The door opened letting a flood of light into the room. Sydney hadn't
realized how dark it really was. In fact her eyes were so adjusted, that
the infiltration of light hurt her eyes. At first the light was intensely
blinding, but soon it was blocked by the shadows of people in the doorway.
Man Sydney didn't recognize walked into the room. He grabbed her by the arm
and pulled her toward the doorway.
The hallway was even brighter, and Sydney had to shut her eyes to keep her head from spinning. After a few yards of walking the man turned left, and led Sydney down a new hallway. Soon they arrived at another doorway, and the man unlocked it and led her into it.
This room was softly lit, it even had a kind of blue glow to it. There was a desk and chairs, and a small window. The man abruptly let go of Sydney's arm and left the room. Sydney tried to follow him out, but the door was locked. She made her way to the window and peered out of it. The sunlight still hurt her eyes, but she could make out several tree tops, and a street below.
Sydney turned as she heard the door open. As she stepped toward the doorway she was suddenly faced with Arvin Sloane.
"Hello Sydney. How are you feeling today?"
"What the hell am I doing here? What is going on?" Sydney tried desperately to remember what was happening, but it all seemed hazy and jumbled.
"This will be much easier if you just cooperate. The sooner you answer my questions the sooner you can leave." Sloane said as he walked toward the desk and sat down behind it.
"You mean go back to that room?" Sydney said, as she sat, feeling slightly dizzy.
"No Sydney, I mean go home. This has gone on long enough. It is time for you to leave us." Sloane said with a knowing smile on his face.
"I don't understand. What has gone on long enough? What am I doing here?" Sydney's head was now spinning at an incredible rate.
"There's no need to worry about that now. At the moment I would just like to know how you are feeling."
"Quite dizzy. How should I be feeling?" Sydney began to rub her temple. Slowly her head slowed, and she became less dizzy.
"I mean after the procedure the other day. The doctor's said you did wonderfully."
'What procedure? What the..."
"Sydney." Sloane interrupted. "You need to just answer my questions, that's all I ask. Now the doctors had to make a small incision I assume it is beginning to heal?"
Sydney was alarmed by Sloane's words. She had undergone surgery without knowing it. She tried to do an overview of her entire body, to figure out what Sloane might have meant. Then she realized that beyond the pain in her head, she could feel pain elsewhere. Slowly she lifted the sweatshirt from her stomach. To the right of her belly button was a large gauze pad taped to her abdomen.
"What have you done to me? What is this all about?"
"I'm so sorry the procedure was so invasive. The doctors needed to be sure that it took the way it needed to. But hopefully in about 9 months, we'll have the little girl we've all been waiting for."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney awoke with a start. Sweat covered her body, and her neck hurt from being carelessly propped up against the bed. With a start Sydney realized the content of her nightmare. She ran her hand over the place where she still had the scar on her stomach. She thought for a long moment what it all meant. Was this a memory? Had she made it up?
She couldn't tell how long she had been there asleep on the floor, but the fire had burned itself out. Trying to push the thoughts of her nightmare from her head, she stood and stretched her legs. "Vaughn?" She called softly. She looked around the room and suddenly realized that he wasn't there at all. She remembered the doorbell ringing, and walked toward the door. There was no one in the hallway. But standing there in complete silence she could vaguely hear voices. She followed the sounds to the basement stairs, and descended them carefully.
"Vaughn," She called about halfway down.
"Sydney," she head him reply. As she reached the landing she looked out over the darkened basement. Sitting at the far end was Vaughn and her mother.
"Mom?" Sydney said, quickening her pace toward their position.
"Hello Sydney," Irina said standing. As Sydney reached Vaughn and her mother, she smiled and hugged her mother tightly.
"What are you doing here?" Sydney said excitedly.
"I came to visit you; I had to see if the rumors were true." Irina let go of her daughter and let her hand linger on Sydney's protruding stomach.
"I'm afraid they are." Sydney said beaming. She looked to Vaughn who was now standing as well. But Vaughn, who was usually quick to show his pride, was somber and unenthused. Noticing Sydney and Vaughn's looks, Irina quickly tried to defuse the situation.
"I would love to chat with you all night long sweetheart, but I am exhausted, and I know you need your sleep. Can we continue our conversation in the morning?" Irina said smiling, taking her daughters hand, and leading her toward the stairs. Sydney was disconcerted by Vaughn's expression, but followed her mother. "I was telling Michael what a wonderful job Jack did picking out the house." Irina said as she and Sydney ascended the stairs together, leaving Vaughn standing alone in the dark basement.
