Part 9: Domine Jesu Christe
Jack had thought many times about what he would do to Laura if he could see her just one more time, knowing the truth. He imagined everything from kissing her to strangling her, but he always thought that he'd do something. So when he woke in a strange bed and turned to see her curled up against him, asleep, he was surprised to find that he did nothing but stare.
She was on her side, face pressed up against his shoulder, one hand on his chest, the other reaching under his neck to lie on his other arm. He stared at her, not moving, barely breathing, watching as her chest rose and fell and feeling her warm breath against his neck. She was alive. If Laura was alive, then maybe there was hope for Sydney, too.
He was about to shake her awake and ask if she had Sydney when he heard a creak from down by his feet. He turned to see a woman slip in and shut the door behind her, looking surprised. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the woman came closer. "Don't move," she whispered.
"Who are you?" Jack answered back. He tried to speak aloud, but all that came out was a dry rasp.
As she opened her mouth, he realized that he already knew the answer. The family resemblance was clear. "I'm Elena," she said. "Her sister." She looked over at Laura. "She's barely slept in months. I hate to wake her, but..."
"Sydney," Jack interrupted. "Is she..."
The woman beside him stirred, then sat up, blinking. "Elena?" She looked down and met Jack's eyes, and they stared at each other uncertainly.
"Irina," Elena said, and they both shifted their gaze to her. "Sydney's awake."
Jack sat up, too fast as it turned out; he grabbed at the nearest available support, which happened to be Laura's shoulder, as a wave of dizziness passed over him. Laura turned to him, and he was surprised at the concern in her eyes. "Jack? Are you all right?"
"Sydney," he whispered. "She's with you. She's alive."
"Of course she is. Why wouldn't she be?" Laura frowned. "God. They told you she was dead?"
He nodded, and was about to speak when the door flew open. "Mama, I'm hungry. Will you come out so we can..." Sydney stopped speaking and her jaw dropped when she saw Jack. She stared at him for a moment, then screamed shrilly, turned, and ran.
Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, but another wave of dizziness hit him. Elena put a hand on his shoulder. "You stay here. Irina, go after her." Laura got up and hurried after Sydney.
Jack stared at the doorway, his mind still reeling. Laura, alive. Sydney, alive. And there was something funny about the way she was talking...it took him a moment to figure it out. Sydney had been speaking Russian. He sighed and looked over at Elena, who was watching him silently. "Irina is...Laura." He'd realized at some point that Laura wasn't her real name, but if the FBI or CIA knew her name, they hadn't bothered to tell him.
"Yes," Elena said.
"Where...what happened?" Had Laura—Irina chosen to leave him in prison until now? Was this some sort of KGB trick? Irina had really seemed shocked to learn that he believed Sydney dead...but then, he had obviously never been able to see through her acting abilities.
Elena frowned. "In June, the KGB brought Sydney here from America. They told Irina you were dead. A few days ago, Katya found out that you were alive and in prison, so she and I faked your death and got you out."
"Who's Katya?"
"Our other sister."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you rescue me?"
Elena looked confused for a moment, as if she'd never considered the question before. "Because Irina loves you."
Jack almost laughed. He was tempted to say something derisive, but reminded himself that he didn't know this woman. She was Irina's sister, and she exuded the same disarming charm that Irina did; whatever she wanted, he wouldn't give it to her.
Elena looked like she was about to speak again, but then Sydney appeared in the doorway, Irina right behind her with her hands on Sydney's shoulders. Sydney still looked frightened, and Irina looked rather nervous as well. "Hello, Daddy," Sydney said in English, her voice barely audible.
"Hello, Sydney," Jack answered back in English. "I missed you."
Sydney stood there uncertainly for a moment, until Irina nudged her forward. "Sydney, go give your daddy a hug."
Sydney walked toward him hesitantly; when she reached him, she gave him a stiff hug. Jack hugged her back carefully, remembering that she'd been like this when he'd gotten back from his first stint in solitary, too. She pulled away and turned to Irina. "Mama, I'm hungry."
"Go ahead and eat, sweetheart. We'll be out in a minute."
Sydney left the room; after glancing at both of them, Elena followed, shutting the door behind her. Irina leaned against the wall, contemplating Jack, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. "She'll get better," Irina said after a moment. "She was skittish around me the first few days, too." It was almost as odd hearing his wife speak Russian as it had been hearing Sydney's words.
"I thought you were dead," Jack said. "Both of you."
"We thought you were dead. I didn't find out differently until a couple of hours ago." They stared at each other for a moment. Jack wanted to ask her why she'd been in bed next to him, if maybe she did have some feelings for him, but he said nothing. "Are you hungry?" Irina said next.
Jack realized that he was, nodded, and started to stand, but felt horribly lightheaded and had to sit back down. Irina came over to the bed. "Katya drugged you to make you appear dead. You should eat something; that will help." She offered her arm. Jack wasn't sure he wanted to take anything from her, but he didn't really have a choice; he leaned on her as he got up and then let her support him as they walked into the other room.
