Chapter 6
"Lauren how long have you been standing there for?" Vaughn stood up, turning to face her. She looked really cross at him, like he had done something terrible. "Long enough Michael. What do you think you're doing? You refuse to sleep in the same bed as your own wife, but its ok for you to sleep with her, your ex-girlfriend?" Lauren rose from the bed with her hands pressed firmly on her hips. Her eyes were glaring at him, waiting for some sort of response. He rolled his eyes at her. "We didn't sleep together Lauren so don't even try to accuse me of cheating on you." He couldn't believe what she was accusing him of; she just didn't understand what Sydney meant to him. Every time they had a fight Sydney was always mentioned in it. "Cut the crap, I saw the two of you this morning when I woke up. I always knew that you were still in love with her, but you could at least be a man and admit it! You're acting like you've done nothing wrong."
"Vaughn has done nothing wrong Lauren. Why don't you calm and we can talk about this like adults?" Sydney got up off the bed, standing next to Vaughn. "I've told you once before it's Michael not Vaughn. And I'm trying to have a conversation with my husband, or do I need you to be there for that as well? Ever since you've got back all you have done is interfere in my marriage, why can't you just move on with you life? You need to face facts, he's no longer yours, he's mine, so get over it!" Lauren was feeling quite pleased for herself, she had finally told Sydney what she had wanted to say for a very long time.
She could see the shock on Sydney's face turn to anger at Lauren's words sunk in. "Lauren that was uncalled for. You have no right talking to her like that. She can call me whatever name she wants; she doesn't need your permission. And just for the record, I'm not your possession, I never have been, and I never will..."
Sydney took a step forward towards Lauren, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who do you think you are? You blame other people for the troubles in your marriage, but it's not my fault if you don't know how to keep a man happy." She wasn't usually a nasty person, but with Lauren she just couldn't help herself. "And as for me getting over Vaughn, there's things that me and him share, that you are incapable of ever sharing with him. So you get over that!" She walked into the bathroom to freshen up; she couldn't handle anymore of Lauren's whining. It was bad enough that she had to stay in the same room as his wife, but she shouldn't have to put up with her accusations. Lauren was taking deep breaths trying to control her anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides, waiting to punch somebody. But unfortunately her desired target left the room, leaving her with her husband.
Vaughn sat down on the bed, running his hand through his hair. He felt like screaming and breaking out of quarantine, even at the risk of spreading the virus that they could have. Lauren's eyes were piercing right through him as she sat scowling on the other side of the room.
"Michael we need to talk." She spoke in a hushed tone, to ensure that Sydney couldn't hear them. Vaughn remained silent but he looked at her waiting to listen to what she had to say. "What's going on between us Michael? You never back me up, it's always Sydney who you side with." Lauren's eyes welled up at the thought of having this conversation with her husband.
Vaughn moved towards the window, wanting to see what was going on outside this nightmare. He remembered all the times that he had defended Sydney over Lauren. He had done it yesterday when they first entered this nightmare. He couldn't help himself, it was as if defending her cam naturally to him. Ever since she had gone missing he had secretly blamed himself. Every night he would lay awake wondering what he could have done to prevent her 'death'. When he finally would fall asleep he would have the same recurring dream, where Sydney goes missing and he can do absolutely nothing to stop that. What am I supposed to tell her – oh yeah I'm in love with another woman, that's why I never back you up!?!? He dismissed this thought, and opted for a more subtle approach. "Lauren I don't think that this is exactly the best place to talk about this..." He was interrupted by Sydney re-entering the room. He looked at her, and could immediately tell that she had been crying. It almost broke his heart that she was upset by all of this, as none of it was her fault. She finally made eye contact with him, and he mouthed: "Are you alright?" She smiled and nodded at him, as she took a seat on the bed. Silence filled the room, as all three agents sat wrapped up in their own thoughts.
It was the sound of a man entering the room that caught their attention. He was dressed in a white protection suit, with a small glass panel in front of his face. He was carrying a standard CIA clipboard, which had a couple of sheets of paper attached. "Hi, my name is Dr Gray, and I'm one of the medical researchers here at the CIA." He could feel the tension in the atmosphere, so he thought it would be best to get straight to the point. "We will need for each of you to come with us for a series of medical tests, to rule out whether or not you are infected. The tests should take no, longer than two hours and then we should have the results within the next 24 hours." "What happens if one of us is infected?" Vaughn didn't want to hear the answer but he knew that he had to be prepared either way. "Well if the tests prove that one of you is carrying the virus, you will be sectioned at the hospital, where you will undergo treatment that will hopefully save you life. The tests are nothing to worry about, and you all will hopefully be out in a couple of days. So anymore questions?"
They all shook their heads, so he took out a pen and began to write as he spoke. "Agent Reed would you like to follow me this way please?" He motioned for her to follow him out of the door. She walked towards the door but stopped just before she left. Without turning around she spoke to her husband: "We'll talk when I get back." This sounded like an order, which gave Vaughn the impression that there was no getting out of it. He tried to look on the bright side, at least now they could have a proper conversation without Lauren watching their every move.
