FAMILY MATTERS

Eyghon

Irina watched, helpless, as her youngest daughter aborted her first child.

"It's okay, I'm here now Syd."

Chapter 16: Let's do this

"Let's do this." Sydney led the way, Nadia, Irina and Katya behind her.

It had been five days since Sydney aborted Nadia's baby. Doctor Varnina had just cleared Nadia as healthy enough to take the vaccine. The CIA, or rather Chase, was starting to ask questions, and was days away to order her two agents home. Sydney asking for a prolongation of her week-end away had raised the woman's suspicions, and no amount of coaxing from Dixon could change that.

Nadia started to fidget once they arrived downstairs and stepped into the white, pristine laboratory that was Irina's basement.

Irina turned to Sydney, as if to say 'what's wrong with her?'.

"It's this place…it scares her. Reminds her of what she's been through after Sovogda I guess," explained Sydney. She was referring to the time Nadia spent in a padded cell or strapped to her hospital bed with doctors and nurses treating her like a guinea pig. "She gets like that each time I have to take her back for a check up." Nadia tried to go back the way she had come while emitting some sort of whining sound. Sydney caught her and held her by the shoulders, careful not to squeeze too hard.

Irina joined her and they both led her to the table in the centre of the room.

"She needs to lie flat on her stomach, the vaccine must be injected directly into her brain, at the base of the skull," explained Doctor Varnina.

"Come on Nadia, get on the table," encouraged Sydney. "You've done that before, I'll stay with you, it's just for a few minutes, and it's going to be okay."

Sydney couldn't help but lower her eyes as Nadia climbed on the table, her eyes trusting.

"Good, now turn around, yeah like that, you're doing great."

Doctor Varnina approached as Nadia settled on the table, face down. Her body was tense but her sister was holding her hand so everything would be okay.

"You're going to need to hold her. I don't think she will stay still once she understands what I'm going to do." Doctor Varnina winced. She wasn't good with people, she hated to see human beings suffer; hence her choice of career in a pharmaceutical laboratory.

Irina and Katya, the latter rather reluctant, went to pin Nadia's arms and shoulders down while Sydney went to her head, holding it so the back of it was exposed to Doctor Varnina. Sydney squatted to her eye level. "Nadia, it's going to be okay, I promise. You have to hold still now. It won't hurt; it will make you better." She knew Nadia was much too scared to pay attention to what was being said to her but she herself needed to hear the words. That it was the cure she had been hoping for so long.

Nadia kept trying to crane her neck and roll her shoulders, desperately trying to get up. She would have bruises in the morning from her mother and aunt's hands.

"There is no room for mistake," whispered Amélia, breathing heavily from nervousness. She was afraid of what those people would do to her if she failed. Obviously, the skull was too thick to let the needle through. She positioned the needle directly under the base of the skull, in the nape of Nadia's neck, and pinched the skin there. Gently, she pushed the needle through the soft tissues, one millimetre at the time and aiming it upward, toward the brain.

Sydney held her breath. She couldn't see what the doctor was doing, refusing to break eye contact with Nadia. Suddenly her sister stopped crying. Her eyes fluttered and for an instant, she looked puzzled. Then her eyes rolled in their orbits before shutting completely. Her body went slack.

"Mom!" Screamed Sydney in alarm.

"Don't move!" Ordered the doctor. "I'm in and injecting the contents now." She slowly depressed the plunger, more relaxed now that Nadia wasn't struggling anymore.

"Now what?" Asked Sydney as Amélia threw the empty syringe in the wastebasket.

"We wait."

For the next hour, they all stood around the table to which Nadia was still strapped, waiting for a sign from her. Doctor Varnina regularly checked her blood pressure, pulse, and pupils, but never offered more than an approving nod of the head.

Nadia started to whimper in her sleep. Her eyes were shut tight but tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on the table, as she was still in the same position.

"She's in pain," started Sydney, stroking Nadia's hair.

"It's working," declared Doctor Varnina encouragingly.

"We should move her to her room. She would be more comfortable," declared Katya.

"Yes, she needs rest," agreed the doctor.

