Chapter 2:
Sydney woke up startled to find a bright white light shining in her face. When everything came into focus, she realized she was at the hospital.
She looked around, expecting to find Vaughn sitting beside her, but he wasn't there. There was a nurse filling something out on her chart at the foot of her bed.
The nurse looked up. "Oh, Ms. Bristow, you're awake! I better go and get Dr. Reed!"
"Wait," Sydney called back to her in a hoarse whisper. "What am I doing here?"
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to ask Dr. Reed about that. There are certain problems you have experienced that only she can answer."
"Like what?"
"She'll answer your questions." And without another word, she left the room.
Sydney glanced around the room once more. She focused her eyes on the door. It read UCI from what she could see. She mentally reversed the letters: ICU. "Oh, God. What happened to me?" She asked to herself.
There was a knock on the door and a doctor, she presumed Dr. Reed, entered.
Dr. Reed was blonde with blue-green eyes. "Hello, Sydney." She said with a British accent.
"Why am I here?" She asked.
"You are here because you were shot 2 times. Once in your lower right abdomen, and once in your left shoulder. You've been out for 36 hours."
"How did I get here? Was someone else with me?"
"You were taken by ambulance to us. There were to 3 other people taken in with you. Two men and 1 woman."
"Two men? Who were they?"
"A William Tippin and a Michael Vaughn. The woman's identity was not known until the coroner did a DNA test, an Allison Doran."
Sydney froze when she heard Vaughn's name. How are they?"
"They're critical but stable. Mr. Tippin was stabbed and Mr. Vaughn was shot once in the head. He's undergoing surgery today to try and remove the bullet."
"Can I visit them? And why besides getting shot am I here?"
Dr. Reed froze. "We don't know yet. We have to do more testing."
"Can I visit my friends?"
"After your testing."
"What kind of testing?"
"Most likely blood tests, MRI's, CAT scans, and a bond marrow test."
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"You have a horrible scar from the operation. It appears they found something else when they went in to remove the bullet. But we won't know yet until the biopsy comes back."
Sydney lay down, frozen in shock.
"Oh, and please, call me by my first name, Lauren."
Dr. Reed left and Sydney began to eat the hospital food that someone had brought up during her talk with Lauren.
The nurse came up to her and said, "If you'd like, I'll see what I can do about your friends. I'll sneak you down there, but if I get caught, you take the blame."
Grateful for the nurse's kindness, she said, "Thank you for your kindness. I'd appreciate it. And, I'll make sure you or I don't get caught."
"Ok, hurry up, and I'll sneak you in right after you're done eating."
Sydney finished her nasty meal and followed the nurse up to Vaughn and Will's room.
"I realized that when Dr. Reed told you about Allison Doran, you didn't seem to know who we were talking about. Can you explain that to me?" The nurse questioned.
"First, what hospital is this?"
"Los Angeles."
Sydney was relieved when she heard that. It was a CIA hospital.
"Ok, I don't know her, I knew my friend, Francie Calfo. Doran had been impersonating my friend. I can't say any more than that."
They turned the corridor and came to a room.
The nurse opened the door and led her inside.
Sydney found Will and Vaughn having a pillow fight.
"Well, well, well. I sure was missed. Good thing I didn't die."
They froze pillows at the ready, to stare at Sydney.
"We'll leave you two alone." The nurse said and Will followed her out the door.
Sydney came and sat on the small sofa they had in the room. Vaughn sat down beside her.
"How've you been?" He asked her.
"Ok, I heard about your GSW."
"Listen to me, I'm going to get through this. And, there's something I've got to say."
Sydney turned towards him, expecting him to say something very important.
He dug through a suitcase standing beside the sofa.
He pulled something out and made sure Sydney didn't see.
Sydney woke up startled to find a bright white light shining in her face. When everything came into focus, she realized she was at the hospital.
She looked around, expecting to find Vaughn sitting beside her, but he wasn't there. There was a nurse filling something out on her chart at the foot of her bed.
The nurse looked up. "Oh, Ms. Bristow, you're awake! I better go and get Dr. Reed!"
"Wait," Sydney called back to her in a hoarse whisper. "What am I doing here?"
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to ask Dr. Reed about that. There are certain problems you have experienced that only she can answer."
"Like what?"
"She'll answer your questions." And without another word, she left the room.
Sydney glanced around the room once more. She focused her eyes on the door. It read UCI from what she could see. She mentally reversed the letters: ICU. "Oh, God. What happened to me?" She asked to herself.
There was a knock on the door and a doctor, she presumed Dr. Reed, entered.
Dr. Reed was blonde with blue-green eyes. "Hello, Sydney." She said with a British accent.
"Why am I here?" She asked.
"You are here because you were shot 2 times. Once in your lower right abdomen, and once in your left shoulder. You've been out for 36 hours."
"How did I get here? Was someone else with me?"
"You were taken by ambulance to us. There were to 3 other people taken in with you. Two men and 1 woman."
"Two men? Who were they?"
"A William Tippin and a Michael Vaughn. The woman's identity was not known until the coroner did a DNA test, an Allison Doran."
Sydney froze when she heard Vaughn's name. How are they?"
"They're critical but stable. Mr. Tippin was stabbed and Mr. Vaughn was shot once in the head. He's undergoing surgery today to try and remove the bullet."
"Can I visit them? And why besides getting shot am I here?"
Dr. Reed froze. "We don't know yet. We have to do more testing."
"Can I visit my friends?"
"After your testing."
"What kind of testing?"
"Most likely blood tests, MRI's, CAT scans, and a bond marrow test."
"Anything else?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"You have a horrible scar from the operation. It appears they found something else when they went in to remove the bullet. But we won't know yet until the biopsy comes back."
Sydney lay down, frozen in shock.
"Oh, and please, call me by my first name, Lauren."
Dr. Reed left and Sydney began to eat the hospital food that someone had brought up during her talk with Lauren.
The nurse came up to her and said, "If you'd like, I'll see what I can do about your friends. I'll sneak you down there, but if I get caught, you take the blame."
Grateful for the nurse's kindness, she said, "Thank you for your kindness. I'd appreciate it. And, I'll make sure you or I don't get caught."
"Ok, hurry up, and I'll sneak you in right after you're done eating."
Sydney finished her nasty meal and followed the nurse up to Vaughn and Will's room.
"I realized that when Dr. Reed told you about Allison Doran, you didn't seem to know who we were talking about. Can you explain that to me?" The nurse questioned.
"First, what hospital is this?"
"Los Angeles."
Sydney was relieved when she heard that. It was a CIA hospital.
"Ok, I don't know her, I knew my friend, Francie Calfo. Doran had been impersonating my friend. I can't say any more than that."
They turned the corridor and came to a room.
The nurse opened the door and led her inside.
Sydney found Will and Vaughn having a pillow fight.
"Well, well, well. I sure was missed. Good thing I didn't die."
They froze pillows at the ready, to stare at Sydney.
"We'll leave you two alone." The nurse said and Will followed her out the door.
Sydney came and sat on the small sofa they had in the room. Vaughn sat down beside her.
"How've you been?" He asked her.
"Ok, I heard about your GSW."
"Listen to me, I'm going to get through this. And, there's something I've got to say."
Sydney turned towards him, expecting him to say something very important.
He dug through a suitcase standing beside the sofa.
He pulled something out and made sure Sydney didn't see.