Hey guys, I hope you've been having a good holiday season! As with the previous two chapters, the medical parts will be italicized so you can skip them if you desire. This is a bit of a shorter chapter (compared to what I usually post) but it's an important one. Read on to find out what unfortunate situation will arise…
Gonna reply to reviews on the previous chapter, thanks so much for the love and to everyone who reviewed!
Tessa Jane: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter and didn't think it was cringe. I do my best to create a unique storyline for Alexei, so it's not just a re-hashing of the original books and to give him some depth and things to go through.
Guest: Hmm, that's a great point, I had never considered that Dominic could know Karina personally (I thought they would have known of each other in passing and wouldn't be very close) but I do like the thought of Dominic being protective of Alexei because of Karina (since he's the kind of person who wouldn't harm a child and would protect someone with his life if asked to). The Paris chapters will be coming relatively soon, so stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Embassy Row series and all the characters (except for Tanner and Jordan and Alexei's Moscow friends, who are my own creations). They belong to Ally Carter. I am merely using her characters and plotline to create this fanfiction. I have no intention of profiting off the Embassy Row series in any way. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes and would not exist without Ally Carter's wonderful works.
The events that happen in this fanfiction are not meant to be representative of real life. Any similarities to any real-life events or fictional works is purely coincidental and not intentional (with the exception of the original Embassy Row books by Ally Carter since this fanfiction is literally Take the Key and Lock Her Up but from Alexei's, not Grace's, perspective). The character's actions may not always reflect my own opinions or views. Based on what happens in this chapter (spoiler alert), I do not condone physical violence or unethical sedation.
Additionally, the medical recommendations made in this chapter are based off my own medical knowledge and clinical experiences and may differ from clinical practice guidelines in other parts of the world. They are evidence-based to my knowledge but may not reflect the latest updates to evidence-based medical practices. Please consult your local medical association for the most up-to-date, evidence-based medical practices in your jurisdiction.
Content warning: mild to moderate
This fanfiction is rated T, for suggestive themes, language, and violence. This chapter contains mild language, mild physical violence, forced sedation, and mentions and depictions of kidnapping. Please read at your own discretion.
Chapter Six: Sleep Tight, Sweet Prince
"The culture results have come back," Dr. Gonzalez said, updating Dominic and I with everything that had happened with Jamie last night and this morning. "The blood cultures were significant for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, further pointing towards an atypical bacterial pneumonia as the underlying cause of James' sepsis. Because of the MRSA risk factors, from living in crowded conditions at West Point, and the fact that he presented in septic shock, we've added Azithromycin onto our existing antibiotics, in accordance with the latest evidence-based guidelines, to ensure full antimicrobial coverage. We'll see how he does with that for a few days, at which point we'll consider stepping down our antibiotics if James is doing well."
"That sounds reasonable. What about the other cultures?" Dominic asked.
"The urine cultures and CSF analysis were clean, making a urinary tract infection or meningitis less likely. We were particularly concerned about meningitis but that's less likely now with the benign CT head and clean CSF analysis. The abdo imaging was also benign, suggesting a pneumonia as the most likely cause. We're still pending the results of the sputum culture taken yesterday to confirm the diagnosis but it won't change our management otherwise." Dominic nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, everything was flying over my head, not making any sense whatsoever. All I wanted to know was whether or not Jamie was getting better and how long he'd have to be in hospital.
"He's been doing really well. His urine output has been great overnight, which is a reassuring sign of recovery. And he hasn't spiked a fever since yesterday afternoon. He's been tolerating his clear fluids diet well and maintaining a good PO intake, requiring less IV fluids than when he came in. You can go see him if you'd like." With a friendly nod, Dr. Gonzalez left. Dominic and I headed into Jamie's room.
"How are you feeling, James?" Dominic asked. Jamie's attention turned from the TV to us. His face instantly brightened. Although he still had the oxygen nasal prongs, his colour was looking much better.
"Good," Jamie said. "I'm so hungry though."
"We'll have to see when you can get started back on a solid food diet," Dominic said, leaning against the wall. I sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Man, broth and Jello will only keep me going for so long. I need some real sustenance," Jamie said.
"One step at a time," Dominic reassured. "You're doing well so far but you've got a long ways to go." Jamie didn't look thrilled about that.
"What are you watching?" I glanced at the TV screen.
