8.
"Welcome home Sydney!" Will and Francie called out together as they entered the apartment Sydney and Francie shared.
"You guys," Sydney looked at them. "I was only in hospital one night!"
At the hospital her doctor had given her a final examination before declaring her fit to go. He'd removed the large bandage that had been wrapped around her head and replaced it with a smaller one that only covered half of her right temple. He had also given her a small paper bag containing her painkiller prescription, which she knew she would throw out as soon as she had some time to herself.
"You didn't need to do this." Sydney continued. On the table by their sofa was a small helium balloon, which read "Welcome Home!"
As Will helped her over to the sofa, Francie disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a large tub of chocolate ice cream along with three spoons.
"Dig in." Francie ordered handing Sydney the tub. Not being one to turn down her favourite food, Sydney took the ice cream and started eating.
"This beats hospital food anytime."
After the ice cream tub was empty (Sydney had eaten half of it herself) Sydney stretched. "I think I'm going to have a shower." She said standing up.
"Ok, you don't need a hand do you?"
"No thanks Fran, I'll be fine."
As she headed for the shower Will and Francie resumed the video game they had been playing the day before. Opening the bathroom door she could hear the telephone ringing.
"However it is I don't want to talk to anyone." Sydney called out as Francie picked up the receiver.
"It was just a wrong number." Francie called back. "They wanted Joey's Pizza."
'What could they want?' Sydney thought. 'Well, whatever it is can wait; I think I deserve a steaming hot shower after everything I've been through. They'll just have to wait.'
Stepping into the shower Sydney turned the hot tap a bit further letting the hot water fall over her head. As she stepped out she grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around herself. She paused, looking at herself in the large mirror above the sink. She almost felt like herself again. Her hair hung limply over her face as she examined the injuries she'd received the day before. Peeling the large bandage from her head she replaced it with a slightly smaller plaster, which she'd dug out of a cupboard. Then she unwrapped the bandage around her arm. The cut there was only small but a large, ugly bruise surrounded it. She took out a bandage from the cupboard and wrapped it around her slightly swollen arm, which didn't hurt as much when the pressure was reapplied to it. The minor scratches on her face and arms were healing already.
After she had put on some clothes and dried her hair she applied some mascara and lip-gloss and returned to her friends in the living room.
"Better?" Will asked
"Completely." She replied with a smile. "Ready to beat you." She laughed taking the game controller Francie passed to her.
"You know, I think we should get our phone number changed." Francie said out of the blue ten minutes later. Sydney had been winning the boxing match she was playing against Will but she paused and Will's man was able to gain an advantage, knocking Sydney's man out cold. "I mean since you were in the shower we had three calls asking for Joey's Pizza. What do you think?"
'I think it must be something very urgent for the CIA to call me so many times.' Sydney thought. 'Maybe they've found Owens. I'd better think of an excuse and get to HQ. Quickly.'
"Syd?" Francie asked concerned. "Are you ok, you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…err…need a…urm…walk to clear my head."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Will asked.
"That's ok, I'll be…"The words stopped in her throat as the electricity went out.
