Chapter 91: A Long Night

"I reached for sleep and drew it round me like a blanket muffling pain and thought together in the merciful dark." – Mary Stewart

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." – Thomas Paine


Will looked at her terrified, "I…I…Sydney…I've never given anyone a shot…"

"Well, you're gonna learn!" she said shortly, "because I can't right now…and he needs the shot!"

Will looked at her for a moment, then said, "What do I do?"

"Just take the cap off," she said and Will complied.

"Then check the liquid…just press the plunger a little bit," and she watched as Will complied again.

"Ok, now just come over here," she said motioning. Will moved closer, watching the syringe carefully.

Sydney moved the sleeve of Vaughn's left arm and held it there, "Ok, now…just stick it in…don't press it in, you have to just stick it…"

Will looked scared, "Syd…I don't…" but he saw the determination and pleading in Sydney's eyes and the way Vaughn was writhing on the bed and moved the syringe down.

He looked at Vaughn and then back to Sydney and placed his hand on Vaughn's arm to steady it. He brought the syringe closer, holding his breath. Sydney watched as much as she could while trying to keep Vaughn still. Will moved it to within an inch of Vaughn's arm and then pulled back slightly and poked it in.

Vaughn twinged, but didn't move.

"Good," Sydney said, "now hold the syringe so it doesn't stick in more and press the plunger down all the way."

Will nodded and pressed it down until the liquid was gone.

"Ok…now…here's the important part…"

Will looked up wildly, scared again.

"You have to keep the plunger depressed completely when you take it out. We don't want any air to get in there and we don't want any blood to go in the syringe either."

Will nodded and did as Sydney instructed him.

There was a small dot of blood where the syringe had been. Sydney moved Vaughn's shirt down and wiped it away and then replaced the shirt.

"Thank you Will," Sydney said genuinely, and Will positively beamed, very proud of himself.

Vaughn seemed to still slightly, but his moans continued. Sydney tried to sooth him but it seemed that even the morphine wasn't helping all that much.

She just sat holding him, trying to think of a way to alleviate his pain. Will and Francie stood by the bed, by and large, watching helplessly.

Sydney grabbed Vaughn from underneath, and tried to prop him up a little more. He moaned as she did it and Sydney brushed against his upper back on her way to hold him again.

The part she had touched was wet, "Ah Vaughn…you're soaked honey," she said looking at the moisture on her hand.

However, her hand was slightly red wet…

Sydney moved him quickly, causing him to scream in shock and pain as it shot through him.

Will and Francie jumped at the torrent of movement.

"What's wrong?" Francie asked, adding, "What else I mean…"

Sydney gasped at the red stain covering a large area on his upper back and shoulder.

"Give me the phone!" she barked to no one in particular.

Will grabbed it and handed it to her.

She dialed quickly, placing the phone in the crook of her neck while easing Vaughn back into her lap.

"Tom he–"

Sydney didn't wait for him to answer, "He's bleeding!"

"Woah…ok…what's going on?"

"He's been in horrible pain for the last – I don't know…hour or two…now he's bleeding!"

"From where?"

"The infected wound! It's soaked through his shirt, there's a big stain on his shirt!"

"Ok…calm down, I'll be right over. Just put a towel or something under it…pressure…keep pressure on it," Tom hung up before Sydney responded.

"Towel!" she said sharply.

Francie ran off this time, returning with a few towels.

Sydney grabbed one and put it under Vaughn telling him compassionately, "Honey…I'm sorry, I have to put pressure on it."

She wasn't sure it registered, but she had to move him anyway. She moved him up until his wound was directly over her thigh. Then she lowered him onto her thigh. He jerked away in torment, but Sydney held onto him tightly.

"I know…I know…" she said rubbing his chest and hair, "I know it hurts, but you have to stay here…your wound is bleeding…We have to keep pressure on it."

He whimpered, but stayed where she had him.

She touched his face, "Tom's on his way."

Tom arrived not a moment later, not bothering to knock or ring the doorbell this time. He'd made it to the house in under 10 minutes, so Sydney knew he'd sped; it was usually a 20 minute drive.

He came into the bedroom, looking worriedly between the occupants, "Ok…I'm here," he said out of breath.

He approached the bed and smiled softly at a very worried and disheveled Sydney.

"Ok, let's see what we've got…ok?"

He stepped closer and then sat down on the bed next to the couple. He helped Sydney lift Vaughn's limp form up and then she moved to hold him while Tom looked at the stain on Vaughn's back.

