Hello hello! Another update! YAY :) Want to know whether Syd will live or die? Read on! Hope you like this. I can't decide if I do or not. Hmmmmmm. Well, read and review! Thanks for all the nice reviews you've sent in the last couple days. They're much appreciated!!
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Chapter 9: Faith
I woke up to the sound of movement in the room. Momentarily disoriented, I lifted my head up, groaning at the sharp pain that shot through my neck at the sudden movement.
My eyes fell immediately on Sydney, and the events of the past several days came rushing back to me. I sat up in my chair, stretching, and noticed suddenly that Sydney and I were not alone in the hospital room. A short woman, dressed in sterile-looking green scrubs, was moving around the room quietly. As she turned back to Sydney, she noticed that I was awake, and smiled warmly.
"Good morning," she said, in slightly accented English.
I nodded at her, preoccupied by Sydney's pale form, still lying motionless beside me.
"Is she going to be ok?" I asked, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it. The woman continued smiling at me, her eyes softening at the worry that came through in my voice.
"I'm sorry," she replied softly. "I don't know. I just came in to take her blood pressure." I remained silent, my gaze returning to Sydney, wishing that there was something—anything that I could do. I reached out, taking her limp hand in mine again, in a vain attempt to transfer some of my strength to her body.
I jumped as a hand rested softly on my shoulder. I turned, my eyes falling on the nurse, who continued to smile softly.
"Never lose faith," she said, her eyes connecting with mine. "Love will give strength to both of you."
I again fought back tears as I weakly returned her smile.
"Thank you." I said, my voice barely a whisper in the silent room. She nodded and left the room without another word.
I sat there in silence for several moments, my hope renewed by the woman's simple words. Sydney was a fighter—the strongest person I had ever known. If anyone could get through this, she could. I sighed, tightening my grip on her hand. Suddenly, the door opened again, and a tall, dark-haired man entered the room.
I rose from my seat. "Are you the doctor?" I asked anxiously. The man nodded, extending his hand toward me.
"Dr. Greggson," he said, his eyebrow rising slightly.
"Is she going to be ok?" I asked. Dr. Greggson looked at me, hesitant.
"May I ask who you are?" He said finally.
I had to pause momentarily to remember my cover story.
"Michael Bristow," I replied. "I'm Sydney's second cousin." The man nodded, obviously satisfied with my answer.
"I can't tell you much," Greggson continued. "The bullet grazed her skull at the left temple, and caused some swelling in the brain. We've only had her here for a couple days, so we don't know much."
I nodded, not at all satisfied. Weiss had given me the same information over the phone. Greggson could apparently sense my concern.
"Mr. Bristow, if you'll give me a few minutes to examine the patient, I may be able to tell you more."
"Ok," I said, feeling completely exhausted. "There's a chair in the hall." Greggson opened the door for me, and I left without argument, collapsing on a cheap plastic chair outside Sydney's room.
I lowered my head to my hands, rubbing my forehead and shutting my eyes against the nausea that wouldn't seem to go away. And I waited.
* * * * *
At some point I must have drifted off, because I was snapped awake as Dr. Greggson tapped me lightly on the shoulder.
"You can come back in now, Mr. Bristow," he said.
I nodded, standing up dazedly and following him back into the room.
"How is she?" I asked, my eyes immediately coming to rest on Sydney as the door clicked shut behind me.
Dr. Greggson smiled.
"I have good news," he said. "The swelling in her brain has gone down significantly since I last saw her." I continued to watch Sydney as I listened, not exactly sure what that meant. Greggson continued. "If she continues to improve as she has, I have no doubt that she'll wake up."
Sudden and intense relief washed over me, and I suddenly felt dizzy. I slowly lowered myself into the chair at Sydney's bedside, unable to tear my eyes away from her.
"How long?" I asked, realizing suddenly how much I missed her brown eyes, her voice, her laugh.
