Sydney had been recovering in the hospital for nearly five days. Vaughn had
long since been released, although one wouldn't suspect such, as he had
barely left the hospital that week. All that remained of his injuries was
the dull ache in his chest and the nightmares when he closed his eyes: the
haunting visions of the rushing wave of water, the all-consuming fear that
the woman he loved was dead, the heart-wrenching images of her just as she
looked when he first found her in that hallway in Taipei.
Sydney's injuries were still serious, she was recovering well. Her stitches in her head were due to be removed. The cut on her side was healing nicely, and although she had trouble walking due to her stab wound, it was healing as well. Her broken ribs were painful, but manageable. And although her body was still covered in horrid looking bruises, she would be physically well within a short while. Her emotional state, however, was questionable. She had only spoken one sentence since her return to the land of consciousness, and was still refusing to eat. Her doctors saw no other option than to provide her with nutrients and water intravenously. Although Sydney was clearly lucid, understood what was going on around her, she was clearly in a damaged mental state.
Jack and Vaughn stood together in the hallway, drinking bad coffee.
"So they're going to release her tomorrow," Vaughn stated.
"I heard," Jack responded. Both men stared straight ahead, not really looking at each other or much of anything.
"Where is she going to go? While she finishes recovering?" Vaughn asked.
"I have no idea," Jack admitted. "She can't go home, not only because she'd have to do some seriously explaining to Francie, but because she can't be anywhere SD-6 might look for her or see her. I imagine security section will be trying to track her down. Unfortunately that also rules out her staying with me. She can't stay with relatives, for the same reasons as above. And I don't think she'd make any progress alone, under constant CIA surveillance in a safehouse."
"Couldn't she stay somewhere alone then?"
"I don't want her alone right now. I think she needs to be with someone, someone she trust and someone who cares about her. She had more to recover from than you could possibly know, I'm afraid."
"Such as?"
"I don't feel that Sydney's personal matters are at my liberty to discuss, Mister Vaughn."
"Then why are you bringing them up? There's obviously something big going on her that no one knows about but you. Despite your talents, even you can't seem to hide that. I'm her handler, I should know what the hell is going on!" Vaughn was about to boil over with frustration.
"Vaughn? Would you object if I were to ask if Sydney could stay with you?"
Vaughn couldn't believe his ears.
"You care about her, and she trusts you. You are nearby enough that we can still maintain contact and keep her in touch with the CIA, yet I also hope to god that no one will be looking for her there. If anything was to happen, you would be prepared."
Jack looked Vaughn straight in the face. Vaughn just gaped at him.
Never had he been so thrilled and so apprehensive at the same time.
"Of course she can stay with me. I don't know why neither of us came up with that idea before. It makes complete sense. However, I don't know how the hell you're going to swing that one by Devlin."
"I'll worry about Devlin. You worry about Sydney." Jack assured him. Jack swiftly reached for his cell phone and dialed Devlin straight away. He prepared himself for a multi-hour screaming match, but to his surprise, Devlin agreed within only a few minutes. He too thought it was the best solution, given the precarious situation at hand. Him and Vaughn's partner Agent Weiss had apparently been arguing over the topic earlier, and had come to the identical conclusion.
Jack shut off his phone satisfied, and relieved that his daughter would be somewhere safe with someone who cared while she found her way back to herself. At the same time, he felt terrible for what Vaughn didn't know he was getting himself into. He smiled at the thought of his daughter and Vaughn getting to spend some quality time alone together. If anyone could bring her back, it was Vaughn, and Jack knew that. One thing the two of them had yet to learn in the business was how to hide their true feelings.
That night, Vaughn went home and Jack stayed with Sydney at the hospital. Having only been home to shower and feed his dog during the past week, he could only imagine what Donovan had gotten himself into to spite him. Also, in the past few months he had become quite used to bachelor life and felt the sudden need to clean his house before Sydney came over. Despite the fact that they had known each other for nearly a year, this was still a first impression, and he definately wanted to make a good one. He changed the sheets in his spare bedroom, threw out the multitude of now-spoiled food that dominated his fridge, went shopping, and actually scrubbed the toilet, a chore he didn't remember doing before in his life.
Then the nervousness set in. Vaughn found himself doing laundry, washing every type of towel found in his house.
Then the absurd panic. The type that brings the need to alphabatize one's DVD collection.
Finally Vaughn decided that his freaking out over something as little as the woman he was madly in love with temporarily being put under house arrest in HIS house was no reason to go completely and totally insane. He drove himself back to the hospital to wait until Sydney would be released in the morning.
Jack sat with Sydney all night. She never slept. He did his best for her, but it seemed that there was little that he could do.
As the sun was rising outside her hospital room window, Sydney rose to watch the colors in the sky. Her father went to stand behind her. He rested a hand on her shoulder.
"They're going to release you this morning," he told her. She turned and looked into his eyes, looking happier than she had in weeks. "You're going to have to stay with Vaughn until you're fully recovered. You will be safe there, and no one will look for you at his house. Honey -- talk to him. That's what he's there for. You need to tell him everything and he will help you in any way he can."