"Do you have a scissors?" Tom asked.

Sydney looked at him strangely, but reached into the drawer of the nightstand and handed him the scissors.

Tom grabbed the bottom of Vaughn's shirt and cut it all the way to the top. Then he handed the scissors to Sydney, nodding, and she did the same to the front of the shirt. Then they both worked together to get the pieces of cloth off of Vaughn.

Once they had the material off, Tom worked to get the bandage off. It really didn't take much, because the bandage was already soiled with blood.

Vaughn groaned at the pain anyway and his head was lolling dangerously. Sydney moved so he could lay his head on her shoulder and then she could support him more fully as he had to sit up.

Tom examined the wound and asked for a washcloth, which Will produced expediently. Francie seemed in a state of shock as she watched Tom wash away the blood from the area and removed several other bandages that had been soiled with the blood from the other wound.

"I need more bandages," Tom said, concentrating on keeping pressure on the wound.

"In the kitchen," Sydney said to Will and Francie and Will went off to get them, leaving Francie fixed in her place. Will came back quickly and handed the bandages to Tom, catching his first up close glimpse of the wound.

"Oh man…" he said.

Neither Tom nor Sydney made any comments; Tom just went back to the wound, grabbing Sydney's hand to hold the washcloth while he bandaged the other wounds.

"Has he had any flu-like symptoms?"

"No."

"Fever?"

"No."

"Vomiting?"

"No."

"He just started to say that it hurt?"

"Yeah…we rolled him…I mean…I could tell it hurt, but he didn't say anything until later."

"Did Barnett upset him today?"

"No, the session went quite…" she stopped, "How did you know that Vaughn met with Barnett today?"

"She called me."

"She did…why?" Sydney asked, her face wrought with confusion.

"Pretty much…I think she wanted my opinion on his mental state…and if he was physically ready for therapy." Tom looked at Sydney's expression, "It's fairly common for doctors of different disciplines to confer about patients…but I was surprised when she called too…" he paused, "I'm the only medical professional that sees him though, so I can understand, but I was defensive at first too…she thinks he has post-traumatic stress…"

Sydney looked rather dumbfounded, "I guess…I just didn't think that…I don't know what I was thinking…anyway…that's not important right now."

"No…so…he just all of sudden started complaining that it hurt?"

"After his nap, he asked for the meds…then it just kind of snowballed from there…"

"Hmm…well there's no indication that the infection is systemic! I don't get it…unless it's just a reaction to all the motion today…" he said more to himself than anyone else. He thought a moment, "Did you exercise today?"

"Yeah."

"How much?"

"More than he's used to…"

"And he hasn't exercised in a few days after the last setback…hmm…I'm thinking this is all overexertion. Muscles that haven't been used extensively in a while get stiff, they get used to the rest. I think all the movement today just really pissed them off. Cause he's been doing really well with movement, right?"

"Yeah…he's been doing really great," Sydney said wistfully.

"It could be anxiety over Barnett too, even though it went alright…well…he's gonna have to rest again now."

"This is so frustrating Tom! I mean one minute, he's doing great, doing better, and then the next, he's on bed rest again! I mean – how is he supposed to know what he can and can't do? If he can't have a system of progress, how is this supposed to work? He gets so frustrated…and I totally agree with him!"

Tom looked at her with a sad, sympathetic look. While holding the cloth on Vaughn's back and supporting his neck with the other, he said quietly, "That's recovery Sydney. There's no magic formula, there's nothing that says that everyone is on the same page – what's good for one person, is not good for another. That's natural – it's an individual trip. And he's only in the end of his second week of recovery – I know it's frustrating. It's easy for us to tell him to take it easy and not get discouraged, but it is – he's the one that has to deal with it – we're only along for the ride. The simple fact is that it's difficult. The human body is an amazing thing, but it's highly individualized and it needs TIME. This is all common; this is all part of it. It's rough…and I'm sorry…Believe me…if I could, I'd take away Michael's injuries and everyone else's I see in a day, but I don't have a magic cure."

Sydney smiled, embarrassed, "I'm sorry…I know that Tom…I just hate to see him in so much pain…and not be able to do anything to help him…"

"I know…Sydney, I understand. I care about him too…"

"I know you do…thank you…for everything."

Tom smiled, "Let's get him settled ok? I think he's gonna pass out soon…"

Sydney nodded ready to help, "What should we do?"