A/N Thanks so much for your reviews!!! I really appreciate it!! I must
let you know that. my English is not first language and although I have
been living in the UK for quite long time, still, English is very difficult
for me. So forgive me if you find grammatical errors or other mistakes.
Chapter 8-a ............................................................................ ................
Vaughn's POV
I leave the hotel. I have no idea which way to go. I need to go to the main street to find a chemist.
While I walk the narrow street, between buildings, I pick up my cell phone and dial a familiar number.
"Hello?" warm female voice with French accent answers.
"Hi Mum" It's nice to hear her voice, warm and comforting.
"Michael? How are you, dear? I thought you were on.a business trip." I can tell she is worried...
"Yeah, I'm. Don't worry. But I just wanted to know something. It's nothing serious." NO, it IS very serious.
"Oh, well, that's fine. So what did you want to know?"
"Well, I just wanted to know what you made when I was ill or Lorna was ill.when we were young."
I hear.dead silence.
"Mum? Are you still there?"
"Michael?" My mum's voice is very serious now..
"Dear, Who is the girl?"......What did she say?
"I know she is not Alice. so who is she?"
"What do you mean, 'who is she'?".ok how on earth did she know?
"I'm your mother. I know everything about you" she says, laughing, sometime, she scars me so much.
"She is no-one but just my sister!".I'm joking.
I hear my mum sighs exaggeratedly.
"Michael.dear, your sister is actually here with me, and I'm very happy to say she is perfectly well."
I told you, I was only joking.
"Michael!!!" I hear my little sister's voice from back. Yeah, she sounds very well.
"What kind of trouble are you in this time? I'm not going to help you again" her voice is so loud... her voice gives me a headache..."So just grow up!". I sometimes wish I was only child.
"So my dear son, who is she. she is not your little sister. and I know you don't have a big sister. and I'm assuming she is not Alice. who is this mystery lady?", My mum inquires. women. why can they leave thing alone...
I'm just trying to think how to answer to this woman. my mother.
"Michael? So, I'm right about this mystery lady, right?" I regret that I called her now.
"Well, not exactly but yes. partly. She is someone from work and she is on the same business trip and she is not well. I was hoping. if I could do anything."
Before I finish my sentence, she cuts me off.
"Don't worry Michael, you don't have to explain. I know you." she says laughing.
I stop walking. I literary look at my cell phone.my mother is. a quite woman.
"So Michael, is there anything I can do for you?" She says warmly. I thought I explained it to her.
"Yeah, I just wanted to know what I had when I was ill. I mean." and again, she cuts me off.
"Oh, yeah, I remember. hum, let me think. You rarely got ill so I don't really remember. but I'm sure I made ginger-lemon tea for you."
"Ginger-lemon tea?". I don't remember about this at all.
"Yeah, you can make it. It's not that difficult. You just grate a piece of ginger and put honey and lemon juice in a cup. Then you put hot water and you mix them. It's really good for you. It keeps you warm. But don't forget, some people like it but some people hate it. People are different, especially when they are not well"
"Do you remember what sort of food you made?" Thinking, Sydney definitely needs to eat something.
"Well, I think something like, boiled rice, pasta, some vegetables. but if she has a fever it's not really easy to eat so some soup will be better. Oh, and fruits! A lot of fruits. You need something easy to eat, and with good nutrients. Don't forget when you have a fever, it's easy to become dehydrated and it weakens the whole body as well."
"Thanks mum. I will try to find something you said." and she cuts me off AGAIN!.. this woman... never gives me chance to finish what I'm going to say!!!
"Michael, before you go, make sure you make her feel comfortable as much as possible."
"I'll try. Thanks mum. Love you, and say hello to my lovely little sister!"
"Yes, I'll. Love you. Take care dear." And she hangs up.
I can imagine my mum and my sister talking about me for next 3 hours. that how women are....
............................................................................ ..................................... ******************Chapter 8-b************************************
I think I'm in the main street now. Some of shops are already closed but some of them are still open.
I find a supermarket and go in there.
I walk down the isle, trying to remember what she said. I find some gingers, lemons and a bottle of honey.
She said, different people like different things. especially when they are not well. I sigh. I guess I don't have choice but to ask Jack.
