Cipher Code {complete}

Chapter Ten: A Sick Minister •EDITED•

Dawn froze, her eyes meeting his in silence as she shook her head. "You were never a burden to this nation or to me, Corey. So don't start talking nonsense."

"Nonsense. . . Yes, you're right," He lamented and hugged her tightly, all his energy suddenly exhausted as he leaned the bulk of his weight on her and closed his eyes. "But I have so much to do. . ."

"Well, don't kill yourself," she sighed and held him up, instantly aware of the calming scent of rain he had on him.

"Let me help you, for once." Dawn urged distractedly as his head slipped into the crook of her neck.

"Thank you." Corey mumbled tiredly, his breath tickling her sensitive skin as he laughed, then groaned in distress. "I am so sleepy, but I know I-"

Dawn's eyes widened as her heart struck her ribs painfully and her brain worked overtime to finish his incomplete sentence in her mind.

"You what?" The professor finally asked, a faint blush staining her cheeks as she listened to the steady breathing of her friend, suddenly feeling flustered.

"I. . ." Corey started again, his tone sluggish as he attempted to lift his head only to slump further as he lost the strength to move and passed out in the professor's warm embrace.

"How disappointing." Dawn said, ignoring how her heart pounded against her ribs. She knew that Corey had probably been pushing himself to cover most of her work as well as his. "I guess I wasn't really the one that had you spitting blood all over the place."

She held onto him closely and shook her head again. Always overdoing it.

"Masochist." After a while a small smile appeared on her lips as she supported her best friend with her shoulder and scanned the room for a place to keep him while she informed an MED or an actual doctor.

He really is an idiot. When all she saw were piles and piles of official documents to be signed, Dawn gave up on finding somewhere to drop him. That didn't help the fact that her her hands were shaking. She tried to stop fear from taking over her logical thinking and sending her into panic but it wasn't easy to do.

She couldn't think of a reason why he would pass out, and she couldn't let worry cloud her thinking either.

Dawn was sure that the vice minister's agents would be watching her and Corey. If they saw her panicking they would send reports that something serious had happened and after Corey woke up he might not remain the minister for much longer.

Stupid politics. She felt tempted to teleport the unconscious minister to her hideaway in East, far away from all the scheming and hatred. But she didn't. Corey wouldn't want that.

His episode came early this year. . . Why did he faint?

The leader of the Cipher Squad couldn't keep her thoughts at bay as she hauled the minister along with her to the wall behind his desk and rested him against it.

Assassination, or coincidence?

As Dawn still brooded over Corey's sudden illness, the section of the wall beside them parted to reveal an elevator.