Sergeant Dixon who came in to see Alex. Alex was shown to a hut, a bed had been made up and there was a plate of sandwiches and crisps with a can of coke on a table. "Eat up Alex. Then shower and have a kip. My hut is the one opposite. Eel is on guard duty outside. Get him or me if you need anything."

Alex was confused but too cold and tired to argue. He saw a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt were on the bed and he changed and went to sleep. He'd eat after a nap.

Eel noted the Kid was fast asleep but had not eaten a thing.

Terrance Pritchard put the phone down. He sat and digested the facts of his last phone call to his highly esteemed colleague at Cedar Woods. Mike Rogers had spoken at length about Alex Rider. Major Pritchard's musings were interrupted by his phone. A car wa ready to take him to Brecon.

The Major was a Psychiatrist in the Royal Army Medical Corp attached to Special Forces HQ. Training was overseas for the summer placements so it was normally time to catch up on paperwork, attend conferences and read up on medical breakthroughs and undertake training. Major Pritchard had never expected to be attending a teen agent. The rumours about Cub had been floating but he had dismissed them as too far fetched. No one would knowing put a child in the line of fire it was completely unethical.

The Major walked into the hut where a thin young man was picking at a plate of sandwiches.

"Hello Alex, my name is Terrance Pritchard. Mike sends his regards and hopes you haven't got into too much trouble." The Major was hoping to put Alex at ease as he had a continuing open and friendly relationship with his therapist at Cedar Woods.

Alex motioned for the uniformed officer to sit. "I take it Doc got my postacrds."

"Mike stated they were amusing. He's worried about you. You can talk to me or we can arrange for you to go back to Cedar Woods. What has caused you to end up here? I would have thought you would have lumped everyone here in the same basket as those who misused you at MI6."

Alex looked at the Army Officer, noting he was medical corps not a nut job regular. "I... I had a fright and some bad news. I was staying with my foster family.. former foster family. Edward's a journalist. He, he was almost assassinated for digging the dirt on Damian Cray two years ago. I was on holiday with them... It turned into another operation, No. 4, I guess. Sabina and I were kidnapped, threatened, nearly died, whatever. Edward's still investigating the assassin Cray hired, a russian dude who worked for Scorpia. I kinda freaked when I overheard this." Alex then changed tack not wanting to discuss Yassen or Scorpia but something more relevant to his current pain, "My personal life is a minefield of failures. I guess I'm going through a phase and my boyfriend has decided to play the field and I want commitment and stability."

"Most people want that from a partner, Alex." said the Major with a sympathetic smile.

Alex looked at the man and decided to trust the man who had been thoughtful enough to contact Mike. "Umm sure. I'm tired, upset and I came here to disappear into blissful solitude. My peace was disturbed by two grunts this morning."

"So no controlling our food intake, misusing alcohol and drugs then?" The doctor going straight to hit the nail on the head.

"I plead the fifth on that." Alex added cheekily, he did not need to elucidate the sergeant had gone through his things and already knew Alex was only on the border of control.

"Its called self medication. Trying to stay in control when you feel anything but. You are trying to cope. Your being here is a positive sign. We will help you Alex. Will you let us?" The doctor was asking for Alex's approval. Like Snake before, everyone was getting his agreement. They were treating him as an adult, not a sick and stupid child.

"The sergeant said I could just hang and get my shit together. I want ... I want something for me but I'm always a second thought or forgotten. I'm alone. I have no one. I guess I'm more depressed than I thought I was."

"Are you taking your medication?"

Alex nodded.

"Do you think its still working?"

"No." Alex was honest with that.

"I think we'll try a different prescription. You can stay here under observation or stay with the sergeant or myself. Its up to you Alex."

Alex stared at the floor, the plain wood suddenly fascinating. "I'll try new tablets. I.. I don't know about staying with you. Do you have a family?"

"Wife, Lynette, two children Charlie and Mossie, both at uni and mostly independent."

"Why would you take in a complete stranger with a history of substance abuse and self harm?"

"Lynette and I have already discussed you coming to stay. Its only ten days until school starts. Its a no strings placement. Just until we get your medication sorted. Then you can go off to your friends in London."

"OK Major. This is me admitting I need help."

"That is the first step to getting better. Good man Alex. Hopefully you'll be right as rain for the start of school."

Tom waited for Alex at Waterloo. Alex had been staying in Hereford of all places for the last week. Alex had said very little, only that he was OK and not to worry which Tom interpreted in Alex-speak to mean that the ex-spy had had another episode. The dark haired young man had barely seen Alex since the Brookland incident as he termed the day he was shot. Tom had changed schools, so had Alex. The distance between the two friends disappeared when they met, time and experience irrelevant. Their easy friendship just clicked into place when they got together.

Alex looked tired but OK overall. Then again Tom only had Alex's emails and phone calls telling him of his episodes. Tom had not witnessed one himself.

They sat in a coffee bar just off Kings Road. They talked and laughed. Alex had broken up with his boyfriend. Tom commiserated, he himself had less than stellar record with relationships. He told Alex of the three girlfriends he'd had this year. Tom was starting college on day release as part of an apprenticeship to be an electrician. He'd scraped enough GCSE's to get that far. Alex, the swot, had several A* and A's even after pissing about for the last two years. Even a C in Science. Alex was so glad he did not have to retake that one. Alex was on the fast track to uni and all that. Tom could see Alex settling down into a normal routine after the frantic cramming session last year. Alex was off back to Cornwall that night. Hopefully everything would calm down and everyone would leave Alex alone.

THE END for now. SEQUEL post A levels planned. I just have to get writing.