I pick up the phone and dial Jack's number. I'm nervous. even though I didn't do anything wrong.
"Bristow" I hear Jack's unfriendly voice.
"Jack, it's Vaughn."
"Agent Vaughn, has something happened to Sydney?" He says quickly.
There are so many things I don't understand about him but lately I started to see that even though his emotions are completely locked and hidden securely, the love and the care for Sydney are peeking out a little.
And that was just a moment his love and care for Syd said hello.
"No, she is safe. She is in the hotel, but I think she is not well. When I went to her room, she fainted and I checked her temperature and she has definitely has a fever."
"How is she?" I hear his concern. he is, after all, her father, only family.
"She said she has a bad headache but fine. But I'm not sure. She didn't look well at all."
"Oh, alright. So what do you want?" Now he is back to typical Jack.
"Well, at the moment, I'm out of the hotel and I was wondering if I could get something for her to eat. I mean she needs to eat but, I don't think she can." I try to think a way to say this. I'm talking to Jack Bristow, not a normal person. so I have to choose words carefully.
"I was hoping. you could tell me what sort of thing she would eat when she is not well." Ok I said it. I hold my breath. hoping I didn't make a huge mistakes. hoping Jack knows. otherwise, I have just insulted a senior CIA agent. a father of Sydney Bristow which means a death sentence to me.
"Chicken soup" he says in a monotone.
"What?".did he say something?
"She would only have some chicken soup when she was ill. And some bananas and oranges. But other than that, she wouldn't eat." So, he knows something about Sydney, more than I expected.
"Thanks Jack, I will get these." the minute I said these words, he hangs up. typical Jack! A normal person would say "tell my daughter to get well" or "please look after my daughter" or something!
Shaking my head, I go back to the fruits area and get some bananas and oranges. Hum. considering she is grown up now, she might eat other things. so I get two apples and grapes in case she might eat these too. Jack could be wrong.
So now. where do I get chicken soup? The problem with this supermarket is that I don't know where everything is! My local supermarket is much smaller than this.
I walk around with the basket in my hand. I just cannot find the soup isle. I ended up clothes section... so I go back...
After walking for a while; I finally manage to find the isle of soups.
I find packs of chicken soup, canned chicken soup, and bottled chicken soup. They are the same chicken soups. but they are not the same? Not only that there are so many different brands, I mean they are like women's clothes! I really don't have time to stay here all night and pick one, so I choose one from each types, a pack, a bottle and a can of chicken soups and a pack of chicken noodle soup, as it might be better with noodles.
I also managed to find a big mug with some sunflowers on for her as I'm sure she wants to have the tea with a mug. I only know roses, tulips and sunflower. so I picked up sunflowers one. I hope she likes it or should I buy the tulips one? No, Sunflower is better to cheer her up.
Thinking of a mug; she might want to have a coup of hot chocolate too, considering she likes M&Ms. so I walk around quickly to find a small bottle of hot chocolate.
Now, my basket is really full and my hand is going to split!!!
Then again I remember that the first aid box doesn't contain any flu medicine so I walk around with a full of basket to find some flu medicine. But the biggest problem is. where is it? Why on earth did they have to build this big supermarket in the middle of London! I don't understand Brits!!! People don't want to take a walk in a supermarket after their work, they just want to do a small shopping!! or.. is it only me thinking that way?
I walk around quickly in search of a box of flu medicine.
I finally managed to find them but again, there are hundreds of them. This is just unbelievable. Why do they always make every thing so complicated! They are all same flu medicine! I cannot stay here all night to choose one. so I pick "Lemsip"...sounds nice.. and this is, you put hot water in, but she might prefer capsules so I pick "Lemsip; Capsules" as well. I didn't know there are that many kinds of flu medicine. I only know aspirins and other pain killers.
I really need to get back so I go to the cash point. Now, here is another decision to make. I am going to use the CIA credit card or my own credit card? I guess, I must use my own as I don't want to be called by Barnett even though I don't think CIA accountants will notice. Surely they will not check each agent's receipts but it's just a precautious measure.
I walk out the supermarket with two full plastic bags in my hands, heading back to the hotel.
Then my cell phone rings. I struggle to pick it up with these bags. When I see the ID, I'm not sure if I want to answer this call or not.
