Disclaimer: don't own
Hesitantly, Ash knocked on her father's door. "Come in" came his voice. She winced and opened the door. Her father was sitting at his desk, papers in neat piles around him. She could see John's face on the vid-screen in front of him. "Thanks John, keep us updated." He said and disconnected the call.
Jeff turned to his daughter. She avoided his glance. He sighed. "You had better have a good explanation for this Aislinn Carter Tracy."He said, his voice icy cool.
She winced inwardly. Beyond dead.
"Aislinn, look at me" her father commanded.
Ash brought her head up. "I don't have an explanation." She said her voice flat and detached.
Jeff raised an eyebrow. "You know that you are not allowed off the grounds without at least one of your brothers! Didn't you know there was a storm coming? What would have happened if you had slipped and couldn't walk, Aislinn? You are not thoughtless, what possessed you to go off alone?" he yelled, his voice rising with each sentence.
"I didn't realize the storm would hit so fast" she said quietly. "I didn't know how far I walked. I'm sorry dad"
"You have to think, Ash! What if this was a rescue and you just decided to wander off?"
With each word, Ash seemed to shrink.
"You're grounded for a week. Maybe that will teach you to think." He said tiredly.
Ash opened her mouth to say something, and then snapped it shut. But daddy I never get to do anything. I just sit around here and watch you and my brothers going off and putting their lives in danger. I feel so left out. I know you do this to keep me safe, but daddy, I want you to let me go and make my own decisions and mistakes. Like that would ever happen. She turned and walked out of her father's office, dejected.
Jeff watched his daughter leave and sighed heavily. If he had told that to Alan or Gordon, they would have yelled right back. Ash just took things blankly, never giving a hint to whether she was angry or sad or indignant or anything, really. She was like john in that respect, but she was just as headstrong and reckless as his youngest could be.
All he wanted was for his family to be happy and safe. He wanted Ash safe, and she could get hurt on rescues, heck, any of his sons could. It wasn't that he doubted Ash's abilities or intelligence, but she didn't always think about consequences. That and he couldn't stand seeing his only girl in danger.
…
Ash wanted to cry, she really did. She wanted to go to one of her brothers and just cry. But her tear ducts just weren't working. With a heavy sigh, she walked into the infirmary. Virgil was waiting for her and Scott was sitting off to one side. "What did you do, Ash?" Virgil asked, in a purely medical way.
"I fell" Ash muttered.
Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Sure you did. Where do you hurt?"
Ash sighed. "My ankle. I landed on it."
Virgil gently took her ankle and probed it with his fingers. Ash winced as he hit a tender spot. Virge looked up. "It hurts here?" he asked touching the spot again.
Ash nodded. Virgil carefully turned her ankle and probed it a bit more. "It doesn't seem broken and you can clearly walk on it. There's a small cut where you said it hurts and it seems to be sprained, not badly, but enough so that I'm telling-ordering-you to stay off it. You're not hurting anywhere else?"
Ash shook her head. "Just tired"
Virgil nodded. "I'll wrap your ankle, then you can go."
Scott stood up. "So Ash, what were you doing out there? Alone?" he questioned.
"I went for a walk because I felt cooped up here. Yes I knew there was a storm coming; I lost track of time." She muttered.
"Ash" Scott said, his voice low and slightly angry. "I know when you're lying. What were you really doing out there?"
She became suddenly interested in her ankle. Virgil was just finishing wrapping it. "Ash, if you start to not feel well, I want to know. Exposure like that lowers your immunity and I don't want you sick." He said.
Ash shrugged.
"I mean it Aislinn, you had better tell me." He turned to his older brother. "Scott, could you help Ash to her room? She shouldn't put weight on that ankle."
Scott nodded and scooped his sister up. "Hey" she protested. "Scott put me down! I'll lean on you but don't carry me!" She said.
Scott grinned mischievously. "Oh no. Dr. Virgil over there said no weight on the ankle. I'm carrying you, no questions asked."
Ash groaned and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "You knew this would happen!" She glared at Virgil. He, for his part, shrugged innocently as Scott carried her to her room.
Scott carefully laid his sister on her bed and took a seat on it's edge. "So what really happened, Ash? I'm not leaving until I hear the truth."
It was no idle threat, Ash knew. She sighed. Scott would not be happy. "I went swimming in the cove" she told him.
"You what? Ash you know better! What ever happened to the buddy system? Gosh Ash you could have drowned and we never would have known." He took a deep breath. That thought scared him, much more then he would ever let his sister know-she was feeling guilty enough as it was.
Ash finally felt the sharp pricking behind her eyes and tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Scotty. I…I wasn't thinking and I totally lost track of the time" she sobbed.
Scott pulled the girl against his chest and let her cry. "Shhhh, Ash. Everything's ok now. You're not going to make that mistake again." He soothed and gently rubbed her back.
She took a deep breath. "Thanks Scotty" she said quietly.
He smiled at her. "You look exhausted", he told her. "Get some sleep, 'kay"
She nodded and removed herself from his embrace. Scott stayed on her bed until she was comfortable. Soon her breathing evened. "Sweet dreams, Ash" he murmured as he walked out the door.
Alan was waiting in the hallway outside Ash's room. "Is she ok?" he asked softly. He had been gnawed by feelings of intense guilt since he learned about his sister's predicament. He should have told her to stop. He should have warned her. Gosh, he could be so stupid. His sister could have died and it was his fault.
Scott noticed the worry in his brothers features. "She sprained her ankle and she's exhausted, but she'll be fine." He said.
Alan breathed a sigh of relief. Scott didn't need to know about her excursions…yet. Alan knew better than to believe his sister would be still for long.
...
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