The hallway was even brighter, and Sydney had to shut her eyes to keep her head from spinning. After a few yards of walking the man turned left, and led Sydney down a new hallway. Soon they arrived at another doorway, and the man unlocked it and led her into it.
This room was softly lit, it even had a kind of blue glow to it. There was a desk and chairs, and a small window. The man abruptly let go of Sydney's arm and left the room. Sydney tried to follow him out, but the door was locked. She made her way to the window and peered out of it. The sunlight still hurt her eyes, but she could make out several tree tops, and a street below.
Sydney turned as she heard the door open. As she stepped toward the doorway she was suddenly faced with Arvin Sloane.
"Hello Sydney. How are you feeling today?"
"What the hell am I doing here? What is going on?" Sydney tried desperately to remember what was happening, but it all seemed hazy and jumbled.
"This will be much easier if you just cooperate. The sooner you answer my questions the sooner you can leave." Sloane said as he walked toward the desk and sat down behind it.
"You mean go back to that room?" Sydney said, as she sat, feeling slightly dizzy.
"No Sydney, I mean go home. This has gone on long enough. It is time for you to leave us." Sloane said with a knowing smile on his face.
"I don't understand. What has gone on long enough? What am I doing here?" Sydney's head was now spinning at an incredible rate.
"There's no need to worry about that now. At the moment I would just like to know how you are feeling."
"Quite dizzy. How should I be feeling?" Sydney began to rub her temple. Slowly her head slowed, and she became less dizzy.
"I mean after the procedure the other day. The doctor's said you did wonderfully."
'What procedure? What the..."
"Sydney." Sloane interrupted. "You need to just answer my questions, that's all I ask. Now the doctors had to make a small incision I assume it is beginning to heal?"
Sydney was alarmed by Sloane's words. She had undergone surgery without knowing it. She tried to do an overview of her entire body, to figure out what Sloane might have meant. Then she realized that beyond the pain in her head, she could feel pain elsewhere. Slowly she lifted the sweatshirt from her stomach. To the right of her belly button was a large gauze pad taped to her abdomen.
"What have you done to me? What is this all about?"
"I'm so sorry the procedure was so invasive. The doctors needed to be sure that it took the way it needed to. But hopefully in about 9 months, we'll have the little girl we've all been waiting for."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney awoke with a start. Sweat covered her body, and her neck hurt from being carelessly propped up against the bed. With a start Sydney realized the content of her nightmare. She ran her hand over the place where she still had the scar on her stomach. She thought for a long moment what it all meant. Was this a memory? Had she made it up?
She couldn't tell how long she had been there asleep on the floor, but the fire had burned itself out. Trying to push the thoughts of her nightmare from her head, she stood and stretched her legs. "Vaughn?" She called softly. She looked around the room and suddenly realized that he wasn't there at all. She remembered the doorbell ringing, and walked toward the door. There was no one in the hallway. But standing there in complete silence she could vaguely hear voices. She followed the sounds to the basement stairs, and descended them carefully.
"Vaughn," She called about halfway down.
"Sydney," she head him reply. As she reached the landing she looked out over the darkened basement. Sitting at the far end was Vaughn and her mother.
"Mom?" Sydney said, quickening her pace toward their position.
"Hello Sydney," Irina said standing. As Sydney reached Vaughn and her mother, she smiled and hugged her mother tightly.
"What are you doing here?" Sydney said excitedly.
"I came to visit you; I had to see if the rumors were true." Irina let go of her daughter and let her hand linger on Sydney's protruding stomach.
"I'm afraid they are." Sydney said beaming. She looked to Vaughn who was now standing as well. But Vaughn, who was usually quick to show his pride, was somber and unenthused. Noticing Sydney and Vaughn's looks, Irina quickly tried to defuse the situation.
"I would love to chat with you all night long sweetheart, but I am exhausted, and I know you need your sleep. Can we continue our conversation in the morning?" Irina said smiling, taking her daughters hand, and leading her toward the stairs. Sydney was disconcerted by Vaughn's expression, but followed her mother. "I was telling Michael what a wonderful job Jack did picking out the house." Irina said as she and Sydney ascended the stairs together, leaving Vaughn standing alone in the dark basement.