Illya lay propped up with several pillows in his hospital bed; his hair chopped and ragged looking, there was a raw scar on his head that still had stitches in it. He had several IV's inserted into his arm. He was hooked up to a heart monitor and receiving oxygen.
But it was his thinness that shocked Elliott. Under the oxygen mask and unkempt beard she could see the sunkenness of his face and his arms looking so frail laying limp at his sides. His eyes were closed but as soon as he heard voices, they opened wide; though they were unfocused and blinked very little.
Elliott moved towards him but the doctor stopped her." Don't touch him...he has an aversion to being touched. I gave him a mild sedative to calm him and I don't want him upset again."
"You are Madame Kuryakina correct?"
Elliott nodded to him, all the while not taking her eyes from her husband.
"I am Doctor Chirkoff, please I need to have some words with you in private?"
He looked at Napoleon, indicating that he should leave; then Elliott spoke, "This is Napoleon Solo and he stays...he's family."
"Alright then Ma'am. Firstly, your husband was brought here instead of your headquarters simply because he passed out. I don't want you thinking there was any sinister motives behind it since he's Russian. He is not being held here I assure you."
"Mr. Kuryakin is suffering from severe malnutrition, dehydration and a slight case of pneumnia. He has a large laceration to his head that was treated crudely though I'm not sure if it was for an injury or if it was some sort of sick surgical procedure. Until he starts talking we won't know if any of his cognitive skills have been affected, if they indeed did operate on his brain?"
"He seems to have no major injuries or broken bones, but his body is covered with small lacerations and bite marks. Though he was nearly catatonic when he was first brought in; he became quite animated when we had to insert the pic-lines for the IVs. He went from a docile state to being instantly hostile and defensive about being touched. That's when we had to sedate him just to get the IVs in."
"Right now he just stares but has a very slow blink reflex...it's obvious that he's suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma, more so than physical," the doctor paused for a moment, sighing before he continued, " and unfortunately I need to inform you that your husband has been raped. I don't think the sex was concentual and it seems to have occurred multiple times from what I can see from the extent of the injuries. Ma'am I'm so sorry."
Elliott covered her mouth with her hands as she fought back her tears. She knew that was one of his secret fears that he had finally shared with her when she had discussed her own rape by Terrence Finnerty when they were on assignment in Belfast.*
Napoleon's face went red with anger, shaking his head as her lowered it with his eyes closed. "Oh Jesus?" he whispered to himself as he placed his hand reassuringly on Elliott's shoulder.
"I would suggest just talking to your husband for the moment. Please don't make any attempt to touch him just yet. Perhaps he'll respond to your voice differently; at the moment, he responds to commands, doing as he's told but says nothing."
"I have him on a cocktail of antibiotics and IV fluids, but he needs to eat. I'm having some milk and dairy products being brought up now; if he doesn't seem willing to feed himself, then you might give it a try?"
Dr. Chirkoff spoke reassuringly to Elliott, trying to make her feel better.
'Ma'am, he's going to make it through this, I assure you his heart is good and he is surprisingly strong for a man his size. As soon as we increase his food intake, his basal metabolism is going to increase so we'll be monitoring his blood chemistry carefully, especially his phosphate, magnesium and glucose levels. The reintroduction of increased food may cause some abdominal discomfort so I've added and anitdopamineric through his IV to surpress any nausea and vomiting. We should see signs of improvement in three to five days."
"He is going to need pshycological counseling as well, once we get him in better physical shape."
"No that's not a good idea," Elliott warned.
"Pardon?"
Napoleon stepped in at that point, "How soon can you have him stabilized enough to travel?"
Doctor Chirkoff looked a bit surprised."You want to move him already? Please, you need to give him some time. This man has suffered greatly and needs to begin to heal. He needs to be in a stabile, safe environment. I really don't recommend moving him yet."