Sydney carried Nadia to the room they shared and put her to bed. Sydney settled beside her and within minutes, Nadia had curled into a ball in her sister's arms. She was getting more and more agitated though, as if stuck in a violent nightmare. "Its okay sweetheart, I'm here, it's going to be all okay…" Sydney held her tight and talked to her in the most soothing tone, until the wailing was reduced to whimpering. She repeatedly rubbed her back, a move her own mother had performed on her countless times when she was little and sick, in pain, or just scared after a bad dream.

After a few hours, as the sun was setting, Sydney felt Nadia stir against her. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around, confused and disoriented.

"What…what…Syd?"

"I'm here Nadia, are you okay?" She looked at her sister concerned. Nadia seemed lost.

"What happened?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Bad…"

"What is the last thing you remember?" Nadia looked upward, concentrating. "It's okay, take your time," encouraged Sydney.

"I don't…its fuzzy…" She looked down at herself in confusion and suddenly gasped. Her eyes went wide. Her mouth moved but no words came out. Tears started streaming down her face, but Sydney didn't notice, shocked by the look of horror in her baby sister's eyes.

"Nadia?"

"Did I…was I…" she was breathing heavily. If Sydney didn't know better, she'd think Nadia was having some sort of panic attack. She finally noticed Nadia's hand was resting, or rather, cramping over her stomach.

"Oh my God…"

"Did I?"

"Nadia, I think you should rest," interrupted Irina, stepping out from the shadows. Night had fallen over an hour ago, and she hadn't dared make her presence known to Nadia before. Her daughter seemed confused enough without adding the presence of her mother whom she barely knew.

"No! I…" Her breathing was erratic, if only the room could stop spinning. "I want to know…I…" She fell back on the bed, unconscious.

"Nadia! Mom, call the doctor!"

Dr. Varnina hurried in at Irina's call and checked Nadia. "She seems in good health, considering the circumstances, and the injection. Her blood pressure is lower than I'd like but nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. Make sure she eats and drinks vitamins for the next few days though. Residues of Cobalt-60 from the vaccine will remain in her blood for a few days, she can't afford to have a low immune system."

"Thank you doctor."

For the next ten hours, Nadia slept. She didn't move a muscle, her sister and mother never left her side for a second, watching her like a hawk for any sign of movement, improvement.

"Hi," greeted Sydney as Nadia slowly sat up on the bed

"Hi," Nadia replied after a long pause.

"How are you feeling?" It was a question to determine if the vaccine worked or not.

"I…feel…tired," slowly replied Nadia, struggling for words.

Sydney laughed heartily. "Good, that's…good, Nadia."

They all lunched in silence. Nadia was happy to see Katya. They all knew they needed to talk but, to Sydney's relief, Nadia seemed to want to put it off as much as she herself did.

"I'm sorry." Sydney said to Nadia later when they were alone.

"Why?"

"A decision needed to be made. Your health was our priority." Sydney started to explain.

"Ours?"

"Mine and Mom's."

"Mom?" Nadia seemed puzzled.

"Yes. She's the one who found the cure. I looked but…it doesn't matter. You're back and you're healthy. Eric is worried about you, you know, we should call him."

"Eric?"

"Yes. He took care of you when…I wasn't there. He's a great guy."

"Yeah, he's great."

"Nadia, what is it?" Sydney almost snapped.

"Hum?"

"You've been repeating what I said for the past five minutes. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah…I just…" She sighed, swallowing her tears. In a tiny voice, she finally asked the question that tormented her. "How…"

"You were raped," replied Sydney before her sister could go further. "I'm sorry."

Nadia struggled with the revelation for a few minutes; then the questions started. "Who…"

"I don't know." She was lying, but Nadia wasn't well enough to read her yet, luckily. "You were unconscious," she added, hoping it would bring her comfort. Anything to rid her eyes of their emptiness.

"I guessed as much. I remember everything since…Sovogda. It's just bits and pieces, little pictures. You. Eric. It's all fuzzy and disordered but…I know I'm missing a few days in all, maybe weeks."

"We can look into it later, when we're back in LA if you want. Together."

"Yeah. I need to know, to…" She sighed, shaking her head.

"They kept you in a coma at first, to heal your bullet wound." Nadia needed closure, and Sydney couldn't give her that, yet.

"I remember…on the roof. Pain. Was it you?"

"Your father. He saved me."

"From me?"

"Yes." There were no lies to be told, what use would it be. She owed Nadia the truth. All of them did.

"I remember hitting you. Several times. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Sydney put her hand on Nadia's arm.

