Chapter 24: Lazarus
No! He can't be. He still had 12 more hours! NO! You're lying, who's paying you? Who are you working for?" Sydney advanced on the nurse who drew back in fear.
"Maybe I should call Dr. Sanderson." The nurse said leaping for the phone. Sydney reached it before the nurse did. The nurse looked fearfully at Sydney and then toward the door to see if she could escape. She knew it was hopeless. "I'm sorry for your friend's death but it was only a matter of time, there as nothing more that we could do."
"Stop saying he's dead! He can't be, he just can't!" Sydney's voice broke.
The nurses training took over and she directed Sydney into a chair. "There now, it's always difficult to accept death even if you knew it was an eventuality."
"You don't understand, I have the cure right here." Sydney said dully, bringing out the two syringes with the antidote.
"Oh, let me guess you bought it from someone who claimed that it would cure any illness." The nurse said unbelievingly. She knew that some family members would spend fortunes on so called cures and be disappointed with the results. She hoped that this young lady hadn't spent too much.
"Can I be alone here for a minute?" Sydney asked not wanting to break down in front of a complete stranger.
"Yes dear, take as long as you like." The nurse said giving her shoulder a last comforting pat before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Sydney sobbed holding her hands over her mouth to hold back the sounds of grief. Her entire body shook and her eyes were blurred with tears. What was she going to do without Vaughn? He'd been the foundation in her life, the one she depended on to center her when everything was falling apart. He'd made her feel safe and kept her from sane. She didn't hear the door open or notice the person enter the room until he'd put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. She knew him by his touch and its gentleness undid her. A hoarse cry of pain escaped her. She directed the pain at the only target in the room.
"You can't play god with people's lives! If you'd only told us about the virus sooner or had made Yon Hee given us the formula four days ago, Vaughn would still be alive. It's your fault he's dead! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" He let her pounded on his chest and until she grew tired. When she was spent, he gathered her into his arms and comforted her.
"How could this happen? We have the antidote. He should be alive. He had at least twelve more hours. It was my fault, if we hadn't gotten stuck." Sydney blamed herself. Sydney had her face tucked against his neck. Her tears were soaking his shirt but he didn't notice.
"Look at me Sydney, you did everything you could." Sark forced her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes and see the truth.
"He wouldn't have gotten sick if I hadn't dragged him to Taipei. Why did it have to be him? He was so good and kind. It should have been me." She said brokenly.
"Don't say that!" Sark ordered, but it wasn't one that Sydney would obey.
"I should have been me!" She repeated hysterically, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sark stopped her the only way he could, he held her by the nape of her neck and kissed her. The kiss was slightly salty from the tears but it did its purpose, Sydney stopped talking. In fact she stopped thinking as well and welcomed the kiss. It made her forget where she was; all she knew was that it made her feel alive. She couldn't get close enough to him, she held onto him, as tightly as if she was drowning and he was her lifeline.
"Get away from my daughter!" Jack ordered. He had his gun pointed at Sark's head.
"Dad!" She felt like a teenager getting caught kissing her boyfriend. Then everything came crashing back. "Oh Dad! I can't believe he's gone!" She ran to him and hugged him. He patted her back awkwardly, clearing his throat.
"Sydney, if you're talking about Vaughn, he only went one floor up to room 402." Jack said in his usual businesslike way.
"You mean he isn't dead?" Sydney asked confused.
"No, is that what he told you?" Jack asked glaring at Sark. "We moved him to recovery after Dr. Yon Hee came up with an antidote. He went into Stage Four briefly before he was injected but he should be fine in a couple of weeks."
"He's alive!" Sydney said joyfully before she ran out of the room.
"Stay away from my daughter!" Jack ordered Sark. Though the gun was no longer pointing at Sark, the threat was still clear.
"I'm afraid that wont be possible." Sark said unfazed, walking up to him face to face to show that he wasn't afraid of him. "You will be seeing a lot more of me from now on and I'd rather if we met on cordial terms. You're choice, though I would like to point out that I'd make a dangerous enemy."
"I know exactly who and what you are, Sark!" He spit out Sark's name and received a suspicious look in return. "You're just using my daughter and I'm not going to let you do it. If you force me I'll use everything in my power to remove you from her life."
"You know as well as I do that we both have contacts in high places. We can work together to find and destroy them before they get Sydney." Sark knew that he wouldn't need to clarify who the 'them' he was referring to. Sark had been notified that Jack had been buying information regarding anything pertaining to the Seekers.
"You really think that I would trust a man who works for Irena Dervko?" Jack asked.
"She and I have an understanding. I'm sure that you've allied yourself to people that I have objections to as well." Sark countered referring to SD- 6.
