Thank you so much again for all of the gorgeous comments, especially the ones I can't respond too, thank you!
Leaning against the door casually as he watched his sons, Jeff couldn't stop the wave of relief from crashing over him at seeing them so relaxed. He had been deeply concerned that Scott's latest stay in the hospital would have dire consequences for John and Virgil. Knowing they had yet to notice him, Jeff let his mind think back over the last few days.
Jeff sighed deeply as he rolled his aching neck and shoulders, glancing towards the ceiling as he did so. He had to admit, he had been taken aback when Matt had turned up with his sons. But any doubts he may have had about them seeing their brother sedated were immediately crushed as he had watched Virgil visibly relax upon seeing his brother, knowing that this would be the only thing to reassure him that Scott was definitely going to come back to them. They had been forced to go an entire weekend without being able to see how their brother was, without knowing how he was after Scott had been kidnapped. And whilst it had never been said out loud, Jeff knew that it had crossed John's mind at least that they might never again have been able to ask after their older brother. Whilst he knew the visit was what the pair of them needed in order to keep calm until Scott was fit to go home, Jeff was glad when his mother had taken control of the situation once again. John's outburst had made his father more than aware that something was troubling the elder of his blonds and being stuck in a hospital room was certainly not going to help, not with the memories of the last time they were here still clearly on his mind. Now they had seen that their brother was going to be fine, and that he really was only sleeping, there was no reason for them to stay.
Not that he wanted to admit it, but Jeff was glad when everyone had gone. So far, he had managed to keep up appearances, look like he was in control of a situation that had rapidly slid from his grasp weeks ago, despite not having any idea how. If he was honest, Jeff didn't think he had been in control since he had lost Lucille, not properly, anyway. For the first few months, he had been so wrapped up in his grief, he was ashamed to admit that he wasn't thinking about what his actions were doing to his sons. And then it had been the business taking over. If the truth be told, Jeff hadn't expected to be able to establish himself that firmly so quickly. He had been feeling a little out of his depth as it was, but as proposal after proposal had come in, felt himself swept away, not having time to contemplate what he was doing, nor how far from his family he was drifting. And for the past month, it had been Blag controlling him. Literally to begin with, threatening his sons' safety and well being. That weekend had to have been the longest two days of Jeff's life. The race against time to see if they would be able to save his son, made twice as bad by the men actually coming around to his house. They had betrayed everything that was supposed to make the children feel safe: the house, police officers... And even now, over a month later, it was still Blag controlling his life. The maniac might not be free to cause harm, but he was certainly doing enough damage to the Tracy family, plaguing their dreams night after night. And what Jeff found worst was the feeling that he was once again losing his sons to the monster, especially his oldest. Only this time, he was standing there watching it happen, still not being able to do anything.
Shuddering slightly at the memories of those days, Jeff snapped himself back into reality. He knew if he carried on thinking like that, he would end up a mess. He couldn't afford to break down now, not when the boys were finally beginning to make some progress. Sighing again, Jeff leant forward, clasping Scott's still hand in his own and pressing it against his cheek. At least, some of the boys were making progress, but the father really couldn't help but wonder if they were going backwards with Scott. Every time Jeff thought he had managed to overcome another hurdle, the teenager would simply put up another barrier, another false front, in order to pretend everything was alright when he knew that his family were watching, just waiting to see his reaction. It was driving Jeff mad. He really thought he had been able to get through to his son on the day when Scott had decided he wanted to walk home. And whilst he knew that the change which had taken place over the next couple of days had not been as extreme as the rest of the family thought, Jeff had honestly believed that reuniting Scott with Virgil in the relationship they used to have would have done something for him. And now look where he was: sedated in hospital after collapsing, all because he was refusing to let anyone in.
"Oh, Scotty." Jeff murmured softly, resting against his son's hand. "When are you going to stop being so stubborn?"
"Mr Tracy?" Pulled sharply out his musings, Jeff sat up that little bit straighter as Dr Ford re-entered the room, looking apologetic at disturbing the father. He knew Jeff had managed to get very little rest the night before: the man had refused to leave his son's side, despite knowing that there was absolutely no chance that Scott would so much as stir. Seeing the look in his eye had made the doctor back down, knowing he had more chance of landing himself in the emergency room before Jeff left Scott's side.
"Hey, doc," Jeff said quietly, his voice betraying how tired and worn he was feeling. "How's he doing?"