"One of the Avengers movies. I was channel surfing and it looked somewhat decent," Jamie said casually.
The three of us watched for a bit before Dominic nodded at the remote. "May I?" Jamie nodded.
I tossed the remote to Dominic. He turned the TV to the international news station. Jamie glanced from the TV to me. "Bro, is that your father?" I turned my attention to the TV screen. Sure enough, my father was depicted, all smiles, in a fancy suit.
"A ground-breaking new agreement to promote diversity had been brokered between the members of the European Union, with many countries buying in," the news reporter said. "In a first time move, Russia has agreed to tighten their stance on diversity and marginalization. Ambassador Sergei Volkov, the Russian ambassador in Adria, has been instrumental in bringing about this change." The camera cut to my father standing in front of several microphones, addressing a large crowd in English.
"I have had the pleasure of calling Adria my home for the past fourteen years," my father said, playing up his public charm. I almost didn't recognize him, with the jovial smile and relaxed look on his face. "Adria has always been a world leader in global affairs and their views on diversity are no different. Tourism is Adria's key industry. Through that, I have had the pleasure of meeting many diverse individuals from all around the world. Adria was one of the first nations in Europe to include diversity requirements in university programs, working committees, and legislative assemblies and to channel resources towards safe spaces, such as resource centres and community networks, for marginalized populations. That has inspired me to promote change in Russia, where there is much to be done with regards to diversity. I am so honoured to be a part of this new diversity agreement, to urge those in my homeland, and around the globe, to be more conscious of their own biases and to engage in positive change, to make this world a better place."
"Since when did your father become a social justice warrior?" Jamie gave me a sideways glance.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I muttered. He never cared about that stuff, at least not in front of me, where he had spent years making racist, sexist, homophobic, and ableist comments behind closed doors. I almost couldn't believe this was real, my father spouting all this talk about promoting diversity and suddenly being super gung-ho about it. But it was definitely the sort of thing that would boost his public image and enhance diplomatic relations.
"This is the largest diversity agreement to be undertaken around the world, with funding from the EU itself and several of its member nations," the news reporter continued. "It aims to commit to the inclusion of diverse members in universities, working committees, and legislative assemblies, particularly those with lived and/or living experience, to ensure the voices of marginalized populations are heard. The goal is not just to make positive change but to end harmful practices, such as persecutory workplace hiring policies and hate-based attacks based on personal attributes." Throughout this, the camera cut to various shots of my father meeting with government officials in Adria and Russia. I was particularly caught off-guard by a shot of him giving Roman's dad a guy-hug, in the government offices of Moscow. Now that I was out of the picture, it seemed like my father was taking advantage of every opportunity to network, to foster new relationships and strengthen old ones.
The camera cut back to my father standing in front of all the microphones. "In light of all the recent attacks motivated by harmful beliefs and policies designed to hurt marginalized populations, I hope this new agreement will encourage the EU to be more open and accepting. In my dear Russia, there is severe discrimination against 2SLGBTQ+ populations. In France and numerous Western European countries, there are strict laws preventing Muslims from having religious freedom. And globally, there continues to be discrimination against members of minority races and those with disabilities and much to be done in creating accessible and safe spaces and systems for all. We cannot keep evolving as a modern society if we continue to discriminate against our fellow brothers and sisters. My hope is for every single country in the EU to eventually sign on, accepting this pledge to stand against marginalization and discrimination and to make the EU a more equitable place, to bring about the positive change that is so desperately needed in today's society."
The segment finished with shots of Adria, showing its diverse population. As weird as it was to see my father talking about diversity, it was even weirder to see snippets of embassy life in Adria. I thought I had left that all behind for good. Yet, seeing it on the news had made me nostalgic for it. It was a very unique lifestyle, experienced by only a privileged few. There were still moments where I missed some of it, like all the fancy parties and the antics we got up to when no one was watching and the chance to forage amazing friendships with people I otherwise would have never met. I had accepted that I would likely never experience embassy life again but if I were granted an opportunity to go back to it, I wasn't sure if I'd take it, knowing what I knew now and with the things I had since experienced.
"And now, reports from Washington, D.C. of a recent kidnapping," the news reporter said. "A number of videos circulating online depict an unconscious teenaged girl getting hauled into a limousine near the Capitol."
