Title: This Tear
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Notes: I know I sound like a broken record, but thanks to everyone who reviewed! There were some particularly nice reviews for the last chapter that really made my week. Thanks! I just downloaded and watched Jennifer Garner interviews for two hours and felt so inspired, I practiced my monologues for like ten times as much time as I usually do (lol if you can't tell, I want to be an actress) and them came to the computer and started writing immediately. Looking up to that woman does amazing things for me lol! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Feeling better?" He asked her, reaching out and taking her hand. She nodded at him. "Good. Well, Dr. Anderson says this is nothing to worry about. He says it's a normal symptom from the tumor in your chest. He wants to move up the surgery to this week so that you don't have to deal with this for too long," Vaughn explained to her. She closed her eyes and sighed audibly through the mask. "Hey," he said, causing her to open her eyes again. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair from her face. "At least you're okay." She nodded again. Vaughn leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, silently praying that her seemingly constant downturn would soon end.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 13: Time to Rest
Vaughn emerged an hour later and walked out to the main room. He joined Weiss at the table. Weiss looked up at him and immediately closed his laptop, focusing his attention on Vaughn.
"How is she?" He asked.
"Sleeping. She's exhausted," Vaughn replied, rubbing his eyes.
"Maybe you ought to think about doing the same. You look like crap," Weiss commened. Vaughn let out a mirthless laugh.
"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "My nerves are still on edge, that's all. I just. You should've seen her, Eric. She couldn't even call out for help. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't gone after her when she started coughing," he continued, his voice pained and serious.
"But you did go after her. And after this incident, I have no doubt you'll continue to do so. You know, if Dr. Anderson ever think she's really in trouble, he'll start monitoring her," Weiss reminded him.
"I know. I guess I'm not used to her actually needing help," Vaughn admitted.
"I know what you mean. Though she could probably still kick your ass, even sick," Weiss joked. Vaughn laughed.
"You're right," he agreed.
"Go get some sleep. She'll be up later and I know you won't want to be falling asleep then," Weiss urged. Vaughn relented, patting his friend on the shoulder before making his way to his room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn only managed to sleep for two hours, but he felt better as soon as he woke up. He got out of bed and found Weiss, still sitting at the table and working on his computer.
"Are you like attached to that thing?" Vaughn teased, causing Weiss to look up at him. After a moment, a smile spread across his face.
"Oh, you're one to lecture about getting attached," Weiss teased, laughing at the shocked expression that appeared on Vaughn's face. "Besides, it's not like there's much else to do around here."
"There's a television," Vaughn reminded him, pointing towards the living room area.
"Already tried. There's nothing on," Weiss told him. Vaughn shook his head at him. Suddenly, the phone rang and they both looked at each other, surprised. Weiss shrugged and Vaughn got up and went over to answer the call.
"Hello?" Vaughn said into the phone.
"Agent Vaughn?" Came the questioning response of Jack Bristow.
"Jack?" Vaughn asked, surprised to hear his voice on the other end.
"Yes. They finally allowed me a secure line to contact you. How's Sydney?" Jacked asked, wasting no time with pleasantries. Vaughn sighed.
"She has a tumor in her lung. It's been giving her some problems. Dr. Anderson had to put in her on an oxygen mask this morning. He scheduled her for surgery on Tuesday to remove the tumor," Vaughn explained to him. He listened to Jack's breathing, and could almost imagine his stony expression.
"Can I speak to her?" Jack asked a moment later, his voice considerably softer than before.
"She's sleeping right now. Want me to wake her?" Vaughn asked.
"No. No, let her rest. I'll call back after the surgery's done," Jack replied.
"Will you still have access to a secure line then?"
"I'll make sure I do." Vaughn had no doubt he would.
"Any advances in getting back inside SD-6?" Vaughn asked, changing the subject. He knew Sydney would want to know.
"We have some ideas. Nothing concrete yet, but we will," Jack replied. There was a short pause. "My time's almost up," he said suddenly.
"I'll tell Sydney you called," Vaughn said.