"Lauren how long have you been standing there for?" Vaughn stood up, turning to face her. She looked really cross at him, like he had done something terrible. "Long enough Michael. What do you think you're doing? You refuse to sleep in the same bed as your own wife, but its ok for you to sleep with her, your ex-girlfriend?" Lauren rose from the bed with her hands pressed firmly on her hips. Her eyes were glaring at him, waiting for some sort of response. He rolled his eyes at her. "We didn't sleep together Lauren so don't even try to accuse me of cheating on you." He couldn't believe what she was accusing him of; she just didn't understand what Sydney meant to him. Every time they had a fight Sydney was always mentioned in it. "Cut the crap, I saw the two of you this morning when I woke up. I always knew that you were still in love with her, but you could at least be a man and admit it! You're acting like you've done nothing wrong."
"Vaughn has done nothing wrong Lauren. Why don't you calm and we can talk about this like adults?" Sydney got up off the bed, standing next to Vaughn. "I've told you once before it's Michael not Vaughn. And I'm trying to have a conversation with my husband, or do I need you to be there for that as well? Ever since you've got back all you have done is interfere in my marriage, why can't you just move on with you life? You need to face facts, he's no longer yours, he's mine, so get over it!" Lauren was feeling quite pleased for herself, she had finally told Sydney what she had wanted to say for a very long time.
She could see the shock on Sydney's face turn to anger at Lauren's words sunk in. "Lauren that was uncalled for. You have no right talking to her like that. She can call me whatever name she wants; she doesn't need your permission. And just for the record, I'm not your possession, I never have been, and I never will..."
Sydney took a step forward towards Lauren, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who do you think you are? You blame other people for the troubles in your marriage, but it's not my fault if you don't know how to keep a man happy." She wasn't usually a nasty person, but with Lauren she just couldn't help herself. "And as for me getting over Vaughn, there's things that me and him share, that you are incapable of ever sharing with him. So you get over that!" She walked into the bathroom to freshen up; she couldn't handle anymore of Lauren's whining. It was bad enough that she had to stay in the same room as his wife, but she shouldn't have to put up with her accusations. Lauren was taking deep breaths trying to control her anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides, waiting to punch somebody. But unfortunately her desired target left the room, leaving her with her husband.
Vaughn sat down on the bed, running his hand through his hair. He felt like screaming and breaking out of quarantine, even at the risk of spreading the virus that they could have. Lauren's eyes were piercing right through him as she sat scowling on the other side of the room.
"Michael we need to talk." She spoke in a hushed tone, to ensure that Sydney couldn't hear them. Vaughn remained silent but he looked at her waiting to listen to what she had to say. "What's going on between us Michael? You never back me up, it's always Sydney who you side with." Lauren's eyes welled up at the thought of having this conversation with her husband.
Vaughn moved towards the window, wanting to see what was going on outside this nightmare. He remembered all the times that he had defended Sydney over Lauren. He had done it yesterday when they first entered this nightmare. He couldn't help himself, it was as if defending her cam naturally to him. Ever since she had gone missing he had secretly blamed himself. Every night he would lay awake wondering what he could have done to prevent her 'death'. When he finally would fall asleep he would have the same recurring dream, where Sydney goes missing and he can do absolutely nothing to stop that. What am I supposed to tell her – oh yeah I'm in love with another woman, that's why I never back you up!?!? He dismissed this thought, and opted for a more subtle approach. "Lauren I don't think that this is exactly the best place to talk about this..." He was interrupted by Sydney re-entering the room. He looked at her, and could immediately tell that she had been crying. It almost broke his heart that she was upset by all of this, as none of it was her fault. She finally made eye contact with him, and he mouthed: "Are you alright?" She smiled and nodded at him, as she took a seat on the bed. Silence filled the room, as all three agents sat wrapped up in their own thoughts.
It was the sound of a man entering the room that caught their attention. He was dressed in a white protection suit, with a small glass panel in front of his face. He was carrying a standard CIA clipboard, which had a couple of sheets of paper attached. "Hi, my name is Dr Gray, and I'm one of the medical researchers here at the CIA." He could feel the tension in the atmosphere, so he thought it would be best to get straight to the point. "We will need for each of you to come with us for a series of medical tests, to rule out whether or not you are infected. The tests should take no, longer than two hours and then we should have the results within the next 24 hours." "What happens if one of us is infected?" Vaughn didn't want to hear the answer but he knew that he had to be prepared either way. "Well if the tests prove that one of you is carrying the virus, you will be sectioned at the hospital, where you will undergo treatment that will hopefully save you life. The tests are nothing to worry about, and you all will hopefully be out in a couple of days. So anymore questions?"
They all shook their heads, so he took out a pen and began to write as he spoke. "Agent Reed would you like to follow me this way please?" He motioned for her to follow him out of the door. She walked towards the door but stopped just before she left. Without turning around she spoke to her husband: "We'll talk when I get back." This sounded like an order, which gave Vaughn the impression that there was no getting out of it. He tried to look on the bright side, at least now they could have a proper conversation without Lauren watching their every move.