Gone ~ Chapter 6
6 hard, long months had passed.
Sydney leaned over the toilet, having just thrown up. Francie helped her back to her room and watched as she lay down.
"Thank you so much for helping me through this Francie. I know Will would be here if he could, but he has to work, even though he does come every few weeks." Francie gently wiped her face with a moist towel.
"Of course Syd, you know Will and I love you very much and will do everything we can to help you." She smiled, her eyes closed as the cool, fresh feel of the towel caressed the skin on her face.
"Thanks"
*****
Michael Vaughn walked into his apartment and dropped his suitcase on the couch. It was late, for he had had a lot of work that day.
He walked into his bedroom and sat down on the bed. He knew he could no longer avoid the sweet memories of her.
He took off his suit jacket, tie, and shoes and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.
"I wonder what she's doing now." he thought out loud. He quickly undressed and sank into his side of the bed. He looked over at the other end of his large king size bed. It was empty, of course. She was no longer here to fill the space. He felt alone.
He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, finally settling for a hockey game, even though he knew he wouldn't be paying attention. He felt Donovan climb onto the bed.
Donovan could sense his state of sadness. He barked loudly to get his attention. Vaughn got up abruptly, Donovan had startled him out of his daydreams. He barked loudly.
"Stop it Donovan" He threw a pillow at him, but Donovan would not stop.
"All right! All right! What do you want?" If he didn't give in Donovan would wake the neighbors.
Donovan barked, but not as loudly, and tossed his head in the direction of Vaughn's bedside table.
On his bedside table was a grand beautiful frame, and in it was a large picture of a beautiful, smiling Sydney.
"What do you want me to do about it Donovan? She's gone!" Donovan barked softly and continued to refer to the picture. Vaughn didn't seem to understand, so he walked out of the room and when he came back he held a shirt in his mouth.
Vaughn took the shirt from Donovan.
"I love New York," he read out loud.
"Donovan, I know she's in New York, and you're really not helping." He was starting to get frustrated.
Donovan tried his best and referred from him, to the picture of Sydney, to the shirt that now lay on the floor.
Suddenly, Vaughn understood what Donovan had been trying to tell him, and he knew that Donovan was right.
He got out of bed and dressed, this couldn't wait. Donovan seemed eager and wagged his tail as he followed his master around he house.
Vaughn put on a jacket and into a bag threw a couple of necessary items, some money, and his keys. He pulled out his cell phone, Weiss was still at the office, and dialed his number as he left his apartment building and got into his car.
"Weiss here"
"Eric, I need a favor, it's urgent." Weiss seemed to become alert at the sound of his friends voice.
"Sure, what do you need?"
"I need you to find where Sydney was moved to in New York, and I need you to find me the next flight there." He could hear Weiss' struggle on the other end of the line.
"Mike."
"Come on Eric!"
"All right. I'll call you back, ok?"
"Thanks, I owe you big." He hung up and tucked his cell phone into his pocket as he drove silently to the airport.
***** Sometimes she would get so upset that she needed to get away.
She would fill up the bathtub with warm water and slip into it. She would let the water from the showerhead pitter-patter against her skin for a while. Her tears would mix with the warm water sliding down her body.
She would turn the showerhead off and let her body be engulfed by the water around her. She would close her eyes and think, unconsciously placing a hand over her stomach, and eventually she would drift off to sleep, her head resting on the side of the bathtub.
She would wake up, relaxed and calm, and for a moment she would forget everything that had happened and would open her eyes, expecting to see Vaughn lying next to her, his arm protectively wrapped around her. But she wouldn't find this, instead she would open her eyes and slowly remember what had happened. She would be alone.
Her skin would be wrinkled from the time she had spent in the water, and slowly she would rise, and get out of the tub, only to slip into her white, fluffy bathrobe and slide down to the floor, crying.
She decided she couldn't take this anymore. She decided she needed him. She decided she would do something about it. She decided she would call him, and ask him the millions of questions that had filled her head and haunted her since the day he walked away from her on the pier, and left her crying.