"Thank you," Jack replied before hanging up.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The rest of the weekend passed in a blur. Sydney mostly slept, already tethered to the bed by the oxygen mask she found she needed constantly. Vaughn checked on her every few hours. She joked and told him he needed a life. He joked back and told her she was one to talk. Their conversation was limited due to the oxygen mask, but it was enough. Before they knew it, it was the day before the surgery. A little while before Dr. Anderson was supposed to come get Sydney to check her in to the hospital, Vaughn went to talk to Sydney. He entered her room and found her sitting on her bed, propped up by a stack of pillows. She was dressed in a comfortable track- suit, having picked out her most comfortable outfit that could pass as regular clothes. She wore the oxygen mask still, but now seemed to be wide awake. He walked over and sat down in a chair permanently positioned next to her bed. He smiled at her. She pulled off the oxygen mask.
"Syd-" He said before she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"It's okay. I'm fine without it for a little while," she told him. His forehead was still creased in concern, but he nodded. "When's Dr. Anderson coming?"
"Within the next hour I think," Vaughn replied. "How do you feel?"
"Like I want to get this over with," she told him. He smiled. "Did the doctor mention how long I'll have to stay in the hospital?"
"He said it depended. They have to see how the surgery goes and how quickly you recover, but he said he'd try to get you back as soon as possible to lessen the chances of anyone recognizing you," Vaughn explained. Sydney nodded before she reached out and took his hand.
"Don't get too bored without me," she said with a smile. He smiled back, but his face quickly grew serious again.
"I wish I could be there," he told her.
"I'll be okay," she said, squeezing his hand.
"I know. But I still wish I could be there," he repeated.
"Me too," she admitted. They both looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity before the door suddenly opened, causing them both to jump. They both looked over to see Weiss leaning into the room.
"Hey guys, Dr. Anderson's here to take Syd," he said, opening the door a bit more to let Dr. Anderson enter the room. The older man walked over to Sydney's bed and stood beside where Vaughn was sitting.
"How are you?" He asked, resting his bag on her bed and pulling out his stethoscope.
"Fine. No more complications," she replied. He put the stethoscope on and she leaned forward as he pressed it to her back. He asked her to breathe in and out a few times as he listened.
"Sounds pretty much the same. Okay then, are you ready to go?" He asked. She nodded. "Okay, I'll go start the car," the doctor said, putting the stethoscope back in his bag and exiting the room.
"I'll get the tank, you help Syd out," Weiss said, walking around the bed. He easily lifted the tank and mask and carried it out of the room. Vaughn turned back to Sydney, only then realizing that, in all the commotion, he'd never let go of her hand. He looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at her face. She smiled sadly. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
"You ready?" he asked once he pulled back. She nodded and moved so that she was sitting next to him on the bed. He stood up and brought his arm around her waist, helping her up and out to the car.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn and Weiss both sat at the table, neither speaking. Weiss stared down at the ground, while Vaughn stared down at his clasped hands, which rested on the table top. The room was entirely silent. Suddenly the phone rang, and Vaughn jumped out of his seat, catching it before it reached the second ring.
"Hello?" He asked anxiously into the phone.
"It's Dr. Anderson. She just got out of surgery. Everything went fine." Vaughn's whole body sagged in relief. He looked towards Weiss, who was looking at him anxiously. Vaughn nodded at him and he let out a deep breath.
"Thanks, doctor. That's good to hear. Any word on when she'll be home?" Vaughn asked.
"I'll have her transferred soon, probably a few days," the doctor said, putting the slightest emphasis on the word "transferred" so that Vaughn understood what he really meant.
"Okay. Thanks again," Vaughn said, before hanging up the phone. He sighed, relieved to finally hear some good news.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Four days later, Dr. Anderson brought Sydney home bearing more good news. They had performed an MRI on her and found no new tumors. The one in her brain hadn't seemed to have grown either. Though it hadn't shrunk yet, they considered this to be good news. It was certainly a contrast to all the bad news they'd been hearing lately.
Sydney was sedated when Dr. Anderson brought her home. He explained that he hadn't wanted her to be in pain by being jostled around in the car. He'd gotten her out of the hospital at least a week before she would've been released, probably more. He'd requested she be transferred to a different hospital, one that happened to be a CIA hospital. Some of the doctors at EMTs working out of that hospital had been given orders. They came in an ambulance and drove her to a secret location where Dr. Anderson retrieved her.
Vaughn carried Sydney out of the car and into the house, carefully depositing her on her bed. She didn't even stir as he laid a blanket over her. He walked back out into the main room where Dr. Anderson was telling Weiss everything they needed to know about Sydney's condition. By the time he reached them, though, Dr. Anderson seemed to have said what he needed to. He said his goodbyes and told them to call him if they needed anything.
