Sydney was comforted by the fact that Dr. Barnett's office hadn't changed
at all. She even had the same furniture. Sydney took it all in as her gaze
swept quickly around the office. Her eyes ended on the blonde psychiatrist
walking from behind her desk.
"Sydney, it's so good to see you. Please sit down." Dr. Barnett was as professional and gracious as ever.
"Thank you Doctor." Sydney sat down on the dark tan couch, perching herself on the edge of the seat. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for Dr. Barnett to speak.
Dr. Barnett's alert blue eyes didn't miss any of Sydney's discomfort. The therapist in her wanted to draw out Sydney's problems, to help her. Unfortunately, Dr. Barnett worked for the US Government. That meant the therapist would have to wait.
"Ok, Sydney, shall we begin? Please sit back on the couch, find a comfortable position. You can lie down if you'd like."
Sydney moved further back onto the couch. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. She wanted to know what had happened to her, how she had lost 2 years of her life and the fastest way to accomplish that would be to let Dr. Barnett into her head.
"That's good. All right, I'd like you to choose a spot on the wall behind me and fix your eyes solely on that spot. Very good. Now Sydney, I'm going to count backwards from 5 to 1. As I do this you will feel yourself relax. 5. You are feeling very relaxed and at peace."
Sydney felt her body begin to respond to Dr. Barnett's voice. Her eyelids became heavy and fell closed.
"1. You are completely relaxed." Dr. Barnett raised Sydney's arm and was satisfied that Sydney was completely under when Sydney's arm fell back down to the chair without any resistance. "Sydney, I want you to go back in time with me. Almost two years ago. Your last CIA mission. What are you doing?"
Sydney's voice sounded as though it was coming from far away as she automatically responded to the doctor's question. "I'm going to rescue my father from Arvin Sloane. Vaughn and I are entering an office building in Mexico City."
"Good, good. Let's fast forward a bit. You've rescued your father and he's safe. You've left Mexico City. What are you doing now?"
"I'm home. I'm sitting in my living room, eating ice cream. I'm with Francie. I've got a voice mail message on my cel phone. I'm calling to check the message. It's Will. He says the double is Francie."
Dr. Barnett can see Syd's pulse jump as she begins to get upset. "Sydney, nothing can hurt you. You're fine. You're removed from what is going on. Nothing can hurt you now. What is the next thing that happens?"
"I offer Francie some of my ice cream. I know she hates coffee ice cream. If she eats it, then she's the double. My stomach hurts. I don't want this to be true. Oh God, she ate the ice cream. I'm trying not to show anything on my face. I have to get my gun. This isn't Francie. This isn't Francie. I'm going into my bedroom to get my gun. She's in the doorway. We fight. I'm so angry, I can't see anything except this person who must have killed my best friend. I throw everything I have into hurting her. She crashes me into the bathroom. I'm dazed, I've hit my head on the bathtub. Then I see him. Will lying in the tub. Pain, so much pain and blood. I want to throw up but there's no time. I have to kill it, this thing that's ripped out my heart. I want nothing more than to tear her throat out. I've never been this angry before, this enraged." Tears fall from Sydney's eyes as she relives her past.
"What happens next?"
"I shoot her. We end up in the living room and I shoot her. Three times. I aim for her head but I'm fuzzy. I must have a concussion because black spots dance before my eyes. I'm going to pass out."
"Ok, let's go forward to the time after you've fainted. What do you see when you regain consciousness?"
"Gray walls. Dim light. I'm glad of that, my head is pounding. It takes me awhile to fully wake up. I'm laying on a cot in a plain room, no windows. I try to sit up but I'm dizzy. I vomit heaves over the side of the cot. The floor is linoleum. Dark green linoleum. I feel a little better after I throw up. I try sitting up again and can manage this time. I move to push the hair out of my face and I hear clinking. I'm chained to the wall."
"What else do you see?"
"A door by the head of the cot. It's metal. No window in the door. I'm in some kind of cell. My mind is clearing. There's a surveillance camera in the far left corner of the room, hanging from the ceiling. It comes back to me, killing the double, Will in the bathtub, blacking out. My mind is racing. I'm trying to think where I could be. I wonder what Vaughn will do when he goes back to pick me up at my apartment. I know he will be worried and I feel bad. Wait. I hear someone coming. They're at the door. I turn my head to see who's taken me. I curse to myself as I see who enters the room. It's Sark."
