0-o-0-o-0
More of the manuscript's translation came through early the next morning. Jack had received an important phone call shortly after their meeting ended yesterday afternoon, resulting in Dixon and Rachel being tasked with a mission together that had taken them to Thailand.
"Okay," Marshall said as they all settled down in the conference room, "The next part of the manuscript they've translated is basically the instructions on how the fluid is to be used to either revive the dead or to heal someone who is sick." Marshall showed them an illustration of what appeared to be an IV inserted into the arm of its recipient.
"Wait," Vaughn said upon seeing the illustration, "How does this help someone who is dead?" If a person was dead then it meant that their heart could not pump the fluid throughout their body.
Marshall switched to another drawing, "As you can see in the case of the person being deceased, the fluid would be injected straight into the heart instead of being administered by an IV."
"How soon can the excavation team bring the fluid back here?" Jack asked.
"It's already on the way and should be here by very very late tonight - well actually it's more like early morning tomorrow since it'll definitely be way past midnight -"
"Marshall," Sydney interrupted his tangent, "Assuming we get no interference from the powers that be, how soon can things be set up to use the fluid?"
"I would need to talk to Medical since we'll need a doctor present but it shouldn't take long at all to set up everything," Marshall replied. "Why?"
"Start getting everything ready, Marshall," Jack ordered.
Marshall nodded, "Yes, sir." He started to leave the room and stopped at the door, "Um, Mr. Bristow, may I ask as to whom will be getting the Rambaldi fluid?"
Without glancing in Sydney's direction, Jack responded, "Nadia."
Sydney was about to point out they should also give Jack some of the fluid too when he silenced her with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. However it still didn't go unnoticed by Marshall even if he was mostly out of the room. Even as he set about the tasks Jack had assigned him even as his curiosity nipped at him in the back of his mind.
At one point he passed the doorway to the break room and saw Vaughn inside pouring a cup of coffee. Vaughn had emerged from the conference room several minutes later, alone. He had decided he wanted a cup of coffee while he waited for Sydney to follow him out.
Marshall wasted no time when he walked into the break room, "Vaughn, is there something I should know about?"
Vaughn sipped his coffee before answering, "Not that I know of."
"Really? Are you sure, because it just seemed to me Sydney was about to say something and was stopped by Mr. Bristow." His observation went unanswered as Vaughn just left the room without saying another word.
As soon as Marshall had cleared the room, and the door was closed, Sydney turned to Jack, "We need to talk."
"I'll just go get some coffee," Vaughn had excused himself, sensing Sydney's need to talk to her father alone. They waited until he was gone and they were behind closed doors again to speak.
"Dad-" Sydney began but was cut off.
"Before you say anything, Sydney, I think Nadia should be the one to receive the fluid because at least I am alive. This is the only chance she'll ever have to have her life back again."
Sydney grabbed his hand, "I know that, Dad, but this maybe the only chance you will ever have to be cured. Besides there was more than enough of the fluid to help you both in that pool Sloane fell into." She sighed, tears in her eyes, "Please, Dad, allow them give you the fluid too."
Jack dipped his head in consent after a moment, "All right."
0-o-0-o-0
"Can I help you, Director Bristow?" Dr. Jain asked when he saw Jack come into the infirmary.
Jack nodded, "I need to speak to you in private." He had noted that all the medical personnel throughout the ward the moment he had entered.
"Of course, sir, we can use my office," Jain replied. Jack followed him into the room where the doctor closed the door. Sitting down behind his desk he asked, "Is there something wrong with your health?"
Ignoring his concerned question Jack said, "I need you to prepare to run a DNA comparison test."
The doctor nodded, "May I ask from whom the DNA samples will be taken?"
"From Arvin Sloane, Nadia Santos... and myself."
Surprise crossed Dr. Jain's face before he asked, "May I assume you wish for a paternity test to be run?"
"Yes."
"I see," Dr. Jain said, "I'll see to it that the test is conducted right away. Is there anything else I can do for you, director?"
Jack nodded, "Yes, keep this between us. I am the only person you may consider authorized to view the results of this test. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. Is that all?"
"There is one other thing."
0-o-0-o-0
Over the night there had been an unexpected delay to the fluid's arrival as one of the planes carrying it couldn't take off until the wee hours of the morning, which in turn delayed its arrival to mid morning. The delay would give everyone time to finish any tasks that needed finishing while they waited.
