So I had originally planned this as a one-shot, but I decided it would make sense to continue it hours later, after Day 5 is over, to show how Audrey continues to struggle with her guilt and how she and Jack talk about it and deal with it. This is predicated on the assumption that they both get through this day alive and are able to go back to Audrey's hotel room together, which probably won't happen but that's what I want to happen so that's how it goes for this fanfic.
This part's okay for anyone who has seen 9 PM but the next part may contain spoilers beyond that...I'll let you know.
This chapter's pretty short but the next one will be longer. It starts out with Audrey having a nightmare, and if you go to 24fanfictiondotcom/audio/audreysdreamdotmp3, you can actually hear the nightmare.
"David Palmer was murdered because he was about to expose Walt Cummings' connection to the terrorists. When Cummings failed to frame me for Palmer's murder, he tried to kill me...he tried to kill me...he tried to kill me."
Jack's words keep echoing in my head. "You shared a same room with him. You slept with him!" I hear him shout.
Suddenly, I feel like I'm choking. The next thing I know, I am strapped to a table with an IV in my arm, feeling shocks of pain go through my body as Agent Burke injects another shot of some chemical into me. "You're bringing this on yourself," Burke reminds me as I plead for mercy. "You shared a room with him. You slept with him!" I hear Jack yell again.
"NO! STOP IT!" I yell, unable to take anymore.
The next thing I know, someone is shaking me gently.
"Audrey, wake up,"
I hear Jack whisper softly. I open my eyes and see him laying right next to me, looking into my eyes reassuringly. He gently strokes my hair and grips my arm firmly.
"Shh...it's okay. I'm here. Nobody's going to hurt you, I promise," he says reassuringly.
I look at him questioningly for a minute, needing a few moments to process my surroundings.
"It was just a bad dream. It's all over, I promise you it's all over."
I look around at the hotel room and realize he is right, but something is still bothering me. Something is preventing me from being able to let my guard down, and as he pulls me closer to him and kisses the side of my face, I realize what it is.
Jack is looking at me lovingly and reassuringly but all I can see is the hurt and anger and disgust he had on his face when I admitted that I slept with Walt Cummings. I feel trapped in his arms as the nightmare continues to reverberate in my head.
The room suddenly feels like it's 100 degrees, and I feel like I am going to be sick.
I jump up and run into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. I can hear Jack calling me but I don't respond. I start gagging, and I try desperately not to throw up, knowing that's the last thing I need in my weakened condition.
Jack knocks tentatively on the door. "Audrey, are you okay?" I hear him ask.
"I'm...I'm fine," I manage to stammer. "I'm just feeling a little nauseous...go back to sleep."
I knew he wasn't going to buy it. I was screaming from a nightmare a minute ago, and I know my voice makes it obvious that I'm not feeling well. I start gagging again as Jack manages to pick the lock and runs inside.
He kneels down beside me and tilts my head back, pushing my hair out of my face as he holds a bottle of water to my lips. I try to resist but lack the strength, so I give up and let him pull my head back against his knees as I take a sip of water.
He holds the bottle and guides my head until I manage to stop gagging. We just sit there like that for a few minutes. Jack doesn't ask what's wrong - he knows that I'll tell him when I'm ready. He just holds me and strokes my hair, which feels comforting for a minute, but then I remember why I came in here in the first place, and suddenly his gentle touch becomes unbearable as the guilt rushes back.
"Jack, how can you be like this?", I blurt out finally, unable to stand anymore.
"Like what?" he asks.
"So caring, and so forgiving?"
"What is there to forgive?" he asks, looking bewildered.
"I slept with someone who tried to have you killed. How can you forgive me for that?" I ask, looking away as tears start streaming down my cheeks, too ashamed to look him in the eye.
