Sydney had no time to react as Artis pulled out his gun and fired. The
sound seemed to echo endlessly round the room. There was no pain at the
bullet entered her body, just terror and the need to get away from him. The
pain, she knew would come later. Black dots swam around the edge of her
vision. Her legs gave way and she slumped to the floor. Her last thoughts
before she passed out where of Vaughn.
When she came round a few minutes later, she knew that she was lying on her back, because she could feel the hard floor under her shoulders. She could also feel something cold and sticky. IOh, god, /I she thought Ithat's my blood./I She remembered the gunshot, the lancing pain in her stomach.
II'm shot,/I she thought, shocked. With that thought, the pain began. She knew that she needed help. Her movements where slow and shaky. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. She could feel a sticky wetness there and knew it was her own blood. She was terrified, not of dying, but of leaving Vaughn behind.
Around her, she could hear the sounds of a gunfight. She could also hear Vaughn's voice. Within seconds, the sounds of the gunfight stopped, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined them.
"Vaughn?" she asked quietly. Vaughn's worried face appeared in her line of sight and she knew that she was safe. He was sure that he'd made no noise, but she still knew that he was there.
Her eyes met his and a silent plea passed from her to him. He nodded and she closed her eyes, trusting him to keep her safe. She was shivering, despite the blanket that had been draped over her lower body. Her face was white and drawn. Vaughn knew that she must be in terrible pain.
A pool of dark looking blood had formed beneath her. He had seen the gun- shot wound below her ribs before he'd been pushed away be another agent, who'd layered as much clean gauze as he could find in their merger first aid packs on the wound.
Vaughn reached into his small bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of morphine, which had been given to him by the med team. He knew that he shouldn't give her any painkillers until the med team had checked the extent of her injuries, but this was his fault.
He'd got her into the trouble in the first place. If he hadn't sent her on this mission, she would be fine right now. Plus the fact that the medical team where still waiting in the van for the all clear to let them know it was safe for them to enter the building.
He couldn't let her suffer. He gave her the injection. Where her torn and dirty shirt had ridden up, he could see dark bruising on her ribs. There was a deep cut on her left arm that had closed. The skin around it was red and tender, suggesting an infection. That wasn't the worst of her more minor injuries. Her right wrist was broken, even he could tell that. The gunshot wound wasn't immediately fatal, but she could still die of blood loss.
A trail of dried blood ran down her face from her nose. Both of her wrists where raw and bleeding. He'd seen more cuts and bruises everywhere he looked. She shifted slightly on the hard floor and he took hold of her trembling hand, which had been lying on her stomach. With his other hand, he brushed her wildly tangled hair off her face.
"Hey," he said gently as her eyes locked onto his.
"Hey." Was all she could manage to say in response, before she gave in to the morphine.
When she came round a few minutes later, she knew that she was lying on her back, because she could feel the hard floor under her shoulders. She could also feel something cold and sticky. IOh, god, /I she thought Ithat's my blood./I She remembered the gunshot, the lancing pain in her stomach.
II'm shot,/I she thought, shocked. With that thought, the pain began. She knew that she needed help. Her movements where slow and shaky. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. She could feel a sticky wetness there and knew it was her own blood. She was terrified, not of dying, but of leaving Vaughn behind.
Around her, she could hear the sounds of a gunfight. She could also hear Vaughn's voice. Within seconds, the sounds of the gunfight stopped, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined them.
"Vaughn?" she asked quietly. Vaughn's worried face appeared in her line of sight and she knew that she was safe. He was sure that he'd made no noise, but she still knew that he was there.
Her eyes met his and a silent plea passed from her to him. He nodded and she closed her eyes, trusting him to keep her safe. She was shivering, despite the blanket that had been draped over her lower body. Her face was white and drawn. Vaughn knew that she must be in terrible pain.
A pool of dark looking blood had formed beneath her. He had seen the gun- shot wound below her ribs before he'd been pushed away be another agent, who'd layered as much clean gauze as he could find in their merger first aid packs on the wound.
Vaughn reached into his small bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of morphine, which had been given to him by the med team. He knew that he shouldn't give her any painkillers until the med team had checked the extent of her injuries, but this was his fault.
He'd got her into the trouble in the first place. If he hadn't sent her on this mission, she would be fine right now. Plus the fact that the medical team where still waiting in the van for the all clear to let them know it was safe for them to enter the building.
He couldn't let her suffer. He gave her the injection. Where her torn and dirty shirt had ridden up, he could see dark bruising on her ribs. There was a deep cut on her left arm that had closed. The skin around it was red and tender, suggesting an infection. That wasn't the worst of her more minor injuries. Her right wrist was broken, even he could tell that. The gunshot wound wasn't immediately fatal, but she could still die of blood loss.
A trail of dried blood ran down her face from her nose. Both of her wrists where raw and bleeding. He'd seen more cuts and bruises everywhere he looked. She shifted slightly on the hard floor and he took hold of her trembling hand, which had been lying on her stomach. With his other hand, he brushed her wildly tangled hair off her face.
"Hey," he said gently as her eyes locked onto his.
"Hey." Was all she could manage to say in response, before she gave in to the morphine.