p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Once again Alex found himself in the passenger seat with Crawley driving, he was starting to think that the man was his personal chauffer except that he wouldn't drive to where Alex wanted, and that kind of defeated the whole purpose. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the bright side of the situation he didn't felt like shit, at least not at the level that he did an hour ago, the pills now had taken full effect calming the throbbing of his arm, and soothing the pain of his throat. Alex observes the scenery from his window, and realized that he recognized the street that he always rode on his bicycle to get to Dr Lambert office, they were getting close, something that he wasn't looking forward to. He takes a last sip of the tea now lukewarm, nevertheless his throat screamed of joy at the liquid /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A minute later they stopped in front of the familiar building, and Alex was not even a bit ready to start telling everything that happen in the pass months to the woman, not wanting to feel the judgmental eyes that he would feel that she was throwing at him but in truth it was all in his head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In reality he doesn't even know why MI6 were insisting that he talks to her, probably just so they can see if they can use him again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""why do I have to do this" Alex questioned when Crawley stopped the engine. He didn't know why he asked, he knew he wouldn't get a truthful answer, perhaps it was just a fruitless attempt of delaying the inevitable. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you went through a traumatic experience Alex, Dr. Lambert will evaluate you" Crawley explained, giving him the answer that Alex knew he would give him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you can save your money. I can't tell you myself that I'm crazy and mentally unstable" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAlex retorted/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""we prefer to have an professional opinion if that's alright" Crawley said opening the door, it was the end of the conversation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"There wasn't any reassurance that he wasn't crazy, that none of this was his fault, because that was Jack's job, and Jack wasn't here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex sighed and opened his door getting out of the car, Crawley already waiting at the entrance. They were buzzed in into the empty waiting room. Alex didn't know why did she had a waiting room, Alex never seen someone waiting here, he never even had to wait, it was probably a security feature. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Dr. Lambert was already waiting for him "Alex, I'm happy to see you, why don't you come in" she said with her usual forced smile, Alex couldn't really blame her for that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The young spy entered the office making sure to drag his feet as he did so. When he sat in the couch he frowned when he saw that Crawley had followed him inside /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""don't tell me you want to hear my dirty little secrets" alex said getting no reaction from the man /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""as fun as that sounds, I'm just here to check the room" he said taking a phone like device of his pocket scanning the whole room with it. He must have found nothing because a few minutes later he nodded and left the room without a word. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Dr. Lambert sat in front of him holding her usual notepad in her lap. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Our last session was about two months ago, you never shown again. Why?" she asked looking at him /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""well I didn't need it anymore." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""so your post traumatic stress disorder healed just like that?" she asked an Eyebrow raised/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""just like that" Alex said lifting his hands slightly /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""it doesn't work like that, Alex" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He didn't respond because he knew it was true, he was just covering the trauma with more trauma as a coping mechanism /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I found out who killed my uncle" Alex blurted out, he didn't know why exactly he felt compel to say that, but he did /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you did? " she said in a way for him to keep going /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He nodded "it was Yassen Gregorovish, the man with the scar. The same man that I saw in point Blanc" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""is that why you think you kept seen him, why you felt you had a connection with that man?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""at first I though it was because of that, but then I found out more" she didn't said anything this time, it was a sign for him to continue /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""About a month ago, he kidnapped me, he took me to this sort of school for assassins and told me the truth. He and my father knew each other, and my father saved his life. That was why Yassen recognize me, he saw my father in me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Did Yassen hurt you?" she asked. Alex could vaguely remember this being asked before but the answer remained the same /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""no, he just taught me stuff" Alex responded not getting into details/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""What kind of stuff, Alex? "/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It was a school for assassins, what do you think! "Alex snapped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I've never been to one" she said in the same tone as ever. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""He taught me how to run without getting tired, he taught me how to shoot without looking, he taught me how to survive" Alex said. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Are you defending him, Alex?