"Vaughn," Sydney's sleepy voice was quiet. The room was dark, except for a
small amount of light pouring in through the bottom of the doorway.
"Syd?" He replied, tired but waking quickly with worry.
"We need a name for our baby." She said happily, with only a small hint of fear.
"You're right." He said rubbing his eyes. "What were you thinking?"
"I don't know. Something that sounds good with Vaughn, I guess." She laughed softly.
"What about Michelle?" Vaughn said kissing her head.
"No, that doesn't seem right." She shook her head.
"Alright, Jennifer," he said, racking his brain for names he liked.
"No." She giggled. "Kate?" She said after a moment of thought.
"That might work or .. Ummmm.. I once had an aunt named Emma."
"Emma." She repeated softly. "Emma Katherine Vaughn?"
"Sounds about right to me." He said softly. She turned her head to look at him, and smiled.
"Emma." She said firmly.
"Emma." He repeated leaning in and kissing her lightly on the lips. "How are you feeling?" He said as they parted.
"I'm actually alright." She said smiling meekly.
"Sydney?" He said, arching an eyebrow, and revealing his worrisome forehead wrinkles. "You just had a baby, it's okay for you to not be 'alright'." At this she lifted her head and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"Okay, I'm sore but I feel alright. Of course that could all change when I stand up. Walking isn't something I'm looking forward to." She laughed nervously.
"Give it time." Vaughn said pushing the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"I don't know how much time we have Vaughn." She said, a serious expression taking over her face.
"You have all the time in the world to heal. The bab..Emma needs you to be healthy." He said also very seriously.
"I know." She nodded. "But I also want to take Emma home." She said arching her own eyebrow. Vaughn nodded.
"It's about time all of this was over." He nodded.
Sydney looked off into the darkness for a moment, before returning her gaze to Vaughn. "It's my responsibility." She said softly.
"Sydney, you can't say that. We're all mixed up in this. You can't take this upon yourself."
"Vaughn," she interrupted. "This is my fault. This is my problem.."
"Sydney, whatever problems you have are mine too."
"No." She said firmly. "Not this." A long silence ensued, both stared into the other's eyes.
"Not this Vaughn." She said quietly. "Not when the outcome it this uncertain. We can't both do this. One of us has to see this through, and the other." She paused. "You have to make sure that our children have at least one parent to grow up with." She said, using all of her strength to hold back tears.
"Sydney that's insane. If we fight this, we do it together."he said, incredibly frustrated.
Sydney shook her head. "Vaughn," She smiled. "You can't protect me. Not this. You have protect Emma. You have to protect our family." Her eyes her clear and firm. Vaughn stared at her for a long moment, tears welling in his eyes.
"We can do this together. I can't let you do this alone. I can't lose you again. We'll protect Emma together, our family.." He paused, racked by tears.
"I can't do that without you." He breathed. Sydney smiled, pulling him close. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An hour later Sydney still held Vaughn close to her heart as he slept. She remained awake, thinking about what was to come. She was deep in thought when the room was briefly lit by the door opening. Sydney looked toward the entry way and saw her mother standing there. She smiled weakly as Irina neared the bed. Irina held out her hand to Sydney, and Sydney reached to take it. Without a word Irina smiled, and squeezed her hand.
"Mom," She breathed. "Help me up." Sydney said without hesitation.
"Sydney, you're still weak." Irina said, her eyes aglow with worry.
"Help me up." Sydney affirmed, releasing her arm from Vaughn and moving his own. She removed the IV from her arm, and turning off the heart monitor beside the bed, she pulled the electrode patch from her chest. She slowly and painfully got her legs over the side of the bed. Leaning on her mother, almost completely, she stood. "That wasn't so bad." She said quietly. She held her breath in, trying to will herself not to feel the pain.
"Sydney, this isn't a good idea." Irina pleaded. Sydney said nothing, but put one foot in front of the other and ever so slowly made her way to the door. With some effort she let go of her mother and walked across the threshold into the large room of the warehouse. She shivered in the cold, wearing only a hospital gown. Irina stood closely behind her spotting her every move.
"Where is Emma?" Sydney said firmly.
