Journey - REVISED EDITION

The Conversations In-Between

I don't own the rights to Alex. Or One Direction, unfortunately. But here's me pretending I do:

Alex wasn't sure what exactly woke him up, but his shirt was sticking to his back in sweat and his abdomen ached with dull, pulsing rhythm, shooting discomfort all up his spine and into his neck, making his temples throb. The room was pitch black, and when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the teen could make out two other figures on the beds next to him.

Alex attempted to sit up and a blinding pain stabbed through him, causing him to fall back against the pillows, body tense and throat constricting with a held-in scream. A slow whine escaped his lips, and his vision went white, the sudden pain making him lightheaded.

"Alex." A voice came out of the darkness. "You okay?"

A bed-side lamp was turned on, and an unknown face peered at him in concern.

"Alex." It was a deep voice, British, and it sounded like home.

"I-" Alex swallowed his throat dry and swollen, the pain making it even more difficult to speak.

"Water...please."

"Of course." The man smiled nodded, his brown eyes a little confused and went over to his SAS issued dufflebag, pulling out a bottled water.

"Liam?" The other figure sat up, his voice scratchy with exhaustion, eyes blinking tiredly in the soft glow of the lamp.

"Shh. Sleep, Fennec." Liam replied, speaking gently, before uncapping the water bottle.

"Do you need s'm help?" Fennec pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes, looking more sleepy by the second.

Liam sighed before answering, his tone less dismissive than before. "Could you come help Alex sit up?" He smiled apologetically at Alex. "Sorry, but you probably can't do it on your own right now."

Alex just nodded, teeth still clenched, his scar throbbing in time with his heartbeat. He had so many questions, starting with who in the world these people were, and how he got here, but before he could ask anything, he needed some water.

Fennec came over, dark circles under his eyes, but he gave a small smile to Alex. Gently, the man put his arms under Alex's shoulders, and lifted him up, just enough for Liam to put pillows behind Alex's back and head. Blood rushed to Alex's brain, and his eyes involuntarily rolled back into his head, his body breaking out in tingles.

"Woah." Fennec's voice came through the roaring in Alex's ears, and he blinked several times, trying to clear the black spots in his vision.

"Alex. When was the last time you had something to eat?" Liam asked, the frown on his face going in and out of focus.

"I'm not sure." Alex replied, suddenly feeling very drained and empty and unable to speak louder than a whisper. His entire body ached.

Liam lifted the bottle to his lips, and Alex gulped down the lukewarm water, a shaking hand coming up to hold the bottle.

"Careful." Fennec warned, a hand still steady on Alex's back. "Liam, don't forget about the medication."

Wait.

Medication?

What was going on?

Who were these people?

Could he trust them?

Was he safe?

"Wait." Alex gasped, pushing away the water. "Where am I?"