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""what? No, he's a killer, he's the reason I have to look over my shoulder. All of this is his fault, he killed my uncle, or did you forget?" he paused "I hate him, he made me become something I didn't want to be, so no I'm not defending him" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""So, he didn't harm you, Alex?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex stopped to think before shaking his head "he threatened me, he pushed me to my limits, but he didn't harm me, not directly at least" he said and it was true, Yassen never hurt him, not even when he fought him/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""how did you get out?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I tried asking for help, but nobody came. I had to escape on my own" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The therapist stayed quiet she wanted him to continue, but he didn't want to /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I killed someone, in the end I let them mold me into someone I didn't want to be" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""and why did you do it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I had no choice, she came at me, she wanted to kill me, the gun went off" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Alex, you went through a series of traumatic events in a short period of time, but you're still your own person, don't let yourself think that they changed you, you're not a killer Alex. You've show regret, a killer does not feels that emotion. It was self defense Alex, not a murder."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex leaned back on the sofa he knew that what she was saying was true and he wanted to believe that, but he couldn't help but see Rothman lifeless face every time he closed his eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""alright Alex, remember what I said, and keep doing your breathing exercises" she said closing her book/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The session was over, but Alex didn't fell any better, and at this point he didn't know what would. He was sick of what his life had become, to living in fear, to fear your own government. In a short couple of months he had everything taken away from him and he was left with nothing but trauma. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He got up, not saying anything and went to the door "I hope to see you on our next appointment, Alex" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""yeah" he replied but he didn't even knew when it was scheduled. He open the door and got out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Crawley was sitting on one of the sofas texting someone on his phone, looked up when Alex opened the door. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you're done?" he asked getting up/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex nodded not stopping making his way out of the building. Crawley doesn't lag behind and soon catches up to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The drive back was silent, Alex still caught up on his thoughts and Crawley probably didn't care enough to ask. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"This time when they stopped Alex was the first to get out of the car finding himself disappointed to be brought back again to the department. Not that he wasn't expecting being brought anywhere else, but like they say, 'hope is the last to die.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Once more Crawley accompanied inside "you can wait here" he said stopping in front of an empty desk, before entering Blunt's office. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex watched as he closed the door, before falling in the chair with a sigh, his life really was a mess. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the office the talk was once again about the same subject: Alex rider. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What did Dr. Lambert say?" Mrs. Jones asked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt took out a folder reading out loud "the patient appears to be grieving for his past self. When talked about his actions the patient expressed with remorsefulness, regret, and sadness. In conclusion the patient does not appear to be connected to a terrorist organization, more counseling is recommended as the patient demonstrates post-traumatic stress disorder." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mrs. Jones sighed out loud "there is the proof that Scorpia didn't manage to get through him." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt didn't say anything, simply sitting looking at the piece of paper. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It still remains the question of what to do with him" he finally said "Scorpia went silent since the Malagosto explosion and Rothman death, no sight of Gregorovich either"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""What are you suggesting right now?" Mrs. Jones asked suspicious. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Scorpia did us a favor, they trained him. He was successful in Point Blanc and with Cray with barely any training, imagine what he will be able to do now that he is trained." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""You saw what doctor Lamberg reported, and you want to send him in more missions, he needs to go to school and therapy. Besides you don't know how good Scorpia training actually is, one video doesn't prove anything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you're right" Blunt said, making Mrs. Jones sigh in relief "that is why I called SAS training camp so that tomorrow Crawley will take Alex there, so then we can verify if he really was trained."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""You got hundreds of agents you can use, why do you insist on using a schoolboy?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""it's the secret weapon, nobody suspects him. If I had sent an agent after Cray he would have been killed, but a child everyone hesitates, well at least some do" he explained "if you wouldn't let your feelings cloud your judgement you would've agree with me." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It's not my feelings, it's my common sense" she said getting up "that boy's death will be on your hands, just remember that" Mrs. Jones left the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt turned to Crawley next "tomorrow you will take him, make him shoot. I want to see if that video is actually what he can do." