Same Disclaimers Apply. A/N: I promise I would never do this but the
songs really are the inspiration for the story. I know I have a tendency
not to read the song lyrics in the story but they do play a pretty major
role in his one as the story progresses.
Song Disclaimer - 'Sympathy' belongs to the Goo Goo Dolls and is a great
song. ENJOY!!!!!!!!
HOSPITAL
Vaughn paced the halls of the hospital, waiting for word on Sydney and Will. The latter had been taken directly to surgery while Sydney had been given a CT scan and being closely monitored.
Catching sight of Jack walking briskly down the corridor, looking for his daughter, Vaughn called to him.
"Jack."
"Agent Vaughn, what happened?" Jack looked less then stellar in Vaughn's opinion. He was still recovering from his torture sessions with Sloane and should have been in a hospital himself.
"Francie was the second double." Jack's face showed surprise but he didn't interrupt. "It seems Will figured it out and got a knife in the stomach for his troubles. When I dropped Sydney off, she received a message from Will and as far as we can tell, a fight ensued. Francie or Allison is dead and Sydney is being check due to her head injury."
Jack nodded along to Vaughn's story then with a furrowed brow asked, "And Mr. Tippin?"
"Will is in surgery but the doctors believe his prognoses looks good." Vaughn answered.
Before further conversation could take place, Sydney's doctor approached. "Ms. Bristow looks good. She has a minor concussion but nothing to be overly worried about. The swelling is quite minimal and I would like to release her tonight, if there is someone to stay with her. Basic concussed victim rules apply: keep her awake for the first six hours then wake her every two hours to reduce risk of uncontrollable swelling."
Vaughn nodded his head in understanding but Jack was the one to answer. "She will have someone with her." After that the doctor was met with a stony silence.
"Well, I'll just go draw up her release forms so you can be on your way." The doctor began walking away.
"Excuse me." Vaughn called after him. "Another man came in with us, Will Tippin; he was taken to surgery. Would you happen to know his status?"
"I'll check for you." The man smiled at Vaughn then glanced hesitantly at Jack before walking away.
Moving briskly, Jack had already begun walking to Sydney's room. Vaughn had to hurry to catch up with the older man. Sydney was sitting up in bed when the two men entered the room. She smiled sadly at them before dropping a façade altogether.
"Sydney, Agent Vaughn told me what happened." Jack spoke first.
"I'm fine Dad. A little shocked but otherwise okay." Her hand reached for his.
"The doctor said you are able to leave tonight." Vaughn chimed in. "But you need someone to stay with you." Vaughn felt uncomfortable inviting her to stay with him while Jack was in the room. He hoped Sydney would understand that an invitation was implied.
"You're welcome to stay with me Sydney." Jack looked uneasy.
"Dad, you're recovering as well. I don't want to be a burden; I'll stay with Vaughn." Sydney stared at her father, challenging him to question her decision. Instead, Jack turned to Vaughn with understanding and acceptance. He recognized Sydney was no longer six years old and the man before him was a large part of her life.
"I suppose some rest would expedite my own recovery. Mr. Vaughn, I expect you to take good care of my daughter, she is the only child I've got." Jack continued to bore holes in Vaughn, however his tone turned significantly lighter. "Good night Sydney. Mr. Vaughn." Jack addressed them both before exiting.
"I'm assuming your doctor told you Will was taken to surgery. I doubted you would be as calm when we entered." Vaughn sat on the bed and took her hands.
"They gave me something mild for the pain; I think it kinda calms you down as well. Have you heard anything about Will?" Before Vaughn could answer her question the doctor appeared.
"Mr. Tippin has just been moved to recovery and appears to be doing well. He will likely not awaken until tomorrow morning, if you would like to return to see him." The doctor told Sydney and handed her the release forms to sign.
"Is that your subtle way of saying you don't want us roaming the halls this evening?" Vaughn smiled at the doctor and glance at Sydney.
"It's important that you get some rest whether you sleep or not, Ms. Bristow. Staying here is not going to provide you with such and I promise that your friend will not miss you while you are at home." The doctor smiled back at Vaughn and Sydney.
"Thank you." Sydney handed the forms back to him and smiled.
"Remember to have a follow up in a week and if the pain doesn't subside to come back in." With that he was gone.
"Come on, let's get you home." Vaughn got up off the bed and help Sydney raise to leave.
JACK BRISTOW'S HOME
Jack arrived home more tired and weary than he had in a while. Sydney had been attack at home both literally and figuratively and it didn't sit well with him. He was unable to determine what Sloane was truly hoping to garner from the situation and more importantly, had Irina know? Her role in Sloane's scheme became more obscure with every revelation. She had helped Sydney find him just days ago, yet more of her network had been activated in the last forty-eight hours.
Panama had been difficult for Jack to come to terms with. He had held out hope that the implantation of the passive transport would be unnecessary but in the end Irina had proven her true colors. He still wasn't able to understand why she slept with him in Panama.
Having already removed the transmitting device, seducing him seemed redundant, but then much of the night had been confusing. Irina made sure Jack had his eyes open the entire time they move together. She stared wide eyed and openly into his face almost begging him to understand something intangible.
