Chapter 7: Waking Dream
"To bring the dead to life / Is no great magic. / Few are wholly dead/ Blow on a dead man's embers / And a live flame will start." – Robert Graves
"All your dreams are made when you're chained to the mirror and the razorblade.
Today's the day that all the world will see.
Another sunny afternoon, walking to the sound of my favorite tune,
Tomorrow never knows what it doesn't know too soon.
Need a little time to wake up,
Need a little time to wake up, wake up.
Need a little time to wake up,
Need a little time to rest your mind,
You know you should, so I guess you might as well.
What's the story morning glory?" – Oasis, "What's the Story Morning Glory"
Chapter 7: Waking Dream
Sydney followed Dr. Kerns to the elevator and then through a winding path of corridors. With each step she grew more afraid of what she would find when they reached the room that held Vaughn. Finally, Dr. Kerns stopped in front of room 418.
"He's in here…" he said quietly. "Would you like me to come in with you and explain the machines he's hooked up to?"
Sydney just stared at the door and shook her head no.
"All right then, I'll leave you alone with him. I'll let the nurse know that I let you in." He started down the hall.
Sydney watched him go for a few moments and then looked back at the door. With a cautious hand, she pushed the door open. She stepped inside and looked at the bed. Vaughn lay motionless in the middle of it, wires trailing in and out, IVs filling him with vital fluids. An oxygen mask lay over his mouth and nose and she could hear his shallow breathing. She took a few tentative steps closer and finally sat in the chair to the left of the bed. She looked at his face first, noticing the cuts and bruises that seemed to dot every inch. There were several small bandages on his cheek and forehead and a few butterfly bandages around his right eyebrow. His left eye was swollen and black. She looked down at what she could see of the rest of his body, which wasn't much because they had him covered in a blanket. She could see the splint on the pinky of his right hand and the heart/blood pressure monitor that was on his pointer finger. An IV tube also ran from this hand. His other hand was under the covers and she could see the strap of the sling that held his left arm. There was also a tube that ran from under his gown and she could guess that must have been the chest tube. A few other colored wires ran next to it and attached to machines that beeped softly. Tears started to flow slowly out of her eyes as she surveyed the man in front of her. She reached out a cautious hand and stroked his cheek. She whispered softly, "Oh Vaughn, I'm so sorry…" She shook her head slightly and brought her hand to rest on top of his. She traced small circles on the top of his hand and cried silently.
She had no idea how long she stayed that way, tracing circles on Vaughn's hand and thinking, but it must have been a long time, because eventually a nurse came in and told her she was there to check his vitals. She puttered around making notes on a chart and reading the machines. She checked the fluids in the IVs and also listened to his breathing for several minutes. She left when she was done without saying anything else and Sydney went back to tracing the circles. Two hours later, Sydney got up to use the facilities and she figured she should probably update those still in the waiting room. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and slipped quietly out of Vaughn's room. She made her way back to the waiting room and found Weiss sleeping in a chair and her father sitting just as she has imagined, just as she left him. It seemed that most of the other agents had gone home and Jack stood up when Sydney approached. She smiled weakly.
"How is he?" asked Jack.
"He's still unconscious, he looks comfortable at least, but there is really no way to tell."
"Hmm…have you slept at all?"
"No…you?"
"Not really."
"I see Weiss finally crashed."
"Only about an hour ago. Everyone else went home to change and…" he trailed off.
"Yeah…"
"Do you want to get some coffee, maybe something to eat?"
"I should really get back to him, I don't want to leave him alone…"
"How about just a quick bite?"
Sydney pondered a minute and then decided to appease her father, "Ok. Should we wake Weiss?"
"No, let him sleep…"
They went off to the cafeteria. Sydney stayed long enough to down a cup of coffee and eat a little something so her father wouldn't worry too much and then grabbed another cup and left to go back to Vaughn.
"Sydney," her father called after her, "is there a waiting room near Vaughn's room?"
"Yeah, I think there is…"
"Ok, I'll wake Weiss and we'll come up there, ok?"
