Russian Roulette

Chapter Seventy-One: Don't Go

---Isador---

Doc could tell by the way Eko came over that he'd been lost in thought. Thoughts about what, she did not know. "Yes, I was wondering if you'd be willing to carrying my duffle bag for me. As much as I prefer to not seek aid I also don't like the struggle it takes to get my cars hatch open to place the bags inside." She gave him a small nearly innocent smile. She knew that the loss of Kyle would be a lot on them, considering how he passed.

Isador laughed lightly at Little Piggy, giving him little pats on his head as he watched Aleksei awaken. "Given the state you're in... I'm guessing the guys did not yet inform you..." Isador picked up Little Piggy then, his face showed very little emotion. What was primarily there was sadness, with traces of longing and love. It hurt him a bit to see that smile on Aleksei's face. *Words can be pretty hurtful, Isa...* Slowly he sat on the floor next to Aleksei, cradling the pig into his lap. "Kyle succumbed to his injuries." He gave a small sigh, and stroked the pig, trying to keep himself calm. No anger rose in him, only dread and sadness. He did however softly smile at Aleksei. "I know... I probably won't be able... to stop you from ever doing something like that again... But I..." Isador paused, his train of thought derailing as he debated what he would say. He slowly reached out and gently touched Aleksei's hand, desperately wanting to hold it in his own but stopping himself from doing much more than caressing it. "I don't know.. I love you, I really do... So much, that it hurts that... Well, love what you just did was stoop to the level of the people we were trying to fight... And it terrified me. Not just me, either... Aurora..." He trailed off, thinking back to the little girl who he left sleeping in a bunk across the room from a man who called himself Ghost. *Oddly protective of a little girl you've only known for what, twelve hours maybe?*

Isador gave a sigh. "I know this probably sounds like I'm scolding you... and that's not what I am trying to do..." He sighed before continuing. "I just... that was a lot to witness, and and lot to take in... How are you love?" Isador didn't want to dwell on it anymore. He wanted to push it behind him and do his best to keep his promise to Aurora going forward. He didn't want to feel so disgusted anymore. He wanted that fuzzy feeling of love to come back and hold him again.

---Aleksei/Eko---

Eko looked at the duffle bag and nodded, "anything for you doc, don't have to hesitant asking anything from me." Eko smirked at her before slowly realizing why she was packing her bags and then he pouted, "No no no, don't leave. I have a cut, right here. I could use a medic with it." Eko pointed over to a scar on the back of his arm, clearly it was months old and barely noticeable. He was very close to begging her but he had to play it cool though, show that he appreciated her presence without showing that he was desperate for it. He's got this...no he doesn't. He knew that it was a long shot getting her to stay so he already began to make his way to her car. "This is the hatch?" he questioned before nudging at it a bit, he then used excessive force to get it open, brute strength to impress the lovely lady, "there ya go!" he looked at her as he placed the duffle bag inside. "You know, you might need my assistance getting that hatch open again, it is pretty tight." Eko offered to basically join her on her journey. Not like the group needed him anymore, the battle was won or that's what he thought anyways.

Kyle succumbed to his injuries...that hit Aleksei hard but what was he expecting? To burn off a man's face and expect him to live? No, that was a stupid expectation. "I didn't mean to kill him...I promise you I didn't." Aleksei's voice seemed to crack now, yes he wanted to be cruel to send a message but to kill someone, again? What was his problem? He couldn't keep saying 'oopsies' everytime he accidently killed a person. Won't be able to stop him? He isn't even able to stop himself. He listened to Isador quietly but flinched a bit when Isador touched him though it didn't take long for him to settle down in Isador's touch, I guess Isador had that effect on people, being able to soothe them just by touch alone.

"I love when you talk to me like this...like a disappointed parent, gentle but stern." Aleksei finally spoke up again when Isador stopped talking. How was he? Heh, fun question. "I'm fine, just Ben...I want to be honest with you, this isn't the first time I've killed someone...I'm sure you know that but I mean..." Aleksei gripped onto Isador's hand but unlike other times when he would grip too tight, Aleksei made sure to be as gentle as possible, acting as if he was holding a delicate flower in his palm.

"It was also friendly fire. I was only in the mafia for a month at that time and was given an assignment to work with a woman on stealing assets, we were sent to Belgian for the job and while in a hotel room I found out that she was actually working with another guy to steal the assets from me. I panicked when she found out that I was aware of it. She came at me with a bottle or something and I shot her. It was a lethal round. I couldn't sleep well after that ever since." Aleksei told that story and there was regret hinted in his voice but also also distancing, almost as if the memory was one he referred to keep push deep, deep down, one he tried to not dwell on anymore.

"That's not the only thing I have to be honest about." this time Aleksei was smiling as he nudged into Isador a bit, "A woman kissed me while I was out there. I promise I didn't kiss her back, just letting you know." he was now joking a bit, he too wanted to move on, it felt good finally telling Isador the whole thing but it also worried him, this would probably make him look at you differently but should have thought about that before you burned a man's face off. He would not only make it up to his guys but he would make it up to the community as a whole, when he becomes sober he would arrange a project to help the poor people who were greatly affected by this war.