Without a word Irina led the way to another room along the wall of the warehouse. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney entered slowly, still unsure of her feet. The doctor, leaning over Emma on an examination table, looked up at her surprisedly before removing the stethoscope from his ear. He gently picked up the child and placed her in the incubator next to the table, before turning to Irina and Sydney.
"Well I'm surprised to see you up and about." He said as he removed his latex gloves.
"I'm sorry we haven't met, who are you?" Sydney demanded.
"My name is Dr. Henry Schwartz, and though you don't remember be, I delivered your daughter." He said, arrogance and bitterness lacing his voice.
"Dr. Schwartz." Sydney said skeptically. "When will Emma, be able to be moved." Sydney said, trying desperately to keep her balance as she stood.
"Please you should lie down you."
"I'm fine." Sydney interrupted firmly. "Answer my question."
"Sydney." Sloane's voice came from behind her. "Do as the doctor says."
She turned her head to the side, unable to see him, but not wanting to risk falling over.
"Dr. I want to know."She was interrupted before she could finish.
"If you do not follow the doctor's orders, my men will force you to." Sloane said taking a few steps into the room so she could see him.
"You bastard." She said shaking with anger. He legs were growing weak, as the room began to tilt back and forth. Irina stepped forward quickly and pulled Sydney's arm around her shoulder's steadying her. Sloane followed suit and soon Sydney was standing between then.
"Back to bed." Sloane laughed.
"No." Sydney yelled with all the strength she had left. "Take me to my daughter. I want to see Emma." She gasped, completely out of breath.
"Later Sydney you need to rest." Sloane started.
"Arvin." Irina said, looking him in the eye over Sydney's head. After a moment Sloane nodded, and they made their was slowly across the room, to the incubator where Emma slept. Sydney grabbed onto the table next to the incubator and steadied herself, releasing both Slone and her mother. For a long moment she just stared at Emma. She was beautiful as she slept. It reminded her of when Ryan was just born.
"Sydney, she needs you to be healthy." Irina whispered in her ear.
"She needs her mother." Sydney breathed, her voice shaking with tears. She reached down and touched the baby's face. "I love you." She said softly, before she began falling. The room went black. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Syd?" He replied, tired but waking quickly with worry.
"We need a name for our baby." She said happily, with only a small hint of fear.
"You're right." He said rubbing his eyes. "What were you thinking?"
"I don't know. Something that sounds good with Vaughn, I guess." She laughed softly.
"What about Michelle?" Vaughn said kissing her head.
"No, that doesn't seem right." She shook her head.
"Alright, Jennifer," he said, racking his brain for names he liked.
"No." She giggled. "Kate?" She said after a moment of thought.
"That might work or .. Ummmm.. I once had an aunt named Emma."
"Emma." She repeated softly. "Emma Katherine Vaughn?"
"Sounds about right to me." He said softly. She turned her head to look at him, and smiled.
"Emma." She said firmly.
"Emma." He repeated leaning in and kissing her lightly on the lips. "How are you feeling?" He said as they parted.
"I'm actually alright." She said smiling meekly.
"Sydney?" He said, arching an eyebrow, and revealing his worrisome forehead wrinkles. "You just had a baby, it's okay for you to not be 'alright'." At this she lifted her head and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"Okay, I'm sore but I feel alright. Of course that could all change when I stand up. Walking isn't something I'm looking forward to." She laughed nervously.
"Give it time." Vaughn said pushing the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"I don't know how much time we have Vaughn." She said, a serious expression taking over her face.
"You have all the time in the world to heal. The bab..Emma needs you to be healthy." He said also very seriously.
"I know." She nodded. "But I also want to take Emma home." She said arching her own eyebrow. Vaughn nodded.
"It's about time all of this was over." He nodded.
Sydney looked off into the darkness for a moment, before returning her gaze to Vaughn. "It's my responsibility." She said softly.
"Sydney, you can't say that. We're all mixed up in this. You can't take this upon yourself."
"Vaughn," she interrupted. "This is my fault. This is my problem.."
"Sydney, whatever problems you have are mine too."
"No." She said firmly. "Not this." A long silence ensued, both stared into the other's eyes.