"What's the word?" Vaughn asked once Dr. Anderson was out the door.
"He said that she'll spend most of the next few days sleeping, and that she should try to stay in bed for the next week until she fully recovers. He left some pain medication in case she needs it. He says she might have some pain where they operated. He scheduled her next chemo session for ten days from now. He says he'll wait to schedule her radiation, because it depends on how well she recovers," Weiss explained. Vaughn nodded.
"I keep waiting for the bottom to drop out," Vaughn told Weiss.
"Maybe it won't this time," Weiss suggested, his voice hopeful.
"I hope not."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn couldn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined Sydney being in pain or unable to breathe. Finally, he gave up and got out of bed. He quietly made his way to Sydney's room. He opened the door as quietly as possible and softly stepped into the room. He wasn't surprised to find her asleep, lying on her side, facing him. He shut the door behind him and walked over to her bed. He looked down at her a moment before lowering himself into the chair next to the bed. He sat there and studied her. The covers were only pulled up to her waist, and he could see the front of her shirt bulge from the bandages underneath. Her face looked peaceful, though slightly pale. Her hair was loose, fanning out on the pillow. He reached out and softly touched her face, silently cursing himself when the movement made her stir. She moved her head slightly before her eyes fluttered open. He smiled at her.
"Hi," she whispered to him.
"Hey," he said back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She only smiled and he suddenly felt her hand in his.
"I'm glad you did," she said.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Really sick of being asked that. but I'm okay."
"Good."
"Did Dr. Anderson tell you anything when he brought me here?" She asked. He told her everything that Weiss had reported to him earlier.
"Ten days without treatment. That'll be nice," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, well he also said you'd spend most of it sleeping," Vaughn reminded her.
"He's probably right. I don't think I've ever felt so exhausted in my life," she told him, closing her eyes briefly.
"I think that's common after surgery," he said, recalling hearing about that before.
"It's good to be back," she said after a brief silence, squeezing his hand. He smiled at her before leaning forward and gently kissing her on the forehead.
"Get some sleep," he whispered to her. She smiled at him.
"You're the one who wandered in here in the middle of the night. I think you should try following your own advice," she said to him. He laughed softly.
"Point taken. Why don't I stay until you fall asleep and then I'll go back and try to get some myself," he offered.
"Okay. but I better not wake up and find you still sitting here," she warned.
"Yes ma'am," Vaughn joked. She smiled at him before shifting slightly and closing her eyes. Just as he promised, Vaughn sat there and held her hand until her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep. He spent a few moments watching her before finally going back to his own room and sleeping soundly for the rest of the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Has she woken up yet?" Weiss asked Vaughn when they were eating breakfast the next morning.
"Yeah, she was awake last night," Vaughn replied.
"Last night, huh? And do I want to know how you know that?" Weiss joked.
"I was just checking on her and she woke up," Vaughn defended.
"Checking on her?"
"I was worried. I couldn't sleep," Vaughn admitted.
"I swear, you should just tell her how you feel and get it over with," Weiss said, shaking his head.
"She knows," Vaughn said without thinking.
"She *knows*? Did I miss something?" Weiss asked, wide-eyed.
"I told her. The night we found out that Sloane new about her double agent status, we talked and I um. I kissed her," Vaughn admitted finally.
"About time! And? Did she feel the same way?" Weiss asked. Vaughn couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.
"Yeah. She did," he replied.
"Thanks for telling me, man," Weiss said sarcastically.
"Sorry. It just didn't feel right, with the surgery coming up and all. We haven't even had much time to talk about it ourselves. Plus, I wasn't quite sure how you'd react."
"Are you kidding? Mike, take a look around you. We're in the middle of nowhere in the mountains with virtually no contact to the outside world. Not to mention you've wanted her since practically the last ice age. So I say congratulations," Weiss said eccentrically.
"Thanks. I'm glad you're okay with it," Vaughn said.
"Of course I'm okay with it. Now go check on your girlfriend. If I'm correct, she hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a while. You should at least bring her some water," Weiss suggested.
"You're right," Vaughn said as he got up from his seat. He went into the kitchen and got a glass of water before walking down the hall and to Sydney's room. He opened the door and was surprised when she turned and looked at him. He smiled at her and walked over to her bed.
