Day 9
LOS ÁNGELES - C.I.A. HEALTH CENTRE
Sydney woke up in a hospital bed. At first, she felt very dazed, unable to locate herself properly. She was tired, and bashed. But she began to remember what had happened. The journey back by helicopter, how she began to feel sick and to lose consciousness, Weiss and Michael’s concern... and after that she only recovered sensations, flashes of memories. She remembered they had come back to Los Angeles, by a medical plane the CIA chartered. But the rest was unsure. What Sydney knew was that now she felt much better, and the most important was that she felt almost completely safe for the first time in many days.
She looked around and her heart missed a beat when she saw her father, sat beside the window. He was sleeping and she didn’t want to wake him up, but the wish of speaking and hugging him was stronger.
“Dad?”, she said
Jack Bristow startled when he heard Sydney’s voice.
“Sweetie!”, he woke up hastily to embrace her. He had his eyes brilliant, as he was about to cry. He kissed her face, “How do you feel?”
“Fine, dad. I feel as if a lorry had passed over me, but I feel OK”, Sydney smiled.
Jack hugged her stronger.
“I was so afraid of losing you, I was completely scared. My God, I can believe you’ve come back... Sure you’re OK?”, he said
“Yes, I am. It’s over. I’m here, you’re here, ok? Tell me, what happened? How long have I been sleeping?”
“Almost 48 hours, darling. You came dehidrated, under shock effect... you were so pale that you looked as a corpse...”
“Dad... just let me breath, please.”, Sydney laughed and suddenly become serious, “What... what about Sloane?”
“He’s at the CIA. They want to know many details before sending him to a high-security prison. SD-6, without their director, has lost the way and it’s a matter of short time to dismantle the agency forever”
“But, won’t they try to track us? I mean. Are we still in danger?”, she asked weakly
“We think they have better things to do, but there’s a risk with the other branches of the Alliance... but don’t worry, darling. A protected programme is being designed until the issue is over. But it will not last long, I promise. We don’t know yet which are the final places each of us will be send to, but I’ll give you details when it’s decided”
“Do we know something new about the Group? About Sark?”
“Nothing at all, but we’re also investigating that issue”
“And... Dad, what has happened with Vaughn? He saved me, but the protocol...”, Sydney asked, hesitant.
“It has been hard even for me to take him out of Kendall, but, taking into account what he did for you, and the fact that thanks to him we got Sloane, Kendall finally won’t touch his file, nor Weiss’. I owe him the life of the person I love the most, sweetie”
“Where is he now?”
“He went home a couple of hours ago. He’s been here, next to you all night. He must love you much to have done what he did. But I’ll give him the news; he told me to tell him if you woke up. I’m having a debrief in thirty minutes, so I’ll call him, OK?
And I’ll bring the good news to everybody. Maybe we could talk about some medals...”, Jack smiled.
“We’ve paid a heavy price for medals, if they’ve to come”, Sydney said a bit sadly.
Jack embraced her again, getting her closer to him, fearing for her because he knew she had a long way to recover completely from the experience.
“My dear!”, he whispered, “You’ll be OK. I know it’s been hard, that it’ll be hard to forget all, but we’ll get to it, you’ll see”
“You promise?”
“I swear. We’ll do it”
They stayed silent, until a nurse came into the room.
“Oh...what a good morning. You’ve come back. How do you feel, miss Bristow?, the nurse checked her pulse, changed the channel she had in her arm and sounded her chest, “Everything seem to be OK, so we can disconnect the monitors. You’ve keep us in tension, agent Bristow”
The nurse left the room. Jack turned to his daughter.
“Honey, I must go now. I’ll call agent Vaughn right now. Try to rest a little”
“OK, I’ll see you later. But before you go, could you help me to get up? I would like to look through the window”
“Do you think is safe? I mean... well, do you feel strong enough?”
“Please, Dad, if I didn’t feel so, I wouldn’t asked for it”
Jack shook his head, but he helped Sydney up. Her wound ar the side still ached, but Sydney looked at her shoulder and noticed it was almost healed.
Sydney walked slowly to the window. Jack kissed her forehead and left her alone. Sydney smiled: it was still difficult for him to express his feelings... She couldn’t avoid a pain gesture when her mind turned to think about the time passed in Brazil. A part of her had died there and she was afraid of the consequences. But she was alive, she had always been a fighter, she couldn’t give up. Almost without noticing it, her thoughts turned to Michael and her heart beat strongly. He would help her, he loved her and she loved Michael, they would leave the past appart some day... She hoped he arrive soon, she was longing for seeing him again.
