Elias had some difficulty getting an adequate amount of sleep and he decided to do something about it versus remaining in bed, tossing and turning. The last thing he wanted was to wake his comrades because of his incessant rustling. Making minimal noise as possible, Elias moved to his closet and opening it up to retrieve his sweats to put on over his sleeping shorts. He grabbed a light sweater as well in case he wanted to visit outside.
Before he left the room, he saw the digital clock on the nightstand and he cringed a little at its red numbers: 02:34.
Elias yawned, giving his eyes a rub before he made down the hall. He had gotten about five hours of sleep or so. It could have been worse. Elias had operated on worse hours. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweater, wincing just a little as the motion sensor lights of the hallway flickered on. He walked at his own pace, hardly in a rush to get anywhere.
Sleep was rather hard for the man to get into as of late. Insomnia was always hardly a fun affair. Melatonin worked wonders for his insomnia, but his bottle ran out and he hated bothering the good doctor for a prescription refill. Elias could probably get the sleeping aid in a drug store, but that required leaving the installation. The last thing the German operative wanted was to be flocked by the military personnel on post. Recruits acted like imbeciles around the seasoned operators and it was more than annoying.
The phone in his pocket buzzed once and he spared it a quick glance. It was from Mark Chandar. Elias almost rolled his eyes. The Brit was probably watching the monitors.
The Doctor is in the infirmary if you need sleep aid.
Elias spotted the closest camera, noticing how it was focused on him. He paused to send back a reply. I could say the same about you.
He put away his phone and kept walking. Visiting Doc was not a bad idea. He could refill his prescription and not need to do it later. Passing the double doors and leaving the dorm rooms, Elias mindlessly made his way towards the infirmary.
The trip there was short and he trudged in with his eyelids halfway closed, feet dragging. Gustave Kateb was reviewing his inventory when he heard the sliding doors of his infirmary open.
"Ah, Elias." He spared a glance at his wrist watch. "Insomnia?"
Elias blinked twice, forcing himself to straighten his posture. "Yes, doctor. I figured to come and have you refill my prescription."
Gustave set down his clipboard on the nearest counter before moving towards the back of the infirmary. "Oui, mon ami. I can do that for you."
Elias found himself a chair, sitting down as the doctor entered a room with all the personnel files. Gustave returned with a manila folder in hand, Elias' name on the tab. He set down the folder on a counter and wiggling the mouse computer. The screen onlined, Gustave tapping on the keyboard and electronically accessing Elias' file.
"Rozerem is the sleeping aid you have commonly used, correct?" Gustave asked.
Elias nodded. "Yes, doctor. I am fully aware of its recommended dosages."
"Good. I am refilling your prescription and you will take the receipt to the pharmacy down the hall. Since morning is arriving, I recommend you start taking the sedative tonight thirty minutes before you sleep." Gustave said as he typed away on the computer. He picked up his pen from his lab coat, marking on the paper files. The nearest printer pushed out a paper and the Frenchman went to grab it.
The German operative rubbed his face in exhaustion as Gustave returned and signed the form. He accepted the paper from the doctor. "Vielen Dank (Many thanks)."
Gustave nodded. "De rien (You're welcome)."
Elias got up from his seat, holding the paper in his hand as he left the infirmary. The pharmacist on duty barely gave Elias a greeting and the German operative did not expect one either. No one would want to be working at three in the morning.
With the bottle of Rozerem in hand, Elias trudged back to his room.
His comrades were still soundly asleep and for a moment, Elias was envious. He slipped off his shoes and set down his bottle of sedatives before laying on his bed. Elias sighed, lacing his fingers over his abdomen and staring at the ceiling of his room.
Monika noticed the underlines of Elias' eyes when she saw her male counterparts in the gym at five in the morning. She deduced that he had not gotten enough sleep in the night.
"Guten Morgen." Monika greeted as she approached the three men. They responded with own greetings. She joined them in their warm-ups and stretches before they paired off for a morning spar. Dominic and Marius quickly paired with each other, eager to see the interactions between their other two comrades.