"Good timing," she said, yawning. "I just woke up."
"I thought you might want some water," Vaughn said, setting the glass down on the table right next to her.
"I am thirsty, now that you mention it," she said. She started to push herself up into a sitting position, but stopped abruptly before she was completely sitting up. She gasped and clamped her eyes shut. Her hand flew up and grabbed her chest. Vaughn recognized instantly that she was in pain. He was caught off-guard for a second, but recovered quickly and rushed out of the room and into the main room.
"Where are those pills that Dr. Anderson left for Syd?" He quickly asked Weiss, who was still at the table.
"They're in the kitchen, on the counter," he said, though Vaughn was already in the kitchen before he could finish. "Why? Is she okay?"
"Just some pain," Vaughn replied, heading back to Sydney's room with the bottle of pills in hand. When he re-entered, he saw that she was relatively in the same position as before, except that her eyes were open and her hand was running over the bandaged area of her chest. He unscrewed the cap to the bottle and shook out a pill as he walked back to her side.
"Here," he said, handing her the pill. "Dr. Anderson left these in case you had any pain."
She placed the pill carefully in her mouth before taking the glass of water and swallowing a few gulps before placing the glass back on the table.
"I'm okay," she assured him, sounding somewhat out of breath. "It just hurts to move in certain ways."
"Well, lay back down," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and gently helping her lay back. "And wait a few days before you try that again." She gave him a weak smile.
"That pill's probably going to knock me out in a matter of minutes," she told him.
"Then sleep. You could use the rest." She laughed softly, before wincing a little at the pain it caused.
"You mean more than the 16 to 18 hours I get a day?" she joked.
"Just think of it as catching up for all those sleepless nights when you were on missions," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back before letting her eyes slip shut.
To be continued.
A/N: Wow, another non-cliffhanger ending. I haven't done too many of those, but I wanted to make this chapter a little less torturous for Sydney lol. But please review anyway! I'm a little swamped at school right now and my tennis season starts this week, but reviews will definitely get me writing as much as possible and get the next chapter up ASAP! Thanks!
Author: SydGillyKC
Author's Notes: I know I sound like a broken record, but thanks to everyone who reviewed! There were some particularly nice reviews for the last chapter that really made my week. Thanks! I just downloaded and watched Jennifer Garner interviews for two hours and felt so inspired, I practiced my monologues for like ten times as much time as I usually do (lol if you can't tell, I want to be an actress) and them came to the computer and started writing immediately. Looking up to that woman does amazing things for me lol! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Feeling better?" He asked her, reaching out and taking her hand. She nodded at him. "Good. Well, Dr. Anderson says this is nothing to worry about. He says it's a normal symptom from the tumor in your chest. He wants to move up the surgery to this week so that you don't have to deal with this for too long," Vaughn explained to her. She closed her eyes and sighed audibly through the mask. "Hey," he said, causing her to open her eyes again. He reached out and brushed a piece of hair from her face. "At least you're okay." She nodded again. Vaughn leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, silently praying that her seemingly constant downturn would soon end.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 13: Time to Rest
Vaughn emerged an hour later and walked out to the main room. He joined Weiss at the table. Weiss looked up at him and immediately closed his laptop, focusing his attention on Vaughn.
"How is she?" He asked.
"Sleeping. She's exhausted," Vaughn replied, rubbing his eyes.
"Maybe you ought to think about doing the same. You look like crap," Weiss commened. Vaughn let out a mirthless laugh.
"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "My nerves are still on edge, that's all. I just. You should've seen her, Eric. She couldn't even call out for help. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't gone after her when she started coughing," he continued, his voice pained and serious.
"But you did go after her. And after this incident, I have no doubt you'll continue to do so. You know, if Dr. Anderson ever think she's really in trouble, he'll start monitoring her," Weiss reminded him.
"I know. I guess I'm not used to her actually needing help," Vaughn admitted.
"I know what you mean. Though she could probably still kick your ass, even sick," Weiss joked. Vaughn laughed.
"You're right," he agreed.
"Go get some sleep. She'll be up later and I know you won't want to be falling asleep then," Weiss urged. Vaughn relented, patting his friend on the shoulder before making his way to his room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn only managed to sleep for two hours, but he felt better as soon as he woke up. He got out of bed and found Weiss, still sitting at the table and working on his computer.
