A/N: A missing scene for pongnosis's The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, set towards the end of Alex's RTI training. Many thanks to pongnosis for letting me play in this universe!
Written for FebuWhump day 18: Can't stay awake.
A Well-earned Respite
The boy on the floor of the cell had turned fifteen two hours ago, but this meant little to any of the people in the room. The hour of midnight had come and gone, with only a new entry in Dr Three's meticulous notes to reflect it.
Alex, newly fifteen and half out of his mind from pain and fear and sleep deprivation, was likely not even aware of what day it was. The conditions in the cells had been deliberately designed to cause subjects to lose all sense of time. And even if he had been aware, it would have made little difference to him at that moment. The fact that it was his birthday would earn him no reprieve.
For Yassen the date simply meant that they were nearing the end of Alex's RTI course. Only a little over an hour of simulated torture remained. A brutal lesson, one of the hardest Alex would have to learn, but a necessary one.
Yassen would not have stopped the torture early even if Dr Three would have allowed it. Unpleasant though it might be, resistance to interrogation training was a vitally important course, especially for Alex. Given his age and history, capture at the hands of the intelligence services was more likely than elimination, and he'd need to be prepared for what he might face. While Yassen didn't enjoy any of this as the doctor so clearly did, he wouldn't deprive Alex of a learning experience that may one day save his life.
That didn't mean he wouldn't be glad when Alex passed.
And even at this stage, there was still no guarantee that he would pass. Alex had managed to hold out so far, yes, but older and more experienced people had broken before under the stress and pain they were subjected to under Dr Three's delighted eyes.
At least Alex's reaction to the drugs had been satisfactory to the board. It had been the part of the course Yassen had been most concerned about. There were many things that could have gone wrong, secrets that might've been spilled that would incriminate not just Alex but Yassen as well. Yassen had been prepared to step in if he'd needed to.
But instead of the panic or anger that some subjects displayed once the drugs settled in, or worse – a sudden desire to talk, Alex had been calm.
A sign of remarkable obedience, Dr Steiner had concluded, after thorough analysis. The boy must have sensed Yassen's presence, realised this was what his mentor wanted, and submitted to his will. On the whole, a quality that the board had approved of.
In a way, they were right, and it was certainly an impression that Yassen had been happy to give them.
The board did not need to know the specifics of the conditioning Yassen had deliberately cultivated in Alex during their months in the Russian safe-house. He had made sure Alex would associate a hand on his arm with the presence of someone he trusted, so that even when he was too out of it to understand, Alex would know that Yassen was there and to trust him.
It was an obedience born out of trust, rather than fear. A subtle difference, to be sure, when Alex followed his orders either way, but Yassen knew Alex wasn't as broken to his will as the board might believe.
He had trained Alex for months, until obeying became as much a matter of muscle memory as pulling a trigger or holding a knife. Like a sculptor he had patiently chiselled at the boy's personality, filing away little by little the parts he would have to lose to survive.
But Yassen had still allowed Alex to cling to as much of his old self as he could get away with.
And now they'd come to the moment of trial.
Yassen had promised to do what he could to see Alex survive, but it was out of his hands. He'd done his best to prepare Alex, to impress upon him the consequences of failure. They both knew that if Alex broke at this late stage, his life would be forfeit.
There would be little Yassen could do if that happened, but still, even then, he would do what he could.
If Alex should break during the interrogation, Yassen would pull his gun and shoot him. There were practical considerations of silencing Alex before he revealed anything incriminating, of course, but more importantly it was also the only mercy Yassen could offer him. An easy, clean death, rather than an extended one as one of Dr Three's research subjects.
If Dr Three or the board wanted to punish him for it later then so be it. For Hunter's son, for Alex , Yassen would make sure he died a quick death.
Still, Yassen preferred not to linger on the possibility of failure.
There was cause for hope. Alex had little of his voice left, but he had let nothing but weak pleas and "I don't know what you're talking about" slip from his tongue for the past week.
He was barely more than half-conscious at this stage, incapable of real thought. The fact that he remained stubbornly silent even now was a good sign. He only had to hold out for another hour.
