Disclaimer: I never saw the first show, so I have to imagine what working for Sydney would be like in that first week on the job. So, please excuse the inaccuracies. Thanks.
The waiting was the hardest part, or so Nigel thought as he looked around the modern facility. People were everywhere, nurses and doctors rushing about the emergency room’s holding area, and the sick and injured, along with their loved ones as well. The place was in a state of perpetual motion. They had taken Sydney in straight away, just as Aaron said they would, and told Nigel they would call on him once they finished examining her. Syd really wasn’t in any shape to contest being torn away from him again, but at least they both knew they would be seeing each other for sure this time.
Aaron paced. He was starting to feel the strain on his own body, but until he knew how Syd was going to be, all he could do was pace. Nigel, in a lot worse shape than he was, had collapsed into an old leather arm chair a while back. One of the nurses asked Aaron if they should be looking at Nigel too, but he waved her off, citing to let the boy sleep, he’ll need to be rested for the job he had ahead when Sydney woke up. After coming to Nigel, asking him to sign papers saying they could go ahead with a D&C, he nearly lost it. The baby’s gone, the baby’s gone, were the only things he would say until sleep mercifully claimed him.
Now thoroughly reclined, Nigel’s head lobbed to the right with his arms lightly crossed over his chest and hands tucked loosely under his chin looking like he was holding something. With one leg extended out in front, the other was curled up underneath him as he lay dreaming of all their crazy adventures in the past. Uncomplicated and down right good times those were...and a faint smile curled the corners of his pouting mouth while he slept. When Nigel Bailey first came onto the employ of the uncompromising Professor Fox he quite admired her work in the field and at the college, but didn’t like her much as a person. In fact, there had been numerous occasions that she made him quite uncomfortable in his own skin. He was used to a more scheduled setting, and worked well under that regimen, but all hell broke loose the very first week working for the intimidating and beautiful Sydney Fox...
"We’re what?" He glanced up from grading exams to Sydney and pulled his reading glasses from his nose, staring at his boss in utter disbelief. This had to be some sort of joke. He was the new kid on the block, let’s have a good one over on him! Or so he thought...
"Pack a small bag for about five days, we’re going to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina."
"We’re not." He chuckled and looked over to Claudia to support his immediate thoughts on the matter, fully expecting her poker face to collapse at any second. "We’re not." He repeated, his tone now riddled with dread as the ugly truth of the matter began to sink in. "We, we are?"
It was like taking a class in ‘world travel’ and ‘how not to get your head shot off’ all at once. Then there was the thing about Sydney beating up every man in sight. Nigel had made the mistake of getting in her way the first time, thinking he was helping her, only to get her foot in his sternum instead of in the bad guy’s! This was not supposed to be a full contact job, but if he didn’t learn to stand back and let her work the baddies over, he was going to get seriously hurt! Ah, those were the days...
"Hey, get up..." Aaron shook his shoulder, trying not to startle him. "Nigel, she’s awake."
"Oh, yes... of course." Nigel shoved himself from the chair and straightened up, stretching his aching muscles in a full, gusty yawn. He was still so groggy. "Where?"
Aaron pointed to the nurse waiting for Nigel at the door to the emergency ward floor. "Just follow her, and Nigel..." He dug down in his pocket and tucked the doll into Nigel’s hands. "Keep this." He looked directly into the Englishman’s questioning eyes. "She represents nothing to the world because you can’t prove she came form the Ark, so it’s okay for you and Syd to just keep her. Please. Little Sophie needs a home."
Nigel swallowed hard. Looking at Sophie, he was very closely on the verge of crying. Definitely not ready for that, his face crumbled. "What...what am I going to say to her Aaron?" His voice was rough and cracking with every second word. "Tell me what to do..."
Aaron sighed, then pulled Nigel into a hug. "You’ll find the words...trust in God, and He’ll tell you what to say."
Go to Part Thirty Four.