Vaughn began to pace. He knew that Sydney Bristow, the love of his life,
was out there somewhere, possibly captured, possibly hurt, possibly
tortured. And she probably thought he was dead.
He buried his face in his hands and ran them through his hair. He took a deep breath and leaned his elbows on the table in front of the camera monitors, watching the images change every few seconds, as he had no idea where to start his search. Each security camera had its own number, but the numbers made no logical sense to him and wouldn't help him, even if he could actually locate some person or sign of life inside.
Just then, he thought he saw a flash of black and light tan on one of the monitors. Almost as if a body were lying on a floor somewhere. But before he got even a remotely good look, the images changed. Vaughn stood and waited, his breath caught in his throat, eyes fixated on the screen. The image came up in about forty seconds and he hit a green button on the table, freezing the current images on the screens.
Sydney.
Lying on a hallway floor somewhere, also near a wealth of security monitors. Blood was everywhere.
"No," Vaughn whispered out loud as one solitary tear snaked down his cheek. She couldn't be dead.
And with that he took off. Running faster than he ever had in his life through the abandoned hallways, screaming Sydney's name, despite the fact that she was either dead or unconscious. He made turn after turn, glancing down each hall he didn't search. Twice he made it to exit doors, but he simply turned around to search more. Sydney was here, and she was most definitely hurt, if not dead.
"SYDNEY!" he screamed in agony, his voice cracking. All the hallways began to look the same, leaving Vaughn with no clue as to his bearing in the building, or even if he had already been here.
He came skidding around a corner, turning right down the next corridor, when he froze.
"Sydney..." he whispered.
He ran to her side and kneeled next to her, and grabbed for her right wrist. It was puffy and swollen and he was having trouble finding a pulse, so he tried her left arm instead.
"Oh thank God," he said out loud, breathing out a sigh of relief when he did find a heartbeat. "Oh, God, Syd." He let his eyes look over her body, and carefully rolled her over to try to assess her injuries. In panic, he first thought that someone had shot her in the head, but luckily it was just a nasty gash that apparently had been bleeding profusely. Her once light blue wig was mostly now a matted reddish-brown. Her tiny body was covered in bruises and blood. Her entire exposed torso was scraped up pretty badly and almost appeared to be one massive bruise. Judging by the extent of the bruises along her chest, she probably had a few broken ribs. Her wrists and ankles were rubbed raw, as if she had been handcuffed or tied. He eased her eyelids open and -- oh, those beautiful honey-colored eyes -- her right pupil appeared to be far more dilated than her left. Not a good sign, probably indicated a concussion. There was a nasty cut on her side, as well as a hideous looking torn wound in her thigh. Apparently she had been stabbed with something, but from the looks of the wound, it wasn't something very sharp, as it simply tore the flesh raggedly instead of simply cutting it cleanly. He felt her for broken bones, and she appeared to be okay in that department, minus the ribs, but something seemed wrong with her right shoulder.
Tears were snaking down Vaughn's cheek, despite his best effort to hold them in. "Sydney..." he whispered again, smoothing hair from her face and tucking it gently behind her ears. Noticing her lack of decency, he removed his long black jacket, which was finally almost dry, and wrapped it around her. Then he scooped her up in strong arms, amazed at how light she was. She barely weighed anything at all.
This movement, caused Sydney to stir slightly. Vaughn looked her deep in the eyes and caressed her swollen, bloody cheek with his hand. Her eyelids fluttered open briefly and she looked up at him.
"Vaughn..." she rasped. "You're...you're..." she was unable to continue.
"Shhh, baby, shhh. Try not to talk, ok? I know you're hurt pretty bad, but I don't know how bad. Your dad's on the way, sweetie. We're getting out of here. Everything's gonna be ok," he tried to reassure her.
"Vaughn," she whispered softly, in a voice that made his heart turn.
"Sydney?"
"I....I love you."
"I love you too." Vaughn planted a kiss on her sticky forehead, which was ice cold with sweat.
Sydney then drifted back into the land of unconsciousness. Vaughn could barely move. He was nearly in shock from what Sydney had finally told him. Then he began to move. Quickly. They had to find a way out, and get Sydney help as soon as possible.