"Are you like attached to that thing?" Vaughn teased, causing Weiss to look up at him. After a moment, a smile spread across his face.
"Oh, you're one to lecture about getting attached," Weiss teased, laughing at the shocked expression that appeared on Vaughn's face. "Besides, it's not like there's much else to do around here."
"There's a television," Vaughn reminded him, pointing towards the living room area.
"Already tried. There's nothing on," Weiss told him. Vaughn shook his head at him. Suddenly, the phone rang and they both looked at each other, surprised. Weiss shrugged and Vaughn got up and went over to answer the call.
"Hello?" Vaughn said into the phone.
"Agent Vaughn?" Came the questioning response of Jack Bristow.
"Jack?" Vaughn asked, surprised to hear his voice on the other end.
"Yes. They finally allowed me a secure line to contact you. How's Sydney?" Jacked asked, wasting no time with pleasantries. Vaughn sighed.
"She has a tumor in her lung. It's been giving her some problems. Dr. Anderson had to put in her on an oxygen mask this morning. He scheduled her for surgery on Tuesday to remove the tumor," Vaughn explained to him. He listened to Jack's breathing, and could almost imagine his stony expression.
"Can I speak to her?" Jack asked a moment later, his voice considerably softer than before.
"She's sleeping right now. Want me to wake her?" Vaughn asked.
"No. No, let her rest. I'll call back after the surgery's done," Jack replied.
"Will you still have access to a secure line then?"
"I'll make sure I do." Vaughn had no doubt he would.
"Any advances in getting back inside SD-6?" Vaughn asked, changing the subject. He knew Sydney would want to know.
"We have some ideas. Nothing concrete yet, but we will," Jack replied. There was a short pause. "My time's almost up," he said suddenly.
"I'll tell Sydney you called," Vaughn said.
"Thank you," Jack replied before hanging up.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The rest of the weekend passed in a blur. Sydney mostly slept, already tethered to the bed by the oxygen mask she found she needed constantly. Vaughn checked on her every few hours. She joked and told him he needed a life. He joked back and told her she was one to talk. Their conversation was limited due to the oxygen mask, but it was enough. Before they knew it, it was the day before the surgery. A little while before Dr. Anderson was supposed to come get Sydney to check her in to the hospital, Vaughn went to talk to Sydney. He entered her room and found her sitting on her bed, propped up by a stack of pillows. She was dressed in a comfortable track- suit, having picked out her most comfortable outfit that could pass as regular clothes. She wore the oxygen mask still, but now seemed to be wide awake. He walked over and sat down in a chair permanently positioned next to her bed. He smiled at her. She pulled off the oxygen mask.
"Syd-" He said before she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"It's okay. I'm fine without it for a little while," she told him. His forehead was still creased in concern, but he nodded. "When's Dr. Anderson coming?"
"Within the next hour I think," Vaughn replied. "How do you feel?"
"Like I want to get this over with," she told him. He smiled. "Did the doctor mention how long I'll have to stay in the hospital?"
"He said it depended. They have to see how the surgery goes and how quickly you recover, but he said he'd try to get you back as soon as possible to lessen the chances of anyone recognizing you," Vaughn explained. Sydney nodded before she reached out and took his hand.
"Don't get too bored without me," she said with a smile. He smiled back, but his face quickly grew serious again.
"I wish I could be there," he told her.
"I'll be okay," she said, squeezing his hand.
"I know. But I still wish I could be there," he repeated.
"Me too," she admitted. They both looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity before the door suddenly opened, causing them both to jump. They both looked over to see Weiss leaning into the room.
"Hey guys, Dr. Anderson's here to take Syd," he said, opening the door a bit more to let Dr. Anderson enter the room. The older man walked over to Sydney's bed and stood beside where Vaughn was sitting.
"How are you?" He asked, resting his bag on her bed and pulling out his stethoscope.
"Fine. No more complications," she replied. He put the stethoscope on and she leaned forward as he pressed it to her back. He asked her to breathe in and out a few times as he listened.
"Sounds pretty much the same. Okay then, are you ready to go?" He asked. She nodded. "Okay, I'll go start the car," the doctor said, putting the stethoscope back in his bag and exiting the room.