But I answer anyway.
"Vaughn"
"Hello, my dear brother! How are you?"
The minute I heard "hello", I realised I made a huge mistake. I shouldn't have answered this call. Why didn't I trust my judgment?
"I'm fine, thank you very much. How are you my dear little sister?" I ask nicely as much as I can even though I just want to hang up right now.
"Oh, me? I'm perfectly fine even though you don't think so." That's it. I need to hang up right now!
"Lorna, I'm busy and I don't have time to entertain you. Is there anything I can do for you?" I say quickly. Now I can see the hotel.
"Actually it's not you helping me! I'm going to help you, AGAIN!". See I really wish I was only child.
"No, Lorna..." I'm really don't have time for this. but she cuts me off.
"You listen to me. I know you are helping this mystery lady. I assume she has a fever or something right?". Ok, now I withdraw that I thought. I love my sister.. Really!!
"Yeah, she has a very bad fever. But now I got everything. medicine, some ginger and honey for the tea and." she cuts me off again like my mother... is it a generic thing... I wonder.
"I have a friend who used to live in Austria told me there is a really quick way to lower the temperature. I'm not sure if you want to do this to this mystery lady but."
"What is it?". Now I'm cutting her off. yeah, this is generic.
"OK. DON'T cut me off! You need to pick a pair of old socks and put them into very cold vinegar water...then you wear them. That should bring down the fever. My friend's mum did to her and it worked and her grandmother did that too. So it must work for this mystery lady too."
"..........." I just don't know what to say... so I say...
"Thanks for the information." I cannot do that to Syd, even though it may work... I just cannot possibly do that!!!!
"I know you are not going to do it but you could let her know. believe me, it does work. Anyway, I won't keep you long. Take care! Say hello to this mystery lady! Love you, bye!" and before I say anything, she hangs up.
I just stop walking. thinking. that was interesting. but I just cannot do that to Sydney.
It's against protocol!!! I don't want to be out of job because I put a pair of old socks on her!!
Now I really have to go back to the hotel. I go to the back street again and get into the hotel.
Heading to the kitchen, I put these bags. other agents are staring at me. this is the price I have to pay for being a handler.
............................................................................ ................................
Chapter 8-a ............................................................................ ................
Vaughn's POV
I leave the hotel. I have no idea which way to go. I need to go to the main street to find a chemist.
While I walk the narrow street, between buildings, I pick up my cell phone and dial a familiar number.
"Hello?" warm female voice with French accent answers.
"Hi Mum" It's nice to hear her voice, warm and comforting.
"Michael? How are you, dear? I thought you were on.a business trip." I can tell she is worried...
"Yeah, I'm. Don't worry. But I just wanted to know something. It's nothing serious." NO, it IS very serious.
"Oh, well, that's fine. So what did you want to know?"
"Well, I just wanted to know what you made when I was ill or Lorna was ill.when we were young."
I hear.dead silence.
"Mum? Are you still there?"
"Michael?" My mum's voice is very serious now..
"Dear, Who is the girl?"......What did she say?
"I know she is not Alice. so who is she?"
"What do you mean, 'who is she'?".ok how on earth did she know?
"I'm your mother. I know everything about you" she says, laughing, sometime, she scars me so much.
"She is no-one but just my sister!".I'm joking.
I hear my mum sighs exaggeratedly.
"Michael.dear, your sister is actually here with me, and I'm very happy to say she is perfectly well."
I told you, I was only joking.
"Michael!!!" I hear my little sister's voice from back. Yeah, she sounds very well.
"What kind of trouble are you in this time? I'm not going to help you again" her voice is so loud... her voice gives me a headache..."So just grow up!". I sometimes wish I was only child.
"So my dear son, who is she. she is not your little sister. and I know you don't have a big sister. and I'm assuming she is not Alice. who is this mystery lady?", My mum inquires. women. why can they leave thing alone...
I'm just trying to think how to answer to this woman. my mother.
"Michael? So, I'm right about this mystery lady, right?" I regret that I called her now.
"Well, not exactly but yes. partly. She is someone from work and she is on the same business trip and she is not well. I was hoping. if I could do anything."
Before I finish my sentence, she cuts me off.