Elias wrapped his hands as Monika did the same. They moved to a set of mats laid out on the floor. Monika rolled her shoulders, raising herself on her calves as she waited for Elias to take up a stance. His body relaxed, hands in front of his head and in loose fists. He stepped forward with his dominant side. Monika almost mimicked his stance.
"Sind Sie bereit?(Are you ready?)" she asked.
"Ich wurde bereit Geboren. (I was born ready.)" his reply came with a grin.
Monika chuckled as she noticed a dangerous glint in his eyes. She was looking into the eyes of a killer. The female German met her comrade as he rushed forward, thrusting her arm outwards and deflecting a straight punch. Her fist jutted forward, but Elias leaned to dodge. As he leaned, Elias pivoted on the ball of his foot. Monika collided into his back and she felt him clutch her arm and lean forward.
The floor forced some air out of her lungs as Elias flipped her over, but she quickly recovered. She rolled before Elias dropped his knee. Monika regained her footing, moving away from Elias as he stood back on his own feet.
"Spielen verschmutzt? (Playing dirty?)" Monika asked.
"Es ist der einzige Weg zu spielen. (It is the only way to play.)" Elias grinned back. The pair circled, watching each other as they slowly moved.
Elias made eye contact with Dominic as her back was towards them, watching the other man wave his hands frantically. Unfortunately for him, Monika took this lack of attention to her advantage and she rushed forward with a right hook. Elias barely deflected the swing, moving his arm outward to block. He moved his head to the right as a fist came thrusting upwards. Going with the motions of his body, Elias continued rotating right and pivoted on his foot. Monika ducked beneath the incoming leg, making a swooping motion with her own and knocking the man onto his back. While he was down, Monika straddled his chest, forcing her knees against his arm pits to prevent him from land successful hits on her. Elias brought up his fists to shield his face as Monika threw a series of punches.
Dominic grinned excitedly as he and Marius pretended to be occupied with the weights. "The man cannot hit her back."
Marius stifled his chuckle.
Elias knew he had to find a way to leave this position before he would have to forfeit. The man grabbed her wrists as he thrusted his hips to the side, rolling their bodies until he came out on top. Monika found herself being lifted, Elias' arms firmly crossed over her thighs. She felt the ground seconds later, air forcing itself out of her lungs. Elias let her go, allowing the woman to lay on the mats as he stood up.
"Geht es dir gut? (Are you alright?)" he held out a hand for her.
Monika took a moment, but she nodded. "Ja."
She sat up, taking his hand. He tugged her upwards and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. For a moment, his hand rested there for a second longer before he cleared his throat and took a step back. "Again?"
Monika noticed the slight redness in his cheeks, but she passed it off as result of their spar. She nodded, bouncing back and raising her fists again. "Ja. Again."
Dominic nudged Elias in the locker room. "So mein Freund, how did you enjoy your spar? Tussling about with Miss Weiss."
Elias gave him a dirty look as he pulled the towel away from his face. Dominic laughed.
"At least you are making progress. Watching the two of you is my own personal soap opera." He continued.
"Would you stop it, Dominic? I am giving this process time." Elias said with a scowl as he finished drying off his hair.
Marius sat between the men before they could bicker any more. "If anything, Elias, you are trying your best to woo the Ice Queen. The worst thing she can do is deny your affections."
Elias rolled his eyes. "Were you trying to make me feel better or worse?"
"I was not trying to do either one." Marius leaned over to tie his shoes. "Best case scenario, you confirm your undying love to Director Six and you live on the terms Maxim and Tina agreed to."
Elias thought about that as he slipped his shirt on. There was no avoiding it; a relationship amongst their team was a risk and a liability if it takes a turn for the worst. Maxim and Tina agreed to the terms their Director placed on them. One slip up and they could be removed from Team Rainbow. Professional comrades while on duty, but lovers in the dark. Elias would be up for that challenge if it ever came to it.