"It all happened so fast." The camera cut to the outside of the Capitol building, where a college-aged guy was being interviewed. "One minute, everything was fine, then the next, this massive guard showed up out of nowhere, jabbed a syringe into a girl's neck, and carried her over to a limo. No one really knew what to do."
Next, a cell-phone video played, clearly showing two guards approaching a short, blonde girl from behind. One of them went right up to her. As the girl fell into the guards' arms, her face was visible for a split second.
"Gracie!" Jamie exclaimed, practically jumping out of the hospital bed. Dominic instantly shoved him back down, despite his protests.
My eyes remained glued to the screen, unable to look away from the horrors that were unfolding in front of me. The video cut to the two guards walking towards a limo, holding the girl in their arms. As they carelessly tossed the girl inside, her face was visible, clearer than the first time. My stomach dropped as I took in the familiar features. Grace. And through it all, an older woman in a black trench coat with a black and white scarf wrapped around her head kept a watchful eye, directing the guards to close the doors before getting in herself. Something about her seemed awfully familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"The incident is currently under investigation. Police believe this is a one-off incident, not related to organized crime. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police," the news reporter droned. However, their voice sounded far away, as a million thoughts raced through my head. Seeing Grace on the TV screen, her limp body being carried into a limo made the pain even more real. She really had gone and run and was now facing the dire consequences of it. I couldn't help but think back to that fateful conversation in the diner. It suddenly made so much more sense. Should I have tried harder to talk her out of it? Or would she have gone through with it regardless? Didn't she realize she'd be leaving chaos behind, first with her disappearance then her subsequent kidnapping? Had she intended for that to happen? Or did she have a different plan that had gone horribly wrong? I didn't know and I feared I would never find out.
"That was Gracie! She's in D.C.! We need to do something!" Jamie shouted, struggling against Dominic.
"No, we are not going to do anything," Dominic seethed, his voice quiet but angry.
"My own sister has been kidnapped. How are we not going to do anything? Someone has to go find her! Hell, I'll go if I have to." Jamie pushed himself away from Dominic, attempting to sit up.
"The hell you aren't, James," Dominic said, right as Jamie's vitals monitor started beeping like crazy. "And you need to quiet down before someone comes in and wonders what the hell is going on." As if on cue, a nurse popped their head in.
"Everything's fine!" Dominic yelled, while holding Jamie down. The nurse looked like they begged to differ but left nonetheless.
"You've already drawn attention to yourself." Dominic switched to Adrian from English, keeping his voice low as he released his hold on Jamie. "We don't need people here to start connecting the dots, not when we're trying to lay low." He gave me a pointed look. Clearly, I wasn't completely off the hook for that incident with the street gang.
"What did you do, bro?" Jamie gazed at me curiously, thoughts of Grace's kidnapping momentarily forgotten. I quickly retold my encounter with the street gang, finding it all too eerie how close I had been to sharing Grace's fate. Thankfully, Dominic had been there to save me. Unfortunately, he couldn't do the same for Grace.
Jamie shook his head. "Geez, first you almost get kidnapped, then Gracie actually gets kidnapped. We need to find her!"
"We can't go after her yet, not when we don't know who's taken her and where she currently is," Dominic argued.
"Oh, come on, surely, someone in D.C. has to know where she went," Jamie said.
"Not if whoever took her didn't want her to be found." Dominic stared down Jamie.
"Like who?" Dominic and I exchanged an uneasy glance. Clearly, Jamie was way out of the loop.
"Okay, what do you know that I don't?" Jamie looked between Dominic and I.
"James," Dominic started, "how much do you know about the Society?"
"What Society?" Jamie glared at Dominic. Dominic sighed, glancing at me.
"Long story short, the Society is a group of women who work to protect Adria's secrets. They've been active since the start of Adrian history."
"Adria is a squeaky-clean nation. What kind of secrets possibly need to be kept?" Jamie looked disbelieving. Dominic and I just looked at each other again, fearing this wasn't going to turn out well.
"A lot, actually. The reason Adria has such a 'squeaky-clean' reputation, as you put it, is due to the hard work put in by the Society members to ensure Adria's dirty secrets never come to light."
"Like what?" Jamie was really eyeing Dominic now.
"I'm sure you know what happened the night the Adrian royal family died two hundred years ago."
"Like how their dead bodies were hung in the palace windows by the masked murderers who had slain them?"
