Anger is a feeling of keen displeasure (usually with a desire to punish) for what we regard as wrong toward ourselves or others. It may be excessive or misplaced, but is not necessarily criminal

Three men sat outside an office, each wearing a mask of sadness. Two were well worn, but one man was just learning he had one. They had been sitting in an uncomfortable silence for well over an hour, each there one reason: the woman they loved. Three men that loved Sydney Bristow: a father, a lover, and a friend, all united by this one woman. They try to protect her, save her. That is why they are there; waiting.

A woman called them in, all together, and each man walked slowly towards the tiny office. Sadness numbed their movements, each just going through the motions. Three chairs awaited them ominously, blending with the dull beige walls and carpet.

"Please, take a seat," Dr. Barnett urged, hoping to quicken their syrupy speed. Once they were seated, all looking uncomfortable, the doctor took in their appearances.

Jack Bristow, highly esteemed agent, looked more fatigued than she had ever seen him. Usually when he was in her office, his facial expressions were carefully controlled, but the man before her gave off a feeling of depression and slight anxiety.

Will Tippin was still uncomfortable in her office, picking at his pants and staring at the plaques behind her head. Although, she noted, he seemed at ease with the two men sitting next to him. Thinking back to the Taipei incident, she remembered that Jack was the one to rescue him from the clutches of Sark. As for the man on his left, Will had referred to Agent Vaughn as "Mike", so they were obviously on friendly terms. Any other agent would feel discomfited when sat in a room with Agent Bristow and Agent Vaughn, but Will Tippin was not bothered by their presence.

Looking over to Michael Vaughn, she immediately noticed the sling that supported his left arm. She had gone over his medical reports before they arrived, and they stated that he was shot in the left shoulder, narrowly missing any vital organs. The way he shifted the sling every couple seconds suggested that he was ready to discard it, but was obviously ordered to wear it. Dr. Barnett looks closely at the expression he wore, one of tired frustration. Her grief was taking a large toll on all of their demeanors.

"I've asked you to talk with me regularly about Sydney's condition. Thank you for coming." All three men nodded slightly, waiting for her to continue. "Has she gotten through her denial?"

Jack spoke first, relaying the past week. "Yes. We had dinner one night, and we all did what you suggested. When I left she was still in denial, but when I came back the next day she wasn't."

Interrupting, Will added, "Mike and I got out an old movie, one Francie hated. Halfway through, Syd broke down. We just let her cry." He nodded to Vaughn, who continued.

"She cried herself to sleep, but had nightmares all night." His eyes clouded over at the memory.

"What did you do?"

"The only thing I could do. I held her," he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It helped, but only minimally." He shifted the sling again. "The next day she wouldn't even talk to anyone, went jogging for nearly four hours, and when she got back she just slammed doors and took a bath."

"We've been watching her to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid, but she gets angry, says we're coddling her." Will looked at his hands. "She's taking all the blame for this, and I'm afraid it might kill her."

Dr. Barnett's eyebrows rose. "You really think she would end her life because she feels guilty?"

Vaughn answered for him. "I've seen Sydney in every emotional state there is, but I've never seen her like this. As wrong as it sounds, and is, Sydney is used to this, but she's not taking it the way she usually does. She won't speak, and spends hours just running. She's lashed out anytime Will or I try to talk to her, and we would just stay away, but I'm afraid."

Jack had been listening quietly, but now retold an incident. "I said something to provoke her so she would vent her anger, and wouldn't bottle it up. I've never seen her place blame so loosely, she was accusing us all of being blind and how stupid we all were. When she quieted, Sydney told me she should have protected Francie better. Nothing I said could convince her otherwise." He looked Dr. Barnett straight in the eye. "We're doing the best we can, but I'm not sure if it's enough."

Looking down to her notepad, the doctor smiled softly. "Sydney is a very lucky woman to have men like you who care for her so much." Taking on a serious tone, she added, "What you've done is exactly what I would have told you to do. The main thing is to let her release the anger. If she holds everything in, recovery is only harder to achieve. As for the threat of suicide, Ms. Bristow has never displayed behavior that would grant that danger. I highly doubt she would be able to go through ending her own life before finding the people who did this to Ms. Calfo. However, there is the threat of self-mutilation, which is completely common for the stage of grief that she is in. Keep an eye on her."

The three men nodded. Later they would assign shifts to watch over Sydney, but for now they were concerned with getting out of the seemingly shrinking office.

"Thank you for the update. I'll be asking one of you to give me a weekly report on Ms. Bristow's condition."

Jack walked out first, followed closely by Will and Vaughn. Will commented dryly to Vaughn, "I thought she was going to tell us good luck. That seemed almost like a pep talk."

"Good Luck," Dr. Barnett's voice called, making Will turn purple from embarrassment.
"Do they have bugs all over this damn place?"

Next Chapter: Bargaining

"My daughter went to church for the first time in nearly 20 years"