"No offense Doctor, but Mr. Kuryakin is a citizen of the Soviet Union and is in this state due in part to the actions of a branch of the United States government. He was assisting on what we all thought was a rescue mission of an American citizen, so you'll pardon us for feeling a bit concerned at him being in a U.S. military installation in the hands of the people who caused his sufferings in the first place?" Solo answered quite bluntly.
"I understand. I'm aware that it was the C.I.A. who brought him in. The both of you have my full assurance that there will be no questioning or involvement with them while he is here...not on my watch. If you'd feel more comfortable, I can have a cot set up so one of you can stay with him at all times?"
"Yes, that would be good Doctor, thanks," Elliott said.
For the next five days Elliott and Napoleon took turns staying with Illya but only after Napoleon's insistence, as Elliott would have been with him 24/7 if she had her way.
She spoke to him softly each day, and helped him to drink and eat his food, and by the fourth day he was feeding himself. He still would not make eye contact with either of them, but he did begin to speak, but only in Russian.
Elliott translated for the doctor as Illya was not saying anything that was classified, he kept whimpering over and over, "pazhaluista ne raz_please not again."
Then he began to finally say his special name for her as if he were calling out to her, but only in a whisper.
"Annushka...Annushka."
"Ya zses', moya lyubov'...gde ty? Pridi do mne. Ya pryamo zdes.' Posmotri na menya_I'm here my love...where are you? Come to me. Look at me!" She grabbed his chin with her hand, turning his face to her, but this time he did not shrink away from her touch.
"Prosmotri na menya_look at me!" she ordered him this time.
Illya's eyes gradually focused, staring at her face until there was that moment of recognition and his return to her as his eyes welled with tears. He reached out to her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned into him, burying his face into her chest as he began to sob quietly.
Elliott rocked him gently," shush my love, I'm here...we're together and it's going ta be alright now."
Napoleon stood at the door watching as his partner returned from where ever it was he had retreated to; tears falling down his own cheeks. He waited a few minutes, wiping them away, then walked to Illya's bedside.
"He buddy, you had us worried there for a bit."
"You found me Napoleon...thank you." Illya whispered.
"I'd love to take credit tovarisch, but it was Mr. Waverly who came to the rescue on this one. He had it out with those bastards at Langley and they finally acknowledged they knew where you were...though they still won't tell us where that was. So what happened, can you talk about it?"
Illya pushed himself up in the bed a little, then clasping Elliott's hand in his, he steadied himself as he recounted his capture by the STASI then subsequent transfer by Viktor Karkoff to Solovki. He spoke of his treatment, though he never mentioned being raped.
"I'm pretty sure the C.I.A. set you up on this one." Napoleon said.
"Do you think?" Illya answered facetiously," there was never an American for me to rescue."
"Yet I have to tell you they were the ones that set up the prisoner exchange to get you back? I can't figure that one out yet." answered Solo.
"Though we gave the STASI quite a surprise as they left the exchange site...I blew up their car." Elliott smiled wickedly, " If I'd known those KGB bastards were involved too; I'd have blown their car ta kingdom come as well!"
The next day the three agents were winging their way on a private U.N.C.L.E. jet, with a nurse as part of the crew for Illya's needs while they returned to New York; there Kuryakin would continue his recovery at medical. No one discussed the fact that Doctor Max Schneider and Dr. Dennison had both concurred that Illya was going to need sessions with a psychiatrist. That news would have to wait once they arrived at headquarters.
Napoleon and Elliott both left Illya in the hands of Max Schneider to break the news to him and made a hasty retreat to Waverly's office for their debrief. When they arrived they received a surprise, seeing Bill Klein sitting at the conference table.
Elliott glared at he man but said nothing, she was still annoyed at Waverly's part in her husband's predicament but again kept her mouth shut.
The only acknowledgement came from Solo who simply said "Bill," nodding as he seated himself one chair away from the man.
"Look." Klein said, "I need to give you folks a bit of an explanation for what was going on and why we couldn't talk. You see we sent your Mr. Kuryakin in on a false mission and there was no..."