At Dr Three's beckoning gesture, Yassen left the boy sobbing on the floor and joined the doctor in the corner for a quiet conference.
Dr Three had never been easy to read. The man smiled as he made a note on their progress in his files, but Yassen knew better than to take that as a sign of Alex's chances of success. The good doctor would wear the same smile while torturing Alex to death if given a reason to do so.
"We're coming towards the end of the course," Dr Three told him. "But I believe there should be time for one last lesson."
Yassen nodded. "More drowning?"
The doctor had gone through a wide range of torture and interrogation techniques in the past two weeks, but it had soon become apparent which one frightened Alex the most. Yassen had lost track of the number of times he'd held Alex's head under water since then.
Dr Three smiled pleasantly. "Yes. A final test to ensure young Alex learns his limits."
No mercy until the time was up, then. Yassen nodded again, not surprised. The doctor took his teaching duties seriously. To go easy on students during RTI would defeat the point.
He went back over to Alex, noting that the boy's sobs had turned to quiet heaving breaths.
The doctor moved closer, carefully stepping around the puddles of water on the floor of the cell to stand in front of Alex. Yassen didn't need prompting – he pulled Alex up from the floor and forced him on his knees before the doctor.
Dr Three nodded amiably at him, then put a finger under Alex's chin and tilted his face up towards him.
Even from where he was standing at Alex's shoulder, Yassen could see the scared look in the boy's wide eyes. His breathing sped up, but once he met the doctor's eyes he didn't dare look away.
"My patience is running thin, Alex," Dr Three told him calmly. "In a moment, Yassen will hold your head under water for me. Afterwards I will give you one last chance to tell me something useful."
Under his hands, Yassen felt Alex tremble. "No, please…"
Dr Three stepped back, ignoring his pleas, and nodded at Yassen, who dragged Alex over to the water basin. He didn't give Alex time to take a breath before pushing his head under and holding him down while he struggled.
He waited for Dr Three's signal before pulling Alex up to take a few desperate breaths, then pushed him back under again. It was a familiar pattern after the last two weeks, but went on for longer than it ever had before.
By the time Alex was finally thrown back on the ground, they had to wait a good minute for Alex to stop coughing and be aware enough to listen.
"Now Alex, do pay attention." Dr Three lifted the boy's chin again. "This is your last chance. Tell me something about SCORPIA and it will all end. I will not ask again."
There were tears on Alex's face, mixing with the water running down his cheeks.
Two weeks ago, when they had started this, he had been defiant, even if he'd quickly learned to hold his tongue. Now his eyes reflected only a terrified determination, mixed with resignation.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Alex's voice was weak and hoarse from all but coughing his lungs out, but they were the same words that he'd clung to for the past two weeks and something in Yassen's chest eased.
"Hm." Dr Three dragged the moment on for a few seconds longer, then dropped his hand. "Well, I think that is all we have time for. Congratulations on passing resistance to interrogation training, Alex. I do hope you will remember what I taught you these past two weeks."
At the words, it felt like a weight was lifted from Yassen's heart, letting him breathe more easily. He didn't let his relief show. He had been almost sure that Alex would pass, but it was never certain until Dr Three gave his verdict.
He released his grip on Alex's hair and let the boy sag down. Alex seemed only half-aware of what was happening, but he slumped to the side, leaning against Yassen's leg. Yassen steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. Alex relaxed at the touch, and Yassen felt an almost imperceptible shiver running through him. Alex had been pushed to his limits these past two weeks, but he'd survived the ordeal, and would be stronger for it.
When Yassen glanced up again, he found Dr Three watching them with interest. The doctor's dark eyes flickered between Yassen's face and Yassen's hand on his arm. A hum of unease went through Yassen, but he knew better than to show it.
"Such obedience," Dr Three mused. "You've done well with him, Cossack. He's a credit to your teaching. You'll make sure he gets to the clinic?"
Yassen nodded. He had planned to leave Alex to the doctor's assistants, but one didn't ignore a request from a member of the executive board. And Alex was his responsibility.
"I will leave him with you, then. Thank you for your assistance." He smiled. "I have enjoyed our collaboration."
"Doctor." Yassen nodded in acknowledgement.
Dr Three gave Alex another considering look, then collected his notes and left.
Yassen glanced down at Alex. He looked as if he might've fallen asleep again, still panting and trembling slightly, with a dazed look in his eyes.
Keeping a steady hand on his shoulder, Yassen crouched down behind him and started efficiently removing the small medical devices that had monitored Alex's health during the training. They had not wanted to kill Alex, after all.
Alex twitched as some of the stickers were torn off, but otherwise gave no sign of awareness.
Once the devices were dealt with, Yassen took the key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuffs. Alex's struggling had made them cut into the skin of his wrists, and it hadn't healed well. Unsurprising, but nothing serious. The handcuffs had been sterilised prior to the RTI training, and Yassen had already poured disinfectant over the wounds twice over the past two weeks. Perhaps not what would have been done in a real interrogation but then this was training, and an infected wound would have been an unwanted complication.
The cuts might still leave a scar, but with proper care perhaps not even that. Alex had always healed quickly.
"Get up, Alex."
Yassen tugged on the boy's arm, pulling him to his feet.
Alex stirred, groaning in pain. No doubt his shoulders were screaming after having had his arms forced behind his back for two weeks straight.
"You need to stay awake for a few more minutes," Yassen told him, leaving no room for debate. "Walk with me."
He didn't wait for Alex to respond, but started walking, keeping a hand on Alex's shoulder to support him. Alex was half-asleep already, his limbs weak from captivity.
To his credit, Alex stumbled along, but it lacked any of the grace he'd developed after his months of training. He swayed heavily on his feet, sleep deprivation clearly doing his sense of balance no favours. Yassen forced him to keep moving, knowing the sooner they reached the clinic, the sooner Alex could be allowed to rest.
They left Dr Three's domain and stepped out onto the grounds, breathing in the clean night's air.
Alex shivered. Even winters didn't really get cold in this climate, but it was the middle of the night, and a soft breeze had picked up.
The cooler air combined with his still wet skin was quickly sapping his body heat. After two weeks of near constant sleep deprivation his internal temperature regulation would be struggling to keep up. He pressed closer to Yassen's side, as if chasing his warmth, but Yassen kept them moving forward.
He didn't speak, letting the hand on Alex's arm convey the reassurance he wouldn't utter out loud.
The grounds were deserted this long before dawn, but Yassen was still conscious of how exposed they were like this, and the conclusions that might be drawn if anyone saw Cossack displaying anything approaching kindness towards his apprentice.
The lights in the main building were still on, as Yassen had known they would be. Everyone was aware that RTI training took two weeks and medical attention would be required afterwards, unless the training ended sooner, in which case no medical attention would be necessary. It made the planning rather straightforward.
Dr Javadi was waiting for them at the small clinic.
"Cossack," she greeted. If she was surprised to see Yassen rather than one of Dr Three's assistants, she didn't let it show. Her gaze shifted to the teenager by his side. "Is he still conscious?"
"For now."
Dr Javadi nodded, considered them for a moment, then moved aside and gestured for them to enter the treatment room. "There is a private room prepared for him, but if he's still awake it would be better to do an initial examination here first."
At her direction, Yassen pushed Alex to sit on the exam table. The boy tried to lie down, but Yassen put a hand on his shoulder again to keep him upright.
As Dr Javadi was preparing for the check-up, the nurse came in with some towels for Alex.
"Shall I leave him in your hands?" Yassen asked.
"I'd appreciate it if you could stay with him until he's settled in the other room," Dr Javadi said, glancing back at him. "The doctor's notes suggest that his obedience to you will keep him calm, so I'd prefer you're the one touching him. I'd rather not restrain him unless I have to."
Yassen could see her point. After two weeks of torture, it was not uncommon for students to react in unpredictable and at times violent ways to anyone touching them. In a half-conscious state, it was hard to differentiate between someone offering a helping hand and someone intending harm.
"I'd also like to discuss his treatment with you in a moment," Dr Javadi added, waiting for Yassen's nod before turning back to her equipment.
The nurse handed him one of the towels. "There are dry clothes ready for him in the other room," she told him in Italian and went over to help Dr Javadi.