"Sydney, it's so good to see you. Please sit down." Dr. Barnett was as professional and gracious as ever.
"Thank you Doctor." Sydney sat down on the dark tan couch, perching herself on the edge of the seat. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for Dr. Barnett to speak.
Dr. Barnett's alert blue eyes didn't miss any of Sydney's discomfort. The therapist in her wanted to draw out Sydney's problems, to help her. Unfortunately, Dr. Barnett worked for the US Government. That meant the therapist would have to wait.
"Ok, Sydney, shall we begin? Please sit back on the couch, find a comfortable position. You can lie down if you'd like."
Sydney moved further back onto the couch. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. She wanted to know what had happened to her, how she had lost 2 years of her life and the fastest way to accomplish that would be to let Dr. Barnett into her head.
"That's good. All right, I'd like you to choose a spot on the wall behind me and fix your eyes solely on that spot. Very good. Now Sydney, I'm going to count backwards from 5 to 1. As I do this you will feel yourself relax. 5. You are feeling very relaxed and at peace."
Sydney felt her body begin to respond to Dr. Barnett's voice. Her eyelids became heavy and fell closed.
"1. You are completely relaxed." Dr. Barnett raised Sydney's arm and was satisfied that Sydney was completely under when Sydney's arm fell back down to the chair without any resistance. "Sydney, I want you to go back in time with me. Almost two years ago. Your last CIA mission. What are you doing?"
Sydney's voice sounded as though it was coming from far away as she automatically responded to the doctor's question. "I'm going to rescue my father from Arvin Sloane. Vaughn and I are entering an office building in Mexico City."
"Good, good. Let's fast forward a bit. You've rescued your father and he's safe. You've left Mexico City. What are you doing now?"
"I'm home. I'm sitting in my living room, eating ice cream. I'm with Francie. I've got a voice mail message on my cel phone. I'm calling to check the message. It's Will. He says the double is Francie."
Dr. Barnett can see Syd's pulse jump as she begins to get upset. "Sydney, nothing can hurt you. You're fine. You're removed from what is going on. Nothing can hurt you now. What is the next thing that happens?"
"I offer Francie some of my ice cream. I know she hates coffee ice cream. If she eats it, then she's the double. My stomach hurts. I don't want this to be true. Oh God, she ate the ice cream. I'm trying not to show anything on my face. I have to get my gun. This isn't Francie. This isn't Francie. I'm going into my bedroom to get my gun. She's in the doorway. We fight. I'm so angry, I can't see anything except this person who must have killed my best friend. I throw everything I have into hurting her. She crashes me into the bathroom. I'm dazed, I've hit my head on the bathtub. Then I see him. Will lying in the tub. Pain, so much pain and blood. I want to throw up but there's no time. I have to kill it, this thing that's ripped out my heart. I want nothing more than to tear her throat out. I've never been this angry before, this enraged." Tears fall from Sydney's eyes as she relives her past.
"What happens next?"
"I shoot her. We end up in the living room and I shoot her. Three times. I aim for her head but I'm fuzzy. I must have a concussion because black spots dance before my eyes. I'm going to pass out."
"Ok, let's go forward to the time after you've fainted. What do you see when you regain consciousness?"
"Gray walls. Dim light. I'm glad of that, my head is pounding. It takes me awhile to fully wake up. I'm laying on a cot in a plain room, no windows. I try to sit up but I'm dizzy. I vomit heaves over the side of the cot. The floor is linoleum. Dark green linoleum. I feel a little better after I throw up. I try sitting up again and can manage this time. I move to push the hair out of my face and I hear clinking. I'm chained to the wall."
"What else do you see?"
"A door by the head of the cot. It's metal. No window in the door. I'm in some kind of cell. My mind is clearing. There's a surveillance camera in the far left corner of the room, hanging from the ceiling. It comes back to me, killing the double, Will in the bathtub, blacking out. My mind is racing. I'm trying to think where I could be. I wonder what Vaughn will do when he goes back to pick me up at my apartment. I know he will be worried and I feel bad. Wait. I hear someone coming. They're at the door. I turn my head to see who's taken me. I curse to myself as I see who enters the room. It's Sark."