Before Irina had fallen asleep she had cuddled close to Jack and asked him about San Francisco. They had spent a week at an inn in the city after Jack had proposed. It was all very sweet and had almost been Jack's undoing. He had struggled with himself on whether to plant the device or not, but eventually his head out voted his heart.
Jack realized that while he recounted his memories, he had been standing in the middle of his front foyer, unmoving. He picked up his feet and strode into the living room. Jack stopped short when he caught sight of a foreign object sitting on his coffee table. He looked around quickly but found himself alone.
The package consisted of a folded piece of paper and a CD. The note had been written in calligraphy and showed an obvious amount of time had gone into its preparation. Jack was tense, knowing someone had been in his house but it did not stop him from picking up the CD and note which read:
Jack,
Our lives have brought us together and taken us apart. While San Francisco marked an occasion as one, I write this alone. Know that these words are only the beginning and that I have much more to share with you.
I.
A curiosity bore of being a spy pushed Jack to place the CD into the stereo and press play. Thoughts of the CD being a trigger for another device played across his mind but were dismissed in favor of investigation methods. The song that began to play made all thought drift from Jack's mind, to be replaced with an encapsulated feeling.
Stranger than your sympathy
This is my apology
I'm killing my self from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out
I wish for things that I don't need
All I wanted
And what I chase won't set me free
All I wanted
And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees
Oh yeah, everything's all wrong yeah
Everything's all wrong yeah
Where the hell did I think I was
Stranger than your sympathy
I take these things so I don't feel
I'm killing myself from the inside out
Now my head's been filled with doubt
It's hard to lead the life you choose
All I wanted
When all your lucks run out on you
All I wanted
You can't see when all your dreams are coming true
Oh yeah, It's easy to forget yeah
You choke on the regrets yeah
Who the hell did I think I was
Stranger than your sympathy
All these thoughts you stole from me
I'm not sure where I belong
Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong
And I wasn't all the things I try to make believe I was
And I wouldn't kneel before the dreams I wanted
All the talk and all the lies
Were all the empty things disguised as me
Yeah stranger than your sympathy
Stranger than your sympathy.
Jack was unable to move from his spot by the stereo when the song ended. The words were very specific and obviously chosen carefully but he didn't know what they meant. He shut the power off on the machine and wondered toward his room more confused than before.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Irina paced the expanse of her room, wondering whether Jack had received the package yet. She had debated whether to leave it at all but when she had learned that Sydney had been taken to the hospital she contacted a friend and had them drop the 'gift off in Jack's home.
It was a small step in the direction she was hoping to go, but a step none the less. Irina knew that she was working within tight time constraints and it was imperative that she get through to Jack before her time was up...
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HOSPITAL
Vaughn paced the halls of the hospital, waiting for word on Sydney and Will. The latter had been taken directly to surgery while Sydney had been given a CT scan and being closely monitored.
Catching sight of Jack walking briskly down the corridor, looking for his daughter, Vaughn called to him.
"Jack."
"Agent Vaughn, what happened?" Jack looked less then stellar in Vaughn's opinion. He was still recovering from his torture sessions with Sloane and should have been in a hospital himself.
"Francie was the second double." Jack's face showed surprise but he didn't interrupt. "It seems Will figured it out and got a knife in the stomach for his troubles. When I dropped Sydney off, she received a message from Will and as far as we can tell, a fight ensued. Francie or Allison is dead and Sydney is being check due to her head injury."
Jack nodded along to Vaughn's story then with a furrowed brow asked, "And Mr. Tippin?"
"Will is in surgery but the doctors believe his prognoses looks good." Vaughn answered.
Before further conversation could take place, Sydney's doctor approached. "Ms. Bristow looks good. She has a minor concussion but nothing to be overly worried about. The swelling is quite minimal and I would like to release her tonight, if there is someone to stay with her. Basic concussed victim rules apply: keep her awake for the first six hours then wake her every two hours to reduce risk of uncontrollable swelling."
Vaughn nodded his head in understanding but Jack was the one to answer. "She will have someone with her." After that the doctor was met with a stony silence.
"Well, I'll just go draw up her release forms so you can be on your way." The doctor began walking away.
"Excuse me." Vaughn called after him. "Another man came in with us, Will Tippin; he was taken to surgery. Would you happen to know his status?"
"I'll check for you." The man smiled at Vaughn then glanced hesitantly at Jack before walking away.
Moving briskly, Jack had already begun walking to Sydney's room. Vaughn had to hurry to catch up with the older man. Sydney was sitting up in bed when the two men entered the room. She smiled sadly at them before dropping a façade altogether.
"Sydney, Agent Vaughn told me what happened." Jack spoke first.
"I'm fine Dad. A little shocked but otherwise okay." Her hand reached for his.
"The doctor said you are able to leave tonight." Vaughn chimed in. "But you need someone to stay with you." Vaughn felt uncomfortable inviting her to stay with him while Jack was in the room. He hoped Sydney would understand that an invitation was implied.
"You're welcome to stay with me Sydney." Jack looked uneasy.
