Safe and Sound Chapter 2
Alex slowly regained consciousness, not due to any natural causes, but rather due to the arguing voices that refused to allow him to continue to sleep. He kept his breathing even and his eyes shut to hear the remainder of the argument.
"-no more. He'll need time to recover before we-"
"No. Look at him."
"What do you think I'm-"
"No, Alan. Really look. He's been beaten within an inch of his life, and unfortunately, this isn't the first time he's come back from one of your missions like this. He can't keep doing this. You can't expect him to. He's only just turned sixteen. He should be-"
"Miss Starbright, I understand how you feel. However, Alex has become a well-known asset of MI6's in the past years. Even if we do suspend him from missions, it is unlikely that his enemies will let him walk away unscathed, it is simply not done in our line of business."
All was silent for a moment. Alex cracked open one of his eyes and saw his guardian and employer standing at the end of the hospital bed he was laying in. Jack looked like she hadn't been sleeping or eating and Blunt, well, he looked like he always looked, emotionless and grey.
Jack looked and saw Alex was waking up. She rushed to his bedside and grabbed his hand with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other. Fussing over him, she began rapidly asking questions impossible to answer because of the pace at which they were being put to him.
"How are you? Are you in any pain? Should I get a nurse? A doctor? Do you need me to get you anything from the house? Or do you not want me to leave? Blunt could you get one of your lackeys to pick up some of Alex's things from the house? Where is that nurse? Alex do you-"
Alex, with no small amount of pain, brought his hand up to cover Jack's mouth, effectively stemming the flow of words from her mouth. To say she looked stunned would be an understatement.
Slowly and quietly Alex managed to say, with a voice scratchy from disuse, "Jack, I'm fine."
Jack began to cry, and awkwardly hugged Alex, seeing as he was lying in a bed and she was sitting in a chair.
Mr. Blunt coughed to get their attention. He looked at Alex with something that almost looked like remorse. "Alex, I'm sorry the mission took the turn it did. There are guards outside your door and at the end of the hallway. Hopefully this will discourage any type of retaliation. If you're feeling well enough, we need to discuss your relocation after you are released from the hospital."
Sighing and moving to sit up Alex nodded for him to continue.
"Yes, well, I have recently been convinced to allow you a sabbatical," Jack looked very pleased with this, "but during this time, you cannot be allowed to run around where any enemy of yours can incapacitate you. I have Ms. Jones looking into safe houses at the moment. I think something tropical is in order."
Alex only nodded and smiled at the man he had something of a like/hate relationship with. As Mr. Blunt turned to leave the hospital room Alex spoke up with his scratchy voice.
"Thank you."