Jack had just finished speaking with Dixon, who had reported a successful completion to his and Rachel's mission when Sydney came to his door to report that the fluid was only 30 minutes out. Since Jack had agreed to receive the fluid for her sake, he left his office and was escorted to medical by his daughter.
Once they reached medical, Sydney had to leave her father alone long enough for him to change into a hospital gown and be prepped by the nurse. The nurse skillfully inserted the IV into Jack's arm, taping down the port of it to the back of his hand before gathering up her supplies, and telling him, "I'll go tell your daughter that she can come in now."
"Thank you," Jack replied before he reached down to pull the blanket at the foot of the bed up around himself more tightly. He wanted to be sure he was well covered before Sydney entered the room to avoid any embarrassment to them both.
Sydney came in, closing the door behind her before she walked over to take the empty chair beside her father's bed. Looking into his eyes she said, "Marshall says they'll be here in a few minutes."
With a nod Jack said, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be to get this nonsense over with."
"Dad," Sydney said with an emphasis, "This nonsense could cure you."
"Perhaps it will but I am still a skeptic where Rambaldi is concerned as I thought you were as well," Jack replied.
Sydney snorted, "Dad, I am in no way a believer in Rambaldi now if that's what you mean. But if there's a way to cure you, and even if that cure is Rambaldi based, then I say we have to take it."
"Sydney-"
Jack halted in what he was about to say when the room's door opened, and Marshall appeared. "Sydney, uh have you seen Mr. Bris-" His voice trailed off when he saw Jack sitting up in the bed.
Choosing to ignore his obvious confusion Jack said, "Yes, Marshall?" Subconsciously he pulled at the blanket that had fallen to his waist up to cover his chest and hide his IV pierced hand.
Marshall's eyes were locked on the spot where Jack's hand had disappeared under the blanket. "Uh, the exhumation team has arrived with Nadia...and the fluid is still like ten or fifteen minutes out from APO."
Jack nodded, "Have the team leader come here with the fluid when they arrive. Also ask Doctor Jain to come in at that time."
Marshall barely acknowledged what Jack had said when he asked, "Mr. Bristow, are you okay?" Genuine concern tinged his voice.
"I'm fine, Marshall."
"Are you sure, Mr. Bristow, because you're like sitting here in a hospital room, in bed, hooked up to an IV, and people aren't usually hooked up to those things unless something is wrong."
Sydney shared a glance with her father and got up from her chair, "Come on, Marshall, let's go take care of the last of the preparations." She gently pushed him from the room, and after he was out she turned back towards Jack, "I'll see you in a few minutes." Smiling Sydney stepped into the hallway, closed the door, and was greeted by a waiting Marshall.
"I'm right, aren't I? There's something wrong with your dad isn't there?" Marshall didn't wait for her to answer his questions before he kept on going, "Have the effects of the radiation Mr. Bristow was exposed to in Siberia come back? Is that it." The last part really wasn't a question but statement of assumption.
Sydney knew ignoring someone's questions, especially in the espionage world was just as good as confirming what had been asked but she didn't know how to answer him without breaking her father's confidence about his infection. "Come on, Marshall, we have work we need to do."
Leading the way she went to the room where Nadia's coffin had been taken, hesitating only a moment before she unsnapped the locks on it.
However she didn't open up the coffin as she couldn't bear to look at Nadia's body just yet even with the knowledge she'd soon have her sister back.
Thankfully Marshall had gone to find Dr. Jain, and hadn't pursued his line of questioning. If it were Sydney and up to her, she'd tell Marshall as well as Dixon and maybe Rachel about her father's status of being HIV positive. She after all saw them all as family as much as she did her father, daughter, and Vaughn. But her father was her father and while he may respect them all as agents, she wasn't sure he saw them in the same way she did.
She snapped out of her thoughts when a team of nurses came into the room. The head nurse's tone was considerate when she said, "If you're ready, Agent Bristow, we need to start prepping your sister."
With a nod, Sydney moved aside, "All right." She watched them as they opened the coffin up and with great care removed Nadia's body. Tears flooded her eyes as they laid her down on the gurney before covering her with a sheet. Sydney left the room so they could finish with Nadia, heading back to her father's room to wait with him in silence until the nurses appeared several minutes later.
They pushed in the gurney were Nadia still laid but now she had been dressed in a hospital gown, and was covered with a sheet mid chest downwards. They parked her gurney beside Jack's bed and hooked Nadia to a heart monitor before they left.
Sydney waited for a full minute of silence to pass before she quietly said, "Dad, don't you think it's time we tell the rest of APO's senior officers about your illness?"
