Chapter 7
It had been five minutes since Lauren had left. Sydney had taken her usual spot near the window, avoiding any eye contact with Vaughn. She had thought that with Lauren gone it would be easier for them to talk, but now she was unsure about what to say to him. Judging by the silence he felt the same way to. Vaughn had sat down on the bed, but the silence was driving in sane. He knew that they should probably make the most of the time they had alone. "Syd-" His voice was soft and gentle, just like it always was when he spoke to her. She turned around, but remained near the window.
"Why don't you come and sit down, and we can talk?" He asked moving along the bed, making room for her petit body. "Ok." She said taking a seat beside him, hugging her knees with her arms.
"So...Are you still a big hockey fan?" Sydney started off the conversation, choosing a topic that she knew he loved.
"Yeah, but I haven't been to a game in a while. Lauren's not much of a sports fan, and Weiss is always preoccupied with work. We should go sometime, that is if you're not too busy." He looked at her hopefully, wishing that she would say yes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney and Vaughn returned to her apartment from the hockey game hand in hand. It had been a great night; they no longer had SD-6 to worry about, so they were free to be seen in public. They had been talking ever since they had left the game, and now Syd was telling Vaughn what she liked about the hockey game.
"I loved the zamboni." She said her face lighting up.
"Zamboni's your favourite part?" He asked questioningly, as he raised his eyebrow at her. He loved how she could always amaze him, even with the slightest things.
"No. Coming home with you after the game is my favorite part." She smiled as she stepped towards him, taking hold of his hand. She pulled him towards her, and teasingly kissed him on the lips. Vaughn was the first to break away, taking a step back and kissing the back of her hand.
"Zamboni was a close second." She said winking at him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The memory of their first hockey game came to mind. He had so much fun that night it was unbelievable, he was able to share the two things he loved most in the world: hockey and Sydney Bristow. But was that still the case? This was a question that he wouldn't allow himself to answer he need more time to sort out his thought.
"Sure, I'll go with you. It'll be great to see the zamboni again." She added with a chuckle, not knowing the question that Vaughn was pondering in his mind.
"Great. I'll have to book tickets next time the Kings are in town, providing we make it out of here." He looked down at the floor, praying that they were not sick. He had pushed his previous thought to the back of his mind, telling himself he would deal with it later. "Hey, we've survived it once before right? I'm sure we can do it again." She took hold of his hand and gently squeezed it. He felt comforted by the fact that she was so optimistic about them being ok.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney had just received a message that she was wanted over at the medical facility. Entering the room, she saw a couple of doctors huddled together looking over notes they had on their clipboards. "You asked to see me?" She said cautiously wondering why there were so many doctors there, and what they could possibly want with her.
"Agent Bristow, I'm Doctor Nicholas." One of the doctors stepped forward, offering his hand for her to shake.
She declined on the offer, wanting to get straight to the point. "What's going on?"
Sensing her worry, the Doctor began to ask her questions. "Five weeks ago you infiltrated one of your mother's laboratories in Taipei where you discovered a Rambaldi device. How long were you in proximity to the device?" He looked over his glasses at her awaiting her response.
"I... it took me about a minute to rig it with explosives. I made it to the other side of the door but Vaughn was submerged. I don't know maybe another minute or two. Will someone please tell me what's going on?" She wasn't expecting that sort of question. What did that mission have to do with anything?
"We believe the device is the source of the virus that infected the men in Geneva. Unfortunately, you and Agent Vaughn may have been exposed. I'm sorry. We'd like to draw some blood and keep you under observation."
She thought about this for a moment: I have been exposed! What if I'm infected, Vaughn – what if he gets sick. She pondered these thoughts for a moment, but then something more important came to mind. "If Sloane pages me, this is gonna be a problem."
"Your father's been informed. He's covering for you." He led Sydney out of the room, and down a couple of corridors. They stopped when they had reached the isolation room. She entered the room, to see Vaughn sitting on the bed, dressed in a tight T-shirt. Once he saw her he stood up, his face displaying the same amount of worry as hers. She just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Eventually he spoke.
"I know." He voice was sympathetic, as he understood what she was feeling. She walked over to him, and they sat next to each other on the bed. He gently put his arm around her, holding her closely. Feeling safe for the first time that day, she rested her head on his shoulder. The next morning, Sydney awoke to see Vaughn smiling at her. She had to admit, it hadn't been her best night's sleep, but she drew comfort from the fact that he was near to her. The man she loved.
