Left Behind

Chapter 9

The ringing of a phone echoed through the waiting room despite the dozen posters on the wall urging silence. But rules didn't apply to Mrs. Jones, and there was no one in the room to side-eye her.

"Jones," she answered the phone.

A desperate voice greeted her, one she had learned to identify over the past few weeks. "I think something's wrong with Alex. He was acting weird and cold, and now he's not answering his phone. He left hours ago."

Mrs. Jones closed her eyes. Another headache was incoming. "Jack, listen to me. We're handling it."

"What? Do you know where he is? What's going on?"

"I will tell you later. Something went wrong, but we're taking care of it."

"What went wrong? Is Alex okay?"

"I'm with Alex. I'll contact you when everything is solved." She hung up before Jack could say anything else.

She didn't like keeping Jack in the dark, but she couldn't have her interfere at this moment. Yes, Alex would probably want her to be at his side. Yes, his condition was precarious. But she couldn't risk it; there were too many security risks.

But it wasn't just that. Mrs. Jones didn't know if Alex would make it. She didn't want to give anyone false hope, including herself. She would give some news when she was sure of it.

Someone entered the room, making her look up. It was Crawley, coming to assist her as promised.

"The clone was transferred," he stated, breaking the silence. "How's Alex?"

"The clone was wrong. Alex is still alive. He was found outside the school, passed out in the snow," she paused. "He's in pretty bad condition. They took him to surgery a while ago."

Crawley already knew that. She had reported to Blunt the moment Alex was found.

"It's not your fault, you know."

"He's my responsibility, I'm his handler. And I let him behind to die and brought a fake in his place," she admitted, and it was true. It was her job to take care of Alex as an agent, and she couldn't do it. She failed him, and now he was in a hospital bed paying the consequences.

"We couldn't have known they had made a clone of him."

They shouldn't have assumed. It was ridiculous, the level of carelessness they had shown in such a short span of time.

"I don't even know what to say to Jack Starbright. She called already."

It was strange to hear her say something like that. It had always been her to deal with the emotional side of things when it came to this job. It was always her who knew what to say. Leave it to Alex to change that.

"Blunt wants him transferred to Saint Dominic's as soon as he is cleared," Crawley said instead.

It was easier that way. With Alex in Britain, they could control security better, not risking having to be held back by foreign procedures or resources.

Before she could respond, a doctor entered the room, making them sit up instantly.

"Alex Rider?" he asked, but it came out more like a statement. They were the only ones in the room, after all.

She nodded anyway. "Come with me," he said, gesturing to the hallway.

"Alex came in not in a very good condition. His leg was the worst of it. Luckily, the metal didn't cut into any major artery. But he lost a lot of blood anyway and had to receive a blood transfusion. He is stable now, but he will have a long recovery ahead of him," the doctor explained.