncan turned back to the window, this had been what he had been waiting for but part of him didn't want to leave Alex. Joe walked over to Duncan "I don't think he's going anywhere for a while, so you have time. You need to think carefully about this one Mac he isn't someone to underestimate" Joe said as he walked over to the window. The sound of Alex gasping made them both look round, they didn't have time to react before the room filled with the duty nurses and doctor, they both watched as they worked neither wishing to say anything in case they tempted fate. Joe and Duncan stood in silence as they watched the doctor revive Alex again. It took quite a while before he was happy that she was stable, he dismissed the nurses before joining Duncan and Joe at the window. The look on his face told them that this wasn't news either of them wanted "I will be honest with you Monsieur MacLeod, I can't risk giving her anymore of the drugs I've been using without causing more harm to her. There's been no news from the tests I sent off" the doctor put his hand on Duncan's arm "I think that you should prepare for the worse, contact anyone you think should know before it's too late" Duncan turned away to the window, he didn't want either Joe or the Doctor to see that he was fighting his emotions "Thanks I will" Duncan said without turning round, Joe held out his hand to the Doctor "It's good of you to be honest with us, I'll make sure that everyone gets here in time".
"I just wish I had better news to give you" the Doctor said as he turned to leave but as he walked to the door his foot caught the leg of the wheeled table at the end of Alex's bed, the book Methos had given to Duncan had become balanced on the edge in all the activity that had just been surrounding Alex. The book hit the edge of the bed sending the piece of card that Methos had used as a bookmark fluttering to the ground by Duncan's feet. As the Doctor bent down to pick up the book as Duncan picked up the card, the Doctor handed the book to Joe, "I'm so sorry" he said before leaving the room, Joe put the book back on the wheeled table before turning to Duncan who had just turned over the card and was reading the words that were handwritten on it. Joe watched as his face darkened "Mac, what is it?" Joe said stepping forward "The flowers were from Lazarski, this is his message.I can't believe Methos didn't tell me" Duncan said as he picked up the flowers, throwing them in the bin. Duncan started pacing the room; he could think why Methos wouldn't tell him about the card with every step he felt the anger coursing faster and faster through his body. Duncan grabbed his coat but Joe barred his path "Mac, what are you going to do?" As he pulled on his coat he looked at Joe in the eyes, Joe could see that his eyes had grown cold and dark "I'm going to kill him" Duncan said through clenched teeth, Duncan went to go round Joe but Joe's hand on his chest stopped him "Your talking about Lazarski right?"
Duncan moved Joe aside without answering his question, he turned back as he got to the door "stay with her Joe, I don't want her to be alone" Duncan waited only long enough for Joe to agree before closing the door and heading down the hall to the elevators. As Duncan passed the door to the stairs he felt the presences of an Immortal he waited but as Methos opened the door he continued walking towards the elevators "Mac, wait Mac!" Methos called after him, Duncan stopped a few metres down the hall but didn't turn round "Where are you going?" Methos asked as he walked around Duncan.
Duncan took the card out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands "Joe's found Lazarski and I'm going to pay him a little visit" Duncan thrust the card into Methos's hand as he stepped round him and continued to the elevators. Methos looked at the small white card, screwed up his eyes and shook his head "Mac, you can't do this" he shouted as he rushed after Duncan grabbing hold of his arm "Just watch me" Duncan said as he turned to face Methos.
"It's not your choice Mac, you promised Alex that you wouldn't let him get the disc"
"I didn't know that it could save her then, I do know" Duncan wrenched his arm from Methos's grip as he turned away "Mac, you can't do this, it's her choice not yours, you might be able to live with it but do you have the right to make Alex live with it, she already made her choice"
"But she'll die, Methos"
"No, not necessarily I think I've found a cure" Duncan thought for a moment "You might think you have but Lazarski knows he has, I'm not willing to risk it" Duncan said as he walked off. Methos wanted to go after him but knew he had first try to save Alex, he only hoped it worked. Methos met the doctor dealing with Alex's case as he walked to her room; he spent some time finding out what had happened over the previous night before going into Alex's room "Adam did you see Mac?" Joe asked as Methos walked into the room "Yes, I saw him but I couldn't talk him out of going, you now how stubborn he can be" he said as he walked over to Alex's bed putting the small black bag on the bed.
Joe smiled "Yeah, I tried too, so what's in the bag?" Methos smiled "I think I've found a cure for the virus" he said as he took a syringe from the bag, he checked there were no air bubbles, as he moved to Alex's arm, Joe leaned across the bed "Woo.wait a minute shouldn't you check with the doctor?" Methos moved Joe's hand away "They've run out of options this is her only chance".
"So what is it?" Joe asked as he sat back down in the chair "I did some of my own tests, this is a little something I learned many years ago when I was travelling through the Amazon" as Methos injected Alex he looked back over at Joe "Did you know there are things the Amazon Indians used centuries ago that haven't been discovered by modern medicine yet", Joe smiled as he shook his head there was so much he didn't know about this man stood in front of him and he wondered just which century Methos had been in the Amazon.
I would like to hear from anyone who is reading my story; I welcome constructive criticism as I am always looking for ways to improve my writing.