Jack frowned at the suggestion, "No, I would prefer if my illness remained a private affair instead of becoming public knowledge like my illness last year did."
Sydney sighed in frustration, "Dad, I am not talking about telling everyone who works in APO about this. I only think we should tell Dixon and Marshall, maybe Rachel if you're comfortable with her knowing too. In any case I think Dixon and Marshall should be told since I know they both consider you a friend. They both care a lot about you, Dad, more than you realize."
The door opened, and Dr. Jain entered, ending there conversation except for Jack murmuring to Sydney, "We'll talk about this later. For now don't tell them anything."
"Okay, I won't," Sydney promised.
"The fluid has arrived but there's some sort of problem," Dr. Jain said.
"What kind of problem?"
"I don't know, director, but Marshall is bringing here an agent who can explain what the problem is," Dr. Jain answered.
A few minutes later Marshall appeared with a woman following him. A grim look was on the agent's face as she first looked at Nadia's form before she looked at Jack. She stepped further into the room, "Director Bristow, I'm Anne Carson, the special agent in charge of the CIA's excavation team for Rambaldi's tomb."
Jack nodded, "We were told there's a problem with the fluid, Agent Carson. Would you please elaborate on what it is exactly?"
Carson glanced at the agent accompanying her and he opened up a case he had been carrying. "On the flight from Mongolia, we were able to translate more of the Rambaldi text and the problem is basically this. According to the text, the amount of fluid needed to either resurrect the dead or to heal someone who is ill, you need forty seven ounces of pure, untainted fluid."
"So what's the problem?" Sydney asked.
"The problem, Agent Bristow, is that we have enough fluid to use for one person and one person alone," Carson replied.
"You're joking right?" Sydney countered incredulously, "I saw the amount of fluid in the tomb's pool. There was a lot more than forty seven ounces there!"
Carson nodded, "Yes, you're right in that there was more than forty seven ounces in the pool. The problem comes in this: the Rambaldi text spoke of false pretenders to his work and how if they touched it, they would defile it, rendering it useless. Correct me if I am wrong, Agent Bristow, but when you killed Arvin Sloane didn't he fall-"
"Backwards into the pool," Sydney finished for her. "Yes, he did fall into the pool. Are you saying all that fluid in the pool can't be used because Sloane fell into it and because he was a pretender to Rambaldi's work he contaminated it?"
"That's precisely what I am saying." Carson removed a small vial from the case, "This is the one and only dose we have for use. I'm sorry."
"Isn't there a way for more to be made?" Sydney asked.
Carson shook her head, "As you know, Agent Bristow, the Horizon was damaged in your...fight with Derevko. Without knowing exactly how Rambaldi made it in the first place, it would be highly improbable that it could be repaired."
Sydney looked at Nadia for a long time, not speaking, and then she looked at Jack, "I can't make this decision."
"According to Rambaldi's writing, you are the only person who can make this decision , Agent Bristow." Carson immediately found herself on the receiving end of two icy glares from both Bristows.
"Agent Carson," Jack began, his tone saying he wasn't amused, "The text also said that the fluid must be used on the deceased before the
passage of forty seven months which is nearly four years, meaning there is more than sufficient time for this decision to be made."
Carson nodded, "Of course, Director Bristow, Agent Bristow. I apologize if I implied a decision needs to be made now."
"Would you please leave us alone?" Jack asked Carson.
Carson nodded, "Of course, Director Bristow." She motioned the other agent out of the room before following him. Dr. Jain also left the room, motioning out his nurses before he grabbed Marshall as he went. Sydney could only stare at Nadia, and Jack reached for her hand with his, drawing her attention to him.
"Dad, how can I make this kind of decision? How can I choose between you and Nadia? How, Dad, how?" Sydney asked in a whisper.
"Sweetheart, there is no decision," Jack stated.
Confusion clouded Sydney's eyes as she asked, "What do you mean, Dad?"
"I mean the fluid should be given to Nadia. She should have the chance to live the life Sloane stole from her," Jack answered.
"But, Dad, you're no less deserving of the chance to live than Nadia is. I want to have my sister back but not at the cost of losing you to AIDS one day in the future."
"Sweetheart, you won't lose me to this as I intend to fight it. I don't need Rambaldi's help to beat it."
"Dad-"
Jack held up his hand, halting whatever she was going to say, "In any case, it's not a decision that you have to make today or even tomorrow. I'm all right, and we can keep Nadia here until you decide."
Sydney was reluctant to agree, "All right."