For a moment, the doctor didn't answer, instead checking various things around Scott, jotting down notes as he did so before eventually turning his attention back to the concerned father.
"He should begin to come round within the next hour; we've eased him off the sedatives all day. Be warned though, whilst he may wake up, it will only be briefly. He should alternate between sleep and waking for a good few hours before he is lucid enough to stay awake."
"Oh, we've dealt with sedation before, haven't we, Scotty?"
Frowning at the bitterness in Jeff's voice, the doctor replaced his clipboard on the end of Scott's bed, but made no attempt to leave the room. Instead he fixed Jeff with the piercing gaze that normally had his patients squirming.
"And how are you coping, Jeff? I hear two of your other sons were brought in to see their brother yesterday. Are they dealing with it?"
"Better than I could have hoped for," Jeff responded, gazing at his sleeping son intently as if hoping that would be enough to wake his boy up. "They've been through worse, that's for sure. No, now they've seen he isn't in any danger, they'll be fine."
Rather than being reassured, the doctor found that his frown only deepened. They were not the usual words he heard from concerned fathers. They had been through worse? And what was this about seeing he wasn't in any danger? Normally it was seeing that the sibling was still in one piece that reassured most of the children Dr Ford had come across. 'Danger' was not one of the words that were normally associated with situations like this. Thinking back on the reasons behind Scott's collapse in the first place, he decided not to push the matter, not being sure how the sleep-deprived Tracy would react. Finally turning, he had just made it to the door when he suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, Mr Tracy?" Waiting until Jeff had finally torn his eyes away from his son and looked at the man, the doctor smiled in a slightly confused manner. "One of my nurses said to tell you she'll be making sure things run smoothly."
For a moment, Jeff merely frowned, his tired brain really not understanding what the man was getting at. As he glanced quizzically back at Scott, he realised. Smiling gently, he shifted his weight into a more comfortable position.
"Tell Rachel thank you."
"How-?"
"Long story."
Knowing that he had completely lost Jeff's attention this time, the doctor excused himself. He had other patients to attend to, after all.
To Jeff's relief, the doctor's predictions about Scott awakening were spot on. The man had not been out of the room for more than ten minutes when Scott shifted position slightly. If it had been any other type of situation, Jeff would have thought nothing of it. But something he found to be completely unnerving was how still Scott was when he was sedated. Jeff had been sitting by his son's side for nearly twenty-four hours now, and not once had Scott moved in the slightest. Immediately feeling full alertness come rushing back, Jeff sat up straighter, watching intently as Scott's legs moved again.
"Scotty?" His call, whilst it had been meant to see if his son could hear him, came out as barely more than a whisper, a hint of a plea in Jeff's voice. He hadn't realised how tense he had been whilst his son was sleeping, but now, knowing he was beginning to wake up, Jeff felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Waiting with baited breath as Scott moved again, Jeff felt that if he was any further forward on the chair, he would be falling off.
"Scott, can you hear me? Open your eyes, son, come on. Come back to me, Scotty." It took a few more attempts, but eventually, Jeff felt a relieved smile cross his face as Scott's eyelids eventually flickered, revealing the disorientated orbs beneath.
"Dad?" As his eyes gained focus, Jeff was not expecting them to suddenly widen in panic, darting around the hospital room frantically as his breathing picked up. Knowing that if Scott didn't calm down soon, the doctor would be back in, Jeff leaned over. Gently cupping his son's cheek with his hand, he forced Scott to look at him.
"Everything's okay, Scotty. You collapsed in school, do you remember, son?"
"No," Scott whispered, tears filling his eyes and causing Jeff to feel like his heart was breaking. His son looked and sounded so vulnerable. Just over a month ago, the father knew full well that this side of Scott would have never made an appearance.
"Never mind, it will come back to you. Trust me, everything is okay."
"What about the others? Are they alright?"
"Scott, relax. Everyone is fine. Well, Gordon will have to miss his swim practice, which probably means there won't be a house left standing, but apart from that..." The gentle teasing tone in Jeff's voice eventually managed to get through to the frightened boy and Scott's eyes gradually lost their haunted look as he leant back on the pillows. Before Jeff could say anything else, his eyes had drifted shut again.