"Dad, you're recovering as well. I don't want to be a burden; I'll stay with Vaughn." Sydney stared at her father, challenging him to question her decision. Instead, Jack turned to Vaughn with understanding and acceptance. He recognized Sydney was no longer six years old and the man before him was a large part of her life.
"I suppose some rest would expedite my own recovery. Mr. Vaughn, I expect you to take good care of my daughter, she is the only child I've got." Jack continued to bore holes in Vaughn, however his tone turned significantly lighter. "Good night Sydney. Mr. Vaughn." Jack addressed them both before exiting.
"I'm assuming your doctor told you Will was taken to surgery. I doubted you would be as calm when we entered." Vaughn sat on the bed and took her hands.
"They gave me something mild for the pain; I think it kinda calms you down as well. Have you heard anything about Will?" Before Vaughn could answer her question the doctor appeared.
"Mr. Tippin has just been moved to recovery and appears to be doing well. He will likely not awaken until tomorrow morning, if you would like to return to see him." The doctor told Sydney and handed her the release forms to sign.
"Is that your subtle way of saying you don't want us roaming the halls this evening?" Vaughn smiled at the doctor and glance at Sydney.
"It's important that you get some rest whether you sleep or not, Ms. Bristow. Staying here is not going to provide you with such and I promise that your friend will not miss you while you are at home." The doctor smiled back at Vaughn and Sydney.
"Thank you." Sydney handed the forms back to him and smiled.
"Remember to have a follow up in a week and if the pain doesn't subside to come back in." With that he was gone.
"Come on, let's get you home." Vaughn got up off the bed and help Sydney raise to leave.
JACK BRISTOW'S HOME
Jack arrived home more tired and weary than he had in a while. Sydney had been attack at home both literally and figuratively and it didn't sit well with him. He was unable to determine what Sloane was truly hoping to garner from the situation and more importantly, had Irina know? Her role in Sloane's scheme became more obscure with every revelation. She had helped Sydney find him just days ago, yet more of her network had been activated in the last forty-eight hours.
Panama had been difficult for Jack to come to terms with. He had held out hope that the implantation of the passive transport would be unnecessary but in the end Irina had proven her true colors. He still wasn't able to understand why she slept with him in Panama.
Having already removed the transmitting device, seducing him seemed redundant, but then much of the night had been confusing. Irina made sure Jack had his eyes open the entire time they move together. She stared wide eyed and openly into his face almost begging him to understand something intangible.
Before Irina had fallen asleep she had cuddled close to Jack and asked him about San Francisco. They had spent a week at an inn in the city after Jack had proposed. It was all very sweet and had almost been Jack's undoing. He had struggled with himself on whether to plant the device or not, but eventually his head out voted his heart.
Jack realized that while he recounted his memories, he had been standing in the middle of his front foyer, unmoving. He picked up his feet and strode into the living room. Jack stopped short when he caught sight of a foreign object sitting on his coffee table. He looked around quickly but found himself alone.
The package consisted of a folded piece of paper and a CD. The note had been written in calligraphy and showed an obvious amount of time had gone into its preparation. Jack was tense, knowing someone had been in his house but it did not stop him from picking up the CD and note which read:
Jack,
Our lives have brought us together and taken us apart. While San Francisco marked an occasion as one, I write this alone. Know that these words are only the beginning and that I have much more to share with you.
I.
A curiosity bore of being a spy pushed Jack to place the CD into the stereo and press play. Thoughts of the CD being a trigger for another device played across his mind but were dismissed in favor of investigation methods. The song that began to play made all thought drift from Jack's mind, to be replaced with an encapsulated feeling.
Stranger than your sympathy
This is my apology
I'm killing my self from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out
I wish for things that I don't need
All I wanted
And what I chase won't set me free
All I wanted
And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees
Oh yeah, everything's all wrong yeah
Everything's all wrong yeah
Where the hell did I think I was
Stranger than your sympathy
I take these things so I don't feel
I'm killing myself from the inside out
Now my head's been filled with doubt
It's hard to lead the life you choose
All I wanted
When all your lucks run out on you
All I wanted
You can't see when all your dreams are coming true
Oh yeah, It's easy to forget yeah
You choke on the regrets yeah
Who the hell did I think I was
Stranger than your sympathy
All these thoughts you stole from me
I'm not sure where I belong
Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong
And I wasn't all the things I try to make believe I was
And I wouldn't kneel before the dreams I wanted
All the talk and all the lies
Were all the empty things disguised as me
Yeah stranger than your sympathy
Stranger than your sympathy.
Jack was unable to move from his spot by the stereo when the song ended. The words were very specific and obviously chosen carefully but he didn't know what they meant. He shut the power off on the machine and wondered toward his room more confused than before.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Irina paced the expanse of her room, wondering whether Jack had received the package yet. She had debated whether to leave it at all but when she had learned that Sydney had been taken to the hospital she contacted a friend and had them drop the 'gift off in Jack's home.
It was a small step in the direction she was hoping to go, but a step none the less. Irina knew that she was working within tight time constraints and it was imperative that she get through to Jack before her time was up...
Please Review (-: