Elliott appeared at the hospital, ready to confront Bella, though she wasn't quite sure what she was going to say to convince her to understand and forgive what had happened between Napoleon and Angelique.
She knew that Bella needed to have some ground rules; it was only fair. That was the only way she should make such her decision and not fly off the handle, breaking it off with Napoleon.
Elliott knew well enough about those sort of things; becoming so enraged as to lose one's self control. She was all to guilty of it herself and had suffered the consequences because of her foolishness over the years. She had gotten that part of her temper fairly under control now, though there were some times it still got the better of her.
She walked up to the nurses station in restricted ICU that was reserved for high secuity risk patients such as political figures, members of the U.N. and U.N.C.L.E agents. It was where the thee of them had first met; she and Napoleon recuperating under the care of Nurse Graziani.*
Elliott had flashed her U.N.C.L.E. ID saying she was on official business, giving her instant access a she walked through the security entrance, heading towards the nurses station.
Bella looked up from the desk, looking equally as terrible as Napoleon had when he appeared at the front door that morning.
"How did you get in here?she asked, then realizing that was a silly question, she tried to be polite. "How's your husband doing?"
"Not good, look Bella is there some place where we can talk privately?"
"Sure, we can go in the nurses lounge."
"Tea?" she offered as Elliott sat down in one of comfotable chairs scattered around the room. The table was filled with magazines, Woman's Day, House and Garden and other such things that she was uninterested in.
"Thanks, yes please that would be grand" Elliott wasted no time getting to the point.
"Bella I know what happened between you and Napoleon."
"He didn't waste time did he and I mean that on several levels."
"No, ye are mistaken. Ye don't know what was going on there."
"What I saw was enough. If his tongue was any deeper down her throat it would have come out the other end."
"Ew, Bella!"
"Hey you weren't there."
"Ye wouldn't give him a chance to explain."
"Why should I? It didn't look like it was exactly a chance encounter, just how long has this been going on, do you know?"
"That woman is a TH.R.U.S.H. agent, one that Napoleon uses as a contact. She is a friendly foe, so to speak."
"Yeah, I saw just how friendly."
"He was trying to find out if it was Thrush who hurt Illya. Granted she and Napleon have a history but Bella, he was breaking it off with her. She asked for a good bye kiss and tried one last time to seduce him, that's what you walked in on."
"He sure looked like he wasn't putting up much of a fight?"
"In spite of what you think, that wasn't the case. There are things that ye need to understand about the business that we're in. It's all about getting the job done, sometimes by any means. We use any sort of tool to manage it.'
"Sex is a very potent weapon to use against an adversary and sometimes it becomes necessary. Ye don't understand the lunacy that we are up against out there. The world would be in absolute panic if even a quarter of the plans we've foiled came to light. We do what we must to help keep the world safe."
"But I have to tell you that in the midst of all of this insanity Napoleon has remained completely faithful to you and for him that's saying a lot."
"Really?'
"Absolutely, and I am telling ye the Gods honest truth, even though I know ye are aware that lying is also a big tool of our trade."
"You mean to tell me that you've slept with..."
"Yes and so has Illya, not that we don't try to avoid it, but sometimes it's been inescapable."
"My God how can you live like that?"
"Bella we love each other, when we're together it's making love, having that perfect, intimate connection between two human beings. We become lost in each other. That's love not sex."
"When sex becomes necessary on a mission is used meerly a tool and nothing more. We don't talk about it and it's better left as a secret. It's all about keeping our lies, our dirty deeds from hurting each other. We shut that reality out of our world and as long as we're together, we know it'll be alright."
"Our love for each other is our safe haven from it all. When Illya and I first got together we tried being completely honest with each other, simply because our work was so full of falsehoods and lies, but we eventually discovered we couldn't do that. So some secrets have to be kept. We both understand that now. And we live with it."
"Bella at least give Napoleon a chance to talk to you? His job with U.N.C.L.E. has been his life, it's a self imposed one of loneliness for him and then ye came along and made him come up for air. Ye were a breath of fresh air to a man who was suffocating. Don't do this to him? Give him a chance? He loves you so much. Ye are his safe haven, don't leave him alone out in the cold?
Bella sat quietly listening to Elliott, all the while seeing Napoleon's face, his smile and remembering all the words and promises he had whispered to her.
He told her it wouldn't be an easy life with him. She knew there would be lies and deception all around them but when he was with her that faded away. He was being completely honest with her about it. Tears fell down Bella's cheeks as she realized she still loved him, but she still wasn't sure that that was enough. She asked herself if she had the courage to live this sort of life.
"Alright Elliott, I'll talk to him. I promise." she looked at her watch, " I have to go, the doctors are going to start their rounds." Thank you for being such a good friend to both of us." she reached out giving Elliott a hug and a kiss, then whispered, " I'm keeping Illya in my prayers."
Elliott left for headquarters; satisfied that she had gotten through to Bella, at least enough for Napoleon to have a chance to talk to her. She only hoped what she had said would help rekindle what was in Bella to stand by Napoleon and not desert him What happened next would have to be between the two of them.
She made her way up to the medical wing, going straight past the station as Nurse Walsh just nodded to her. "Nothing to say?" she thought, "perhaps that was good news, until Max Schneider stopped her."
"Elliott we need to talk first."
She shrugged, preparing herself for the next round of bad news.
"He had a very bad episode last night."
"I know Napoleon told me."
"Well unfortunately what he and you both do not know is that Illya is now having difficulty tollerating physical contact with his own body. He is not in a very good place, mentally that is, his temper and anger levels have risen dramatically and given his frustration; I don't blame him."
"Oh, Jay-sus." she hissed." I know that Dennison is insisting that this is all in Illya's head, but I just can't believe it. How could Illya have a psychosomatic illness that now pits him against himself, it doesn't make sense?"
"Elliott until I can find something else, a physical cause; I have to resign myself to his diagnosis. But let me reassure you, I am not giving up on him. I have the lab working overtime analyzing what was injected into his system. The answer has to lie there. Just keep your visit brief please, he needs to remain calm, I really don't want to have to give him another sedative."
"Thanks for not giving up on him Max."
Elliott stuck her head through the door to her husbands room. He was awake, staring at the ceiling, looking very drawn and unhappy.
"Illuysha lyubov' moy_my beloved," she whispered her private greeting to him, but he said nothing in response.
"I just heard about last night, are ye alright?" She said, noticing that his wrists were bound in restraints; his fingers were spread as he obviously was holding them ridgedly apart. She could see his legs were spread eagle under the blanket and assumed that his ankles were in restraints as well. There was a catheter running from beneath the bed coverings.
"Of course I am not alright," he snapped at her, " I suppose all of headquarters knows of my affliction now. I can just hear them now...the poor Russian. I will not be pitied!" he growled.
"No one is pitying you. Stop being so concerned about that and besides wasn't it ye who told me not to worry about what others say?"
She watched as tears began to well up in his eyes.
"Illya what can I do?"
"You have to leave me alone." he said coldly.
Elliott was confused by that statment. "What do ye mean? I'm yer wife, I can't leave ye alone?"
She leaned over his face as the tears began to trickle down his cheeks, holding her hand close to him, wishing she could wipe his them away.
"Illya I love you, please don't say that." she whispered.
He moaned, then raised his voice, stuttering as he spoke. "Well I can no longer... no, I no longer love you."
Elliott stared at him in disbelief. "What?"
"I need you to get away from me! I cannot deal with this and you being around. You must stay away from me from now on, that is the way it must be." he paused for a moment, gathering himself for what he had to say," I no longer wish to see you. It is over."
Elliott raised her hand to her brow as she began to cry as well." Yer talking crazy! What's wrong with ye?"
"You said it yourself, I am crazy! Do as I say! I do not want you any more, do you not understand me? You are nothing but an encumberence to me now. I do not want you hovering over me! Go away."
"But Illya?"
"Are you deaf? Poluchit' yebut ot menya_get the fuck away from me!" he hissed angrily at her.
"Illya please don't talk like that?" she gasped."How can ye just push me away like this, like I'm nothing?
"It is over between us!" He was yelling at her now." You are nothing to me now!" Vy kurivat_understand?"
"Adstoj_bullshit! " Her sorrow changed to anger." Ye can't do this to me! Jay-sus, what about yer son? Ye have no right to..."