He buried his face in his hands and ran them through his hair. He took a deep breath and leaned his elbows on the table in front of the camera monitors, watching the images change every few seconds, as he had no idea where to start his search. Each security camera had its own number, but the numbers made no logical sense to him and wouldn't help him, even if he could actually locate some person or sign of life inside.
Just then, he thought he saw a flash of black and light tan on one of the monitors. Almost as if a body were lying on a floor somewhere. But before he got even a remotely good look, the images changed. Vaughn stood and waited, his breath caught in his throat, eyes fixated on the screen. The image came up in about forty seconds and he hit a green button on the table, freezing the current images on the screens.
Sydney.
Lying on a hallway floor somewhere, also near a wealth of security monitors. Blood was everywhere.
"No," Vaughn whispered out loud as one solitary tear snaked down his cheek. She couldn't be dead.
And with that he took off. Running faster than he ever had in his life through the abandoned hallways, screaming Sydney's name, despite the fact that she was either dead or unconscious. He made turn after turn, glancing down each hall he didn't search. Twice he made it to exit doors, but he simply turned around to search more. Sydney was here, and she was most definitely hurt, if not dead.
"SYDNEY!" he screamed in agony, his voice cracking. All the hallways began to look the same, leaving Vaughn with no clue as to his bearing in the building, or even if he had already been here.
He came skidding around a corner, turning right down the next corridor, when he froze.
"Sydney..." he whispered.
He ran to her side and kneeled next to her, and grabbed for her right wrist. It was puffy and swollen and he was having trouble finding a pulse, so he tried her left arm instead.
"Oh thank God," he said out loud, breathing out a sigh of relief when he did find a heartbeat. "Oh, God, Syd." He let his eyes look over her body, and carefully rolled her over to try to assess her injuries. In panic, he first thought that someone had shot her in the head, but luckily it was just a nasty gash that apparently had been bleeding profusely. Her once light blue wig was mostly now a matted reddish-brown. Her tiny body was covered in bruises and blood. Her entire exposed torso was scraped up pretty badly and almost appeared to be one massive bruise. Judging by the extent of the bruises along her chest, she probably had a few broken ribs. Her wrists and ankles were rubbed raw, as if she had been handcuffed or tied. He eased her eyelids open and -- oh, those beautiful honey-colored eyes -- her right pupil appeared to be far more dilated than her left. Not a good sign, probably indicated a concussion. There was a nasty cut on her side, as well as a hideous looking torn wound in her thigh. Apparently she had been stabbed with something, but from the looks of the wound, it wasn't something very sharp, as it simply tore the flesh raggedly instead of simply cutting it cleanly. He felt her for broken bones, and she appeared to be okay in that department, minus the ribs, but something seemed wrong with her right shoulder.
Tears were snaking down Vaughn's cheek, despite his best effort to hold them in. "Sydney..." he whispered again, smoothing hair from her face and tucking it gently behind her ears. Noticing her lack of decency, he removed his long black jacket, which was finally almost dry, and wrapped it around her. Then he scooped her up in strong arms, amazed at how light she was. She barely weighed anything at all.
This movement, caused Sydney to stir slightly. Vaughn looked her deep in the eyes and caressed her swollen, bloody cheek with his hand. Her eyelids fluttered open briefly and she looked up at him.
"Vaughn..." she rasped. "You're...you're..." she was unable to continue.
"Shhh, baby, shhh. Try not to talk, ok? I know you're hurt pretty bad, but I don't know how bad. Your dad's on the way, sweetie. We're getting out of here. Everything's gonna be ok," he tried to reassure her.
"Vaughn," she whispered softly, in a voice that made his heart turn.
"Sydney?"
"I....I love you."
"I love you too." Vaughn planted a kiss on her sticky forehead, which was ice cold with sweat.
Sydney then drifted back into the land of unconsciousness. Vaughn could barely move. He was nearly in shock from what Sydney had finally told him. Then he began to move. Quickly. They had to find a way out, and get Sydney help as soon as possible.