Jack knew that he would never grow to like Sark but he was beginning to respect him. Sark was more then a young, arrogant, fool with no fear of death, he was a man that finished everything he started thoroughly and completely. Jack also knew that Sark wasn't mercenary, Sark had enough money to buy a small country so he couldn't be bought. But he also knew that Sark had a hidden agenda that could become a difficulty later on. "Allying myself with you in no way means that I want you around my daughter." Jack said agreeing to Sark's proposal.
"What Sydney and I do doesn't concern you." Sark said shortly. "All you need to know is that I'll keep her safe."
"Just like you kept you wife safe?" Jack stressed the word wife, he also revealed to Sark that he knew a lot more about him then Sark had originally thought.
Something dangerous flashed in Sark's eyes but he quickly masked it. "I'm no longer the naïve fool I once was, I'm sure my track record speaks for itself."
Before they could finish the conversation, Yon Hee interrupted them. "Sark!" She ran into the room and into Sark's arms kissing him.
"Yo, I heard that you created the antidote in time." Sark said addressing her by her nickname.
"What? Did you doubt I could? I told you that it was only a matter of time." Yon Hee said proudly before giving him another kiss.
"It's time for you to meet your father, he's been waiting for you." Sark said breaking off the kiss gently but firmly. He titled his head toward Jack.
"Jack, I was wondering where you went off to. I want to tell you again that you have a very talented and wonderful daughter and I'm grateful for her assistance in rescuing me. If you're looking for her, she's visiting Michael right now." Yon Hee said putting on a brilliant smile.
"If you'll excuse me." Jack said leaving the room. Sark knew that the polite courtesy was for Yon Hee's benefit.
"Darling, I know that we're supposed to meet up with Dad but can't he wait 15 minutes? I haven't seen you for almost two weeks." Yon Hee said pouting prettily. She laid down on the bed seductively crooking her index finger and then patting the bed next to her.
Sark smiled devilishly but instead of lying next to her he pulled her up, one hand on her arm, the other on her thigh and pulled her in for a kiss. When the kiss ended he smiled at her warmly and whispered into her ear. "The chopper is waiting for us on the roof."
"Sark!" Yon Hee complained giving him a 'how can you tease me like this' look.
"There will be plenty of time on the plane." Sark promised naughtily kissing her forehead and giving her butt a slap. "You're chariot awaits, my lady!" He escorted her out of the hospital as they laughing together as if the last few days had never occurred.
No! He can't be. He still had 12 more hours! NO! You're lying, who's paying you? Who are you working for?" Sydney advanced on the nurse who drew back in fear.
"Maybe I should call Dr. Sanderson." The nurse said leaping for the phone. Sydney reached it before the nurse did. The nurse looked fearfully at Sydney and then toward the door to see if she could escape. She knew it was hopeless. "I'm sorry for your friend's death but it was only a matter of time, there as nothing more that we could do."
"Stop saying he's dead! He can't be, he just can't!" Sydney's voice broke.
The nurses training took over and she directed Sydney into a chair. "There now, it's always difficult to accept death even if you knew it was an eventuality."
"You don't understand, I have the cure right here." Sydney said dully, bringing out the two syringes with the antidote.
"Oh, let me guess you bought it from someone who claimed that it would cure any illness." The nurse said unbelievingly. She knew that some family members would spend fortunes on so called cures and be disappointed with the results. She hoped that this young lady hadn't spent too much.
"Can I be alone here for a minute?" Sydney asked not wanting to break down in front of a complete stranger.
"Yes dear, take as long as you like." The nurse said giving her shoulder a last comforting pat before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Sydney sobbed holding her hands over her mouth to hold back the sounds of grief. Her entire body shook and her eyes were blurred with tears. What was she going to do without Vaughn? He'd been the foundation in her life, the one she depended on to center her when everything was falling apart. He'd made her feel safe and kept her from sane. She didn't hear the door open or notice the person enter the room until he'd put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. She knew him by his touch and its gentleness undid her. A hoarse cry of pain escaped her. She directed the pain at the only target in the room.
"You can't play god with people's lives! If you'd only told us about the virus sooner or had made Yon Hee given us the formula four days ago, Vaughn would still be alive. It's your fault he's dead! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" He let her pounded on his chest and until she grew tired. When she was spent, he gathered her into his arms and comforted her.
"How could this happen? We have the antidote. He should be alive. He had at least twelve more hours. It was my fault, if we hadn't gotten stuck." Sydney blamed herself. Sydney had her face tucked against his neck. Her tears were soaking his shirt but he didn't notice.
"Look at me Sydney, you did everything you could." Sark forced her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes and see the truth.
"He wouldn't have gotten sick if I hadn't dragged him to Taipei. Why did it have to be him? He was so good and kind. It should have been me." She said brokenly.