"He is better off without me." he said icily.
"Ye cold-hearted bastard! How can ye abandon us like this! We're yer family fer God's sake?"
"I have lived without a family before! Bljapaslifsjenahujmudak! (expression of extreme anger) Have you suddenly become that..ty mne Vanku ne valjay_do not make yourself more stupid than you are."
"Get the fuck out now!" he screamed at her. "Get out!" He repeated over and over again as he sobbed; the pitch of his voice rising to near hysteria again. Then he started to laugh. Looking very much like a madman, sobbing and laughing at the same time.
"Vy pizdu_fuck you to hell!" Elliott screamed back at him.
Max Schneider ran past her with the nurse immediately following after him, armed with a syringe; quickly injecting it into the Russian's arm. The mild sedative calming him within minutes.
She didn't wait to speak to Schneider as she retreated past him, running to the elevator, seeking escape from this insantiy.
Illya Kuryakin felt only anguish at what he had just done to his wife, he had lied to the woman he adored, treating her cruelly, but he knew that it was necessary. She was stubborn, perhaps more stubborn than he and he realized it would take something extreme to drive her away from him.
He could not be a burden to her; he could no longer be a father to his child, so that settled it in his mind. He could not tolerate the thought of his son seeing him like this; the fear and terror in Demya's eyes were too much for him to risk inflicting that upon the boy again. To be around Elliott and not being able to touch her ever again nor be touched by her was unbearable. His condition was probably permanent; that was what Dennison had told him. He had no choice now but to drive her away.
It was better that she did not have him in her life any longer. He had no other answers at this point; to him the pain was very real, though Dennison would convince him otherwise but he just could not accept that reality.
He could not lie to himself, saying what the man wanted him to hear.
How could a lie help the pain to go away?
No, his life would be one of solitude again, being alone more than he had ever been in his entire life. It was best for all of them. He knew Elliott would survive, she was strong and she would raise Demya to be a good man, that he was sure of.
Elliott walked straight into Napoleon as she stepped in a daze from the elevator and he saw immediately that her face was red and tear-stained.
"What happened? He asked, pulling her back into the elevator, flipping the emergecy stop switch.
"She fell into his arms sobbing and he just held her, stroking her long red hair with his hand, afraid to ask if Illya were still alive.
"Napoleon, he sent me away." Her voice was small, lacking her ususal strength and vitality.
"What do you mean he sent you away?"
"He told me he didn't want me anymore, that he didn't need me adding to his burden. How could he do that to me? Why would he turned against me...maybe he really is losing his mind? Maybe Dennison is right?"
'No, Ellie I don't believe that. Do you want me to talk to him to find out where this is coming from?"
She stepped back away from him. "No, don't do that! Leave him be!" Though hurting, Elliott steeled her jaw.
"Why?"
"Potomusta_because! That's why, just leave off Napoleon!"
He pulled out his handkerchief, using it tenderly to wipe her face before he handed to her.
"Thanks, I'll be alright, I have to accept this, he...he always had a way of turning off his emotions, now he's done it with me too. Her s nim_to hell with him!
She took a deep breath, gathering herself, then forced a little smile.
"I spoke to Bella, she said she'd be williing to talk to ye. That's good isn't it?"
He sighed, happy at that news but still empathetic to what Elliott was now going through. Napoleon reached out, pulling her to him in another comforting hug, not just for her but for himself. "thank you Ellie," he whispered to her. " It'll be alright honey."
"No it won't Napoleon. I have to accept that."
She did't say it to him, but she knew once Illya had made up his mind to something, that was it. He was heartless to her, showing his cold-bloodednes in the way he spoke to her and now that realization was making her anger grow more in the pit of her stomach.
He flipped the switch, turning the elevator back on, letting go of his grip on Elliott as the doors opened. She walked out, not looking back as other personnel joined him. Napoleon stared out at her as the doors closed quietly on the image of her slowly walking away.
"Hey Solo, you care to join in a poker game tonight with Security? We need a ringer to help us win back what they took us for last month."
Napoleon didn't heard the invitation as he was too busy thinking that Illya's life and marriage were falling apart and he wasn't doing a damn thing to help stop it. But that was about to change.