Chapter 101: Manic Monday

"The art of love...is largely the art of persistence." – Albert Ellis

"Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight." – Phyllis Diller

"It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head." – Sally Kempton


Sydney woke on Monday morning, looking at the clock – it was almost 9:00. She picked her head up from Vaughn's chest and looked up, expecting to see him still sleeping. His eyes were open and he was looking down at her, smiling softly.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," he replied.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not too long..."

"Why didn't you wake me..."

"Because you were sleeping," he said simply.

She chuckled, "You could have woken me..."

"Nah, you need your sleep...I don't want to wear you out..." he said with a sly grin.

"No, we don't want that..." she said snuggling back into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her tighter, and they stayed huddled on the bed for a while.

Sydney sighed and then said, "Are you hungry?"

"Sure," he said, then added, "Can we eat without you leaving the bed?"

"Mmm...don't think so..."

"Damn."

"Yeah, sorry..." she said moving away. She grabbed her robe and smiled as she left the room. Once she was in the kitchen she saw a note on the counter, written in Will's handwriting: "Syd – hope you got in ok last night. Fran & I left for work early; we won't be back until late tonight. We're going to go to dinner, maybe catch a movie. I'll have my cell if you need anything. Don't be afraid to call. Hope you have a good day. Love ya, Will"

She smiled as she finished the note, momentarily heading back to the bedroom. Vaughn smiled at her when her head appeared in the doorway. "Will left a note – they won't be back until LATE tonight," she said.

"Ooo...we're gonna be alone tonight?"

"Looks that way..."

"Great," he said happily.

She smiled, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Mmm...pancakes?"

She smiled, "Sure...do I have to make Mickey Mouse ones or is that just a mom thing?"

Vaughn laughed, "Nah, the regular ones will be just fine..."

"Ok," she said going out of the room again and into the kitchen to make the pancakes.

Sydney brought in a tray a little while later, with the breakfast and his medication.

"What do you wanna do today?" Sydney asked as they ate.

"You already know what I wanna do..."

"Yeah, besides that – we have to do the usual – exercises, bandages...maybe we could do a bath today," she said thinking out loud.

"Bath would be fun," he said smiling.

"A bath to WASH, Vaughn..."

"Aww..."

"Sorry honey, but sometimes we have to be practical."

"Don't think I like practical..."

She smiled at his childishness as he pouted over the rest of breakfast. She cleaned up after breakfast and then entered again, "You wanna do that bath? We can change the bandages in there then. You think you and I can get you there?"

"We got here last night..."

"Yeah, but we'd have two ways this time – we only did one way last time."

"I think we can try it...what's the worst that could happen – I get stuck in the tub...and Barnett has to help..." he smiled.

"You know, that's not really funny Vaughn," Sydney said trying desperately to suppress a laugh, "Let's try it..."

Vaughn nodded and reached out his hand to Sydney, who took it and helped him sit up, then stand. She looked at him making sure he was ok to start moving and when he nodded again to assure her, she started moving backwards. He followed, watching her eyes again. She smiled when they reached the bathroom, "Well, here we are...you ok?" she asked touching his face.

"Yeah, I'm a little out of breath, but I'm good..."

"Does looking me in the eyes help?"

"Yeah – I don't get dizzy that way..."

"Good...cause I like it," she said smiling again.

"Me too..."

"Ok...let's get you undressed," she said.

"Yeah, that's what I like to hear!"

"Vaughn...you're bad..."

"Yeah, but that's why you love me..."

"One of the reasons."

He smiled as she helped him out of his boxers and sat him in the chair next to the tub. As it filled, she removed bandages and wraps, checking the infected wound. She still couldn't see much of a change, but it looked better.

"Ok," she said, "let's get you in the tub," she said as she helped him stand and get into the tub. She eased him in and he sunk into the warm water with a sigh, closing his eyes and letting his head drop back.

"Why don't you soak for a while, just relax," Sydney suggested, thinking of the therapy later...maybe this would help.

"Soak alone?" he asked looking up at her.

She smiled, "If I get in there, you KNOW what will happen..."