"Not this Vaughn." She said quietly. "Not when the outcome it this uncertain. We can't both do this. One of us has to see this through, and the other." She paused. "You have to make sure that our children have at least one parent to grow up with." She said, using all of her strength to hold back tears.
"Sydney that's insane. If we fight this, we do it together."he said, incredibly frustrated.
Sydney shook her head. "Vaughn," She smiled. "You can't protect me. Not this. You have protect Emma. You have to protect our family." Her eyes her clear and firm. Vaughn stared at her for a long moment, tears welling in his eyes.
"We can do this together. I can't let you do this alone. I can't lose you again. We'll protect Emma together, our family.." He paused, racked by tears.
"I can't do that without you." He breathed. Sydney smiled, pulling him close. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An hour later Sydney still held Vaughn close to her heart as he slept. She remained awake, thinking about what was to come. She was deep in thought when the room was briefly lit by the door opening. Sydney looked toward the entry way and saw her mother standing there. She smiled weakly as Irina neared the bed. Irina held out her hand to Sydney, and Sydney reached to take it. Without a word Irina smiled, and squeezed her hand.
"Mom," She breathed. "Help me up." Sydney said without hesitation.
"Sydney, you're still weak." Irina said, her eyes aglow with worry.
"Help me up." Sydney affirmed, releasing her arm from Vaughn and moving his own. She removed the IV from her arm, and turning off the heart monitor beside the bed, she pulled the electrode patch from her chest. She slowly and painfully got her legs over the side of the bed. Leaning on her mother, almost completely, she stood. "That wasn't so bad." She said quietly. She held her breath in, trying to will herself not to feel the pain.
"Sydney, this isn't a good idea." Irina pleaded. Sydney said nothing, but put one foot in front of the other and ever so slowly made her way to the door. With some effort she let go of her mother and walked across the threshold into the large room of the warehouse. She shivered in the cold, wearing only a hospital gown. Irina stood closely behind her spotting her every move.
"Where is Emma?" Sydney said firmly.
Without a word Irina led the way to another room along the wall of the warehouse. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sydney entered slowly, still unsure of her feet. The doctor, leaning over Emma on an examination table, looked up at her surprisedly before removing the stethoscope from his ear. He gently picked up the child and placed her in the incubator next to the table, before turning to Irina and Sydney.
"Well I'm surprised to see you up and about." He said as he removed his latex gloves.
"I'm sorry we haven't met, who are you?" Sydney demanded.
"My name is Dr. Henry Schwartz, and though you don't remember be, I delivered your daughter." He said, arrogance and bitterness lacing his voice.
"Dr. Schwartz." Sydney said skeptically. "When will Emma, be able to be moved." Sydney said, trying desperately to keep her balance as she stood.
"Please you should lie down you."
"I'm fine." Sydney interrupted firmly. "Answer my question."
"Sydney." Sloane's voice came from behind her. "Do as the doctor says."
She turned her head to the side, unable to see him, but not wanting to risk falling over.
"Dr. I want to know."She was interrupted before she could finish.
"If you do not follow the doctor's orders, my men will force you to." Sloane said taking a few steps into the room so she could see him.
"You bastard." She said shaking with anger. He legs were growing weak, as the room began to tilt back and forth. Irina stepped forward quickly and pulled Sydney's arm around her shoulder's steadying her. Sloane followed suit and soon Sydney was standing between then.
"Back to bed." Sloane laughed.
"No." Sydney yelled with all the strength she had left. "Take me to my daughter. I want to see Emma." She gasped, completely out of breath.
"Later Sydney you need to rest." Sloane started.
"Arvin." Irina said, looking him in the eye over Sydney's head. After a moment Sloane nodded, and they made their was slowly across the room, to the incubator where Emma slept. Sydney grabbed onto the table next to the incubator and steadied herself, releasing both Slone and her mother. For a long moment she just stared at Emma. She was beautiful as she slept. It reminded her of when Ryan was just born.
"Sydney, she needs you to be healthy." Irina whispered in her ear.
"She needs her mother." Sydney breathed, her voice shaking with tears. She reached down and touched the baby's face. "I love you." She said softly, before she began falling. The room went black. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++