I would like to THANK everyone who has reviewed this story and all those who
have taken their time to read it. It has meant a lot.
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Chapter 14
The smell of disinfectant in these hallways is overpowering as I sit here in this hospitial in Hong Kong, holding my empty coffee cup in my hands. I have been sitting in the most uncomfortable chair for nearly the past four hours, waiting and silently praying.
By the time we had gotten Sydney to the hospital, she had lost so much blood, she had gone so pale and her breathing had slowed to laboured breath. The doctors took her straight into surgery, and I have been sitting here ever since, every once in a while a nurse stops to ask me if I need anything. I need Sydney to pull through this.
I have been sitting here, in my own little world thinking about everything that has happened recently. Only a month ago I thought she was dead, gone forever, never to come back. When I saw her on the floor in that room, her hands covered in blood, I felt the same fear and pain of losing her again, and the panic that she would be gone for good this time. I was scared not only for her but also for myself- I don't know if I could handle losing her again.
She is in surgery at the moment, fighting her her life and the worst part is that I cannot help her in anyway, except hope and pray.
Weiss snaps me out of my reverie as he comes and stands in front of me, "Hey, do you want another coffee?" He asks.
"No," I pause to ask him a question unsure whether I want to ask or whether he knows the answer, "where is she?"
He hesitates before he answers, "She is speaking to Jack outside the main entrance last time I saw her.... I don't think that Jack actually needs a telephone." He tries to joke.
Weiss sits down next to me and we fall into an awkward silence. He finally say something to break the silence, "She is going to be alright, you know." Trying to sound reassuring.
"I just... just don't want to lose her again, I can't handle that." I say putting my head in my hands.
A moment later, Irina comes over to where we are sitting and leans against the adjacent wall, arms folded. I feel her eyes on me.
"What did Jack say?" I ask.
"He is flying out here, his flight left around an hour ago." I just nod, knowing of how Jack dealt with Sydney's disappearance and I know how very protective of her he is now that she is back.
We all in fall into another silence. Around an hour later a doctor comes over to us accompanied by a nurse, with a small folder in her hand.
"Mr. Vaughn?" I stand, fearing what the doctor has to say. "I am Doctor Wang, I was the main surgeon involved in Miss Bristow's operation."
I cannot stand the suspense any longer, "Is she alright?"
"We successfully removed the bullet and stopped the bleeding caused by it. At the moment, she is in a stable condition in ICU. The nurse here, we take you to where she is, but I must warn you she will be out for a while."
"Thank You," I say shaking his hand.
The nurse waits until the doctor is gone, before saying; "Would you like to follow me, sir?"
I look over at Irina, who is looking me with one her infamous glares, "Can her mother come too?"
The nurse gave Irina a odd look, wondering why she would not come anyway, "Sure, this way."
Just as we are walking towards the ICU unit, Weiss says, "I'll ring Jack."
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The nurse stops just before we enter the room that Sydney is in and says, "I must warn you not to be worried about the amount of machines, they are just there to monitor her."
She lets us walk into the room, and I can see what she said the amount of machines around her can shock and then I see her. She had regained some colour from the last time I saw her but not much, she was still extremely pale. The nurse checked some of the monitors taking down on a chart what they said, she then put the chart at the end of the bed.
"Ring the buzzer, if you need anything." She says before leaving the room.
I sit down to the chair nearest to the bed and Irina grabs a chair from the corner of room places on the opposite side of the bed. I stare at Sydney for a moment, before taking her hand in mine and slowly rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand, willing her to get better, to wake up.
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It is like waking up from a deep sleep, except you do not dream. The last thing I remember are the lights of the hospital, and now I can hear voices, unrecognizable at first but slowly the voices get louder and come into focus; Vaughn, my father and my mother I can hear.
I slowly open my eyes, my eyelids feel like lead. I move my body slightly and become painfully aware of the pain in my abdomen, my eyes shoot open. The first thing I see is Vaughn, he slowly rises from his seat and his hand comes up and caresses my cheek. "Sydney?"
I hear my father and mother calling the nurse and saying 'Thank God' over and over again.
I bring my hand up to rest where Vaughn's hand is. I need to tell him;
"I'm sorry." I say with tears of relief and sadness forming in my eyes.
"For what?" He says, confusion in his voice.
"For... for Christopher, for all the things I..." I trail off as the nurse comes rushing in with a doctor.
The doctor and nurse begin to check the monitors around my bed, I am still a bit drowsy and as they busy around, I start to feel sleepy again, but with all my will power I try to stay awake. The doctor asks me a couple of questions about the pain and how I feel, he then tells me that I should get some more rest and that it would be best for my parents and Vaughn to leave. The doctor and nurse leave the room.
My father and mother both place a kiss on my forehead before leaving the room. "We will be back later."
Vaughn watches my parents leave, and then turns his attention back to me. Our eyes meet, the fear in his eyes is reflected in mine, it overwhelms and tears begin to fall, he rushes to my side.
"Vaughn..." I say in a whisper, "please be here when I...." He puts a finger over my lips to hush me.
"I'll be here... always."
If you come back in my life,
I'll be there till the end of time,
And I swear,
I'll keep you right by my side,
'Cos baby you're the one I want.
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The End