INT. SYDNEY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUED
We're back with Sydney and Vaughn after he told her the story about her father and him in Nice. She is looking at him thoughtfully. He can't look her in the eye.
SYDNEY
I was wondering what happened between the two of you.
VAUGHN
I failed his daughter. I'm just lucky he didn't shoot me.
She reaches out and touches him lightly on the knee. She waits for him to look up at her.
SYDNEY
You thought I was dead.
VAUGHN
Yeah, but you weren't. And if I had worked with your father maybe together we could have found something.
SYDNEY
You would have had to work with my mother.
Vaughn shrugs.
VAUGHN
I did it before. And for you, I should've been able to do it again.
SYDNEY
In which case the NSC would have arrested the both of you.
Vaughn looks away again.
VAUGHN
At least that way I would've been waiting for you when you got back.
SYDNEY
Vaughn, don't. Things happen the way they happen. There's no point in dwelling on what might have been.
VAUGHN
Yeah, but your dad was right. I knew it even then. That's why things got worse after he left. I couldn't stay in Nice and eventually I found myself in Rome...
CUT TO:
INT. A HOSPITAL (ROME) - MORNING
Vaughn is lying in a hospital bed. His eye is swollen shut and his jaw and temple are severely bruised. He looks like someone punched him and slammed his face into a bar, which is pretty much what happened. Slowly he opens his one good eye and he sees someone sitting next to his bed off-screen. He tries to smile but the bruises on his face make it into more of a wincing grin.
VAUGHN
Please tell me that this was just the worst dream ever.
It's Sydney sitting by his bed. She doesn't say anything. She just shakes her head.
VAUGHN
Yeah, I didn't think so.
He tries to sit up but it hurts too much.
VAUGHN
Damn what the hell happened to me? Last thing I remember was the bar in Trattoria de Nardi and a big ugly guy named Silvio.
He reaches a hand and gingerly touches the injuries on his face, especially that nasty eye. Think Will in Almost Thirty Years.
VAUGHN
I think he hit me.
He looks at the back of his hand and sees some bruising on his knuckles.
VAUGHN
At least it looks like I hit him back.
He looks over at Syd who's still not speaking. He raises his good eyebrow.
VAUGHN
So does this black eye make me look rakish and sexy?
She shakes her head and gives him a sad smile.
SYDNEY
Vaughn, what are you doing?
Vaughn is completely taken aback by this. He's been talking to her for a while now but this is the first time she's ever talked back. He looks at the IV bag hanging by his bed wondering just what kind of drugs they're giving him. Finally he manages a confused:
VAUGHN
Um... Trying to flirt with you?
SYDNEY
I'm serious. Drinking all day? Getting into bar fights? This isn't you.
Vaughn is seriously wigging out at this point so his reply is nervous and strained. He first tries to avoid the subject and lighten things up.
VAUGHN
You didn't know me when I was in college.
Syd just gives him a disapproving look and he decides to just go with it. So what if his dead girlfriend is talking to him?
VAUGHN
Sorry. Look, um... Syd, this is all I know to do anymore. Everything else reminds me of you.
SYDNEY
So you're trying to forget me?
VAUGHN
No. I could never do that.
SYDNEY
Then what are you doing?
VAUGHN
I don't know. I just know that I can't go back to LA and I sure as hell can't go back to the Agency.
SYDNEY
So you're just going to give up and drink yourself to death?
VAUGHN
It's not like I have all that much to live for.
SYDNEY
Stop it!
He looks up in surprise.
SYDNEY
Stop it right now. If you want to kill yourself, fine. Do it. But don't you dare do it because of me. I risked my life to save yours and I would do anything for just one more second of mine. So don't insult me by casually throwing your life away in my name when you know damn well that I would never approve.
He's frustrated with trying to explain his actions, first to her dad and now to her. Or, you know, whatever.
VAUGHN
But I don't know what else to do. Without you here nothing means anything.
SYDNEY
Your life had meaning before you met me.
VAUGHN
What I had before was nothing compared to what I had with you. And I can't imagine anything else ever will.
SYDNEY
That may be true. But this isn't the first time that you've lost someone close to you.
VAUGHN
It was different with my dad.
SYDNEY
No it wasn't. Not really. I know. I went through the same thing with my mom, with Danny. It hurts like hell and you wonder how you'll ever make it without them but you do. You get out of bed, you go to school, you go to work... You live the life they would have wanted you to have.
Vaughn is saddened by her words.
VAUGHN
Syd, I don't know if I can do this without you. I don't even want to.
SYDNEY
Well, I do. And I want you to.
VAUGHN
I already told you. I can't go back...
She reaches out and places a hand on his. He's both calmed and freaked out at her touch.
SYDNEY
I know. I'm not asking you to. But you can't do this anymore. You'll know what to do. But you can't even begin to figure out what that is if you're not even looking.
He looks down at their hands and then up at her.
VAUGHN
What about you?
She gives him a reassuring smile.
SYDNEY
It's okay. I'll be here. Now go to sleep. You need to get some rest.
Vaughn looks like he's about to protest but he's suddenly very tired and his eyes droop closed. They stay that way for a second, maybe two before they're slowly opening again. He's groggy and he peers out uncertainly.
VAUGHN
Syd...
