"And now for the weather report with Chuck Archibald," Yeesh. Did the guy on the radio have to sound so cheerful at seven in the morning? Really? Who put happy pills in his coffee? Gently, Scott rolled over and nudged the sleeping girl next to him awake, "Aimee, sweetheart, time to go." He really didn't need Dad phoning up and finding him with a girl today instead of focussing on his career, thank you very much.
"Oh God, Scott, I've screwed up so badly, I just... I needed someone to talk to and I know you don't want to hear it and... what am I going to do? Please please call me back soon!" Alan's voicemail made the muscles in his stomach clench tightly as he called back. "Alan, it's me. Just, keep calm and tell them what I told you." Right know, he had no clue as to how Alan could possibly ring their father and tell him the school had expelled him for blowing up the Chemistry lab.
"Why are you always trying to copy everyone else?" The words could have been percieved as nasty by the youngest Tracy, but Alan blinked and actually thought his answer through before answering reasonably; "I hate being the baby. I want to grow up and do what you guys do." Oh, Allie... "Being someone happens on its own, you don't have to work at it, Sprout."
"Remember the song I made you listen to?" Alan nodded tearily as he stood in front of Scott, the eldest brother's hands on the youngest's shoulders as he met Alan's eyes. "I will never be afraid again, I will keep on fighting 'til the end. I can walk on water, I can fly." The blond recited, and Scott nodded. "You just remember that, and you'll be okay." With a quick ruffle of his hair, he pushed Alan toward the plane that would take the youngest Tracy to his impending doom.
Being drunk had benefits. Everything was a hell of a lot more clear and sensible when Scott had a bottle of beer in his hand. Getting drunk didn't happen often now he had joined the air force, but it still brought the satisfying feeling of pulling the blinds away from the truth, and everyone knew that you had to be drunk to put the world to rights properly.
"I can fly a fucking plane, Dad!" The growl came from Scott's much depleted patience store as Jeff fretted over and over about whether Scott would be able to make it back to the island in time for dinner. The constant babying and the hangover from last night had made a Scott that no-one wanted to get in the way of. Jeff Tracy, however, was a completely different story. Nodding shortly, the father signed off of the vid-link, leaving Scott wincing over the way he'd spoken to the man he'd looked up to since childhood. He'd have to sort that issue later.
One of the many things Scott wanted to do with his life before college was take a gap year, see the world with a couple of friends maybe. Just generally have fun. Nineteen and raring to go, the young man never envisioned being stuck with four younger brothers, and two absent parents. At least Mom had an excuse for her absence, hey? So he went straight to college, living away during the week and coming back from Yale at weekends and holidays.
Patience. He needed patience from Jeff to be able to make it home safely and within the four hours he'd put aside to get back to the island from his airbase. Without patience, everyone would just be in a bad mood, and where would that get them? Jesus... Maybe he shouldn't have gotten drunk yesterday. Laying off the alcohol tonight wouldn't be a problem, he though, but it felt so nice yesterday, seeing clearly. Evidently cleaning his mental windows had left the glass so clean the sun had burnt the back of his brain. He needed to heal before it happened again.
That's goddamned right you know.