The Golden Bond

Chapter 36

"Sir, sir! Eve's woken up!" Ben was panting as he burst into the Master's office like a storm without even knocking. It had already been several weeks since they'd had to put her in artificial coma due to unexpected complications. A few hours earlier, the doctors decided that her young body was ready to handle it and they could gently try to wake her up. It was a success.

The Master raised his head from the table and smiled for the first time in 72 hours. "At last," he said quietly and stood up. Without saying a word, he followed Ben to one of the many floors in the high rise building where the Club had its base. There was their little well concealed medical centre. Usually, injured charismagicians were treated there if something bad were to happen to them during their missions. It had been a long time since they'd had someone as beaten up as Eve there. The doctors all thought she'd survived the bike crash with only a concussion and later with a stomach full of drugs which they pumped out. After a few hours though they found out that Eve had a brain haemorrhage. Suddenly she was unconscious and the doctors had to fight for her life. For a long time, nobody could tell what state she would be in when she woke up. In fact, they still didn't know, they could only wait and hope for the best.

The Master had been devastated. His best agent was still in Rome tied with a bond to a civilian who was sitting in a custody cell, accused of murder. Another agent was dead and the Master didn't even want to think about the betrayal within their own ranks. Something like that hadn't happened in the Lux Club for a good 100 years. Of course, there was no trace of Mia and the last agent left at the Club was Ben. Sure, there were a couple of new graduates, but in this stalemate situation, they were more of a burden than of any real use. That's why the Master had begun to summon agents from other cities two days earlier. Until William and Eve returned back to work, they were going to need help.

At this moment, Eve was particularly important. When the Master and Ben entered the room where she lay, she blinked her eyes nervously, looking around the room puzzled, like she had no idea where she was.

Ben walked closer to her bed and smiled at her. He wanted to touch her gently on her shoulder but she pulled herself away. There was fear on her face and when the Master's piercing eyes stared at her too, she uttered a sentence in fear that no one wanted to hear. "Who are you?"

The Master took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly and spoke in a anxious but calm voice. "Don't be afraid, Evangeline, we are your friends. In fact, we are something like your family. You've had an accident and spent a few weeks in an artificial coma. Now the doctors have woken you up and it looks like you don't remember anything. It's called post traumatic shock. It will probably be gone in a few hours or days and your memory will come back, don't worry. We're here for you at any time, just ask the doctors or nurses to call us – me or Ben, okay?"

Eve nodded insecurely.

"Now, please rest," the grey haired leader added then turned and left. Ben followed him quietly. As soon as they came out onto the corridor, they started a deep discussion in their minds as no one else was allowed to hear it.

Sir, what are we going to do? This is like a terrible joke. What if she's lost her memory for good? Ben's voice sounded nervous even in his thoughts.

Time will reveal everything, my boy. There's nothing more we can do now, just wait.

How about I go to see her and try to persuade her to show me her thoughts? There must be something there...

The Master hesitated. Wait for at least a day, she might remember on her own. If not, let me know and I'll do it myself.

Ben nodded.

They were both walking along the narrow corridors with their shoulders hanging down. Everything was becoming a bit too complicated...