Jack had thought many times about what he would do to Laura if he could see her just one more time, knowing the truth. He imagined everything from kissing her to strangling her, but he always thought that he'd do something. So when he woke in a strange bed and turned to see her curled up against him, asleep, he was surprised to find that he did nothing but stare.
She was on her side, face pressed up against his shoulder, one hand on his chest, the other reaching under his neck to lie on his other arm. He stared at her, not moving, barely breathing, watching as her chest rose and fell and feeling her warm breath against his neck. She was alive. If Laura was alive, then maybe there was hope for Sydney, too.
He was about to shake her awake and ask if she had Sydney when he heard a creak from down by his feet. He turned to see a woman slip in and shut the door behind her, looking surprised. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the woman came closer. "Don't move," she whispered.
"Who are you?" Jack answered back. He tried to speak aloud, but all that came out was a dry rasp.
As she opened her mouth, he realized that he already knew the answer. The family resemblance was clear. "I'm Elena," she said. "Her sister." She looked over at Laura. "She's barely slept in months. I hate to wake her, but..."
"Sydney," Jack interrupted. "Is she..."
The woman beside him stirred, then sat up, blinking. "Elena?" She looked down and met Jack's eyes, and they stared at each other uncertainly.
"Irina," Elena said, and they both shifted their gaze to her. "Sydney's awake."
Jack sat up, too fast as it turned out; he grabbed at the nearest available support, which happened to be Laura's shoulder, as a wave of dizziness passed over him. Laura turned to him, and he was surprised at the concern in her eyes. "Jack? Are you all right?"
"Sydney," he whispered. "She's with you. She's alive."
"Of course she is. Why wouldn't she be?" Laura frowned. "God. They told you she was dead?"
He nodded, and was about to speak when the door flew open. "Mama, I'm hungry. Will you come out so we can..." Sydney stopped speaking and her jaw dropped when she saw Jack. She stared at him for a moment, then screamed shrilly, turned, and ran.
Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, but another wave of dizziness hit him. Elena put a hand on his shoulder. "You stay here. Irina, go after her." Laura got up and hurried after Sydney.
Jack stared at the doorway, his mind still reeling. Laura, alive. Sydney, alive. And there was something funny about the way she was talking...it took him a moment to figure it out. Sydney had been speaking Russian. He sighed and looked over at Elena, who was watching him silently. "Irina is...Laura." He'd realized at some point that Laura wasn't her real name, but if the FBI or CIA knew her name, they hadn't bothered to tell him.
"Yes," Elena said.
"Where...what happened?" Had Laura—Irina chosen to leave him in prison until now? Was this some sort of KGB trick? Irina had really seemed shocked to learn that he believed Sydney dead...but then, he had obviously never been able to see through her acting abilities.
Elena frowned. "In June, the KGB brought Sydney here from America. They told Irina you were dead. A few days ago, Katya found out that you were alive and in prison, so she and I faked your death and got you out."
"Who's Katya?"
"Our other sister."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you rescue me?"
Elena looked confused for a moment, as if she'd never considered the question before. "Because Irina loves you."
Jack almost laughed. He was tempted to say something derisive, but reminded himself that he didn't know this woman. She was Irina's sister, and she exuded the same disarming charm that Irina did; whatever she wanted, he wouldn't give it to her.
Elena looked like she was about to speak again, but then Sydney appeared in the doorway, Irina right behind her with her hands on Sydney's shoulders. Sydney still looked frightened, and Irina looked rather nervous as well. "Hello, Daddy," Sydney said in English, her voice barely audible.
"Hello, Sydney," Jack answered back in English. "I missed you."
Sydney stood there uncertainly for a moment, until Irina nudged her forward. "Sydney, go give your daddy a hug."
Sydney walked toward him hesitantly; when she reached him, she gave him a stiff hug. Jack hugged her back carefully, remembering that she'd been like this when he'd gotten back from his first stint in solitary, too. She pulled away and turned to Irina. "Mama, I'm hungry."
"Go ahead and eat, sweetheart. We'll be out in a minute."
Sydney left the room; after glancing at both of them, Elena followed, shutting the door behind her. Irina leaned against the wall, contemplating Jack, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. "She'll get better," Irina said after a moment. "She was skittish around me the first few days, too." It was almost as odd hearing his wife speak Russian as it had been hearing Sydney's words.
"I thought you were dead," Jack said. "Both of you."
"We thought you were dead. I didn't find out differently until a couple of hours ago." They stared at each other for a moment. Jack wanted to ask her why she'd been in bed next to him, if maybe she did have some feelings for him, but he said nothing. "Are you hungry?" Irina said next.
Jack realized that he was, nodded, and started to stand, but felt horribly lightheaded and had to sit back down. Irina came over to the bed. "Katya drugged you to make you appear dead. You should eat something; that will help." She offered her arm. Jack wasn't sure he wanted to take anything from her, but he didn't really have a choice; he leaned on her as he got up and then let her support him as they walked into the other room.