Thanks for being patient everybody! I promise you won't be disappointed ;) some great action is yet to come. As always, R/R!
First a quick recap-
Jack rubbed his eyes, suddenly very tired. He absent-mindedly glanced around the cockpit, his eyes catching sight of the bag. He remembered its unexplainable weight, and Sydney's insistence on bringing it along despite the fact she had recovered nothing to put into the bag. His curiosity sparked, he walked towards the bag, ripped it open and peered inside.
"What the hell…"
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Curled in a fetal position inside the bag was a tiny sleeping boy, with a head of chestnut curls framing his face like a halo. It had been so long since Jack had been near to a child, and the little boy's perfection astonished Jack. He quickly stifled his surprise as the medical crew looked up.
"It's nothing…just papers…I'm just amazed Sydney brought them…" The last thing Jack wanted was this little boy, who very possibly held a treasure trove of knowledge regarding the new generation weapons to fall into the hands of SD-6. And if he revealed the child, with no doubt the boy would be swiftly transported to an SD-6 hospital, never to be seen again. He closed the bag reluctantly, leaving holes so the boy could breathe, hoping the boy wouldn't wake up just yet.
"Mr. Bristow?" Jack looked up to the medical technician's expectant face. "Your daughter's condition is still unstable, so the best course of action is to take her to the nearest SD-6 approved hospital." He pointed to the middle of the map. "That's here… Vienna…Empress Elisabeth Hospital of the City of Vienna. Will that be acceptable, Mr. Bristow?"
Jack's face was rigid with checked emotion. "Yes, of course. I'll call the SD-6 Director, Mr. Sloane for final approval," he said stiffly.
The rings of the phone echoed through his headset. Jack knew Sloane so well he could almost see him poised in his chair agreeing to take the call.
"Hello Arvin…"
"Jack….how was the mission at Budapest? A success I presume?"
"I'm afraid not, Arvin. When Sydney entered the vault, she breathed in some gas released by Anna Espinoza, from K-Directorate. I rushed to retrieve her and the artifact, but I was too late. Sydney's condition is unstable; the medical crew has advised me to take her to Empress Elisabeth Hospital of the City of Vienna until she recovers. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course, Jack. You know I regard Sydney as if she were my own daughter. Anything that the medical technicians deem necessary…"
"Arvin, I was also hoping you would allow me to remain in Vienna until Sydney recovers."
"Actually, Jack…I was hoping you would agree to stay in Vienna, not only to keep an eye on Sydney, but to complete a special research assignment for our department. When you reach Vienna, I'll have you debriefed. My contact there is Matthias Atzmüller. I hope to see you soon Jack. Take care." Jack heard a click as the line was disconnected.
As for the boy, Jack would take him to the CIA headquarters in Vienna and go from there.