"Inquisitio Veritatis- to seek the truth" chapter 9

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8


Luckily Illya received the antidote before the poison had really begun to work on him. The stab wound in his back was deep enough for him to have lost a fair amount of blood, but thankfully the blade missed any major organs.

When he at last had some privacy he managed to get hold of his communicator pen. Contacting Waverly, he was relieved to find out Napoleon would be all right as he too had received the same antidote for the poison apparently in both their systems.

His thoughts went again to his revelation about being manipulated like a puppet on a string.

“Sir have any of the agents you dispatched to the other Xaverian schools been attacked as well?”

“No they haven’t, and as far as they were able to find out, no one has approached any of their students to recruit them to THRUSH or any other organization.”

“Mister Waverly sir, I think this whole Xaverian thing has been nothing but a ruse, like a MacGuffin in a book, done to set up Mister Solo and myself in order to make an assasination on the two of us.”

Before Waverly responded Illya whispered “Out” as a nurse had just stuck her head inside the door. She looked at him but just as quickly she disappeared.

He didn’t think she’d heard any of his conversation.

His thoughts went back to receiving his post-surgery transfusion, and getting out of here as quickly as possible. He felt as weak as hell and though he’d threatened to leave on his own, he knew he needed the blood. He’d be lucky if he could even stand right now as he felt as weak as a newborn baby.

Kuryakin’s blood type was B negative, which was somewhat problematic since less than two percent of the population had that type.

B negative red blood cells could be given to both B and AB patients but B negative patients could only receive blood from other B negative donors or from type O negative donors, who were universal donors.

The Medical Suite at UNCLE headquarters in New York city had ample supplies of B negative blood on hand at all times, as well as blood from universal donors, given Illya’s proclivity for being injured while on assignment.

St. Agnes faced a dilemma in that they had no B negative blood on hand, and getting some from the Red Cross would take time given its rarity.

Their supply of O negative had just been exhausted due to several members of one family who needed it as they’d been in a horrific car accident, and were in surgery just before Kuryakin had been brought into the Emergency Room.

No one in the immediate staff had the right blood type, though Illya would still recover without a transfusion; the doctors there were amazed at his ox-like constitution, given how slightly built the man was.

Still his recovery would take far longer than usual as his body had to replace the blood that was lost on its own; that made for one annoyed Russian.

He barked at the nurses and doctors, threatening to check himself out. Though he did refrain from throwing anything at them like he did when he was confined to Medical back in New York.

They in turn threatened to have him restrained and sedated.

One nurse swore he growled at her as she retreated from his room. His reaction to a bowl of green jello she had in her hand was beyond frightening. She left it on his bed tray, not looking back.

“I’m not going back in there again, he’s nuts!”  She announced as she stormed out into the corridor.

A fellow passed her by, dressed like an ordinary working man, walked into Illya’s room, hat in hand.

“Hi Mister, you remember me? I was you taxi driver. I just stopped in to see how you was doing... the name is Leon, short for Napoleon. My daddy wanted me to have a strong name. My mama was French Creole so she liked the name too.”

That made Kuryakin smile, it was as if the Fates had intervened, sending this particular Napoleon to his aid.

“Thank you Leon; your last name would not happen to be Solo, would it?”

“Good Lawd no. It’s Singleton, I guess that’s sorta like Solo.”

Another nurse, obviously with an attitude problem when it came to colored people, immediately barked at him when she entered the room.

“What are YOU doing in here? You can’t be bothering this patient. Now get out before I call Security!”

“Excuse me Nurse,” Illya raised his voice.” This man is a friend of mine and has every right to be here. As soon as you get me my B negative or O negative blood, I will be out of here as well!”

“Shucks, I has O negative blood. I had to donate some to my brother when he was in a car accident las’ year. Thas’ when I found out what I was. I was told its a uni-versal blood type?”

The nurse looked at Leon, then back to Illya. “Surely you don’t want his blood?”

“Why not?”

“Well number one, he’s... colored.”

Illya refrained from reacting to her obvious bigotry.

“Nurse, blood is blood. Every donor is a life saver, and I have no problem with it as long as Leon his willing to give me some of his blood.

"Fine with me boss,” Leon grinned.”I’ll donate my blood.”

Illya continued his terse dressing down of the nurse," If you will look in my wallet Nurse, you will see a gold identification card hidden beneath a leather fold, it states that I work for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. If you have not heard of it, let me enlighten you. The U.N.C.L.E. provides protection as well as intelligence to its member nations against any perceived threat to that country's well being and sovereignty, regardless of that nation's political policies. Its ultimate goal is to maintain world peace. Now, if I or my friend have any further trouble with you, you will be visited by agents from my organization as well those from FBI and CIA for your reprehensible behavior unbecoming an American citizen towards another American, as well as to myself.”