Yassen took the towel and started drying Alex's hair and upper body with a practised efficiency.
Back under harsh electronic lighting, Yassen was able to catalogue the array of bruises on Alex's skin as he worked. There were mottled dark-blue blotches marking his pressure points, along with the occasional scrapes from the less-than-gentle treatment. And at the back of Alex's neck: the clear finger shaped bruises from when Yassen had kept him under water.
By this point Dr Javadi had returned with several pieces of medical equipment and without ceremony clipped the pulse oximeter onto Alex's finger. What followed was a quick and efficient exam to check his vital signs for any worrying changes since Yassen had removed the monitoring devices in the cell. As she worked, she asked Yassen for details about the final hours of the RTI training, having clearly kept up with the doctor's reports for the other days.
Alex was clearly more asleep than awake at this point, only upright on the table due to Yassen's support. He leaned heavily against Yassen's hand, but the conditioning kept him calm, and he let the examination happen without reaction.
The nurse had left briefly and returned with a blanket for him, which now hung open over his shoulders, at least providing some warmth after the deprivation of the past two weeks. Dr Javadi had noted his body temperature was on the low side, unsurprising after two weeks of near-constantly wet skin.
Dr Javadi used a stethoscope to listen to his lungs. A necessary precaution after the near-drowning that had taken up the largest part of Alex's RTI, even if his blood oxygen levels were still in an acceptable range. As she listened, Yassen noticed Alex's breathing evening out and squeezed his shoulder in warning.
" Alex. "
At Yassen's sharp order the boy started slightly, and blinked rapidly, clearly fighting an uphill battle to pull himself back to consciousness despite desperately wanting to sleep. Yassen knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, pretty soon the need for sleep would win out and nothing would be able to keep Alex from closing his eyes.
He told the doctor as much, and Dr Javadi nodded.
"We'll do one more test, and leave the rest for when he wakes up. Mr Rider, look at me, please."
She carefully took his chin and tilted his face towards her before shining a penlight into his eyes and observing his pupils. Alex blinked slowly at her, barely aware of his surroundings. Dr Javadi hummed, then let go of him and put the penlight away.
"The rest of the neurological exam will have to wait until later, but overall his health is no worse than expected. Moderate dehydration, of course, and he'll need to readjust to solid food gradually. If you agree, we'll keep him on fluids while he sleeps and he should be feeling better when he wakes up."
Yassen nodded, not surprised at the diagnosis. Alex hadn't had anything to drink or eat for the past two weeks aside from the sips of water and rare protein bar Yassen had given him on Dr Three's instructions, and he didn't doubt that the good doctor had carefully adjusted the amount of water available to push Alex as close to dehydration as could safely be done.
"Is there anything you'd like to add regarding his treatment?" Dr Javadi looked at him expectantly.
Yassen shook his head. "I trust you'll see that he's back at his full strength as soon as possible."
"Of course. There will be a full check up tomorrow, we will outline the rest of his treatment for your approval then."
Yassen nodded.
"Now, there's just the matter of his wrists."
Moving slowly, Dr Javadi pulled Alex's wrists towards her, keeping a careful eye on his reaction. Even now, Alex was calm under Yassen's hand. The doctor set about disinfecting the cuts with the supplies handed to her by the nurse. It had to sting, but Alex didn't even flinch, just stared with drooping eyelids as Dr Javadi bandaged his wrists.
"That will do," Dr Javadi said when she was done. "Lucia will show you to the other room. Please come by my office tomorrow so we can discuss the rest of his treatment."
Yassen nodded at her, then pulled Alex back to his feet. He didn't bother with instructions, knowing full well that the boy wouldn't be in a state to listen right now. At least Alex still managed to walk on his own, but he was leaning increasingly into Yassen's hand as they walked to the private room down the hallway.
The room was a decent size, sparsely furnished with a hospital bed, a bedside table, and two chairs. The covers had already been folded back and there was a neat pile of fresh clothes at the end of the bed. The lighting here was not as bright as in the treatment room, the only illumination coming from a lamp near the bed.
The Italian nurse – Lucia – was already setting up an IV stand on the other side of the bed as Yassen set Alex down.