"Thank you for…taking care of me like that. I know it must have been hard."

"It was but…I'm your sister. I couldn't leave you in that hospital. I'm just sorry I couldn't…prevent all this from happening." She needed to get out of there or she would burst into tears.

"You cured me. You didn't let anything stop you. I know what you're not telling me about you and Irina's 'work'. I'm not naïve. You probably broke a few laws, and I'm grateful for that, Sydney. I knew you and Eric wouldn't let me down."

Sydney winced at the mention of Eric's name, but Nadia didn't question her. "Do you feel ready to go back?"

"I don't know. There's…so much to deal with. Mom, Sloane…Sofya."

"I'm sorry, sweetie."

"I knew she was evil but…how could she do that to me? I thought she had some sort of feelings for me when I was little but…none of it was real, never. She stuck that needle in my neck without any remorse!"

"I'm so sorry Nadia…so sorry. You've been betrayed in the worst kind of way, I know how you must feel…"

"Don't go there. I just want to forget about it," she snapped, choosing anger over regrets where 'Sofya' was concerned.

"You have Mom now."

"I know. It's just too much too fast, you know. I have almost three months of thoughts and stuff I saw to analyse. I just need time."

Sydney and her mother were alone on the beach, saying their goodbyes. Sydney would leave for LA with Nadia in three hours and Irina was not ready to let go yet. She had gotten used to Sydney's presence and visits. She enjoyed having breakfast, lunch and dinner with her. She enjoyed having her around period. With her new job, it would be hard for her eldest daughter to slip away to visit a wanted terrorist. This might be the last time mother and daughter saw each other. Neither of them could afford to admit it, even to themselves, but they were both equally devastated over their separation.

"Will you call him when you get home?"

"Mom…" Sydney sighed, rolling her eyes. She should have expected it.

Nadia was in her room, mulling over everything that had happened. She needed some time alone and Sydney respected that, though now she had her sister back, she was reluctant to let her out of her sight, even though she knew the house was heavily guarded.

"I want you to be happy sweetheart, to not make the same mistakes your father and I made. Let him talk; forgive him if you have it in you. Please, if you don't take action immediately, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Stop waiting for an opportunity. It may not come. You have to provoke things sometimes in life. I'm not asking you to marry a man you don't love. I'm asking you to give him a chance. Trust me, you won't regret it, and if you do, I'll take care of him," she concluded on a lighter note.

Sydney smiled. "Mom, I already called him…I needed to talk to someone," she added hesitantly, fearing her mother might think she was being rejected. "I promise to call him again, to talk about us this time. We have a few hours before my flight. Can we stop talking about him and concentrate on us now?"

"Gladly. I'll start. I know you lied to me."

"What?"

"You know who raped your sister and I want you to tell me." Irina's dark eyes probed Sydney's face.

"What? Mom I have no idea what you're talking about!" She protested vehemently.

Irina looked at her sternly. "Sydney, I am very serious about this. Talk. Now."

"Or what?" She asked, defiantly.

"I'll let APO know what you did."

Sydney stared, mouth hanging open. Literally. "You wouldn't."

"You're right. I couldn't bare the idea of knowing where you would spend the rest of your life. But I won't hesitate to contact your father and tell him you've been working with me."

"We had a good thing going, why do you have to always ruin everything?" Sydney asked, eyes moistening.

Irina sighed and pulled her daughter in a hug. "Sweetheart, I love you, but I don't want you to get in trouble. I know you know that man from the hospital. I know you want to avenge your sister but as much as I want to see whoever raped her suffer, it is not your prerogative to be the judge, jury and executioner."

"But it's yours?" Sydney said angrily, pulling away from her mother's embrace.

"Yes. Because I won't be jeopardizing the rest of my life by going after that man. You've done enough Sydney. Let me finish this."

"I trusted him! You're right, I know that guy. He's with APO. He treated me a couple of times before. I couldn't believe when I saw…he deserves to die."

"All the more reason to let me handle this."

"No! I want to be a part of it!"

"Fine. You can participate if you want, but nevertheless, don't you think Nadia deserves to know? To get revenge? Sydney you can't take that away from her. You need to tell her what we are going to do. She needs to be a part of it. She deserves closure."

Sydney lowered her head, a single tear falling on her cheek.

Her mother was right. She had taken so much away from her sister already.

TBC