Sydney smiled at her dad's supportiveness, "Ok dad. I'll see you up there. His room in 418."
They parted ways and Sydney slipped back into Vaughn's room. He looked the same as when she left, but she felt better on her return than she had on her exit. She decided that she should talk to him, maybe it would help.
She kept her voice quiet and soothing and leaned in closer so she could hear his breathing. She laid a gentle hand on his chest and said, "Hey Vaughn. I know you can hear me somehow, so I'm going to give this a shot…first, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I know what you're going to say, but that doesn't make me less sorry. I don't know what they did to you, but whatever it was, they are going to pay…but all that will come later. Right now, I really need you to hang in there and come back to me…I miss you so much…" she stopped for a moment, swallowing her tears, "it was hell while you were gone, not knowing what was happening to you. I was so scared, and I know you must have been too…oh God, Vaughn, I'm so glad I have you back…but I need to you to come back to me, please…I need to see your eyes and hear your voice again…God, I need you so much…" she faltered slightly and sat down for a minute. She was about to get up to get a tissue when she thought she saw movement from the bed. She stopped dead and watched the bed intently. She saw movement again and realized that Vaughn's right hand had moved slightly. She ran back to the bed and gently held his hand.
"Vaughn? Baby, can you hear me?" She watched for another reaction and was rewarded with a small, yet distinctive squeeze on her hand. Her tears flowed freely again yet her smile grew wider and wider.
"Vaughn? Take your time, honey, just relax. I'm not going anywhere…" She watched his face for any sign of waking. She didn't want to push him but her excitement at the thought of him waking up was getting the better of her.
"Vaughn, can you open your eyes?" she whispered. She waited, his eyes didn't open but the grip on her hand was getting stronger. She decided that he had been unconscious for a long time and it was probably going to be hard for him to wake up. Plus she realized they had him on heavy pain medication which surely wasn't helping the waking situation.
"It's ok, Vaughn, I'm right here." She waited patiently, intently watching his face. She noticed that his breathing seemed to change and some of his facial muscles were starting to move. She couldn't contain the smile that was threatening to break her face. His forehead moved into wrinkles and she noticed a wince while he tried to open his eyes.
"Vaughn, are you ok?" she asked concerned.
He gingerly tried to open his eyes, and his right eye fluttered until it opened slightly. She realized that his other eye must have been swollen shut. She moved so that she would be in his line of vision. His eye fluttered and he blinked more before his eye finally opened fully. His vision was blurred slightly, and there was way too much light in the room, but eventually his eye settled on Sydney. He couldn't have seen a more beautiful sight in his life. She smiled even more once she realized that he had focused on her. She moved down and kissed his cheek. Happy tears streamed onto his face. She carefully and gently kissed every inch of his face that she could find, reveling in that one green eye that looked up at her.
"I love you so much, Vaughn. I'm so glad you're finally awake. I was so worried." She was so happy that he had finally opened his eye that she didn't realize he really couldn't talk to her with the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth.
She was still holding his hand and smiling ear to ear. She was puzzled when he tried to take his hand out of her grip. She gently let go and placed his hand back on the bed with a confused look on her face. She realized when he started to move his hand to his face that he wanted to take the mask off. She grabbed his hand again.
"No, you need to leave that on. It's ok, we'll talk later."
He took his hand away again and she realized he was going to take it off with or without her help. She was beyond happy, so with a sigh, she decided that it was better to help him so he didn't hurt himself. She gently moved the mask off of his face and laid it under his chin so they could put it back if he became out of breath. He waited until she had the mask off and tried to talk, but his throat was so dry and he was so hoarse, that little sound came out. She looked down at him with sympathy, "Shh, it's ok." She stroked his face.
He shakily reached out and grabbed her hand again, pulling her slightly. She wondered what he was doing, but then realized that he wanted her to come closer. She leaned down and moved her hair so she could lean her ear close to his mouth.
In a very hoarse and unstable tone, he choked out, "Waking up seeing you just made up for everything…"
She smiled back at him and taking advantage of the loss of the oxygen mask, kissed him gently on the mouth.