The nurse’s nostrils flared as she spun on her heels, leaving the room in a huff.

“Say Mister, thanks fo’ standin’ up fo me. Can I ask what you name is since you said I was you friend, just in case someone asks.”

“In this instance my name is Jan Van de Meer, though my real name is Illya Kuryakin, I am however undercover.  I do work for the organization I just mentioned. Though as to FBI and CIA coming after her...well I lied,” Illya winked.

“My organization would bring her in for questioning; if her answers did not please them, then perhaps the FBI might be contacted. The U.N.C.L.E. has a lovely prison facility in a very, very cold climate…”

“I heard of your Uncle, so then you a cop or a spy or something?”’

“Yes sort of. Now, just be sure to call me Jan.

“I sho’ will Mister Jan. Glad to be of help again.”

A short while later she arrived with an orderly who set up the transfusion to be done right in the room.  She’d be damned if it got out one of them, was giving blood to a white man.

As soon as the procedure was done Illya requested his clothing, as well as his other belongings.

While a rather muscular orderly stood by, Illya’s property was returned to him with a glare from that nurse, whose name was Virginia Semmes.

He’d make sure she was prominently featured in his report to Waverly, as well as to the reason why.

It didn’t matter that his jacket and shirt were bloodied. He could purchase replacements for them before his return flight to New York that Waverly had booked for him.

Leon was waiting outside the entrance to the hospital and met Kuryakin as he exited the building.

“Where to Mister Jan?” He grinned.

“Leon, you have done enough to help me, please this is unnecessary.”

“No sir, seeing you tell off that nurse did my heart good. You is Russian that much I get, so you probablys experienced some hate in this country, so’s you understand. I owe you, whether you like it or not. So where to?”

Illya sighed. Leon was right and he accepted the man’s offer,“I need to replace my shirt and jacket so a clothier please, someplace reasonable.”

“I know jus’ the place boss. Thas’ Cohen’s.”

The clothier was perfect, and Illya found exactly what he needed. He in fact bought himself an extra jacket and shirt as the prices were very affordable. The replacement jacket and shirt would be paid for by UNCLE on the credit card they now issued to agents in the field.

He’d still have to submit paperwork explaining the expenditure, but it was better than putting out the cash and then having to wait to be reimbursed. The other clothing though, he purchased with his own money. This time he’d have a clothing bag as luggage to be stowed in the overhead compartment on the plane.

Illya treated he and Leon to lunch, something called Pit Beef. It was a delicious bit of roast meat seasoned with salt, grilled until crispy on the outside and rare on the inside. It was served with horseradish and onion on a roll. To quench their thirst they drank a couple of Natty Moh’s, short for National Bohemian Beer, also apparently another Maryland favorite.

The two ate in a nearby park with Leon regaling Illya of stories growing up in New Orleans and Maryland.

Illya refrained from giving any details of his personal life, as well as the fact he’d been to New Orleans on several occasions.

Finally it was time to go and Kuryakin was driven to the airport for his flight home.

He insisted upon overpaying Leon for his driving him about town, and tipped him generously...after all the man had saved his life.

He didn’t think UNCLE would mind the extra money for saving their agent. To Illya they were getting off cheaply enough for if he’d perished, the Command would have to go to great expense to train his replacement.

It wasn’t his ego talking, it was simply fact...

Comments

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Napoleon Singleton! A perfect name for a lovely man, and I'm glad Illya had a Napoleon there to save him. (I often use Nathaniel Singleton for our Napoleon when he's undercover).

I wish we could say that the nurse's attitude was a thing of the past but, unfortunately, those sorts of people are once again becoming emboldened.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, I don't remember you using Singleton as a cover name for Napoleon, sorry about that. It just popped into my head when trying to think of a name similar in spirit to the the name Solo.

I thought it important to bring a little detail about Leon being in Baltimore, and the prejudice he'd face. UNCLE may be enlightened, but much of the world wasn't, and still isn't. A sad commentary as the nurse's attitude has just continued to today. Those attitudes to some have never gone away.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

No apology needed. It's a fairly natural pseudonym to come up with for someone called Solo. It's a name that always stuck in my head because I once had a crush on a bloke I worked with who was called Tony Singleton. He looked just like Jon Bon Jovi :-D

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thanks cuz! Jon Bon Jovi, hmmm not bad. He lives in my town, though I've never spotted him anywhere. He put is 'mansion' up for sale, so I guess he doesn't want to live here anymore. Springsteen's been spotted though. lol!

[pfrye.livejournal.com]

Great chapter. Love the other Napoleon.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you thank you! Lots more to come. D