As Time Goes By
Prologue
Sydney felt like someone had just pushed her off a sixty-story building and she was still alive.
She looked from the doctor to her father. She was about to cry. I'm going to die she thought.
This is not fair.
"Ms. Bristow, I'm deeply sorry, but we need to get you into surgery as soon as possible before the tumor grows" the doctor said.
Sydney couldn't speak, she felt her heart in her throat, this wasn't fair, why her?
Sydney couldn't hold it in anymore, the tears flowed. Everything over the last few months had just taken it toll and this just put the icing on the cake.
Breast Cancer, the words rang through her brain. She was dragged by her thoughts with the doctor asking her when the best time for her to come in for the surgery.
"Whenever" she said "I can come in whenever"
The doctor looked though his diary for a second and came up with a date, 12th July, a week from now.
Jack and Sydney stood up. "Thank you doctor" Jack said as they exited the office.
The next day Sydney walked into the CIA office with high hopes that no one would think anything was wrong with her asking for a year off.
She walked into Dixon's office, as director she was the one who she had to talk to.
Dixon smiled as she saw Sydney entering his office, he gestured for her to sit down on the couch. She sat down and Dixon joined her.
"What can I do for Syd?" he asked
Might as well get straight to the point, she thought, "I need a year off" she said
Dixon looked as if he had misheard her, "I'm sorry Syd I miss heard what you said, I thought you said that you need a year off."
"I did" Sydney said
"Why do you need a year off Sydney, it's quite stupid"
"No it's not; I need a year off so I can get treatment"
"For what?" Dixon asked slightly confused.
"I have breast cancer Dixon" Sydney confessed.
"My god, Syd I'm so sorry"
"It's ok, well it's not but they found it early enough that it hasn't spread yet"
"Well of course you can have all the time off that you need?"
"Thanks" Sydney smiled weakly, "I really appreciate it"
"Do you want me to tell the guy out there what's going on?" Dixon asked referring to the people outside the office
"I think that it would be better coming from me than you, no offence or anything."
"None taken" Dixon looked serious for a moment "how did Jack take it?"
"He's a bit shaken up knowing that I may die"
"Syd, there is no way that you can die; alright you have to promise to me that you will live though this, ok?"
"I promise, but it's up to the doctors if they do a good enough job"
"Do you want it to be done by CIA doctors?" Dixon asked.
"No that's fine, my doctor's fine, just a little moody sometimes" Sydney smiled, "Well I'd better go break the news to the others"
"Ok, I'll see you later then"
Sydney left the office and went out to see Marshall, I told him the news and he took it ok, but I could tell that he was upset. Sydney left Marshall alone, and then she had to confront Vaughn.
When she told him, she never thought that he would do what he did, he cried. "Syd, I'm so sorry, I feel like this is my fault"
"How can it be your fault? I mean you didn't give it to me, it just turned up uninvited"
"I know, but I still feel really bad"
"Don't it'll all be fine"
She told everybody else, they all took it the same way, all feeling really bad and wishing her the best.
At the end of the day she and Vaughn were the last people left, they had some quick chit-chat before Sydney left.
She walked out of the CIA, and she wouldn't be returning for a year.