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Something Lost, Something Found. By : Aryea Chapter 1 Sydney and Nigel headed back toward the car, both exhausted after three-day relic hunt, but at least they had been successful. The scepter of Izamidi, an ancient Pharaoh, would be in the Egyptian National Museum this time tomorrow, and she and Nigel would be headed back to Boston. She smiled as she thought of how his face had lit up when they had discovered the relic, Egyptology was one of Nigel’s passions, and he had been a wealth of information during their excursion, even entertaining her with a number of legends about the linage of Izamidi. They had also discovered Pharaoh’s resting place, deep inside the inner sanctum of the tomb, and although Nigel had been ecstatic to look upon the long dead king, he warned about removing anything from the crypt. The scepter had been found in one of the outer rooms, but the items in the burial chamber held a curse. Sydney didn’t necessarily believe in curses, but she agreed to heed her assistant’s adamant warning, they had come for the scepter and that was what they had found, neither she nor Nigel would tell anyone the whereabouts of the chamber, allowing the dead to rest in peace. “Professor Fox!” a voice called, causing her to stop and turn around. It was the assistant from the Library, who had helped them find the maps that eventually led to the tomb. “Yes Aru?” The young man caught up to her and handed her a piece of paper, his expression fanatic. “Professor Fox, this was left for you at the Library. I tried to get you before you left.” Sydney glanced absently at Nigel, who was almost to the car, and then unfolded the note. “Tick Tock.” Fear spiked her and her gaze swung back to her assistant. “Nigel! Nigel stop!” Nigel glanced back, confused. “What is it, Syd…” The explosion threw him backwards, his slim body propelled off the ground with alarming force and Sydney barely had time to scream his name, before the shock wave of the blast hit her and she tumbled backwards. Sydney wasn’t sure if she blacked out or not, but when she lifted her head it didn’t seem like any time had passed, aside from the fact that she felt disoriented and jumbled. She rolled onto her side, pain sliced through her shoulder and she could still feel the heat of the blast on her face. A glance to her left indicated that Aru was also conscious, and starting to rise, and then one thought entered her confused mind. Nigel! Ignoring the protests of her body, she rolled to her feet and rushed forward, the heat from the burning car reaching her even from this far away. “Nigel!” she cried, the smoke burning her eyes, causing her to cough as she worked to see through the haze, already she could hear people and rushing to the scene. “Nigel!” Where was he! Dear God, he had been so close to the car, just a few feet away. Had the blast killed him, torn him apart? “NIGEL!” She was frantic now, as she stumbled forward, and finally spotted the familiar brown jacket on the ground several feet away. She sobbed in both relief and alarm as she rushed over to the TA. Nigel was laying on his side, his face hidden by one of his arms, instinctively drawn up to cover his face, his clothes were tattered and seared from flame and smoke; debris surrounded him. Sydney dropped to her knees, causing another jarring pain through her right shoulder, as she reached for him. “Nigel! Nigel!” His eyes remained closed as she carefully turned him on his back, and checked for a pulse. “No.” She leaned her head against his chest, but there was no movement, he wasn’t breathing. “No. Nigel!” She began CPR, encouraging him between breaths. “Nigel, don’t you die, damnit! You can’t!” She placed her lips over his and blew into his mouth, then pumped his chest, ignoring her own pain. “Com’on, Nigel. Please come back to me. Breathe, damn you!” Two puffs and back to his chest. “Nigel, Nigel do you hear me? I will kick…” Breathe. “Your ass, Nigel. I will…” Breathe. “Fire you and kick your ass, Nigel Bailey.” She could hear the sounds of emergency vehicles as Aru hurried over to her. “I have called for help. They will be here soon. Is he…” “No!” Sydney denied as she continued her work. “He’ll be fine.” Breathe. “Nigel, wake up!” It wasn’t working, and she didn’t know if she had blacked out or how much time had passed since the explosion. She continued to pump his chest and breathe into his mouth. On the next breath, she murmured, frantically against his lips. “Nigel, please, please don’t you leave me. I need you, Nigel.” Sydney pumped his chest, just as Nigel formed her name in a raspy cough. Tears sprung to her eyes and she felt like doing a dance of joy, instead she hugged him. “Nigel! Thank God!” “Syd…what…” A coughing fit him and he struggled to sit up. “Lay still, Nigel,” Sydney warned. “I don’t know if you’re injured…” “Of course, I’m injured!” he reported, indignantly, sounding more like his old self. “I…” His eyes rolled to the back of his head. “I…don’t feel good, Sydney.” “Hang on, Nigel,” Sydney encouraged, caressing his brow. “Stay with me. You may have a concussion.” She was terrified that if he closed his eyes he’d slip into a coma, or worse. “Nigel, that’s not a request,” she warned as his eyes started to drift closed. He forced them open. “That’s better. Talk to me, Nigel. Tell me where it hurts, does anything feel broken?” “Everything,” Nigel said, as Sydney carefully ran her hands over him, checking for injury. He offered her a small smile. “Now…now you decide to get (cough) romantic?” Sydney grinned, grateful he was still coherent to retain his sense of humor. “What can I say, Nigel? You’re irresistible.” “Not...exactly (cough) what I signed on (cough) for.” Sydney shook her head. “I know, you wanted a nice little teaching job surrounded by a few quiet books.” Her emotions began to get the better of her and her eyes sparkled with fresh tears, as she caressed his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Nigel.” Nigel managed to catch her hand with his own and squeeze it weakly. “No…wouldn’t trade you for…” He stiffened and his grip on her increased painfully. “F…for all the books…” His eyes started to roll to the back of his head again. “Sydney! Where are you?” “I’m here, Nigel, stay with me. I’m right here, I’ve got you. Nigel! “S…sorry, Syd.” He closed his eyes again. “Nigel, no!” She turned on Aru. “Where is the ambulance? What’s taking so long?” “They will be here,” the man assured. “This is not a big city, it takes time…” Sydney ignored the rest of what he was saying and tried to coax Nigel back to consciousness, keeping a watch on his pulse. “Nigel, com’on, Nigel. You’re not gonna let a little explosion keep you down, are you? Why, we’ve faced far worse than that. Wake up, please. Nigel, open your eyes!” The medical team arrived and quickly took over the situation, Sydney was pulled away as they tore off his shredded jacket and worked to fit Nigel on a stretcher and transport him to the hospital. At the hospital, Sydney was treated for a dislocated shoulder, and then she was left to wait several hours. She watched other natives come in, some bleeding, some looking ill, some with children. She rose to get a drink of water at the fountain and straightened when the large swinging doors to the emergency room opened and a large orderly pushed past her with a sheet covered body on a rolling stretcher; no doubt headed to the morgue. She immediately began to worry and was preparing to storm into the emergency room when a doctor finally came out to meet her, he was a tall, well built Egyptian, with dark eyes and hair and skin the color of sweetened mocha. She rushed forward, anxious for any news. “How is he, how’s Nigel?” “I am very sorry, Ms. Fox, he didn’t make it.” Although. Sydney had thought she was prepared for the worst, she had not given up hope and his words cut through her worse than any knife ever could. She sank into a chair, stunned; she still had his burned and shredded jacket in her hands. Nigel was dead? He couldn’t be dead, he just couldn’t be! “I…I don’t understand.” “He suffered multiple injuries, and severe brain trauma, there was nothing we could do. I am very sorry.” “I…did…Did he say anything before he…” “No, I’m afraid he never regained consciousness from when he was brought in. Again, I’m very sorry. Sydney watched the doctor leave and still she couldn’t move. This wasn’t happening. Her eyes remained dry, even though she felt like she had been stabbed in the heart and someone was twisting the knife. She stood, unsteadily and picked up Nigel’s torn jacket and her satchel before heading to the nurses station. “Excuse me.” The stern looking nurse behind the desk stared at her. “I…I’d like to see Nigel Bailey please.” “And you are?” “Sydney Fox.” The nurse glanced at her charts. “Bailey? I’m sorry; we have no one here by that name.” “He was brought in three hours ago; I just spoke to the Doctor.” The nurse frowned. “What was the prognosis?” “He…” Sydney swallowed. “He died.” “Ah, that’s why, they’ve already removed him from my list.” “Can I see him, please?” “Are you a family member?” “What?” Sydney stared at her, incredulously. “He’s my assistant; I was the one who brought him in here.” “You are not related to him?” “No, but…” “I’m afraid we can only release the body to a family member.” Sydney couldn’t believe it. The idea of calling Nigel’s brother Preston all the way down here to identify the body…She shook her head. “Look, you don’t understand. I just want to see him for a minute, I want…I want to say good bye.” “I’m sorry, no one but a family member can see the deceased.” Sydney flinched at the word and was ready to reach across the desk and throttle the woman. There was no way they were going to deny her access to Nigel, not now, after… “Look, lady, I want to see him and I am not leaving, until I do.” The nurse observed Sydney quietly for a moment, and then in that same, monotone voice said. “I am sorry, we have our rules. If you could contact a family member to accompany you, you can see him; otherwise you will have to leave.” Sydney shook her head and started around the desk, intending to search every room, until she found her friend, but two large security officers blocked her way. She probably could have taken them, but instead she turned on her heal and headed for the nearest phone, since her cell was back at the hotel. This was ridiculous. She’d call Preston and get him down here, God she did not look forward to the call. He took the news better than Sydney thought he would, actually seemed very calm about it, or perhaps that was just the British Façade. He was nothing like Nigel, who wore his emotions on his sleeve; it was one of the things Sydney loved about her assistant. Tears stung her eyes for a second time, hearing that musical English lilt in Preston’s voice only reminded her that she would never hear Nigel’s again, never hear the way his voice rose a couple of octaves when he was frightened or anxious, how he stammered when she put him on the spot or embarrassed him, and how his voice grew