"Hi." She said sleepily.
"Hey." He looked just as hot in the morning as he did at any other time during the day.
"Did you close your eyes at all?"
"On and off. You talk in your sleep." He laughed at the shock on her face.
"No! What did I say?" She couldn't believe he had heard her talking in her sleep. She just prayed to God that she didn't say anything embarrassing, like telling him how she really felt.
""Don't frost the pie!" It seemed really important." He mimicked the voice she had used, causing them both to laugh.
"No idea...You think we're sick?" She couldn't remember the dream she had that made her say that, so she changed the subject.
His eyes saddened as he searched for the right answer to tell her. Realizing that he didn't have one, he decided to tell her the truth. "I don't know."
"Vaughn, can I tell you something?" She was going to go for it; she was going to tell him how she felt. How every night she had gone home wishing that he were with her, lying beside her. It was time to tell him that she loved him, more than she had ever loved anybody before.
Just as she was about to speak, the door opened and in walked Doctor Nicholas. Talk about spoiling the moment. "Agent Bristow, your tests came back negative for antibodies, you're free to go. Agent Vaughn, your tests at this point are inconclusive. We did find a heightened level of antibodies in your blood stream but you could simply be fighting off a cold. We won't know for a few more hours. You'll have to stay." Sydney didn't want to leave, but she knew she had no choice. She just wanted to stay with him, and tell him that everything would be ok. But she couldn't.
"You said Sark tested patient's blood at the first sign of infection. What was the sign?" She wanted to know as much about this virus as she could, if she had any chance of saving Vaughn's life.
"Hemorrhaging from the fingernails." He didn't give her much detail; he just took one last look at Vaughn, and left the room.
"It'll be fine. Your dad's hearing's in an hour, you should go." Vaughn tried to reassure her; he didn't want her worrying about him, when she had more important things to think about, like her Dad's hearing.
Knowing that he was right, she nodded and put her boots on her feet. "I'll see you soon." She said optimistically
"Yeah."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And she was right, a couple of hours later he had come to a bar where she was, and had a drink sent over to her. They had both survived and she was determined that it would happen again.
It had been five minutes since Lauren had left. Sydney had taken her usual spot near the window, avoiding any eye contact with Vaughn. She had thought that with Lauren gone it would be easier for them to talk, but now she was unsure about what to say to him. Judging by the silence he felt the same way to. Vaughn had sat down on the bed, but the silence was driving in sane. He knew that they should probably make the most of the time they had alone. "Syd-" His voice was soft and gentle, just like it always was when he spoke to her. She turned around, but remained near the window.
"Why don't you come and sit down, and we can talk?" He asked moving along the bed, making room for her petit body. "Ok." She said taking a seat beside him, hugging her knees with her arms.
"So...Are you still a big hockey fan?" Sydney started off the conversation, choosing a topic that she knew he loved.
"Yeah, but I haven't been to a game in a while. Lauren's not much of a sports fan, and Weiss is always preoccupied with work. We should go sometime, that is if you're not too busy." He looked at her hopefully, wishing that she would say yes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney and Vaughn returned to her apartment from the hockey game hand in hand. It had been a great night; they no longer had SD-6 to worry about, so they were free to be seen in public. They had been talking ever since they had left the game, and now Syd was telling Vaughn what she liked about the hockey game.
"I loved the zamboni." She said her face lighting up.
"Zamboni's your favourite part?" He asked questioningly, as he raised his eyebrow at her. He loved how she could always amaze him, even with the slightest things.
"No. Coming home with you after the game is my favorite part." She smiled as she stepped towards him, taking hold of his hand. She pulled him towards her, and teasingly kissed him on the lips. Vaughn was the first to break away, taking a step back and kissing the back of her hand.
"Zamboni was a close second." She said winking at him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The memory of their first hockey game came to mind. He had so much fun that night it was unbelievable, he was able to share the two things he loved most in the world: hockey and Sydney Bristow. But was that still the case? This was a question that he wouldn't allow himself to answer he need more time to sort out his thought.
"Sure, I'll go with you. It'll be great to see the zamboni again." She added with a chuckle, not knowing the question that Vaughn was pondering in his mind.