"Ok," Sydney whispered. Her father bent down to kiss her on the cheek.
They watched the sun rise together.
Sydney's injuries were still serious, she was recovering well. Her stitches in her head were due to be removed. The cut on her side was healing nicely, and although she had trouble walking due to her stab wound, it was healing as well. Her broken ribs were painful, but manageable. And although her body was still covered in horrid looking bruises, she would be physically well within a short while. Her emotional state, however, was questionable. She had only spoken one sentence since her return to the land of consciousness, and was still refusing to eat. Her doctors saw no other option than to provide her with nutrients and water intravenously. Although Sydney was clearly lucid, understood what was going on around her, she was clearly in a damaged mental state.
Jack and Vaughn stood together in the hallway, drinking bad coffee.
"So they're going to release her tomorrow," Vaughn stated.
"I heard," Jack responded. Both men stared straight ahead, not really looking at each other or much of anything.
"Where is she going to go? While she finishes recovering?" Vaughn asked.
"I have no idea," Jack admitted. "She can't go home, not only because she'd have to do some seriously explaining to Francie, but because she can't be anywhere SD-6 might look for her or see her. I imagine security section will be trying to track her down. Unfortunately that also rules out her staying with me. She can't stay with relatives, for the same reasons as above. And I don't think she'd make any progress alone, under constant CIA surveillance in a safehouse."
"Couldn't she stay somewhere alone then?"
"I don't want her alone right now. I think she needs to be with someone, someone she trust and someone who cares about her. She had more to recover from than you could possibly know, I'm afraid."
"Such as?"
"I don't feel that Sydney's personal matters are at my liberty to discuss, Mister Vaughn."
"Then why are you bringing them up? There's obviously something big going on her that no one knows about but you. Despite your talents, even you can't seem to hide that. I'm her handler, I should know what the hell is going on!" Vaughn was about to boil over with frustration.
"Vaughn? Would you object if I were to ask if Sydney could stay with you?"
Vaughn couldn't believe his ears.
"You care about her, and she trusts you. You are nearby enough that we can still maintain contact and keep her in touch with the CIA, yet I also hope to god that no one will be looking for her there. If anything was to happen, you would be prepared."
Jack looked Vaughn straight in the face. Vaughn just gaped at him.
Never had he been so thrilled and so apprehensive at the same time.
"Of course she can stay with me. I don't know why neither of us came up with that idea before. It makes complete sense. However, I don't know how the hell you're going to swing that one by Devlin."
"I'll worry about Devlin. You worry about Sydney." Jack assured him. Jack swiftly reached for his cell phone and dialed Devlin straight away. He prepared himself for a multi-hour screaming match, but to his surprise, Devlin agreed within only a few minutes. He too thought it was the best solution, given the precarious situation at hand. Him and Vaughn's partner Agent Weiss had apparently been arguing over the topic earlier, and had come to the identical conclusion.
Jack shut off his phone satisfied, and relieved that his daughter would be somewhere safe with someone who cared while she found her way back to herself. At the same time, he felt terrible for what Vaughn didn't know he was getting himself into. He smiled at the thought of his daughter and Vaughn getting to spend some quality time alone together. If anyone could bring her back, it was Vaughn, and Jack knew that. One thing the two of them had yet to learn in the business was how to hide their true feelings.
That night, Vaughn went home and Jack stayed with Sydney at the hospital. Having only been home to shower and feed his dog during the past week, he could only imagine what Donovan had gotten himself into to spite him. Also, in the past few months he had become quite used to bachelor life and felt the sudden need to clean his house before Sydney came over. Despite the fact that they had known each other for nearly a year, this was still a first impression, and he definately wanted to make a good one. He changed the sheets in his spare bedroom, threw out the multitude of now-spoiled food that dominated his fridge, went shopping, and actually scrubbed the toilet, a chore he didn't remember doing before in his life.
Then the nervousness set in. Vaughn found himself doing laundry, washing every type of towel found in his house.
Then the absurd panic. The type that brings the need to alphabatize one's DVD collection.
Finally Vaughn decided that his freaking out over something as little as the woman he was madly in love with temporarily being put under house arrest in HIS house was no reason to go completely and totally insane. He drove himself back to the hospital to wait until Sydney would be released in the morning.
Jack sat with Sydney all night. She never slept. He did his best for her, but it seemed that there was little that he could do.
As the sun was rising outside her hospital room window, Sydney rose to watch the colors in the sky. Her father went to stand behind her. He rested a hand on her shoulder.
"They're going to release you this morning," he told her. She turned and looked into his eyes, looking happier than she had in weeks. "You're going to have to stay with Vaughn until you're fully recovered. You will be safe there, and no one will look for you at his house. Honey -- talk to him. That's what he's there for. You need to tell him everything and he will help you in any way he can."
"Ok," Sydney whispered. Her father bent down to kiss her on the cheek.
They watched the sun rise together.