"I'll get the tank, you help Syd out," Weiss said, walking around the bed. He easily lifted the tank and mask and carried it out of the room. Vaughn turned back to Sydney, only then realizing that, in all the commotion, he'd never let go of her hand. He looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at her face. She smiled sadly. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
"You ready?" he asked once he pulled back. She nodded and moved so that she was sitting next to him on the bed. He stood up and brought his arm around her waist, helping her up and out to the car.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn and Weiss both sat at the table, neither speaking. Weiss stared down at the ground, while Vaughn stared down at his clasped hands, which rested on the table top. The room was entirely silent. Suddenly the phone rang, and Vaughn jumped out of his seat, catching it before it reached the second ring.
"Hello?" He asked anxiously into the phone.
"It's Dr. Anderson. She just got out of surgery. Everything went fine." Vaughn's whole body sagged in relief. He looked towards Weiss, who was looking at him anxiously. Vaughn nodded at him and he let out a deep breath.
"Thanks, doctor. That's good to hear. Any word on when she'll be home?" Vaughn asked.
"I'll have her transferred soon, probably a few days," the doctor said, putting the slightest emphasis on the word "transferred" so that Vaughn understood what he really meant.
"Okay. Thanks again," Vaughn said, before hanging up the phone. He sighed, relieved to finally hear some good news.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Four days later, Dr. Anderson brought Sydney home bearing more good news. They had performed an MRI on her and found no new tumors. The one in her brain hadn't seemed to have grown either. Though it hadn't shrunk yet, they considered this to be good news. It was certainly a contrast to all the bad news they'd been hearing lately.
Sydney was sedated when Dr. Anderson brought her home. He explained that he hadn't wanted her to be in pain by being jostled around in the car. He'd gotten her out of the hospital at least a week before she would've been released, probably more. He'd requested she be transferred to a different hospital, one that happened to be a CIA hospital. Some of the doctors at EMTs working out of that hospital had been given orders. They came in an ambulance and drove her to a secret location where Dr. Anderson retrieved her.
Vaughn carried Sydney out of the car and into the house, carefully depositing her on her bed. She didn't even stir as he laid a blanket over her. He walked back out into the main room where Dr. Anderson was telling Weiss everything they needed to know about Sydney's condition. By the time he reached them, though, Dr. Anderson seemed to have said what he needed to. He said his goodbyes and told them to call him if they needed anything.
"What's the word?" Vaughn asked once Dr. Anderson was out the door.
"He said that she'll spend most of the next few days sleeping, and that she should try to stay in bed for the next week until she fully recovers. He left some pain medication in case she needs it. He says she might have some pain where they operated. He scheduled her next chemo session for ten days from now. He says he'll wait to schedule her radiation, because it depends on how well she recovers," Weiss explained. Vaughn nodded.
"I keep waiting for the bottom to drop out," Vaughn told Weiss.
"Maybe it won't this time," Weiss suggested, his voice hopeful.
"I hope not."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Vaughn couldn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined Sydney being in pain or unable to breathe. Finally, he gave up and got out of bed. He quietly made his way to Sydney's room. He opened the door as quietly as possible and softly stepped into the room. He wasn't surprised to find her asleep, lying on her side, facing him. He shut the door behind him and walked over to her bed. He looked down at her a moment before lowering himself into the chair next to the bed. He sat there and studied her. The covers were only pulled up to her waist, and he could see the front of her shirt bulge from the bandages underneath. Her face looked peaceful, though slightly pale. Her hair was loose, fanning out on the pillow. He reached out and softly touched her face, silently cursing himself when the movement made her stir. She moved her head slightly before her eyes fluttered open. He smiled at her.
"Hi," she whispered to him.
"Hey," he said back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She only smiled and he suddenly felt her hand in his.
"I'm glad you did," she said.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Really sick of being asked that. but I'm okay."
"Good."
"Did Dr. Anderson tell you anything when he brought me here?" She asked. He told her everything that Weiss had reported to him earlier.
"Ten days without treatment. That'll be nice," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, well he also said you'd spend most of it sleeping," Vaughn reminded her.
"He's probably right. I don't think I've ever felt so exhausted in my life," she told him, closing her eyes briefly.
"I think that's common after surgery," he said, recalling hearing about that before.
"It's good to be back," she said after a brief silence, squeezing his hand. He smiled at her before leaning forward and gently kissing her on the forehead.
