Perifidy

Chapter Five: To Tame a Mole

"Oh damn, are you alright Kade?" Ash asked. Kade couldn't answer before Doc began pulling him towards the infirmary without a word. Ela looked longingly after them. She felt a hand nudge her towards them. It was IQ.

"Go be vith your beloved." she teased with an endearing smile. Ela only smiled graciously and walked quickly after them.

"Am I the only one not buying this whole mugging thing?" Thermite asked as he watched them go. Ash made a face.

"Yeah, I was getting that feeling too." she agreed.

"Well, if it wasn't muggers who else could it have been?" Mira said.

"Ze Vhite Mask?" IQ pondered aloud. The silence met with IQ's words was like a heavy blanket amongst the group, no one said a word. The cold scream of the winter air was the only thing that answered IQ's ominous prediction.

In the infirmary, Doc had just finished tightly bandaging Kade's wounds when he took out a bottle of pills.

"You bandaged yourself up well, Professor. Take these painkillers, two every few hours, okay?" he said. Kade waved them off, standing up.

"Thank you, Gustave, I appreciate it. I'll have to decline on the pills though." he said. Ela and Doc looked at each other incredulously.

"Kade, why must you insist on suffering?" Ela said, feeling slightly exasperated. Even on the way back to base, he was insistent on not going to the infirmary or getting proper aid, much to Ela's frustration.

Kade smiled ruefully,

"Apologies Elzbieta. I used to be addicted to painkillers, hence my hesitation to take the pills and come here at all." he said. Ela was shocked into silence. Doc looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"You really need to send me your medical files. Are you sure you can't take just one?" he asked. Kade smiled apologetically,

"Of course, I'll email them to you right away Gustave. I'll have to refuse, if the time comes where I absolutely must take them, I will. For now, I'd like to avoid them whenever possible." Kade said, standing up with some difficulty, extending his hand towards Doc. Doc shook it firmly,

"Thank you for bandaging me up, Doctor." Kade said. Doc nodded, turning back to clean the small mess they had made. Ela was still beating herself up over Kade's words when she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders.

"You didn't know Elzbieta, please, don't torture yourself over it." he said reassuringly. She sighed heavily,

"I know, but I was so stubborn." she said dejectedly. Kade rubbed her shoulder,

"It just shows you care, don't sweat it, dear." he said. She felt warm, being called "dear" by Kade. The cold began seeping into her body once again, even with Kade's jacket wrapped around her. It wasn't long before they stopped in front of the women's dorm. He looked down at her lovingly.

"Well, I had a wonderful time tonight, for the most part anyway." he said. Without a word she gave him a tight embrace.

"I had a great time too, you're sure you're alright?" she said, pointedly looking where his wound was.

"Completely. More importantly, I really want to lay in bed with a good book." he said, beginning to stretch. He did look incredibly tired. His grey eyes were beginning to look bloodshot and his tall frame was slightly slouched, the way one does when their body simply craves a resting place.

"I think, I'd like to join you in that book reading." Ela said. Kade seemed to awaken at her statement, at first taken aback before he reigned in his emotions. She could, however, sense an air of excitement about him.