Letting out an explosion of breath, Jeff ran his hand through his son's hair, leaving his hand resting on Scott's head for a moment as he tried to pull himself together. The frightened expression that had immediately shot over Scott's face had unnerved his father. How could he have been so blind as to not realise how badly this had affected his son? He had always relied on Scott to be the strong one, to help control the horde that he called brothers. It was only now, when it had come to this, that Jeff realised just how much he had taken his son for granted.
Half an hour or so passed, but so lost in his thoughts was he that Jeff barely noticed. He only returned to reality when he felt Scott shift again, and no sooner had he looked up, Scott opened his eyes once more. Immediately leaning forward, Jeff quickly brought the boy's attention onto him, making sure that Scott wasn't given the chance to panic this time. To his father's delight, he managed to stay awake for almost fifteen minutes before drifting back to sleep again.
The third time Scott awoke, Jeff sensed the change in his son straight away. His eyes were clearer and far more alert as he shakily pushed himself into an upright position. Moving behind him, Jeff quickly propped the pillows up for him, allowing Scott to lean back and let them take his weight.
"How are you feeling, son?"
"Thirsty," Scott responded, sounding almost sheepish as his eyes glanced around the room. Smiling gently, Jeff reached down and picked up the cup of water one of the nurses had delivered not ten minutes ago, seeming to know that Scott would be more alert this time. Instructing his son to only sip, Jeff kept a close eye as Scott drank, only to take back the empty cup with no mishaps at all.
"That better, Scotty?"
Nodding mutely, Scott leant back with a sigh, unable to stop his eyes roaming the room. Being back in the hospital was certainly bringing back memories he would rather have stayed buried, especially as it had taken him this long to gain control over them.
"Dad?"
Frowning in immediate concern, Jeff leant forward. There had been a strange note in Scott's voice, almost as if he was trying to fight off tears.
"What's wrong, son?"
"Dad, I want to go home. Please. Don't wanna be here..."
Moving forward so that he was sitting next to his son on the bed, Jeff leant forward once more, wrapping his arms around Scott and pulling the boy into his shoulder. His suspicion that Scott was trying to hold off tears proved to be true as he felt something wet splash onto his top.
"You're ill, Scott."
"Please. Just let me go home. Don't want to have to stay here. Please, Dad, please, let me go home."
Swallowing hard against the pleading note in Scott's voice, Jeff drew gently back, attempting to smile reassuringly at his son. Tears were running silently down Scott's face, his eyes still darting anxiously around the room. Cupping his son's face once more, Jeff used his thumb to brush them away, locking eyes with the teenager.
"It's okay to be afraid, Scotty," he whispered gently, knowing that it wasn't the actual hospital that had Scott so freaked, but what had happened last time he was here. His breath hitching in his throat, Scott swallowed hard, obviously not wanting to break down completely in front of his father. Jeff wasn't fooled for an instant, however. He may not have been around for the boys as much as he should have over the last year, but even Jeff knew his eldest son well enough to know when Scott was holding back. And this time, there were no younger brothers around to draw his attention.
"N'fraid." Scott muttered through his tears, his posture and the fact that he couldn't get the words out properly giving him away, however.
"Scott, please. You don't have to hide how you are feeling, not from me."
"I just want to go home!" Scott practically yelled, his tone taking on an almost desperate note. Before Jeff could react, he had swung his legs out of bed. Jeff didn't think he had ever moved so fast, but he was around the other side of the bed within a matter of seconds, making it just in time to catch Scott as his legs refused to support his weight. Sitting him back down on the bed, Jeff pulled himself up next to his son, wrapping his arm around Scott's shoulders and almost forcing the stubborn teenager to lean on him.
"Just wanna go home," Scott repeated quietly, the exhaustion more than apparent in his voice as he gave in, leaning against his father.
"I know, kiddo. So do I. But we don't have a choice; we have to stay for now."
"But..."
"Scott," Jeff interrupted, gently but firmly. He knew that he wasn't getting through to his son, so he was going to have to take the firmer approach in order to get the boy to relax. "I know you don't want to be here. But the more you kick up a fuss, the longer they are going to keep you in here, do you understand? If you just relax, they'll let you go home."
"When?"
"Soon, Scott, soon. How about you try and get some more sleep, son? The time will go quicker like that." Navigating the pair of them around so that Scott was lying back down, Jeff was more than aware they were mirroring the position Scott had held Virgil in only a few days ago. Hoping that if his son realised, he would accept the same sense of safety that his brother had, Jeff found his hand methodically combing itself through Scott's hair.