"Don't worry Michael, you don't have to explain. I know you." she says laughing.
I stop walking. I literary look at my cell phone.my mother is. a quite woman.
"So Michael, is there anything I can do for you?" She says warmly. I thought I explained it to her.
"Yeah, I just wanted to know what I had when I was ill. I mean." and again, she cuts me off.
"Oh, yeah, I remember. hum, let me think. You rarely got ill so I don't really remember. but I'm sure I made ginger-lemon tea for you."
"Ginger-lemon tea?". I don't remember about this at all.
"Yeah, you can make it. It's not that difficult. You just grate a piece of ginger and put honey and lemon juice in a cup. Then you put hot water and you mix them. It's really good for you. It keeps you warm. But don't forget, some people like it but some people hate it. People are different, especially when they are not well"
"Do you remember what sort of food you made?" Thinking, Sydney definitely needs to eat something.
"Well, I think something like, boiled rice, pasta, some vegetables. but if she has a fever it's not really easy to eat so some soup will be better. Oh, and fruits! A lot of fruits. You need something easy to eat, and with good nutrients. Don't forget when you have a fever, it's easy to become dehydrated and it weakens the whole body as well."
"Thanks mum. I will try to find something you said." and she cuts me off AGAIN!.. this woman... never gives me chance to finish what I'm going to say!!!
"Michael, before you go, make sure you make her feel comfortable as much as possible."
"I'll try. Thanks mum. Love you, and say hello to my lovely little sister!"
"Yes, I'll. Love you. Take care dear." And she hangs up.
I can imagine my mum and my sister talking about me for next 3 hours. that how women are....
............................................................................ ..................................... ******************Chapter 8-b************************************
I think I'm in the main street now. Some of shops are already closed but some of them are still open.
I find a supermarket and go in there.
I walk down the isle, trying to remember what she said. I find some gingers, lemons and a bottle of honey.
She said, different people like different things. especially when they are not well. I sigh. I guess I don't have choice but to ask Jack.
I pick up the phone and dial Jack's number. I'm nervous. even though I didn't do anything wrong.
"Bristow" I hear Jack's unfriendly voice.
"Jack, it's Vaughn."
"Agent Vaughn, has something happened to Sydney?" He says quickly.
There are so many things I don't understand about him but lately I started to see that even though his emotions are completely locked and hidden securely, the love and the care for Sydney are peeking out a little.
And that was just a moment his love and care for Syd said hello.
"No, she is safe. She is in the hotel, but I think she is not well. When I went to her room, she fainted and I checked her temperature and she has definitely has a fever."
"How is she?" I hear his concern. he is, after all, her father, only family.
"She said she has a bad headache but fine. But I'm not sure. She didn't look well at all."
"Oh, alright. So what do you want?" Now he is back to typical Jack.
"Well, at the moment, I'm out of the hotel and I was wondering if I could get something for her to eat. I mean she needs to eat but, I don't think she can." I try to think a way to say this. I'm talking to Jack Bristow, not a normal person. so I have to choose words carefully.
"I was hoping. you could tell me what sort of thing she would eat when she is not well." Ok I said it. I hold my breath. hoping I didn't make a huge mistakes. hoping Jack knows. otherwise, I have just insulted a senior CIA agent. a father of Sydney Bristow which means a death sentence to me.
"Chicken soup" he says in a monotone.
"What?".did he say something?
"She would only have some chicken soup when she was ill. And some bananas and oranges. But other than that, she wouldn't eat." So, he knows something about Sydney, more than I expected.
"Thanks Jack, I will get these." the minute I said these words, he hangs up. typical Jack! A normal person would say "tell my daughter to get well" or "please look after my daughter" or something!
Shaking my head, I go back to the fruits area and get some bananas and oranges. Hum. considering she is grown up now, she might eat other things. so I get two apples and grapes in case she might eat these too. Jack could be wrong.
So now. where do I get chicken soup? The problem with this supermarket is that I don't know where everything is! My local supermarket is much smaller than this.
I walk around with the basket in my hand. I just cannot find the soup isle. I ended up clothes section... so I go back...
After walking for a while; I finally manage to find the isle of soups.