"Get some sleep," he whispered to her. She smiled at him.
"You're the one who wandered in here in the middle of the night. I think you should try following your own advice," she said to him. He laughed softly.
"Point taken. Why don't I stay until you fall asleep and then I'll go back and try to get some myself," he offered.
"Okay. but I better not wake up and find you still sitting here," she warned.
"Yes ma'am," Vaughn joked. She smiled at him before shifting slightly and closing her eyes. Just as he promised, Vaughn sat there and held her hand until her breathing evened out and he knew she was asleep. He spent a few moments watching her before finally going back to his own room and sleeping soundly for the rest of the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Has she woken up yet?" Weiss asked Vaughn when they were eating breakfast the next morning.
"Yeah, she was awake last night," Vaughn replied.
"Last night, huh? And do I want to know how you know that?" Weiss joked.
"I was just checking on her and she woke up," Vaughn defended.
"Checking on her?"
"I was worried. I couldn't sleep," Vaughn admitted.
"I swear, you should just tell her how you feel and get it over with," Weiss said, shaking his head.
"She knows," Vaughn said without thinking.
"She *knows*? Did I miss something?" Weiss asked, wide-eyed.
"I told her. The night we found out that Sloane new about her double agent status, we talked and I um. I kissed her," Vaughn admitted finally.
"About time! And? Did she feel the same way?" Weiss asked. Vaughn couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.
"Yeah. She did," he replied.
"Thanks for telling me, man," Weiss said sarcastically.
"Sorry. It just didn't feel right, with the surgery coming up and all. We haven't even had much time to talk about it ourselves. Plus, I wasn't quite sure how you'd react."
"Are you kidding? Mike, take a look around you. We're in the middle of nowhere in the mountains with virtually no contact to the outside world. Not to mention you've wanted her since practically the last ice age. So I say congratulations," Weiss said eccentrically.
"Thanks. I'm glad you're okay with it," Vaughn said.
"Of course I'm okay with it. Now go check on your girlfriend. If I'm correct, she hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a while. You should at least bring her some water," Weiss suggested.
"You're right," Vaughn said as he got up from his seat. He went into the kitchen and got a glass of water before walking down the hall and to Sydney's room. He opened the door and was surprised when she turned and looked at him. He smiled at her and walked over to her bed.
"Good timing," she said, yawning. "I just woke up."
"I thought you might want some water," Vaughn said, setting the glass down on the table right next to her.
"I am thirsty, now that you mention it," she said. She started to push herself up into a sitting position, but stopped abruptly before she was completely sitting up. She gasped and clamped her eyes shut. Her hand flew up and grabbed her chest. Vaughn recognized instantly that she was in pain. He was caught off-guard for a second, but recovered quickly and rushed out of the room and into the main room.
"Where are those pills that Dr. Anderson left for Syd?" He quickly asked Weiss, who was still at the table.
"They're in the kitchen, on the counter," he said, though Vaughn was already in the kitchen before he could finish. "Why? Is she okay?"
"Just some pain," Vaughn replied, heading back to Sydney's room with the bottle of pills in hand. When he re-entered, he saw that she was relatively in the same position as before, except that her eyes were open and her hand was running over the bandaged area of her chest. He unscrewed the cap to the bottle and shook out a pill as he walked back to her side.
"Here," he said, handing her the pill. "Dr. Anderson left these in case you had any pain."
She placed the pill carefully in her mouth before taking the glass of water and swallowing a few gulps before placing the glass back on the table.
"I'm okay," she assured him, sounding somewhat out of breath. "It just hurts to move in certain ways."
"Well, lay back down," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and gently helping her lay back. "And wait a few days before you try that again." She gave him a weak smile.
"That pill's probably going to knock me out in a matter of minutes," she told him.
"Then sleep. You could use the rest." She laughed softly, before wincing a little at the pain it caused.
"You mean more than the 16 to 18 hours I get a day?" she joked.
"Just think of it as catching up for all those sleepless nights when you were on missions," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back before letting her eyes slip shut.
To be continued.
A/N: Wow, another non-cliffhanger ending. I haven't done too many of those, but I wanted to make this chapter a little less torturous for Sydney lol. But please review anyway! I'm a little swamped at school right now and my tennis season starts this week, but reviews will definitely get me writing as much as possible and get the next chapter up ASAP! Thanks!