Chapter 4
When Brains couldn't work things out he didn't get frustrated he just tried harder. He could engineer pretty much anything he set his mind to but the human body was always one of those tricky things. So much was undiscovered and unknown that he felt like he was searching a darkened room. He was used to researching into places that no one had researched before but he was also used to having all the time in the world to do it. Virgil's body was a deadline that was looming, with the emphasis on the dead.
At least now he had more information to go with. He had a bit of help too but he wasn't used to asking for help. He had to change his methods to suit the situation and he didn't like that. Still, Mr. Tracy was counting on him and, as usual, Mr. Tracy's requests weren't theory but something that needed to be put into practice. "Trial and error" was not an option. "Right first time" was the way to go.
If he'd looked at the clock he would have seen it was 2.30am. He didn't look at the clock. That would have been a pointless waste of time. If he stopped he would be tired so there was little point in stopping. The answer was there, right in front of him. He just had to rearrange the pieces like a jigsaw.
He was getting somewhere, that was for sure, but it wasn't just down to him. He could find the correct medicine but would Virgil's body have enough strength left to respond?
TBTBTB
Choices. Some were hard and some not so. Virgil faced choices everyday and that he counted as a blessing. Scott once told him of a comrade who had become a prisoner of war. Even though he was only held captive for two months he had become accustomed to his life being run by his captors. On his release he was overwhelmed by the simple choice of what to have for breakfast. Oh yes, to have a choice was a good thing.
Sometimes there was too much choice. Virgil avoided any sort of food shopping if he could get away with it. Last time he had been to a store to get coffee he had been faced with 37 choices (he'd counted). How dumb was that?
Now he felt like he had another sort of choice. What he wanted to choose was stopping the fight and seeking peace. He wanted quietness and darkness. He wanted to be safe and warm. But there was something in the anger in his Mom's face that told him that wasn't a good idea. The other way was hard and tiring and difficult. He was getting some help now but it was still a long old road. He didn't know if he could face it but then when did a Tracy take the easy option?
TBTBTB
By 8am nobody much felt like breakfast or settling into doing something. Gordon waited for Scott to take charge and come up with some kind of pep talk but when that didn't happen he was even more worried. Scott was the one who never gave up and if he did… In the end, Gordon decided to do some work on Thunderbird 4 and persuaded his brothers to join him. As he beavered away Alan and Scott sat listlessly nearby passing tools as requested by Gordon.
By lunchtime Gordon had manage to screw up more things than he'd fixed so the three headed off to the kitchen for lunch. They walked in to find their father sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee. Kyrano was telling them what he had ready for lunch when Brains wandered in. He picked an apple out of the fruit bowl and chewed it, a thoughtful look on his face.
"How's Virgil?" asked Scott. Brains started with surprise as if he'd only just realised there were other people in the room.
"It's interesting, very interesting."
"What is?" asked Alan.
"The combination of pathogenic bacterial cells that the North Koreans are playing with. If I had the time I would be interested to investigate further but, anyway, I promised Soon Kyung that I wouldn't-"
Brains's musings were halted by Jeff interrupting. "The scientist has been in touch?!"
Brains again look startled. "Well, yes, of c-course. We started the treatment and Virgil's responding well."
"Responding well?" Now Scott was questioning Brains. "Back up a bit. Are you saying you've found a cure?"
"Soon Kyung gave me details of what Virgil needed and he's already improving."
"Why in the hell didn't you tell us before?" Scott all but shouted.
"Scott!" admonished his father.
"But I did tell you…d-didn't I?" replied Brains looking puzzled.
"No, you didn't," stated Jeff.
"Then Tin Tin told you, r-right?" asked Brains, starting to look worried.
"Tin Tin is busy nursing Virgil," said an exasperated Scott, "And we're not allowed anywhere near Virgil, remember?"
"When did this all happen?" asked Jeff, trying to remain calm.
"After you went to b-bed. Soon Kyung contacted me and we discussed Virgil's s-situation. I worked on the correct medicine and dose which I injected into Virgil at 3.18am."
"Will he be okay now?" asked Alan, finally getting a word in.
"It is looking that way."
"No long term effects?" queried Gordon.
"There is a 906 to 4 chance that Virgil may be left with some w-weakness in his limbs but with the right physiotherapy he should be f-fine."
"Thank you, Brains," said Jeff with much feeling.
"Brains, you're a genius," said Scott, stating the obvious. "Can I go and see him?"
"Oh no," Brains replied, "Not for at least another week to be sure."
"Week?" repeated Alan.
"I hope that he will be fully conscious by this evening," said Brains, "so you can speak to him via video link when he's strong enough. Now, I must return and help Tin Tin with the scheduled observation. Excuse me."
Brains left the room. The stunned members of the Tracy family stared at each other for a few moments.
"What a time for him to have his head in the clouds," said Alan.
"I'm starving," replied Scott, with a huge grin, and Kyrano hurried to serve up the lunch.
TBTBTB
It took five days before Virgil was able to gather the strength to get out of bed for even the short trip to the bathroom which didn't do much for his sense of dignity, despite Tin Tin's matter-of-factness nursing him. He was confined to the medical bay and his only personal contact with people was initially Brains and Tin Tin, both suited and booted against his illness. At last the others were allowed to visit with him but even then they wore protective clothes and masks. Virgil was feeling more like a lab rat than a person.
When the danger had passed and he was allowed to move around the house the normally super-fit Virgil found that his muscles had wasted through lack of use. As boredom grabbed hold of him his mood was not in great shape either. He felt weak and ineffectual, not a good way for one of the Tracy family to feel.
Now he was up and about Scott had expected his brother soon to be back on form but Virgil's progress was painstakingly slow and he spent a lot of time in his room painting and rebuffing Scott's attempts to get him to join in with the activities on the Island. He just wanted the whole thing to be over and people to stop looking at him with sympathy and trying to help him all the time. Would this nightmare ever end?