She's not there anymore.
We're back with Sydney and Vaughn after he told her the story about her father and him in Nice. She is looking at him thoughtfully. He can't look her in the eye.
SYDNEY
I was wondering what happened between the two of you.
VAUGHN
I failed his daughter. I'm just lucky he didn't shoot me.
She reaches out and touches him lightly on the knee. She waits for him to look up at her.
SYDNEY
You thought I was dead.
VAUGHN
Yeah, but you weren't. And if I had worked with your father maybe together we could have found something.
SYDNEY
You would have had to work with my mother.
Vaughn shrugs.
VAUGHN
I did it before. And for you, I should've been able to do it again.
SYDNEY
In which case the NSC would have arrested the both of you.
Vaughn looks away again.
VAUGHN
At least that way I would've been waiting for you when you got back.
SYDNEY
Vaughn, don't. Things happen the way they happen. There's no point in dwelling on what might have been.
VAUGHN
Yeah, but your dad was right. I knew it even then. That's why things got worse after he left. I couldn't stay in Nice and eventually I found myself in Rome...
CUT TO:
INT. A HOSPITAL (ROME) - MORNING
Vaughn is lying in a hospital bed. His eye is swollen shut and his jaw and temple are severely bruised. He looks like someone punched him and slammed his face into a bar, which is pretty much what happened. Slowly he opens his one good eye and he sees someone sitting next to his bed off-screen. He tries to smile but the bruises on his face make it into more of a wincing grin.
VAUGHN
Please tell me that this was just the worst dream ever.
It's Sydney sitting by his bed. She doesn't say anything. She just shakes her head.
VAUGHN
Yeah, I didn't think so.
He tries to sit up but it hurts too much.
VAUGHN
Damn what the hell happened to me? Last thing I remember was the bar in Trattoria de Nardi and a big ugly guy named Silvio.
He reaches a hand and gingerly touches the injuries on his face, especially that nasty eye. Think Will in Almost Thirty Years.
VAUGHN
I think he hit me.
He looks at the back of his hand and sees some bruising on his knuckles.
VAUGHN
At least it looks like I hit him back.
He looks over at Syd who's still not speaking. He raises his good eyebrow.
VAUGHN
So does this black eye make me look rakish and sexy?
She shakes her head and gives him a sad smile.
SYDNEY
Vaughn, what are you doing?
Vaughn is completely taken aback by this. He's been talking to her for a while now but this is the first time she's ever talked back. He looks at the IV bag hanging by his bed wondering just what kind of drugs they're giving him. Finally he manages a confused:
VAUGHN
Um... Trying to flirt with you?
SYDNEY
I'm serious. Drinking all day? Getting into bar fights? This isn't you.
Vaughn is seriously wigging out at this point so his reply is nervous and strained. He first tries to avoid the subject and lighten things up.
VAUGHN
You didn't know me when I was in college.
Syd just gives him a disapproving look and he decides to just go with it. So what if his dead girlfriend is talking to him?
VAUGHN
Sorry. Look, um... Syd, this is all I know to do anymore. Everything else reminds me of you.
SYDNEY
So you're trying to forget me?
VAUGHN
No. I could never do that.
SYDNEY
Then what are you doing?
VAUGHN
I don't know. I just know that I can't go back to LA and I sure as hell can't go back to the Agency.
SYDNEY
So you're just going to give up and drink yourself to death?
VAUGHN
It's not like I have all that much to live for.
SYDNEY
Stop it!
He looks up in surprise.
SYDNEY
Stop it right now. If you want to kill yourself, fine. Do it. But don't you dare do it because of me. I risked my life to save yours and I would do anything for just one more second of mine. So don't insult me by casually throwing your life away in my name when you know damn well that I would never approve.
He's frustrated with trying to explain his actions, first to her dad and now to her. Or, you know, whatever.
VAUGHN
But I don't know what else to do. Without you here nothing means anything.
SYDNEY
Your life had meaning before you met me.
VAUGHN
What I had before was nothing compared to what I had with you. And I can't imagine anything else ever will.
SYDNEY
That may be true. But this isn't the first time that you've lost someone close to you.
VAUGHN
It was different with my dad.
SYDNEY
No it wasn't. Not really. I know. I went through the same thing with my mom, with Danny. It hurts like hell and you wonder how you'll ever make it without them but you do. You get out of bed, you go to school, you go to work... You live the life they would have wanted you to have.
Vaughn is saddened by her words.
VAUGHN
Syd, I don't know if I can do this without you. I don't even want to.
SYDNEY
Well, I do. And I want you to.
VAUGHN
I already told you. I can't go back...
She reaches out and places a hand on his. He's both calmed and freaked out at her touch.
SYDNEY
I know. I'm not asking you to. But you can't do this anymore. You'll know what to do. But you can't even begin to figure out what that is if you're not even looking.
He looks down at their hands and then up at her.
VAUGHN
What about you?
She gives him a reassuring smile.
SYDNEY
It's okay. I'll be here. Now go to sleep. You need to get some rest.
Vaughn looks like he's about to protest but he's suddenly very tired and his eyes droop closed. They stay that way for a second, maybe two before they're slowly opening again. He's groggy and he peers out uncertainly.
VAUGHN
Syd...
She's not there anymore.