She was looking through the window, thanking God for being again back to her life. It was a miracle, the miracle she has asked for in Brazil. Sydney got lost in her thoughts, abstracted. Now she had to focus on leaving behind those terrible days. It would be hard; she wasn’t prepared for some things, but they happened and she would have to live with it. She trembled unconsciously when Flavio’s face crossed her mind. She felt weak and she leant on the window, catching air. Fortunately something interrupted her darkness in her mind.
“Syd...”, Michael’s voice sounded in the room.
Sydney turned, she could feel her heart about to jump out of her chest.
He was there, he had come!
Michael went to her and embraced her, He had no words. They both were crying, feeling the world stop for them. Michael looked at Sydney’s face, taking away her tears with his hand, a tender and soft move.
“At least... Sometimes I thought you were not waking up.”, he said.
“How are you, Vaughn? Are you OK?”
“Yes. More than Ok, now you’re back, I’m perfect, Syd”
“Yes, I’m here and I’m going nowhere again without you. I needed to see you again... I didn’t know what had been real and what not, I needed you to stay in front of me and see you with my eyes”
Michael couldn’t avoid take her closer to him to kiss her softly, just a brief moment.
“Right now”, she said, “this is the only thing worthing about this nightmare. I feel safe with you”
“I wish things wouldn’t be this way, Syd. If only... no matter. I’ll keep you safe, but promise me you’ll get to feel safe by your own. You’ve always been stronger than I am”, he said touching her hair.
They stayed that way for some immortal moments. But Sydney broke the silence.
“My father told me we will be sent to a cover stay, just for security, until SD-6 cell is dismantled. What happened with you? What did Kendall...?”, her words were interrupted by Michael’s.
“Everything is OK. I only got an severe warning.”
“And Sloane? What’s happening with him? What...?
“Another day, Syd. Don’t talk’bout that now”, Michael kissed her again.
“I don’t wanna go. I couldn’t face nor a single day away from you...”
Michael smiled and winked at her.
“Well, It’s supposed that I shouldn’t tell you yet, but the truth is...”
“The truth is... what, Vaughn?”, she inquired impatiently.
“Stop calling me Vaughn, or I’ll think that I’m only your handler, agent Bristow...”
“Sorry, V... Michael... What were you about to tell me?”
“Well, they think I may be on the point of view of possible reprisals, so I’m being sent with you wherever they finally decide to hide us.”
Sydney could refrain her happiness and relief to hear those words.
“Actually,”,Michael continued, “I think it was your father the one to propose the idea. He wants me to be with you, and I also want. I mean, not only because we’re together... but also because it’ll be hard to face reality again after what has happened, and I know all and I want to be with you, to help you if I can...and if you want me to. I don’t wanna leave you alone now”, Michael gave her a big hug, caring not to hurt her, “You’ll bury the past and I’ll be there to help you”
Sydney was crying. She loved him even more than ever.
“Michael...”, she asked in a severe mood, “what does the CIA know? Do they know all... absolutely all that happened?”
“No, I haven’t told them all. To my respect, I don’t know details about the last night you were in the camp... You’ll be the one to tell who you feel convenient to, but promise you’ll do it, please. It’s not something you can’t stand alone and I can’t give you all the help you may need. You know Dr. Barnett will treat it as confidential, away from protocols...”
“I’ll do it, Michael, I promise. But when we come back. Now I need to tidy my mind, and I don’t feel prepared to tell anybody. I even don’t know how I found the strength to tell you the truth.”, she said.
“I’ll respect your point... But I really feel well that you talked to me. I couldn’t bear you were suffering without knowing the reason”
“I trust you, it was the simple reason to do it. I felt eased when I told you. But it was hard, I was afraid you took away from me when you knew it”
“You’re crazy. Never say such a thing again. How could I go away when you need the most? How to do it when I cannot leave without you? I love you, and you’ll have to believe me because I’m going to show you every single second we’re together.”
Both looked through the window and stayed so for a while.
“I love you, Syd. I think I love you since the very first moment you came into my life”
“Me too, Vaughn”
“Oh my God... Michael! Call me Michael,... please!” he begged
They laughed, feeling the hope wrapping them.