Disclaimer: as chapter one
Notes: Hooray! It's finally got a title. The story is now called "From the Depths".
I know this chapter is a bit short, but I wrote on my lunch break at work. If it sucks, I apologise in advance.
Please, please, please read and review.
Chapter three
The ride back to Sydney's house was silent. When Nigel looked at her to see if she was okay, she was staring out the side window and quietly crying. He reached out to cover her hand with his own. She turned to look at him with a wan smile and then went back to staring out the window.
When they arrived at Sydney's house, Nigel had to support her on the walk up the path to the front door. She didn't seem to have any energy at all and Nigel was extremely concerned. It was as if she was on autopilot. She would allow herself to be led but she wouldn't actually make the effort to do anything by herself.
"You'll be fine once we get inside," he said. "I'll run you a bath and get you something to eat and then we can talk. Okay?"
Sydney just nodded as he helped her through the door.
Neither of them noticed the car parked across the street or the figure inside it.
Back at Trinity, Claudia was making a start on cleaning up the mess in Sydney's office. She had been going to call maintenance, but changed her mind at the last minute.
*Syd would hate to think that other people knew what happened this morning,* she thought. It'll be much better if I cleaned up in there. The fewer people that know, the better.*
Both Sydney's and Nigel's classes had been cancelled. Claudia had told the student's that Sydney was ill, the only person outside the office that knew the truth was the Dean and he had promised to keep it to himself.
*God,* thought Claudia, seeing the state of the office for the first time. *Where do I start? The desk seems to be the only clear spot in the entire room, so I'll use that to sort out on.*
She started picking up the books from the floor and putting them on the desk. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she never heard the knock on the outer office door.
Two hours later, tired and hungry, Claudia decided it was time for a break and some fresh air. She was just about to open the door, when she noticed the piece of paper that been pushed under it.
*Huh,* she thought. *Wonder who put that there? It's not addressed to anybody. I'd better read it, it might be one of the students trying to contact Syd or Nigel.*
As she began to read, she soon realised that no student had written the note. Her curiosity quickly gave way to disbelief and then shock.
*I'd better ring Nigel," she said aloud, as she practically ran for the phone.