No more running...

St. Dominic

When Alex had finally awoken, he was hit by the bright light that emitted from the ceiling lighting. He squinted his eyes to adjust to the brightness. He was in a room with four bare walls staring back at him. There were no pictures whatsoever. Just blank white.

He tried to move, but he winced as he felt something attached to his left arm. There was a tube that was attached to an IV bag containing some unknown substance. In his other arm, another tube was attached to a blood bag to provide him with fresh blood.

He heard the door open. His head laid on the hard pillow of the bed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ben approached the bed. He placed a card on the table beside it. "A gift card from Smithers. He sends his regards." Then he looked serious, his eyes scanning Alex carefully, like a predator looking at its prey.

"Alex-" he started. "Don't, Ben. Just don't." Ben sat on a chair and sighed. "Look, Alex. I don't blame you for acting like that. Rage compels people to do things subconsciously. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what you were doing." When Alex didn't respond for over three minutes, Ben started to get worried. " Alex?" Alex looked back at Ben. His eyes. They were different from the last time he had seen him. They were... hollow. Empty. There was no sign of warmth. Had MI6 really done all that? What kind of damage had they done to him?

There was a brief silence before one of them spoke. "I'm sorry." Alex's whole body was trembling. Ben sighed. "Oh, Alex." He embraced him in a hug. "Look. Don't worry. Okay? We're going to take care of you. K-Unit. Together." Alex nodded. "What's happening to me, Ben? Why did I pass out? I've never done that before." Ben patted him on the shoulder. "The doctor's say you were suffering from a high fever. And after all that adraneline rush to your brain, your body couldn't take it and it burned out."

Alex didn't know what to say. He had been brought down because of a simple fever? He was never that vulnerable to illness before, even when he was growing up with Ian Rider. Then he remembered. "Ben?" "Hmm?" His voice trembled. "Is... is Mrs Jones... dead?" He croaked out that last word.

"Actually, Alex. I'm quite alright, thank you for the concern." Mrs Jones walked through the door of his room. Alex couldn't believe it. He had shot her. He saw her blood. "But- How? I shot you three times. The blood-" he stuttered the words as if they were trembling on his tongue. Mrs Jones explained to him her plan. "So as you can see, you didn't kill me. I am very much as alive as you are. I am so, so sorry Alex. I shouldn't have put you through that. Not after Cairo. I hope you can forgive me."

Alex allowed it all to sink in. He wasn't mad. No. But he knew one thing for sure. He couldn't forgive MI6. "No. I can't. I just can't." Mrs Jones felt hurt. "That's a shame. Before I leave, I need to have a word with Fox and the rest of K-Unit. Rest well, Alex." Ben ruffled Alex's blonde hair. "Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I'm done." He left behind Mrs Jones, closing the door on the way out.