The Darkest Path

5

There was a death silence in the kitchen as Grace took her place at the table. Her father and the Winter Soldier both didn't move a single muscle.
"What's the matter?" asked Grace innocent, "Is there a problem?" She raised her brows. The Soldier didn't look at Alexander, but at her. With begging, desperate eyes. She didn't know why.
"I should go," he said, "I have things to do." He opened the door and walked out, disappeared in the dark, cold night. Did he ever sleep? Grace thought by herself.
"Darling," said her father as he sat down next to her, "when are you going to learn that the Winter Soldier never takes a break?"
Grace took another sip from her water. The only thought that was going through her mind was that it was unhealthy. Never taking a break was exhausting for body and mind. Grace always looked after her patients, but was a bit hard when her father always had a mission ready.
"I wanted to talk with you," said Grace and her father nodded, a bit surprised.
"So is this our dinner night?" He smiled at her and Grace smiled back. But she shook her head - he didn't understand.
"Something like that." She gestured to the kitchen. "Make me something, than I'll tell what I'm doing here."
Her father nodded with a smile and got up - it was years ago that he made her something for dinner. He actually never really made her something to eat, he always had people who did that for him. But when he did it she loved it.
Like now. After a few minutes two scrambled eggs and toast with melted butter were standing in front of her. Grace's favourite.
"Like always," said her father as he sat down, "I know your favourites."
"Yes, you do." She took a bite and her father took a deep breath.
"Why did you came here? So sudden when I was in a... formal conversation," said her father and a little muscle in his face trembled. Grace tried her best not to raise a brow. That only happened when he was kinda nervous.
"Is it true?" asked Grace and she looked up with a nervous look. Because she was nervous. So much needed to be done if he would really leave. And she felt disappointed - why would they tell her that the Winter Soldier would move on with his missions on the other side of Earth if she just finished the long schedule? She has out so much work into it, into him.
All for nothing.
"What do you mean, honey? You know that I tell you everything," said her father with a loving smile. Grace succeeded with not rolling her eyes. Did he really think he could keep this a secret from her?
"The Soldier. Gromer told me he's going to leave soon," said Grace and she felt a stone on her stomach. A heavy, uncomfortable feeling.
Her father sat up right, and the little muscle stopped trembling. Strange. The man in front of her turned into her boss and Grace quickly ate her eggs.
"I wanted to tell you," he started but Grace didn't let him finish.
"When? Have you any idea how hard I worked on that schedule? How much time and energy I put in him and everything else I did for the Winter Soldier?" Grace spat out every word and looked at her boss with disappointed eyes.
"Grace, I wanted to tell you tomorrow morning." He looked at the clock. "Which it seems to be." Grace glanced too. Half an hour after midnight.
"That doesn't change a single thing. He is probably leaving tomor - I mean today! Have you any idea how much work I need to do for his new doctor?"
Her boss lied her hand on hers and he turned back into her father. Poof.
"I know, that's why I already did it." He smiled at her and Grace's mouth fell open. She did not expect that.
"What?"
"I know how busy you are, but I assure you that he will get a good doctor in Siberia. If his mission succeeds today he will go."
That made Grace think and she frowned. The pieces of a big puzzle in her head started to fall in its place.
"If?" Her father became a bit pale. "And what if he fails?"
Her father scoffed and laughed fake. The smile did not reach his eyes and Grace started to worry. Her father kept something a secret from her. A big one. She knew it - she could see it.
But the only way to find out was asking.
"The Winter Soldier never failed a single mission in his life," assured her father, "so don't worry about that. He'll succeed and moves on to his next station."
"You didn't answer me," said Grace with a watery smile. "What if he fails?"
Her father rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Don't worry about that, darling. That's all of my concern."
Grace frowned and nodded. "Okay." She took a deep breath. She knew her father very well. Could almost tell it if he kept a secret.
"Do you know something about my patient I don't?" Grace asked and her father held his head crooked. He took a deep breath and smiled at her, almost telling her to back off. And Grace did - she never saw that look on his face before and it scared her.
That wasn't her father. Neither her boss. This was someone new - she didn't like this mask of her father.
"I would not know more about your patient than you do," he said. "His identity is everything. It may never be found out."
"So I will never know his name," Grace said, "I know the names of all my patients, why not his?"
Her father got up and took her hands in his. "Honey, it's late. You have to go to bed. You have two patients today, so concentrate on that."
"But father..."
"Enough for today. You're free this afternoon - I'll arrange a replacement doctor for the rest of your day." Grace already shook her head as he father led her to the door.
"I can't." She thought about her patients. They didn't like strangers. They trusted her and Grace didn't want to think about how they would react when they saw her again. Her patients wouldn't appreciate it.
"Of course you can! Now, I don't want to hear anything about it anymore," commanded her father and Grace gulped. That was it.
"Promise me," she spat out and turned to face him. Her father raised a brow. "Promise me you don't have secrets for me."
He smiled again and squeezed in her shoulders. "Of course I do, now, go home."
Grace nodded and her eye fell on the small, red spot on the floor. "What's that actually?" Her father turned to see what she was looking at. With a stiff smile he turned and pushed her to the door.
"Red ink," he said, "Renata made a bit of a mess today."