A/N: Now or never, Damien...now or never...

I'm not fond of hospitals but I'm grateful to all the staff who work in them, especially when the world today is in pandemic turmoil...I salute all you frontliners - doctors, medics, nurses...may you be safe from harm and remain in good health... 

Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, India:

Damien POV

This is It, I thought to myself. Here I was, patiently waiting for them to wheel me into surgery. I lay there, fidgeting with my hospital dressing gown, watching as the nurses were walking to and fro, frantically across the long corridor.

"What happened?" I called out to one of the staff, who just happened to be close by my door.

"So sorry, my apologies sir, there's been a major train accident. All the government hospitals are full and we've been asked to take in some of the more critically injured. Dr. Akachi will be right with you..." The young intern replied politely.

I acknowledged his response with a slight nod of my head. Poor people...I silently wished that I could help them. I wasn't much of a believer or even religious, but I sent up a small prayer for them as I waited.

The young intern again passed by frantically, and I called out to him, "Doctor, perhaps, I could re-schedule my surgery if staff is needed or whether the operating theater is required?"

He smiled and responded, "No, that won't be necessary, I assure you. We have enough staff on hand for emergencies such as this, and there are two more functional operating theaters if needed..."

Half an hour had past and the familiar cheery face of Dr. Akachi rounded the corner. He remarked to one of the nurses that my door was wide open, but to be honest I really did not mind since I felt bored not being able to do anything.

"Hello my young man, how are you feeling?" He smiled as he walked in and proceeded to peruse my chart.

"Hello, doctor. I'm feeling as well as I can be, although I am a bit nervous" I answered truthfully.

"Completely understandable," He nodded, "Your vital signs are good, everything seems to be all in order. Are you ready?"

He motioned to the two male nurses to get me ready for the trip down to the operation theaters.

I took a deep breath and nodded. Here we go!

Back on board the jet:

Darius POV

By the time we will have arrived to Mumbai, Damien's operation would have been hopefully and successfully completed, and I trusted Dr. Akachi and his team for the job.

But as a parent, it was the most unnerving thing ever to have to go through, especially with someone as delicate as Damien, not that he was not a strong boy. Damien always made me proud, even since I first met him as a young child under Cora's watchful eyes, bless her.

She had done more beyond her duty of making sure those idiot agents that Thorpe had assigned were not abusing my child. But Cora would come back to me with stories not of physical abuse, but of verbal and mental abuse which made me cringe in anger.

There was not much I could do at the time since my own situation was pretty scary, having to 'disappear' from time to time so that Thorpe would not have an inkling that I had managed to escape that horrible prison after two painful years there.

Cora would tell me what a bright boy Damien was, and with such an adventurous spirit which was displayed to her, during their little getaway trips around the country, or into Europe or Asia.

Just thinking of the stories, she had related to me of their wonderful excursions made me smile silently to myself, as I watched Bry snuggle under the covers, cuddling close to me as he settled his long frame into my arms.

I was never much of a religious person, but I silently prayed to God that my boy would be safe under the knife...

Back at the Compound:

Randy POV

"And what exactly were you thinking of doing, Randy?" General Marcus Adams shouted right into my face, as I flinched from his anger.

"I was going to see Damien, sir" I squeaked in a small voice.

"Who bought you this ticket?" He demanded.

"Agent Tark, sir" I squeaked again, gulping for air.

"And how much did you pay for it?" He continued.

When I told him the sum of money that I had forked out for that ticket, he rolled his eyes and immediately summoned his two best agents, the very same two who had apprehended me.

"Fahey, you and your pal need to find and pick up an Agent Tark ASAP. I need to ask him something urgently, thanks" He watched as the two men nodded and left his office. He then paced to and fro, eyeing me out of the corner of his eye which made me feel really small at that moment.

"Dammit, Randy! Tark is a con artist, and a heavy gambler. We've just been waiting for the right opportunity to catch the guy for doing something like this. As much as I'd like to box your ears right now, you've just managed to help me nab the guy!" He grinned fiercely at me.

General Adams, although unofficially retired, had agreed to come in and command the compound while Darius, Bryant and the guys were away. He had been busily weeding out double-agents and making hardened professionals sit for their exams all over again just to make sure that they were not slacking on the job as per Darius' orders.

I swiped the sweat behind my neck and sighed heavily in relief as he indicated for me to sit down. He poured out a glass of water and set it right down in front of me.

"Go ahead and drink up, son. Did you honestly think that you could get to Mumbai?" He asked, as I gingerly took the glass and drank from it gratefully. I had not realised that I was so thirsty.

"Yes sir, I mean, I really wanted to see him so badly. I know what I did and I wanted to apologize in person, sir. I don't want to lose him!" I blurted out, as I shrank into my seat, feeling like a little kid again. The tears began to well up within my eyes, as I raised them up to meet his.

"Hmmpf!!! Well, you should have thought of the consequences before you decided not to act! Let me see what I can do. You know, this is going against my better judgement but I kind of like you, Randy. You're as bull-headed as me!" The man's eyes crinkled in merriment as he guffawed out loud.

Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, India:

The Operating Theater:

Dr. Akachi's POV

"That's it, Damien. Breathe deeply. You will soon begin to feel drowsy now. Just allow it to happen, alright? When you open your eyes again, you'll be back in your room in no time..." I guided my young patient, who was slowly falling under the influence of the drug he had just been administered.

"All right, team. Let's help this young man out. Not a word of this gets out of this hospital theater, understand? We are doing this for Darius' boy. Damien's condition is a unique case which we will keep private. If any of you breathe a word of this to anyone, consider yourself blacklisted for life...and I swear I will hunt you down" I cautioned my staff sternly.

They all nodded in agreement, as the first incisions were made where the points of entry had been drawn, just right above his genitalia. It was going to be a long night...for all of us...