She needed to do this, and she couldn't back out of it now. *****
6 hard, long months had passed.
Sydney leaned over the toilet, having just thrown up. Francie helped her back to her room and watched as she lay down.
"Thank you so much for helping me through this Francie. I know Will would be here if he could, but he has to work, even though he does come every few weeks." Francie gently wiped her face with a moist towel.
"Of course Syd, you know Will and I love you very much and will do everything we can to help you." She smiled, her eyes closed as the cool, fresh feel of the towel caressed the skin on her face.
"Thanks"
*****
Michael Vaughn walked into his apartment and dropped his suitcase on the couch. It was late, for he had had a lot of work that day.
He walked into his bedroom and sat down on the bed. He knew he could no longer avoid the sweet memories of her.
He took off his suit jacket, tie, and shoes and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.
"I wonder what she's doing now." he thought out loud. He quickly undressed and sank into his side of the bed. He looked over at the other end of his large king size bed. It was empty, of course. She was no longer here to fill the space. He felt alone.
He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, finally settling for a hockey game, even though he knew he wouldn't be paying attention. He felt Donovan climb onto the bed.
Donovan could sense his state of sadness. He barked loudly to get his attention. Vaughn got up abruptly, Donovan had startled him out of his daydreams. He barked loudly.
"Stop it Donovan" He threw a pillow at him, but Donovan would not stop.
"All right! All right! What do you want?" If he didn't give in Donovan would wake the neighbors.
Donovan barked, but not as loudly, and tossed his head in the direction of Vaughn's bedside table.
On his bedside table was a grand beautiful frame, and in it was a large picture of a beautiful, smiling Sydney.
"What do you want me to do about it Donovan? She's gone!" Donovan barked softly and continued to refer to the picture. Vaughn didn't seem to understand, so he walked out of the room and when he came back he held a shirt in his mouth.
Vaughn took the shirt from Donovan.
"I love New York," he read out loud.
"Donovan, I know she's in New York, and you're really not helping." He was starting to get frustrated.
Donovan tried his best and referred from him, to the picture of Sydney, to the shirt that now lay on the floor.
Suddenly, Vaughn understood what Donovan had been trying to tell him, and he knew that Donovan was right.
He got out of bed and dressed, this couldn't wait. Donovan seemed eager and wagged his tail as he followed his master around he house.
Vaughn put on a jacket and into a bag threw a couple of necessary items, some money, and his keys. He pulled out his cell phone, Weiss was still at the office, and dialed his number as he left his apartment building and got into his car.
"Weiss here"
"Eric, I need a favor, it's urgent." Weiss seemed to become alert at the sound of his friends voice.
"Sure, what do you need?"
"I need you to find where Sydney was moved to in New York, and I need you to find me the next flight there." He could hear Weiss' struggle on the other end of the line.
"Mike."
"Come on Eric!"
"All right. I'll call you back, ok?"
"Thanks, I owe you big." He hung up and tucked his cell phone into his pocket as he drove silently to the airport.
***** Sometimes she would get so upset that she needed to get away.
She would fill up the bathtub with warm water and slip into it. She would let the water from the showerhead pitter-patter against her skin for a while. Her tears would mix with the warm water sliding down her body.
She would turn the showerhead off and let her body be engulfed by the water around her. She would close her eyes and think, unconsciously placing a hand over her stomach, and eventually she would drift off to sleep, her head resting on the side of the bathtub.
She would wake up, relaxed and calm, and for a moment she would forget everything that had happened and would open her eyes, expecting to see Vaughn lying next to her, his arm protectively wrapped around her. But she wouldn't find this, instead she would open her eyes and slowly remember what had happened. She would be alone.
Her skin would be wrinkled from the time she had spent in the water, and slowly she would rise, and get out of the tub, only to slip into her white, fluffy bathrobe and slide down to the floor, crying.
She decided she couldn't take this anymore. She decided she needed him. She decided she would do something about it. She decided she would call him, and ask him the millions of questions that had filled her head and haunted her since the day he walked away from her on the pier, and left her crying.
She needed to do this, and she couldn't back out of it now. *****