"Great. I'll have to book tickets next time the Kings are in town, providing we make it out of here." He looked down at the floor, praying that they were not sick. He had pushed his previous thought to the back of his mind, telling himself he would deal with it later. "Hey, we've survived it once before right? I'm sure we can do it again." She took hold of his hand and gently squeezed it. He felt comforted by the fact that she was so optimistic about them being ok.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sydney had just received a message that she was wanted over at the medical facility. Entering the room, she saw a couple of doctors huddled together looking over notes they had on their clipboards. "You asked to see me?" She said cautiously wondering why there were so many doctors there, and what they could possibly want with her.
"Agent Bristow, I'm Doctor Nicholas." One of the doctors stepped forward, offering his hand for her to shake.
She declined on the offer, wanting to get straight to the point. "What's going on?"
Sensing her worry, the Doctor began to ask her questions. "Five weeks ago you infiltrated one of your mother's laboratories in Taipei where you discovered a Rambaldi device. How long were you in proximity to the device?" He looked over his glasses at her awaiting her response.
"I... it took me about a minute to rig it with explosives. I made it to the other side of the door but Vaughn was submerged. I don't know maybe another minute or two. Will someone please tell me what's going on?" She wasn't expecting that sort of question. What did that mission have to do with anything?
"We believe the device is the source of the virus that infected the men in Geneva. Unfortunately, you and Agent Vaughn may have been exposed. I'm sorry. We'd like to draw some blood and keep you under observation."
She thought about this for a moment: I have been exposed! What if I'm infected, Vaughn – what if he gets sick. She pondered these thoughts for a moment, but then something more important came to mind. "If Sloane pages me, this is gonna be a problem."
"Your father's been informed. He's covering for you." He led Sydney out of the room, and down a couple of corridors. They stopped when they had reached the isolation room. She entered the room, to see Vaughn sitting on the bed, dressed in a tight T-shirt. Once he saw her he stood up, his face displaying the same amount of worry as hers. She just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Eventually he spoke.
"I know." He voice was sympathetic, as he understood what she was feeling. She walked over to him, and they sat next to each other on the bed. He gently put his arm around her, holding her closely. Feeling safe for the first time that day, she rested her head on his shoulder. The next morning, Sydney awoke to see Vaughn smiling at her. She had to admit, it hadn't been her best night's sleep, but she drew comfort from the fact that he was near to her. The man she loved.
"Hi." She said sleepily.
"Hey." He looked just as hot in the morning as he did at any other time during the day.
"Did you close your eyes at all?"
"On and off. You talk in your sleep." He laughed at the shock on her face.
"No! What did I say?" She couldn't believe he had heard her talking in her sleep. She just prayed to God that she didn't say anything embarrassing, like telling him how she really felt.
""Don't frost the pie!" It seemed really important." He mimicked the voice she had used, causing them both to laugh.
"No idea...You think we're sick?" She couldn't remember the dream she had that made her say that, so she changed the subject.
His eyes saddened as he searched for the right answer to tell her. Realizing that he didn't have one, he decided to tell her the truth. "I don't know."
"Vaughn, can I tell you something?" She was going to go for it; she was going to tell him how she felt. How every night she had gone home wishing that he were with her, lying beside her. It was time to tell him that she loved him, more than she had ever loved anybody before.
Just as she was about to speak, the door opened and in walked Doctor Nicholas. Talk about spoiling the moment. "Agent Bristow, your tests came back negative for antibodies, you're free to go. Agent Vaughn, your tests at this point are inconclusive. We did find a heightened level of antibodies in your blood stream but you could simply be fighting off a cold. We won't know for a few more hours. You'll have to stay." Sydney didn't want to leave, but she knew she had no choice. She just wanted to stay with him, and tell him that everything would be ok. But she couldn't.
"You said Sark tested patient's blood at the first sign of infection. What was the sign?" She wanted to know as much about this virus as she could, if she had any chance of saving Vaughn's life.
"Hemorrhaging from the fingernails." He didn't give her much detail; he just took one last look at Vaughn, and left the room.
"It'll be fine. Your dad's hearing's in an hour, you should go." Vaughn tried to reassure her; he didn't want her worrying about him, when she had more important things to think about, like her Dad's hearing.
Knowing that he was right, she nodded and put her boots on her feet. "I'll see you soon." She said optimistically
"Yeah."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And she was right, a couple of hours later he had come to a bar where she was, and had a drink sent over to her. They had both survived and she was determined that it would happen again.