REPERCUSSIONS
Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net
Summary: Following on from An Ill Wind. Sydney's reunion with Nigel isn't exactly a joyous one…
Spoilers: As before
Disclaimer: RH and its characters belong to CanWest and Fireworks Productions.
As the car drew to a halt outside the convent, Sydney noticed that the main door was already open.
She was still debating on whether this was a good sign or not when Sister Mary appeared and waved – this warmly reassuring sign easing some of Syd's worry as she climbed out of the car.
By the time she'd retrieved her bag, the senior nun was at her side, reassuringly patting her arm.
"It's alright, Sydney… he regained consciousness a few hours ago, and he's going to be just fine…"
"Thank God…!" Sydney whispered, too relieved to notice Sister Mary's amused nod of agreement.
Realising that no amount of assurances could take the place of visible proof, she then smiled –
Sydney asking the next obvious question as she followed the senior nun towards the dormitory wing.
"But how on earth did Nigel come down with hypothermia…? I – I mean, he looked fine when…
well, when I last saw him… a little wet and bedraggled, maybe, but he was still on his feet…"
Puzzled by Sydney's reply, but knowing this wasn't the time to pursue it, Sister Mary just smiled.
"Well, he'd spent several hours out in a really severe storm before he arrived here…" she explained, the smile turning rather apologetic as she led Sydney through the main building to Nigel's room.
"Unfortunately we didn't realise just how seriously the rain and windchill factor had affected him…
I tried to persuade him to have some dinner, but… well, he was just too exhausted to eat anything.
So when he went to bed later that night, and fell asleep with his bedroom window still open…"
"He was already hypothermic, and having the window open made it worse…" Sydney concluded,
wincing in dismayed realisation that, yet again, she'd let Nigel down when he'd clearly needed her.
There'd been several occasions in her furtive pursuit of him when she'd wanted to let him see her –
to persuade him to join her in the car, so at least he'd be sheltered from the bitterly cold rain.
Instead, afraid of his reaction, terrified that she'd make things worse, she'd left him to walk alone.
And after all that, she'd made things worse anyway. Nigel had almost died because of her actions.
Little wonder, then, that Sydney looked oddly nervous as she stood outside Nigel's room –
part of her eagerly impatient to see him, yet another quietly dreading how he'd react to her.
As it was, for the moment at least, she didn't need to worry about how Nigel would receive her.
Slowly the door opened and Sister Mary glanced round from behind it, gesturing for her to be quiet.
"He's still asleep, but you're welcome to stay with him for as long as you want…" she whispered,
her smile one of gentle encouragement as Sydney padded hesitantly past her towards Nigel's bed.
Already focused on anxiously studying her sleeping TA, Sydney just nodded and smiled back –
her eyes widening slightly at two wholly unexpected sights.
Nigel looked better than her niggling conscience had pictured. At least, what she could see of him did. Curled up under the bedclothes, the only part of him that was visible was a mop of dark, tousled hair –
a gently lifted corner of blanket revealing a face that was healthily warm. Contentedly peaceful.
As she carefully tucked the blanket back again, Sydney glanced up towards the second surprise.
Seated on a chair beside Nigel's bed, Sister Grace nodded slightly as she relinquished her vigil –
both nuns offering Sydney a heartening smile before tactfully taking their leave.
Once they'd gone, Sydney released a long held breath while glancing fondly towards Nigel –
taking advantage of his deep and sound sleep to dispel the tension of a long and anxious flight.
"So not even the gloomy Sister Grace is immune to your charms, eh, Nige…?" she said at last,
releasing the anxiety of the past seven hours in a low chuckle of laughter as she added softly,
"Nigel Bailey, TA extraordinaire… and natural born babe magnet…!"
Seemingly unimpressed by his new title, Nigel stirred for a moment before rolling onto his other side.
His back now turned to her, he then settled back to sleep again, still oblivious to Sydney's presence.
Praying this wasn't a sign of things to come, Sydney leaned carefully over to kiss Nigel's cheek – allowing herself one last indulgence of gently stroking his hair before leaving him to sleep in peace.
As she left Nigel's room, Sister Grace came to join her, clearly puzzled that she'd not stayed longer.
Seeing this, Sydney thought for a moment before she smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders.
"I didn't want to disturb him, especially… since, sleep's clearly the best thing for him right now…"
A reasonable enough explanation – but one, apparently, which Sister Mary did not entirely believe.
Wryly thinking it was a waste of time trying to deceive a nun, Syd sighed and reluctantly came clean.
"It would probably be better if… well, if Nigel doesn't know that I'm here…" she said at last,
meeting concerned eyes with rare helplessness in her own before she glanced towards Nigel's room.
"Along with his brother, I'd imagine that I'm the last person he wants to see right now…"
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sydney…" Sister Mary replied, following her still anxious gaze. At Sydney's hopefully surprised look, the senior nun then smiled gently and shrugged her shoulders.
"In fact, I get the feeling that Nigel would much prefer that you stay with him while he recovers…
he was constantly asking for you while he was unconscious… at times he became quite agitated…"
"Yes, he was probably wishing me in hell…" Sydney murmured in a voice not intended to be heard. Realizing what she'd said, and where she'd said it, she winced an apology towards her companion – clearly relieved and grateful when a gentle smile told her none was necessary.
Even so, there was a real sadness in her eyes as Sydney glanced back once more towards Nigel's room.
"I've hurt him so much, Sister… just let him down so badly…" she said at last, shaking her head –
not even trying to keep the anxiety from her voice as she quietly admitted her deepest fears.
"I – I'm not sure that Nigel will ever forgive me…"
Now Sister Mary did look surprised – she'd never expect to hear such defeatism from Sydney Fox.
Seeing the tiredness and worry which had fuelled it, she then smiled while taking Syd's arm –
meeting little resistance as she steered her into the nearby kitchen.
A short time later, the senior nun sat quietly considering what Sydney had falteringly told her.
She'd known that something drastic must have happened between two completely devoted friends.
And while rather surprised by Sydney's actions, it was against her vocation to pass judgement.
"Time heals all wounds, Sydney… even those that seem too deep to mend…" she said at last.
Seeing that Sydney was far from convinced, she thought for a moment before trying another tack.
"Like I said, Nigel was asking for you at a time which… well, must have been frightening for him…
when he came round earlier this morning, the first thing he did as he woke up was ask for you…"
Pausing for a moment, Sister Mary then grinned while adding a dryly mischievous afterthought.
"To be mistaken for a young woman half her age… I think Sister Grace took it as a compliment…"
That won her a welcome chuckle of laughter as Sydney pensively fingered the rim of her mug.
Before she could reply, however, sight of a sadly familiar expression caused her smile to vanish.
Standing in the doorway, Nigel stared back at her out of wide, plaintively betrayed eyes –
just as he'd done when she'd deserted him in Seville.
Except this time it was Nigel who left, ignoring her pleading call of his name as he strode away.
Only the sanctity of his surroundings prevented him from slamming the door behind him.
Knowing it was pointless to call him back, Syd closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands – vaguely aware of a consoling squeeze on her shoulder as Sister Mary moved past her towards the door.
When she looked up again she was alone once more, with just a mug of cold coffee for company.
And a previously warm and welcoming kitchen suddenly felt very cold and lonely too…