"I knew it!" Napoleon blurted out ," You did set him up!"
"Now give me a minute to finish here...yes we did set him up, and we were the one's who siccced the STASI on him to pick him up, but after that our plan went a bit off target. We hadn't planned on that jagoff from the KGB butting in and taking him to the Solovki gulag; we assumed the STASI would hang onto him. It took a quite of bit of searching before we found out where Karkoff took him, let me tell you."
Elliott had surprisingly held her temper up to this point but then opened up, hitting Klein with both barrels.
"Feckin' sons of bitches set my Illya up? And why the fuck did ye do that, and it better be the greatest explanation on God's earth that I've ever heard, so help me!"
Normally Alexander Waverly would not tolerate such language in his presence but he simply remained quiet, taking in everything as an observer as he puffed away seemingly content on his pipe. His eyes twinkling a bit as Elliott laced into Klein.
"I understand ma'am why your upset..."
"Upset? Ye think I'm upset? Ye nearly get my husband feckin' killed and ye think that's how I feel? Trust me, right now I'm in a bit more of a violent mood." Her voice seethed with contempt as she spoke to Klein.
"Alright Klein" Napoleon interrupted, attempting to defuse Elliott's temper." what was this important operation that nearly cost my partner his life?"
"Well you see, it was kind of like a chess game we were playing with the Russkies, we sacrificed a pawn to gain an advantage...and that advantage was the KGB agent we swapped for Mr. Kuryakin. Though your little explosion stunt with the STASI caused us some problems, you're just lucky that you didn' blow the Russian's car as that would have ruined everything."
"And what was this so-called advantage?" Elliott hissed.
"That KGB agent is working for us as a double agent and we needed to get him back home without putting him under a cloud of suspicion...so what better cover than a prisoner exchange for a sister agency that had gotten itself in trouble with the East Germans. That's why we gave up the East German agents in the exchange...the KGB boy added in was the bonus to make them give Kuryakin up."
"That Karkoff fellow nearly cocked up the whole deal by taking your man out of the hands of the STASI though, we got lucky on that one," Klein smiled.
"Elliott stood up from her chair lunging at Klein," Ye feckin' cold-hearted bastard, ye used my husband in a feckin' chess gambit? she screamed at him. Napoleon grabbed Elliott by the arms, stopping her as he yelled at Klein himself.
"She's right, you are a bastard Klein, after all the things Illya Kuryakin has done to help your people for all these years and this is what you did to him?"
He released his grip on Elliott and suddenly took a swing at Klein, giving him an upper-cut to the jaw, sending the man flying backwards out of the chair to the floor.
Napoleon then grabbed Elliott's arm, pulling her with him as he turned, leaving the conference room without another word.
Alexander Waverly sat, still saying nothing as Bill Klein struggled to his feet, holding his chin.
"That son of a bitch just attacked a Federal agent and a representative of the United States government; I want his ass thrown in jail!"
"There will be no such action taken." Waverly said calmly, " and there will be no retailiation on your part Mr. Klein, other wise I well see to it that I have your head handed to me on a silver platter. This matter as far as you're concerned is over. And I warn you that in the future, any such duplicitious behavior on the part of 'the company' will be dealt with harshly. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir, you are crystal clear."
"Good, now you will be escorted out of the building by my security immediately. And I don't want to hear from you again for a very long time Mr. Klein. Now you are dismissed." Waverly gestured with his hand as if flicking an annoying insect away from him.
The doors to the conference room opened silently and a security team was waiting there in the corridor to take Bill Klein away.
Napoleon and Elliott returned to medical just in time to be missed being hit by a serving tray as it went flying across the room; it having gone past Nurse Walsh as she ducked.
"Mr. Kuryakin please restrain yourself?" she barked at him.
"What, food not to your liking?" Napoleon smiled
"NO...they, they want to send me to a psychiatrist. I am fine. I just need some decent food that is all."
*reference to "The Mind Control Affair"