He cast a quick glance at the clothes, then back at Alex, slumped on the edge of the bed and looking ready to collapse.
"Strip. You need to change before you can sleep."
Yassen kept his voice strict, demanding obedience, hoping the tone would make the words get through to Alex despite his exhaustion. And if anyone else heard and thought him a ruthless teacher for being so harsh with Alex after he'd gone through his RTI course... Well, it would only confirm what was already widely known about Cossack and his apprentice.
Alex blinked at him, clearly needing a few seconds to parse what Yassen had said.
Yassen left him to it and picked up the clothes. There was a soft T-shirt, a pair of boxers and some long pyjama bottoms. When he turned back he was pleased to see Alex trying to take off his shorts, although his impaired coordination was not doing him any favours.
Yassen put the clothes aside and quickly helped him strip. Five months of living together had made Alex lose most of his modesty around Yassen and what remained stood no chance against Yassen's practicality and his own exhaustion. Alex meekly leaned back against the bed as Yassen helped him step into his boxers and pyjama bottoms before picking up the T-shirt again.
"Arms," he prompted, and pulled the T-shirt over Alex's head when the boy complied.
The change of clothing done, Yassen pulled him to his feet again and helped him into the bed. The nurse had already raised the head of the bed at an angle while they had been busy, and now helped Yassen to tuck the covers up to Alex's chest.
She glanced at Yassen for approval before gently pulling Alex's arm towards her. With well-trained ease she tied a tourniquet above his elbow, wiped the skin at the inside of the elbow, and inserted a needle into the vein. Yassen expected her to set up the IV, but instead she took one of several coloured tubes that had been set aside on the bedside table and started drawing blood.
"For the blood tests," she explained in Italian when she must have seen his gaze linger. "We always start students on a standard IV fluids mixture based on Dr Three's instructions, but these will tell us if it's necessary to adjust it later."
Yassen nodded. He kept his eyes trained on Alex's face while she drew two more tubes of blood. Alex already had his eyes closed, and Yassen didn't wake him again. His conscious participation was no longer required and Alex had more than earned his rest.
After the blood tests came the IV, followed by a few small devices to monitor Alex's vitals while he slept. The nurse fussed around with the set up for a few moments until she deemed it secure and began to pack away the test tubes. Yassen watched her, making no move to leave just yet.
All done, she turned to him. "We'll keep him under observation for a few days, but he should recover swiftly."
"Thank you," Yassen replied in Italian.
The nurse hesitated. "If it's not too much trouble, could I ask you to stay with him for a few more minutes while I drop these off? He shouldn't be left alone tonight in case he goes into shock."
Yassen nodded and waited as the door shut behind her and the nurse's footsteps disappeared down the corridor.
There was still surveillance in the form of the monitors that might call the nurse back if something went wrong, but for now they were alone. He picked up Alex's discarded clothing and put it on a chair and sat down on the edge of Alex's bed.
The boy looked young right then. Less like the adult SCORPIA treated him as and more like the child he still was, the child Yassen couldn't afford to let him be if he wanted Alex to survive. He had only been fifteen for a few hours, and he was unlikely to remember much of the rest of his birthday.
Yassen watched him for long moments, searching Alex's face. There was a slight frown to his brow, mostly covered by half-dried hair. It had been months since the boy's last haircut, and the brown dye from their travels in December had all but washed out by now, showing Alex's natural blond hair colour.
Unbidden, Yassen was reminded of his mother, the few glimpses he'd seen of Hunter's wife in Paris. For all that Alex took after his father, his hair was more like Helen Rider's.
He reached out and ran a hand through Alex's hair, brushing it back from his face.
Somehow, despite the exhaustion, Alex stirred again at his touch. His eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on him.
"Yassen?" Alex's voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
"Sleep, Alex," he said quietly. "You did well. You get to rest now."
Yassen stroked his cheek, a gentle brush of his fingers, and stilled in surprise when Alex sighed softly and tilted his head to lean into the touch. The boy's eyes fell closed again, and he was asleep between one breath and the next.
A/N: Please let me know if you enjoyed it!