[U] Chapter 14 [/U]
"What?"
"What did you want to talk about?" Sydney repeated. Her heartbeat was almost back at it's normal pace. Vaughn looked as if he was in pain, but he denied it.
"At least let me help you lay back down," Sydney said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.
"I can't talk to you if I'm lying down," Vaughn protested.
"Yes you can.All right, fine," Sydney gave in reluctantly.
Vaughn smiled. Then it disappeared. Should I tell her how I feel? I know I didn't get to in my dream, but that's just a dream. Right? Actually, it was a nightmare. But nightmares are just nightmares. They don't mean anything.
"Uh.Where's Erin?" Vaughn asked, after a few seconds of pondering. Whoa, Mike.wrong thing to say.
"Erin? She's at my house. She'll be staying there for a while I guess."
"Right.OK. That's nice of you."
Awkward silence permeated the air.
"So, uh, how's my mom? You said you see her often," Vaughn tried.
"Oh my god.your mom! I forgot to tell her. With everything that's been happening.Jeez, I'm so stupid! Hold on a sec," Sydney cried, rushing out the door with her cell phone.
--
"Delorme! It's Sydney," Sydney said hurriedly.
"Sydney! How are you? Are you OK? You sound stressed."
"I'm fine. Oh god, I'm so thoughtless. You would not believe what happened! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. Oh god."
"Sydney, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's just that Vaughn.Michael.he's in the hospital," Sydney said hastily.
"What? Sydney, I don't think I heard you right. Did you say something about Michael being in the hospital?"
"Yes! He's in Central. I'm here right now."
"Sydney.I know you still can't get over it.neither can I.but he's dead. He's not coming back."
"No! Delorme! Listen to me. He's alive. He is! I accidentally shot him in London, but he got flown here."
"Sydney?" Vaughn called from his room.
"Hold on a sec Delorme," Sydney said, sticking her head back into Vaughn's room.
"Let me speak with her. She doesn't believe you, does she?" Vaughn asked, taking the small phone from Sydney.
"Mom?"
".Mi.Mi.Michael?"
"Hey Mom." Vaughn said softly.
"You're.you're.not dead." came the weak reply.
"No, I'm not," Vaughn responded, smiling through his tears.
"But how."
"I'll explain later. We just thought you might want to know."
"Michael, you've been alive for all these months, and never bothered to call?" his real mother was back.
He smiled. "I couldn't."
"Well, now that you're back, wait.are you with Sydney?"
"She's right here."
"Don't let her get taken away by some guy. Keep her Michael. She's the one."
".I know."
"Then when are you going to ask her to marry you?"
Vaughn could almost see his mother with her hands on her hips. But he could see the reason in her words. She was right. Sydney's the one.
"You don't understand.it's easier said than done."
"Then you'll have to explain it to me sometime. But don't let her go. I'm coming over. What room are you in?"
"742."
"I love you," his mother said before she hung up.
"What was that about?" Sydney questioned curiously.
"Oh.my mom.she just wanted to talk."
"Speaking of which.did you want to say something to me before?" Sydney asked, taking her cell phone back.
"Uh, not really. I was just feeling a bit lonely, that's all," Vaughn lied.
Sydney looked at him straight in the eye. "All right. Should I get Erin and Weiss up here? I know they've been waiting forever. But I told them to go home for a while."
"Sure."
He watched her leave. Damn, you're such a chicken! He told himself. You can't even tell her what you wanted her to know. What if something happens to her? But this is a CIA hospital, he reasoned with himself. They'll find out.and send me away - again. And I know I won't be this lucky again.
There's only one way. To take SD-6 down.
"What?"
"What did you want to talk about?" Sydney repeated. Her heartbeat was almost back at it's normal pace. Vaughn looked as if he was in pain, but he denied it.
"At least let me help you lay back down," Sydney said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.
"I can't talk to you if I'm lying down," Vaughn protested.
"Yes you can.All right, fine," Sydney gave in reluctantly.
Vaughn smiled. Then it disappeared. Should I tell her how I feel? I know I didn't get to in my dream, but that's just a dream. Right? Actually, it was a nightmare. But nightmares are just nightmares. They don't mean anything.
"Uh.Where's Erin?" Vaughn asked, after a few seconds of pondering. Whoa, Mike.wrong thing to say.
"Erin? She's at my house. She'll be staying there for a while I guess."
"Right.OK. That's nice of you."
Awkward silence permeated the air.
"So, uh, how's my mom? You said you see her often," Vaughn tried.
"Oh my god.your mom! I forgot to tell her. With everything that's been happening.Jeez, I'm so stupid! Hold on a sec," Sydney cried, rushing out the door with her cell phone.
--
"Delorme! It's Sydney," Sydney said hurriedly.
"Sydney! How are you? Are you OK? You sound stressed."
"I'm fine. Oh god, I'm so thoughtless. You would not believe what happened! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. Oh god."
"Sydney, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's just that Vaughn.Michael.he's in the hospital," Sydney said hastily.
"What? Sydney, I don't think I heard you right. Did you say something about Michael being in the hospital?"
"Yes! He's in Central. I'm here right now."
"Sydney.I know you still can't get over it.neither can I.but he's dead. He's not coming back."
"No! Delorme! Listen to me. He's alive. He is! I accidentally shot him in London, but he got flown here."
"Sydney?" Vaughn called from his room.
"Hold on a sec Delorme," Sydney said, sticking her head back into Vaughn's room.
"Let me speak with her. She doesn't believe you, does she?" Vaughn asked, taking the small phone from Sydney.
"Mom?"
".Mi.Mi.Michael?"
"Hey Mom." Vaughn said softly.
"You're.you're.not dead." came the weak reply.
"No, I'm not," Vaughn responded, smiling through his tears.
"But how."
"I'll explain later. We just thought you might want to know."
"Michael, you've been alive for all these months, and never bothered to call?" his real mother was back.
He smiled. "I couldn't."
"Well, now that you're back, wait.are you with Sydney?"
"She's right here."
"Don't let her get taken away by some guy. Keep her Michael. She's the one."
".I know."
"Then when are you going to ask her to marry you?"
Vaughn could almost see his mother with her hands on her hips. But he could see the reason in her words. She was right. Sydney's the one.
"You don't understand.it's easier said than done."
"Then you'll have to explain it to me sometime. But don't let her go. I'm coming over. What room are you in?"
"742."
"I love you," his mother said before she hung up.
"What was that about?" Sydney questioned curiously.
"Oh.my mom.she just wanted to talk."
"Speaking of which.did you want to say something to me before?" Sydney asked, taking her cell phone back.
"Uh, not really. I was just feeling a bit lonely, that's all," Vaughn lied.
Sydney looked at him straight in the eye. "All right. Should I get Erin and Weiss up here? I know they've been waiting forever. But I told them to go home for a while."
"Sure."
He watched her leave. Damn, you're such a chicken! He told himself. You can't even tell her what you wanted her to know. What if something happens to her? But this is a CIA hospital, he reasoned with himself. They'll find out.and send me away - again. And I know I won't be this lucky again.
There's only one way. To take SD-6 down.