positively husky whenever he was angry or disillusioned. The shy way he averted his eyes whenever she undressed in front of him, trying to be a gentleman, but finding it hard not to look. She had never thought she would ever feel as close to someone as she did to Nigel. She’d been through a dozen assistants before she’d found the loveable Brit, most of them simply could not keep up with her, or they developed a crush on her, which was even worse, but she knew Nigel would work out well from the first day they’d met. She could still remember walking into her office and finding him waiting there, after she’d startled him with her spear throwing act. She’d mistaken him for a student in her class because he looked so young, but she would learn that he was mature far beyond his years. He had stood as she entered the office, casting a nervous smile her way, and offering his hand, his grip assuring her of his confidence. He knew what his strengths were and, unlike her previous assistants, he was neither cocky nor audacious. He didn’t try to impress her with his knowledge, he knew that she had red his resume and simply answered her questions, hardly having to think about the answers. She left him to unpack some books while she changed in her office, another one of her tests, which he passed easily, despite his slight embarrassment. His knowledge of Ancient Folklore and artifacts rivaled her own, and at times surpassed it, and his research skills were unparalleled. Sydney only ever had to mention what they were looking for and within a few hours, if that, Nigel had read everything on the subject and could answer any and all questions that might arise. She had never seen someone that was so attuned to learning, so focused. He always had his nose in a book and although traipsing about in foreign lands with people trying to kill them was not what he had signed on for, Nigel quickly took to Relic Hunting with the same enthusiasm as Sydney, still remembering to advise and caution her whenever he could, about running full tilt into dangerous situations. Sydney had always enjoyed the hunt, but did so even more now that she had a teammate to accompany her. She had not taken her other assistants on very many hunts; she’d take them on one to test how they reacted. The men were usually trying to impress her with their bravery, which only ended up with them getting in the way, and the couple of women she had hired had balked at the idea of going back packing anywhere there wasn’t a shower and telephone. Nigel was different, he’d complain about mundane things, asking how much farther they would have to walk or how hot it was, but when it came to the real adventure, the digging, the fumbling around in caves and mine shafts and ancient tombs, repelling off mountains or diving out of an airplane to avoid gorilla soldiers, Nigel never said a word. Well, okay, he’d kick up a bit of a fuss, but Sydney would give him a little encouragement and off they would go. She’d started out treating him as one of her students, mothering him and protecting him, and trying to maintain a professional, but friendly distance, but Nigel soon fell into step as her partner and teammate and she forgot all about keeping anything to herself. He understood her like no other man ever did, she felt comfortable around him, trusted him: God she was going to miss him. She realized that she was still holding onto the receiver, Preston had long since hung up and she was standing there, thinking of Nigel and holding the phone. She slammed it down, grabbed Nigel’s jacket, and left the hospital; she needed air, she needed to get away from this place that smelled of ammonia and death; she needed Nigel to tell her everything was going to be okay. She strode furiously through the small city streets, pain shooting through her shoulder from her exertion, she didn’t care. Pain was something she could feel; pain and anger instead of the utter devastation and numbness that was threatening to overtake her. One name was reeling through her mind, one thought, to kill Da Viega. He had sent the message and had no doubt rigged the car to explode. She didn’t understand why he bothered to warn her, except to make her suffer more by taking Nigel’s life instead of hers. She knew he would have covered his tracks and the chances of her finding him were slim, but she would, sooner or later. Faster, she walked, passed the children in the streets, the vendors selling wares, and the men working on a new structure; along the banks of a small river that flowed in from the Nile, the same river that she and Nigel had walked along just two days before, discussing their hunt. She could still see his studious face, reciting the facts, while his eyes flashed with a child-like excitement at the idea they were closer to finding their treasure. Sydney suddenly stopped and stared out at the water, her hands coiling into fists as she gripped his jacket to her chest, oblivious to all other activity around her. Nigel laughing, Nigel scared, Nigel warning her to be more responsible. Nigel having so much faith in her to get them out of every situation, and she had failed him. “God damn you, Da Viega!” she cried, to whatever God or Gods were listening as she flung the jacket into the river with all her strength, before dropping to her knees as she watched it float away. “God damn me. What have I done? Oh, Nigel.” Finally she rose, knowing that her revenge would have to wait, she had more important things to attend to.
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