"Don't say that!" Sark ordered, but it wasn't one that Sydney would obey.
"I should have been me!" She repeated hysterically, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sark stopped her the only way he could, he held her by the nape of her neck and kissed her. The kiss was slightly salty from the tears but it did its purpose, Sydney stopped talking. In fact she stopped thinking as well and welcomed the kiss. It made her forget where she was; all she knew was that it made her feel alive. She couldn't get close enough to him, she held onto him, as tightly as if she was drowning and he was her lifeline.
"Get away from my daughter!" Jack ordered. He had his gun pointed at Sark's head.
"Dad!" She felt like a teenager getting caught kissing her boyfriend. Then everything came crashing back. "Oh Dad! I can't believe he's gone!" She ran to him and hugged him. He patted her back awkwardly, clearing his throat.
"Sydney, if you're talking about Vaughn, he only went one floor up to room 402." Jack said in his usual businesslike way.
"You mean he isn't dead?" Sydney asked confused.
"No, is that what he told you?" Jack asked glaring at Sark. "We moved him to recovery after Dr. Yon Hee came up with an antidote. He went into Stage Four briefly before he was injected but he should be fine in a couple of weeks."
"He's alive!" Sydney said joyfully before she ran out of the room.
"Stay away from my daughter!" Jack ordered Sark. Though the gun was no longer pointing at Sark, the threat was still clear.
"I'm afraid that wont be possible." Sark said unfazed, walking up to him face to face to show that he wasn't afraid of him. "You will be seeing a lot more of me from now on and I'd rather if we met on cordial terms. You're choice, though I would like to point out that I'd make a dangerous enemy."
"I know exactly who and what you are, Sark!" He spit out Sark's name and received a suspicious look in return. "You're just using my daughter and I'm not going to let you do it. If you force me I'll use everything in my power to remove you from her life."
"You know as well as I do that we both have contacts in high places. We can work together to find and destroy them before they get Sydney." Sark knew that he wouldn't need to clarify who the 'them' he was referring to. Sark had been notified that Jack had been buying information regarding anything pertaining to the Seekers.
"You really think that I would trust a man who works for Irena Dervko?" Jack asked.
"She and I have an understanding. I'm sure that you've allied yourself to people that I have objections to as well." Sark countered referring to SD- 6.
Jack knew that he would never grow to like Sark but he was beginning to respect him. Sark was more then a young, arrogant, fool with no fear of death, he was a man that finished everything he started thoroughly and completely. Jack also knew that Sark wasn't mercenary, Sark had enough money to buy a small country so he couldn't be bought. But he also knew that Sark had a hidden agenda that could become a difficulty later on. "Allying myself with you in no way means that I want you around my daughter." Jack said agreeing to Sark's proposal.
"What Sydney and I do doesn't concern you." Sark said shortly. "All you need to know is that I'll keep her safe."
"Just like you kept you wife safe?" Jack stressed the word wife, he also revealed to Sark that he knew a lot more about him then Sark had originally thought.
Something dangerous flashed in Sark's eyes but he quickly masked it. "I'm no longer the naïve fool I once was, I'm sure my track record speaks for itself."
Before they could finish the conversation, Yon Hee interrupted them. "Sark!" She ran into the room and into Sark's arms kissing him.
"Yo, I heard that you created the antidote in time." Sark said addressing her by her nickname.
"What? Did you doubt I could? I told you that it was only a matter of time." Yon Hee said proudly before giving him another kiss.
"It's time for you to meet your father, he's been waiting for you." Sark said breaking off the kiss gently but firmly. He titled his head toward Jack.
"Jack, I was wondering where you went off to. I want to tell you again that you have a very talented and wonderful daughter and I'm grateful for her assistance in rescuing me. If you're looking for her, she's visiting Michael right now." Yon Hee said putting on a brilliant smile.
"If you'll excuse me." Jack said leaving the room. Sark knew that the polite courtesy was for Yon Hee's benefit.
"Darling, I know that we're supposed to meet up with Dad but can't he wait 15 minutes? I haven't seen you for almost two weeks." Yon Hee said pouting prettily. She laid down on the bed seductively crooking her index finger and then patting the bed next to her.
Sark smiled devilishly but instead of lying next to her he pulled her up, one hand on her arm, the other on her thigh and pulled her in for a kiss. When the kiss ended he smiled at her warmly and whispered into her ear. "The chopper is waiting for us on the roof."
"Sark!" Yon Hee complained giving him a 'how can you tease me like this' look.
"There will be plenty of time on the plane." Sark promised naughtily kissing her forehead and giving her butt a slap. "You're chariot awaits, my lady!" He escorted her out of the hospital as they laughing together as if the last few days had never occurred.