"And that's bad why?"

"We'll see Vaughn, ok? You relax for a while..."

"But you help me relax..."

She smiled sitting on the edge of the tub and touching his face, "I know sweetie...I think you should rest though...save your strength..."

He looked down into the water, "Ok."

"Vaughn...hey," she said making him look at her again, "I'm not rejecting you or anything...I would never deny you something you want or need...ok?"

He nodded again.

"I just want you to rest..." she mused at his expression, one of masked hurt and rejection, "Vaughn..."

He looked up at her, "It's ok...I understand..."

"No, I don't think you do...I'm not being mean...and it's not that I don't want to either...I love making love with you..."

"I know...you just want me to rest...I got it..."

"I just don't want you to be tired when Barnett gets here..."

"It's ok Sydney..."

"You're taking this the wrong way..."

"You've never said no before..."

"Vaughn, I'm not saying no...I'm just saying later..." She said trying to make him understand.

"Ok," he said.

She decided it would be useless to continue with this now, so she got up and got dressed, getting his clothes ready and picking up a little bit before she went back into the bathroom.

"Let's wash you, ok?"

He nodded, sitting up slightly to let her wash him. The rest of the bath was relatively silent, the only sounds coming from the moving water or from suds as they were worked over his body.

When they were done, Sydney let the water out and moved to help him out of the tub. She sat him on the chair and dried him off and then set about dressing the wounds again. Each time she did it, it took her less and less time; she had begun to pick up a rhythm that allowed her to dress them more quickly, yet still do a good job.

She did the ones on his back first, leaving the infected one and then moved to the front, dressing the wounds there. She moved last to the infected wound, inspecting it again before dressing it. She rewrapped his ribs, helped him stand, placed a robe on him and they moved back to the bedroom slowly. He didn't look at her eyes this time however, and by the time they reached the bed, he looked pretty nauseous.

"Vaughn, are you ok?" she asked as she sat him down.

He nodded, closing his eyes momentarily.

"That was really stupid Vaughn..." she told him as she bent to get the clothes for him to wear.

He sighed, not really wanting to respond.

"Why did you do that? Why didn't you just look at me? You're being childish – I didn't refuse to have sex with you...excuse me for wanting you to be well rested when Barnett gets here..."

He looked up at her and she was surprised by his expression. It was one of anger and repressed emotion. He began eerily calmly, "No, excuse me for asking for something that I thought would not only relive the current terror that is rising in me, but also let us connect again."

She straightened up, handed him the boxers and walked out.

"How the fuck am I supposed to get these on?" he yelled after her.

She appeared in the doorway, "We don't need to have sex to connect...if you wanna act like a baby because I told you once that we should wait to have sex, then you go right ahead...figure out how you're gonna get those on yourself."

He tossed the boxers out the door and said under his breath, "fuck."

Sydney stood outside the door; she saw the boxers come flying out. Had she been in a better mood, she would have laughed, but this wasn't funny. She knew she couldn't stay out there long, he had no clothes and no oxygen and he was sitting up, and he'd hurt himself trying to do it himself. But she had to just take a minute before she went back in. She grabbed the boxers and went back into the room.

When she entered, he was looking off at the wall, sitting where she'd left him, his breathing becoming somewhat labored. He turned when she came in, but he didn't say anything. She kneeled down in front of him and helped him get the boxers on. She moved to get the rest of his clothes, and got him in them wordlessly too.

The first words she spoke were, "Let's sit you back..."

He didn't say anything, but he let her help him back onto the bed. She put the oxygen under his nose and was just as gentle as she always was, but she was distant. Once she was done, making sure he was comfortable, she sat down on the edge of the bed, slightly away from him.

He studied the comforter, trying to figure out what to say to her, but he couldn't come up with anything. It seemed that she didn't have the words either.

They sat that way for several minutes, neither saying a word.

Finally she broke the silence and said quietly, "I'm going to do some work, do you wanna help?"

He looked over at her, but she wasn't facing him, "Sure."

"Ok, I'll go get the files," she said as she got up.

Vaughn watched her go, thinking about what she had said.