I find packs of chicken soup, canned chicken soup, and bottled chicken soup. They are the same chicken soups. but they are not the same? Not only that there are so many different brands, I mean they are like women's clothes! I really don't have time to stay here all night and pick one, so I choose one from each types, a pack, a bottle and a can of chicken soups and a pack of chicken noodle soup, as it might be better with noodles.
I also managed to find a big mug with some sunflowers on for her as I'm sure she wants to have the tea with a mug. I only know roses, tulips and sunflower. so I picked up sunflowers one. I hope she likes it or should I buy the tulips one? No, Sunflower is better to cheer her up.
Thinking of a mug; she might want to have a coup of hot chocolate too, considering she likes M&Ms. so I walk around quickly to find a small bottle of hot chocolate.
Now, my basket is really full and my hand is going to split!!!
Then again I remember that the first aid box doesn't contain any flu medicine so I walk around with a full of basket to find some flu medicine. But the biggest problem is. where is it? Why on earth did they have to build this big supermarket in the middle of London! I don't understand Brits!!! People don't want to take a walk in a supermarket after their work, they just want to do a small shopping!! or.. is it only me thinking that way?
I walk around quickly in search of a box of flu medicine.
I finally managed to find them but again, there are hundreds of them. This is just unbelievable. Why do they always make every thing so complicated! They are all same flu medicine! I cannot stay here all night to choose one. so I pick "Lemsip"...sounds nice.. and this is, you put hot water in, but she might prefer capsules so I pick "Lemsip; Capsules" as well. I didn't know there are that many kinds of flu medicine. I only know aspirins and other pain killers.
I really need to get back so I go to the cash point. Now, here is another decision to make. I am going to use the CIA credit card or my own credit card? I guess, I must use my own as I don't want to be called by Barnett even though I don't think CIA accountants will notice. Surely they will not check each agent's receipts but it's just a precautious measure.
I walk out the supermarket with two full plastic bags in my hands, heading back to the hotel.
Then my cell phone rings. I struggle to pick it up with these bags. When I see the ID, I'm not sure if I want to answer this call or not.
But I answer anyway.
"Vaughn"
"Hello, my dear brother! How are you?"
The minute I heard "hello", I realised I made a huge mistake. I shouldn't have answered this call. Why didn't I trust my judgment?
"I'm fine, thank you very much. How are you my dear little sister?" I ask nicely as much as I can even though I just want to hang up right now.
"Oh, me? I'm perfectly fine even though you don't think so." That's it. I need to hang up right now!
"Lorna, I'm busy and I don't have time to entertain you. Is there anything I can do for you?" I say quickly. Now I can see the hotel.
"Actually it's not you helping me! I'm going to help you, AGAIN!". See I really wish I was only child.
"No, Lorna..." I'm really don't have time for this. but she cuts me off.
"You listen to me. I know you are helping this mystery lady. I assume she has a fever or something right?". Ok, now I withdraw that I thought. I love my sister.. Really!!
"Yeah, she has a very bad fever. But now I got everything. medicine, some ginger and honey for the tea and." she cuts me off again like my mother... is it a generic thing... I wonder.
"I have a friend who used to live in Austria told me there is a really quick way to lower the temperature. I'm not sure if you want to do this to this mystery lady but."
"What is it?". Now I'm cutting her off. yeah, this is generic.
"OK. DON'T cut me off! You need to pick a pair of old socks and put them into very cold vinegar water...then you wear them. That should bring down the fever. My friend's mum did to her and it worked and her grandmother did that too. So it must work for this mystery lady too."
"..........." I just don't know what to say... so I say...
"Thanks for the information." I cannot do that to Syd, even though it may work... I just cannot possibly do that!!!!
"I know you are not going to do it but you could let her know. believe me, it does work. Anyway, I won't keep you long. Take care! Say hello to this mystery lady! Love you, bye!" and before I say anything, she hangs up.
I just stop walking. thinking. that was interesting. but I just cannot do that to Sydney.
It's against protocol!!! I don't want to be out of job because I put a pair of old socks on her!!
Now I really have to go back to the hotel. I go to the back street again and get into the hotel.
Heading to the kitchen, I put these bags. other agents are staring at me. this is the price I have to pay for being a handler.
............................................................................ ................................