"It's hard to say exactly," Greggson replied. "The swelling is going down quite rapidly, and if it continues at this pace, I'd say within a day or so."
I closed my eyes at his words, overwhelmed by my emotions. This had been close. Too close. I could have lost her. Strangely, though the danger had passed, the panic was still there—the realization that if things had been different, if that bullet had been even a quarter of an inch farther to the left, Sydney Bristow would no longer exist.
I shuddered at the thought.
Greggson had detected my distress and moved to stand beside me.
"She's going to be fine, Mr. Bristow," he said. "I suggest that you get some rest. There's a free bed in the room down the hall, if you'd like-"
I jerked my head up. "I'm not leaving her!" I paused after the outburst, shocked by the defensiveness in my voice. Greggson also seemed surprised—he was probably wondering why a second cousin felt so strongly about this woman. He looked at me, slightly suspicious, before continuing.
"I understand," he said. "I'll have a cot brought in." I nodded my thanks to him, and within moments, he had returned with a portable cot. "Get some rest, Mr. Bristow." Greggson stated. "You need it."
"I will," I said, the bed already beckoning me. I could barely move—barely think straight I was so tired. "Thank you," I said, offering a weak smile that didn't even come close to expressing my gratitude to the doctor.
"It was nothing," he replied, smiling before leaving me alone in the dimly lit hospital room.
I rose from my chair, leaning down to kiss Sydney gently on the forehead.
"You're going to be ok, Syd," I whispered, brushing my hand against her cheek.
I stepped away, lowering myself onto the cot. Turning on my side, I watched Sydney, feeling an irrational need to guard her, to protect her.
"I love you," I said softly, hoping that somehow she could hear my words and gain strength from them.
My eyes slowly drifted shut, and within moments I was fast asleep.
* * * * *
Whew. Big sigh of relief. No death. No despair. No sadness. And to be honest, I'm quite a happy person, so you guys probably don't have much to worry about with my stories. They will NOT end sadly. And, more likely than not, they WILL end with some form of SpyLove/SpyNookie :) Because SpyLove/SpyNookie just makes me giggly and warm all over. Read and review pleeeeeaase!!!
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Chapter 9: Faith
I woke up to the sound of movement in the room. Momentarily disoriented, I lifted my head up, groaning at the sharp pain that shot through my neck at the sudden movement.
My eyes fell immediately on Sydney, and the events of the past several days came rushing back to me. I sat up in my chair, stretching, and noticed suddenly that Sydney and I were not alone in the hospital room. A short woman, dressed in sterile-looking green scrubs, was moving around the room quietly. As she turned back to Sydney, she noticed that I was awake, and smiled warmly.
"Good morning," she said, in slightly accented English.
I nodded at her, preoccupied by Sydney's pale form, still lying motionless beside me.
"Is she going to be ok?" I asked, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it. The woman continued smiling at me, her eyes softening at the worry that came through in my voice.
"I'm sorry," she replied softly. "I don't know. I just came in to take her blood pressure." I remained silent, my gaze returning to Sydney, wishing that there was something—anything that I could do. I reached out, taking her limp hand in mine again, in a vain attempt to transfer some of my strength to her body.
I jumped as a hand rested softly on my shoulder. I turned, my eyes falling on the nurse, who continued to smile softly.
"Never lose faith," she said, her eyes connecting with mine. "Love will give strength to both of you."
I again fought back tears as I weakly returned her smile.
"Thank you." I said, my voice barely a whisper in the silent room. She nodded and left the room without another word.
I sat there in silence for several moments, my hope renewed by the woman's simple words. Sydney was a fighter—the strongest person I had ever known. If anyone could get through this, she could. I sighed, tightening my grip on her hand. Suddenly, the door opened again, and a tall, dark-haired man entered the room.
I rose from my seat. "Are you the doctor?" I asked anxiously. The man nodded, extending his hand toward me.
"Dr. Greggson," he said, his eyebrow rising slightly.
