Chapter 21: Once More Won't Hurt

Sydney searched for a syringe to administer the antidote. She hadn't informed Sark of her decision. It was her last attempt at making him pay for whatever he needed paying for. Let him keep working and worrying about the antidote, she thought, maybe it'll keep him from going into another episode. Just as she finished drawing the antidote into the syringe, Sark jumped up and shouted, "Potassium! All I was missing was Potassim!"

"So you can make a new batch?" Sydney asked hopefully capping the needle of the syringe

"I don't have any potassium. There is no potassium here." He said it frantically, as he sifted through the beakers of chemicals. Sydney walked over and picked up a beaker. "Sark, there a bottle right here!"

Sark ran toward the wall and pounded on it. "Hey! I found the antidote! Is someone there! All I need is some potassium."

Sydney realized that Sark was processing another memory and she groaned. She didn't want to learn more about Sark or his relationship with Sarah. She wanted to stay objective about Sark and keep him categorized under the BAD MAN: HEARTLESS KILLING MACHINE category. Sitting down on the cot Sydney watched Sark and waited for the memory to end.

Sark pushed back from the wall and knelt down as if to look at something on the floor. He did a lifting motion with one hand and stared at the same spot on the floor for minute. He looked shocked, then desolate, and then angry. He back away from the spot. He then turned toward Sydney. He rushed over to her and held her in his arms rocking her and speaking to her soothingly. It was his words that confused Sydney. "I did it, I found the cure. I injected you with it when you were sleeping. Shhhhh...I know you're in pain but it'll go away soon. We have to get out of here." He stopped talking and looked at her. He pushed her away shocked. "No, you're coming with me! I'm not going without you...Stop it! Stop saying that. You're just trying to make me hate you enough to leave you.. How did you know?" He sat down next to her and grabbed her hands. It was a good thing Sydney had set the syringe on her lap.

"I know you're in pain darling but you've got to fight it. All I need is some potassium and you'll be fine.. No, you have plenty of time.. Don't you give up on me damn it!" Tears were running down Sark's face. Sydney reached out and wiped them away, she too had tears in her eyes. She had a feeling where this memory was going but she was hoping that it wasn't going to turn out that way.

"I can't, please Sarah not that! I'll do anything for you but not that. Please, fight it for me!" Sark hugged her as if afraid to let go. "I promise..I love you too Sarah. They will pay for doing this to us, I'm make sure of it." Sark's voice and demeanor changed. He turned Sydney around so that her back was to him. "Sarah, do you remember the time we went to Milan and we found that castle in the middle of nowhere. It was so beautiful wasn't it? You thought it was magical." Sark reached around Sydney with his right arm. Sydney knew what was coming and she started to struggle. She used both her hands to keep Sark's right hand from her chin.

"Sark, it's me Sydney, you're in a past memory." Sydney said trying to snap Sark out of it. She knew it was going to be useless. She used her left hand to grab the syringe from her lap and realized that it had fallen to the floor.

"Remember how we pretended that it was our castle and that we would live there forever? I promised to buy it for you when I had enough money. I bought it for you a month ago. I wanted to surprise you with it for our anniversary." Sark was saying not hearing Sydney.

"Damn it Sark snap out of it!" Sydney twisted frantically trying to get away from him. She felt his one hand on her chin and the other on the other side of her head. "Sark, I don't want to die!" Sydney pleaded. Sark's eyes lit up with hope.

"That's my girl, I knew you were a fighter!" He jumped up releasing her and started planning their escape. "I think that we can used the chemicals to make a bomb.

Sydney found the syringe under the cot. She forced Sark down onto the bed and straddled him so that he wouldn't move. He didn't resist, though he used his hands to caress her thighs. She uncapped the needle and injected the antidote into a vein in his neck just as his hands reached her ass. "Sark!" She cried out startled, falling forward onto his chest.

"Well, Ms. Bristow, I would have never guessed that you'd take advantage of a sick man, not that I'm complaining mind you." Sark gave her butt a quick squeeze which elicited a quick intake of breath from Sydney before she rolled off him. Sark saw the syringe in her hand. "The antidote?" He asked sitting up.

"Yes, you're welcome!" She said sharply hoping that she wasn't blushing.

"Considering that you're the person who put me into this predicament, I don't see why a thank you is warranted." Sark said dryly.

Sydney noticed that Sark's eyes were cold once more and all emotion was erased from it. She felt a little sad for the man Sark had been.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Sark asked sarcastically.

"No, nothing." Sydney said a little sadly. Sark picked up on it but didn't say anything. "When will the new batch of antidote be finished?" She asked as she sat down on the cot.

"What made you finally believe me?" Sark asked curious.

"You ARE going to finish making the antidote?" Sydney asked as doubt came over her.

"Ah, Ms. Bristow returns. It'll be finished in a half and hour." Sark began to turn on equipment and gathered up beakers.

Sydney laid down on the cot and closed her eyes. She was finally beginning to understand Sark. She knew what drove him and how he had became what he was now. She wondered if in a few years, she would end up like him, emotionless, determined, and a lethal killing machine. What price was revenge? Was there still a part of the old Sark hidden deep within him and could it be reached? She dozed asleep to Sark's voice talking about the memory in Milan. "Sarah, do you remember the time we went to Milan and we found that castle in the middle of nowhere. It was so beautiful wasn't it? You thought it was magical."