As if by mutual consent, they both crossed the room to the battered table
where they sat down, Jack pulling out a chair for Syd. He'd noticed that
she seemed to be moving and standing stiffly, but hadn't said anything,
knowing that she would only deny it. Vaughn also sat down with them at the
table. The other agent stood next to the door, partly out of respect for
their privacy, partly to warn them if anyone approached the building.
Syd had told Vaughn what she could remember that night in Moscow, but she'd also told him that she was remembering more and more all of the time. She'd been held for almost a week, and she'd barely remembered two days worth of her time there. The human mind is a wonderful thing at repressing painful or shocking memories. Before any of the men could speak, Syd started talking.
"They held my head under water." She said, "the water was freezing. They'd hold me under just long enough for me to black out, then pull me back out. It went on and on. I thought it was never going to end." She said quickly.
The pain of her face was obvious to both men. Vaughn watched as Jack swallowed. Jack's face was still neutral, but if you knew where to look and what to look for, you could see that he was barely suppressing his anger at the men who'd done this to his only child. Vaughn turned his attention to Sydney's face, seeing the hurt there. He wished that there were something he could do to make the memories easier for her to bare.
"Syd? Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked. She just nodded quickly and continued talking. She watched her hands instead of meeting the men's gaze. She was pale, but composed, for the time being. She didn't want to see their reactions.
"The worst thing was the nights- I. they told me that they'd killed you because I wouldn't talk. I thought that both of you were dead." She admitted painfully "I felt like I was so alone. I've never felt so alone."
Jack glanced purposely at Vaughn, asking for help. This was his territory. Her handler managed to look both harried and exhausted. He paused in his pacing long enough to rub a hand over his face, realizing that he needed to shave.
"Syd, you're never alone. You've always got your Dad and I. You know that, don't you?" Vaughn asked gently, trying not to pressure her.
She nodded without lifting her head. A single drop of water splashed on the table's scared surface. Both men watched as she raised a hand and wiped her face without looking up. "I know. Thank you." She said painfully. She normally never really cried, but now that was all she seemed to do. Her eyes were sore and red from the tears she'd shed over the last few days.
"It's okay." Vaughn gently said, as Jack stood and put a supportive hand on to his daughter's too-thin arm. She covered it with one of her own, which was dwarfed by her father's. They stayed that way for a long time before anyone moved.
Syd had told Vaughn what she could remember that night in Moscow, but she'd also told him that she was remembering more and more all of the time. She'd been held for almost a week, and she'd barely remembered two days worth of her time there. The human mind is a wonderful thing at repressing painful or shocking memories. Before any of the men could speak, Syd started talking.
"They held my head under water." She said, "the water was freezing. They'd hold me under just long enough for me to black out, then pull me back out. It went on and on. I thought it was never going to end." She said quickly.
The pain of her face was obvious to both men. Vaughn watched as Jack swallowed. Jack's face was still neutral, but if you knew where to look and what to look for, you could see that he was barely suppressing his anger at the men who'd done this to his only child. Vaughn turned his attention to Sydney's face, seeing the hurt there. He wished that there were something he could do to make the memories easier for her to bare.
"Syd? Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked. She just nodded quickly and continued talking. She watched her hands instead of meeting the men's gaze. She was pale, but composed, for the time being. She didn't want to see their reactions.
"The worst thing was the nights- I. they told me that they'd killed you because I wouldn't talk. I thought that both of you were dead." She admitted painfully "I felt like I was so alone. I've never felt so alone."
Jack glanced purposely at Vaughn, asking for help. This was his territory. Her handler managed to look both harried and exhausted. He paused in his pacing long enough to rub a hand over his face, realizing that he needed to shave.
"Syd, you're never alone. You've always got your Dad and I. You know that, don't you?" Vaughn asked gently, trying not to pressure her.
She nodded without lifting her head. A single drop of water splashed on the table's scared surface. Both men watched as she raised a hand and wiped her face without looking up. "I know. Thank you." She said painfully. She normally never really cried, but now that was all she seemed to do. Her eyes were sore and red from the tears she'd shed over the last few days.
"It's okay." Vaughn gently said, as Jack stood and put a supportive hand on to his daughter's too-thin arm. She covered it with one of her own, which was dwarfed by her father's. They stayed that way for a long time before anyone moved.