Alex Rider : Traitor or Mistaken?

Chapter 15

Alex was gasping in Snake's arms, tired and shivering. "They either poisoned him or whatever they drugged him with has a side effect or he's allergic to it." Snake muttered quickly as he checked for Alex's pulse multiple times to make sure his heart was still pumping when the boy goes still and quiet. "So what do we do now?" Fox asked nervously.
"I don't know. We don't have to equipment to flush out the poison. His body is trying but the temperature is getting too high. He might suffer brain damage like this." Snake said while he kept an eye on the boy in his arms. The boy curled up even more and Snake could feel the boy trembling harder than he was before. "I'll be fine." Alex gasped out, trying to escape from Snake's arms but the older man just kept a firm grip on him and gave him a look as if to say 'don't even think about it.'
"Listen up you puny piece of shit." Wolf hissed as he knelt next to Alex, making the boy glare weakly at him for calling him puny. Snake and the rest of the unit caught the glare, making them smile. Perhaps he will be alright like he says he would be. "We are trying to help you and you don't even want to take our goddamn help, but no matter, because we are going to help you whether you like it or not and if we deem you must go to the f*cking hospital, we go at any cost." Wolf gritted out, glaring back at the boy. The two had a staring match before the Wolf cracked, giving a cough to try and hide his laugh. Alex turned his head towards Snake's abdomen to hide his small smile. "Come on Al, let's get you into a more comfy place to get more rest." Snake muttered, running his hand through Alex's hair as a gesture of comfort. The medic carried the sick boy back to his bed. He laid a cool damp towel on Alex's forehead in an attempt to lower his temperature. "Go back to sleep guys, I'll be fine," Alex muttered, patting Snake's hand halfheartedly. "Go sleepppp." Alex whined a little when he realized the unit was still standing around in his room watching him.
"Okay okay. We'll come back later to check up on you." Snake assured even though he had no intention of leaving Alex totally alone. He ushered the team out the door, shutting it behind him until he was sure Alex had been pulled into the sweet dark abyss of slumber. "We take turns." Snake muttered as he gestured that Fox goes first, then Eagle and then Snake himself, and Wolf goes last. Hopefully, by morning the boy is well enough to wobble out of his room and alert enough to protect himself.

"Aren't you guys stubborn..." Alex muttered half-heartedly when he heard them move into his room once again. He could hear them changing shifts every time despite them thinking that they were being silent. Snake fussed about as the others stood and watched, ready to leap into action if Snake needed anything or if their little cub didn't seem to be hanging on. "We seem to have got that disease from you." Eagle joked, scrunching up his nose. That elicited a response from Alex who rubbed his face weakly with his hand, trying to hide his smile at the bad joke from Eagle. Snake was frowning and that was normal but the medic usually would be muttering to himself, however, this time the medic was absolutely silent. "What's wrong, Snake?" Fox asked quietly, kneeling next to the bed where Snake was.
"It is getting worse, I don't understand! What could it possibly be? I have given him antibiotics..." Snake whispered, his eyes darting from what he is doing then to checking Alex's responses. Alex tried rolling over to get up again but he seemed even more uncoordinated than before. "You guys should get some sleep... " Alex started softly, slurring slightly as Wolf tried to tuck Alex back into bed. Alex rolled, coughing into his hand. Snake held him to make sure he didn't choke. "Jack used to do that." Alex mumbled to the unit. They looked at each other, the teenager never spoke about his personal life... does this mean that he is opening up to them or is it whatever drug that is in his system?
"Tell us about Jack," Fox asked softly, running his hand through the boy's hair. Alex seems to appreciate the gesture as he leaned into the touch ever so slightly. "Jack... she's a beautiful woman. She was my best friend, she stuck by me no matter what. Jack took care of me from when I was small even until I got to high school..." Alex paused, his head rolling to the side. Snake quickly checked for a pulse, still there. Snake let out a sigh of relief, making the others do the same. "I loved her... She was my family, she was my whole life. Jack stuck by me even through all the shit '6 put me through."
"What happened to her, Alex?" Wolf asked, hoping to keep the kid talking, that way they knew that he was still breathing. Alex took a really long pause, not moving from where he was and barely breathing. Snake kept a constant firm but gentle grip on Alex's wrist, feeling for the light uneven throbs of the heart beating. "I got her killed... It was all my fault. I should have forced her to leave when I started... I should have let her get deported and not cling onto her. I killed her... It's all my fault..." Alex muttered, trailing off. The unit members looked at each other, unsure what to do. Snake focused back on making sure that Alex's heart was still beating at a steady rhythm. It was Eagle that finally broke the silence, kneeling next to the bed, "listen, Alex. It is not your fault okay? You have done everything you could. I know it is really difficult to believe that but she would never have blamed you, neither would she want you to be blaming yourself for it. She stayed for a reason, she stayed because she loved you too and she wanted to take care of you. Do not blame yourself for something that you did not do." Eagle said firmly but gently.