"Is she going to be ok?" I asked. Dr. Greggson looked at me, hesitant.
"May I ask who you are?" He said finally.
I had to pause momentarily to remember my cover story.
"Michael Bristow," I replied. "I'm Sydney's second cousin." The man nodded, obviously satisfied with my answer.
"I can't tell you much," Greggson continued. "The bullet grazed her skull at the left temple, and caused some swelling in the brain. We've only had her here for a couple days, so we don't know much."
I nodded, not at all satisfied. Weiss had given me the same information over the phone. Greggson could apparently sense my concern.
"Mr. Bristow, if you'll give me a few minutes to examine the patient, I may be able to tell you more."
"Ok," I said, feeling completely exhausted. "There's a chair in the hall." Greggson opened the door for me, and I left without argument, collapsing on a cheap plastic chair outside Sydney's room.
I lowered my head to my hands, rubbing my forehead and shutting my eyes against the nausea that wouldn't seem to go away. And I waited.
* * * * *
At some point I must have drifted off, because I was snapped awake as Dr. Greggson tapped me lightly on the shoulder.
"You can come back in now, Mr. Bristow," he said.
I nodded, standing up dazedly and following him back into the room.
"How is she?" I asked, my eyes immediately coming to rest on Sydney as the door clicked shut behind me.
Dr. Greggson smiled.
"I have good news," he said. "The swelling in her brain has gone down significantly since I last saw her." I continued to watch Sydney as I listened, not exactly sure what that meant. Greggson continued. "If she continues to improve as she has, I have no doubt that she'll wake up."
Sudden and intense relief washed over me, and I suddenly felt dizzy. I slowly lowered myself into the chair at Sydney's bedside, unable to tear my eyes away from her.
"How long?" I asked, realizing suddenly how much I missed her brown eyes, her voice, her laugh.
"It's hard to say exactly," Greggson replied. "The swelling is going down quite rapidly, and if it continues at this pace, I'd say within a day or so."
I closed my eyes at his words, overwhelmed by my emotions. This had been close. Too close. I could have lost her. Strangely, though the danger had passed, the panic was still there—the realization that if things had been different, if that bullet had been even a quarter of an inch farther to the left, Sydney Bristow would no longer exist.
I shuddered at the thought.
Greggson had detected my distress and moved to stand beside me.
"She's going to be fine, Mr. Bristow," he said. "I suggest that you get some rest. There's a free bed in the room down the hall, if you'd like-"
I jerked my head up. "I'm not leaving her!" I paused after the outburst, shocked by the defensiveness in my voice. Greggson also seemed surprised—he was probably wondering why a second cousin felt so strongly about this woman. He looked at me, slightly suspicious, before continuing.
"I understand," he said. "I'll have a cot brought in." I nodded my thanks to him, and within moments, he had returned with a portable cot. "Get some rest, Mr. Bristow." Greggson stated. "You need it."
"I will," I said, the bed already beckoning me. I could barely move—barely think straight I was so tired. "Thank you," I said, offering a weak smile that didn't even come close to expressing my gratitude to the doctor.
"It was nothing," he replied, smiling before leaving me alone in the dimly lit hospital room.
I rose from my chair, leaning down to kiss Sydney gently on the forehead.
"You're going to be ok, Syd," I whispered, brushing my hand against her cheek.
I stepped away, lowering myself onto the cot. Turning on my side, I watched Sydney, feeling an irrational need to guard her, to protect her.
"I love you," I said softly, hoping that somehow she could hear my words and gain strength from them.
My eyes slowly drifted shut, and within moments I was fast asleep.
* * * * *
Whew. Big sigh of relief. No death. No despair. No sadness. And to be honest, I'm quite a happy person, so you guys probably don't have much to worry about with my stories. They will NOT end sadly. And, more likely than not, they WILL end with some form of SpyLove/SpyNookie :) Because SpyLove/SpyNookie just makes me giggly and warm all over. Read and review pleeeeeaase!!!