"Precisely. On that night, there was one member of the royal family who lived." Jamie looked at Dominic like he was talking nonsense, which wasn't surprising. It was difficult for those who never knew about the Society to learn about them for the first time.
"Who? The king and queen and their two young sons were slain. Who was left?"
"The baby, Princess Amelia. The Society members carried her out of the palace and placed her into a family, to be raised as one of their own. It was lucky that four Society members were pregnant and due at approximately the same time. They swapped babies amongst themselves to make sure that Amelia's identity became hidden. Amelia lived and had children of her own. Her lineage still lives on today."
"Okay. So Amelia lived. What does that have to do with Grace and I?" Boy, was he going to be in for a shock.
"Think back to your early memories of your mother, here in Adria. What do you remember?" Jamie was quiet for a moment.
"Well, the thing that stands out the most is how Alexei and I would always play together because my mom, Alexei's mom, and Princess Ann would sit around talking for hours."
"Good." Dominic nodded. "The reason your mother and her friends would spend hours talking is because they were all members of the Society. They often spent hours together discussing Society business." Jamie stared blankly in shock, not believing what he was hearing.
"Wait, so my mom was part of this group who tried to hide the fact that Amelia lived?"
"Yes, among other things."
"Like what?" Dominic took a deep breath. This was it. The big reveal.
"Amelia's descendants. It was well hidden from even the Society members themselves. Your mother and her friends spent many years trying to uncover that. Three years ago, they finally discovered the truth." Dominic paused, watching Jamie. Jamie regarded Dominic curiously, waiting. "James, your mother is a direct descendant of Princess Amelia. If the murderers had never entered the palace that fateful night, then you would living in the palace right now as the rightful heir to the throne and the future king of Adria." At that, Jamie's face changed, instantly becoming angry.
"What?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
"James, it wasn't an easy decision for your mother to make. She knew the consequences of telling you and Grace. She wanted to tell you and Grace as soon as she found out but held off for a bit, wanting to make sure she had truly gathered all the evidence. But then some dangerous people discovered she knew the truth and set out to take her life. And so she decided to keep this from you and Grace, until it was safe to tell you. But as you're aware, your mother passed away before that could happen. And so it stayed hidden until Grace came to Adria this summer and did some digging of her own." The pieces suddenly came together in Jamie's head and he exploded.
"Gracie knew?! Why did she keep this from me?! I don't want to be the future king of Adria!" Jamie launched himself off the bed, as best as he could given that he was still quite ill and tethered to several monitors and IV's. I immediately made a move towards him but Dominic reached him first, forcing him down onto the bed as all the monitors beeped like crazy. A barrage of nurses and doctors, with Dr. Gonzalez leading the way, descended upon the room, as 'Code White in MICU' was called twice over the hospital intercom. Dominic cursed under his breath.
"Everything is fine!" Dominic exclaimed in English, even though he was wrestling Jamie back onto the bed.
"Do we need sedation? I have a five and two of Haldol and Loraz here for agitation." Out of nowhere, Dr. Gonzalez produced two shiny, full needles. Jamie's eyes widened at the sight of them. Even I had to take a step back. Dominic glanced precariously from the needles to Jamie and back again.
"Let me," Dominic said, looking Jamie right in the eye, as he gestured at the needles. Dr. Gonzalez wordlessly handed him one.
Jamie fervently shook his head, pleading with Dominic. "Please no, I'm fine."
Dominic wiped all emotion from his face, only giving Jamie a resolute nod, as he pinned him down harder on the bed with his knees and one hand. "I'm sorry, James, it's for your own good."
At once, Jamie relented, the fight draining out of him as he whimpered. Dominic and Dr. Gonzalez looked at each other, silently coordinating their plan of action. Dominic looked from the needle to Jamie again, before pressing the tip of the needle into Jamie's arm, pushing the plunger down with one fluid motion, just as Dr. Gonzalez did the same with her needle to Jamie's other arm.
Instantly, Jamie's eyes closed, his consciousness overpowered by the drugs in both needles. He was out like a light in seconds. Dominic's face softened as he looked at Jamie, cradling his cheek. "Sleep tight, sweet prince."
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be up between Dec. 24 and Jan. 3.
And now the boys know that Grace has run to D.C. How do you think they'll get to Paris? Find out in the next chapter!