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Crawley left the office next, but he couldn't help but feel guilt eating him up inside when he looked at the lone boy sitting at the desk, deep in a world that he doesn't belong, but that wasn't his job. His job was to ensure that his country was secure and if that meant he had to use a kid to do it so be it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Meanwhile Alex was seated in a random desk in the middle of the room doing nothing as he watched both Mrs. jones and Crawley exited without making eye contact with him, that probably wasn't a good sign, but he didn't care, he laid his head on the table resting his eyes, sleep would do him good. Last night drugged sleep probably wasn't enough to fully rest him, and an hour nap was sounding like heaven right now even if it was on a cold hard desk. He made his choice and closed his eyes, the more time he slept the less he had to spend it here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Through the morning agents passed by the sleeping teenager with a frown on their face, word was passing around if someone had brought their kid to work. No one had accused themselves and nobody wanted to bring the issue to their superiors, they were spies Afterall they could handle one suspicious sleeping teenager intruder. In the end someone had volunteer to wake up the boy /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Hey kid, wake up!" someone said shaking him. Alex woke up lifting his head quickly that he almost headbutted the man./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I was having a nice dream" Alex complained, it was a lie, but nobody had to know that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""How are you here, is someone here your family or something, because we don't have bring your kid to work day" the man said, suddenly an idea light up on Alex head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Yes, actually my grandfather brought me here, it was supposed to be a learning experience for me to gain responsibility" nobody said anything they were all staring at him not knowing what to do so Alex continues "but honestly he's the one that should learn about being more responsible, it wasn't me that got so drunk last Christmas that pissed my pants was I?" Alex told them laughing a bit at the end "oh you should have seen him singing and dancing with a Christmas tree, it was hilarious. Well, my grandmother on the other end didn't find it so funny, he ruined her favorite rug with his piss, I heard that she made him sleep on the sofa for two weeks" if Alex didn't have their attention he had now, all of them were staring at him with their mouth open or openly laughing "who is your grandfather kid? I don't know anyone that's old enough to have a grandkid or age" the man that woke him up asked amused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Oh, it's the old man sitting in the office right there" Alex said pointing at Blunt that was still siting in his office oblivious of Alex ruining his entire reputation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Now they were all laughing probably imagining their boss pissing himself while singing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Alex? What are you doing?" Smithers asked approaching them probably having been attracted by the sound of laughing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Oh, me? Nothing, just telling childhood stories" he replied grinning. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the bright side of the situation he didn't felt like shit, at least not at the level that he did an hour ago, the pills now had taken full effect calming the throbbing of his arm, and soothing the pain of his throat. Alex observes the scenery from his window, and realized that he recognized the street that he always rode on his bicycle to get to Dr Lambert office, they were getting close, something that he wasn't looking forward to. He takes a last sip of the tea now lukewarm, nevertheless his throat screamed of joy at the liquid /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A minute later they stopped in front of the familiar building, and Alex was not even a bit ready to start telling everything that happen in the pass months to the woman, not wanting to feel the judgmental eyes that he would feel that she was throwing at him but in truth it was all in his head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In reality he doesn't even know why MI6 were insisting that he talks to her, probably just so they can see if they can use him again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""why do I have to do this" Alex questioned when Crawley stopped the engine. He didn't know why he asked, he knew he wouldn't get a truthful answer, perhaps it was just a fruitless attempt of delaying the inevitable. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you went through a traumatic experience Alex, Dr. Lambert will evaluate you" Crawley explained, giving him the answer that Alex knew he would give him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you can save your money. I can't tell you myself that I'm crazy and mentally unstable" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAlex retorted/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""we prefer to have an professional opinion if that's alright" Crawley said opening the door, it was the end of the conversation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"There wasn't any reassurance that he wasn't crazy, that none of this was his fault, because that was Jack's job, and Jack wasn't here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex sighed and opened his door getting out of the car, Crawley already waiting at the entrance. They were buzzed in into the empty waiting room. Alex didn't know why did she had a waiting room, Alex never seen someone waiting here, he never even had to wait, it was probably a security feature. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Dr. Lambert was already waiting for him "Alex, I'm happy to see you, why don't you come in" she said with her usual forced smile, Alex couldn't really blame her for that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The young spy entered the office making sure to drag his feet as he did so. When he sat in the couch he frowned when he saw that Crawley had followed him inside /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""don't tell me you want to hear my dirty little secrets" alex said getting no reaction from the man /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""as fun as that sounds, I'm just here to check the room" he said taking a phone like device of his pocket scanning the whole room with it. He must have found nothing because a few minutes later he nodded and left the room without a word. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Dr. Lambert sat in front of him holding her usual notepad in her lap. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Our last session was about two months ago, you never shown again. Why?" she asked looking at him /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""well I didn't need it anymore." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""so your post traumatic stress disorder healed just like that?" she asked an Eyebrow raised/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""just like that" Alex said lifting his hands slightly /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""it doesn't work like that, Alex" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He didn't respond because he knew it was true, he was just covering the trauma with more trauma as a coping mechanism /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I found out who killed my uncle" Alex blurted out, he didn't know why exactly he felt compel to say that, but he did /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you did? " she said in a way for him to keep going /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He nodded "it was Yassen Gregorovish, the man with the scar. The same man that I saw in point Blanc" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""is that why you think you kept seen him, why you felt you had a connection with that man?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""at first I though it was because of that, but then I found out more" she didn't said anything this time, it was a sign for him to continue /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""About a month ago, he kidnapped me, he took me to this sort of school for assassins and told me the truth. He and my father knew each other, and my father saved his life. That was why Yassen recognize me, he saw my father in me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Did Yassen hurt you?" she asked. Alex could vaguely remember this being asked before but the answer remained the same /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""no, he just taught me stuff" Alex responded not getting into details/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""What kind of stuff, Alex? "/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It was a school for assassins, what do you think! "Alex snapped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I've never been to one" she said in the same tone as ever. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""He taught me how to run without getting tired, he taught me how to shoot without looking, he taught me how to survive" Alex said. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Are you defending him, Alex?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""what? No, he's a killer, he's the reason I have to look over my shoulder. All of this is his fault, he killed my uncle, or did you forget?" he paused "I hate him, he made me become something I didn't want to be, so no I'm not defending him" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""So, he didn't harm you, Alex?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex stopped to think before shaking his head "he threatened me, he pushed me to my limits, but he didn't harm me, not directly at least" he said and it was true, Yassen never hurt him, not even when he fought him/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""how did you get out?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I tried asking for help, but nobody came. I had to escape on my own" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The therapist stayed quiet she wanted him to continue, but he didn't want to /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I killed someone, in the end I let them mold me into someone I didn't want to be" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""and why did you do it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I had no choice, she came at me, she wanted to kill me, the gun went off" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Alex, you went through a series of traumatic events in a short period of time, but you're still your own person, don't let yourself think that they changed you, you're not a killer Alex. You've show regret, a killer does not feels that emotion. It was self defense Alex, not a murder."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex leaned back on the sofa he knew that what she was saying was true and he wanted to believe that, but he couldn't help but see Rothman lifeless face every time he closed his eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""alright Alex, remember what I said, and keep doing your breathing exercises" she said closing her book/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The session was over, but Alex didn't fell any better, and at this point he didn't know what would. He was sick of what his life had become, to living in fear, to fear your own government. In a short couple of months he had everything taken away from him and he was left with nothing but trauma. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He got up, not saying anything and went to the door "I hope to see you on our next appointment, Alex" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""yeah" he replied but he didn't even knew when it was scheduled. He open the door and got out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Crawley was sitting on one of the sofas texting someone on his phone, looked up when Alex opened the door. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you're done?" he asked getting up/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex nodded not stopping making his way out of the building. Crawley doesn't lag behind and soon catches up to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The drive back was silent, Alex still caught up on his thoughts and Crawley probably didn't care enough to ask. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"This time when they stopped Alex was the first to get out of the car finding himself disappointed to be brought back again to the department. Not that he wasn't expecting being brought anywhere else, but like they say, 'hope is the last to die.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Once more Crawley accompanied inside "you can wait here" he said stopping in front of an empty desk, before entering Blunt's office. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alex watched as he closed the door, before falling in the chair with a sigh, his life really was a mess. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the office the talk was once again about the same subject: Alex rider. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What did Dr. Lambert say?" Mrs. Jones asked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt took out a folder reading out loud "the patient appears to be grieving for his past self. When talked about his actions the patient expressed with remorsefulness, regret, and sadness. In conclusion the patient does not appear to be connected to a terrorist organization, more counseling is recommended as the patient demonstrates post-traumatic stress disorder." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mrs. Jones sighed out loud "there is the proof that Scorpia didn't manage to get through him." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt didn't say anything, simply sitting looking at the piece of paper. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It still remains the question of what to do with him" he finally said "Scorpia went silent since the Malagosto explosion and Rothman death, no sight of Gregorovich either"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""What are you suggesting right now?" Mrs. Jones asked suspicious. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Scorpia did us a favor, they trained him. He was successful in Point Blanc and with Cray with barely any training, imagine what he will be able to do now that he is trained." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""You saw what doctor Lamberg reported, and you want to send him in more missions, he needs to go to school and therapy. Besides you don't know how good Scorpia training actually is, one video doesn't prove anything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""you're right" Blunt said, making Mrs. Jones sigh in relief "that is why I called SAS training camp so that tomorrow Crawley will take Alex there, so then we can verify if he really was trained."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""You got hundreds of agents you can use, why do you insist on using a schoolboy?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""it's the secret weapon, nobody suspects him. If I had sent an agent after Cray he would have been killed, but a child everyone hesitates, well at least some do" he explained "if you wouldn't let your feelings cloud your judgement you would've agree with me." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""It's not my feelings, it's my common sense" she said getting up "that boy's death will be on your hands, just remember that" Mrs. Jones left the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Blunt turned to Crawley next "tomorrow you will take him, make him shoot. I want to see if that video is actually what he can do." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Crawley left the office next, but he couldn't help but feel guilt eating him up inside when he looked at the lone boy sitting at the desk, deep in a world that he doesn't belong, but that wasn't his job. His job was to ensure that his country was secure and if that meant he had to use a kid to do it so be it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Meanwhile Alex was seated in a random desk in the middle of the room doing nothing as he watched both Mrs. jones and Crawley exited without making eye contact with him, that probably wasn't a good sign, but he didn't care, he laid his head on the table resting his eyes, sleep would do him good. Last night drugged sleep probably wasn't enough to fully rest him, and an hour nap was sounding like heaven right now even if it was on a cold hard desk. He made his choice and closed his eyes, the more time he slept the less he had to spend it here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Through the morning agents passed by the sleeping teenager with a frown on their face, word was passing around if someone had brought their kid to work. No one had accused themselves and nobody wanted to bring the issue to their superiors, they were spies Afterall they could handle one suspicious sleeping teenager intruder. In the end someone had volunteer to wake up the boy /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Hey kid, wake up!" someone said shaking him. Alex woke up lifting his head quickly that he almost headbutted the man./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""I was having a nice dream" Alex complained, it was a lie, but nobody had to know that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""How are you here, is someone here your family or something, because we don't have bring your kid to work day" the man said, suddenly an idea light up on Alex head. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Yes, actually my grandfather brought me here, it was supposed to be a learning experience for me to gain responsibility" nobody said anything they were all staring at him not knowing what to do so Alex continues "but honestly he's the one that should learn about being more responsible, it wasn't me that got so drunk last Christmas that pissed my pants was I?" Alex told them laughing a bit at the end "oh you should have seen him singing and dancing with a Christmas tree, it was hilarious. Well, my grandmother on the other end didn't find it so funny, he ruined her favorite rug with his piss, I heard that she made him sleep on the sofa for two weeks" if Alex didn't have their attention he had now, all of them were staring at him with their mouth open or openly laughing "who is your grandfather kid? I don't know anyone that's old enough to have a grandkid or age" the man that woke him up asked amused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Oh, it's the old man sitting in the office right there" Alex said pointing at Blunt that was still siting in his office oblivious of Alex ruining his entire reputation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Now they were all laughing probably imagining their boss pissing himself while singing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Alex? What are you doing?" Smithers asked approaching them probably having been attracted by the sound of laughing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Oh, me? Nothing, just telling childhood stories" he replied grinning. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p