"You need a haircut, kid." He hadn't meant to say it out loud, it was just the first absurd thought that came into his head, but to his delight, Scott let out a weak chuckle, as if he was almost stunned that his father could be thinking about such things.
"John's is longer," he muttered, letting his eyes shut as he leant against his father. Smiling in relief at the calmer tone to Scott's voice, Jeff forced himself to relax, hoping that his son would be able to pick up on it.
"So why is Gordon's so much shorter? Virgil's is certainly getting long." Sensing more than seeing the smile make its way onto Scott's face, Jeff wanted to yell out in delight. This was the most relaxed he had seen the boy in months.
"We had to get it cut," Scott said tiredly, not wanting to admit that he was losing the fight against the pull of sleep once more. "He dyed it green."
"He what?" Jeff all but yelped, but only a soft snore met his exclamation. Smiling down at the top of Scott's head, the father knew he was going to end up with a very stiff arm considering the position they were in, but found that he didn't particularly care. Whilst the sedation coursing through his system was reason enough for Scott to be exhausted, Jeff was well aware of the fact that this was the first time Scott had chosen to allow his body to give in to the pull of sleep. He could only hope it was a new beginning.
A few hours had passed, and Jeff was just beginning to feel like he was losing all feeling in his arm, when something made him frown in confusion. He had pulled the covers up as best as he could without waking his sleeping son, trying to make Scott as comfortable as possible considering their strange and somewhat unusual position. But now he was sure that he could feel the boy shaking against his arm. Peering down at the top of Scott's head, Jeff knew immediately that he was still asleep, but something was very wrong.
"Scott?" Calling gently, Jeff managed to somehow slip his arm out from under his son, lowering him onto the pillows and giving him a clear view of his son's face. Fright was etched into Scott's features, his head automatically twisting away from his father now that he had movement back. Hearing Scott's breath hitch in his throat, Jeff slipped off the bed, rounding it and crouching down the other side. Reaching out, he stroked Scott's hair back from his forehead, grimacing slightly as he felt the sweat beading it. He knew what this sign meant.
"Scott, wake up, son! You're having a nightmare; you need to wake up now."
Despite his father's commanding tone, Scott slept on, too trapped in his own mind to pay attention to what Jeff was saying. Knowing that the sedative would make him harder to rouse than normal, Jeff firmly shook his son by the shoulder. Rather than waking up, however, Scott let out a small whimper, his head tossing away again. Swallowing his own distress, Jeff pulled himself into a more upright position, but before he could get any further than that, Scott screamed. A shrill, harsh noise that had broken Jeff's heart the first time he had heard it was sent echoing around the room, the boy's movements getting more and more frantic as he twisted in the sheets, entangling himself as he did so. Barely aware of the sound of feet running towards the room, Jeff sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning over his teenage son.
"Scott! Listen to me. Come back to me, Scott, we need you. Come on, son, wake up. That's enough now, come back, Scotty."
Catching one of Scott's flailing arms in his hand, Jeff pushed on, knowing that it was going to do Scott no good at all if he woke up in a room full of strangers. He heard the door open behind him, heard one of the on-call doctors swear in surprise before hearing the sound of him heading towards the bed. Beginning to get desperate, Jeff took Scott by both shoulders and gave him a firm shake.
"Scott Carpenter Tracy, it is time you did as you were told, young man. Now wake up!" To Jeff's delight, the screams instantly stopped. Very, very slowly, Scott's eyes opened, causing Jeff to immediately pull his son against him, doing anything he could to get rid of the haunted look that lingered there.
"It's over, Scotty. You're safe, everyone is safe."
"He...he's not..." Swallowing hard, Scott seemed determined to get to the end of his sentence and Jeff was certainly not going to make any attempt to stop him. If Scott could let out what was on his mind, Jeff knew it would work wonders.
"He's not letting me go."
"Yes he is, Scott," Jeff whispered directly into his ear, ignoring the way the young doctor was hovering uncertainly, clearly not sure whether he was needed or not. "He has, we won. We have you back, back with your family. He can never hurt you again."
"I saw him, Dad," Scott managed to force out, despite his voice cracking halfway through. "Just standing there, watching. And waiting."
"Then he is going to be waiting forever, because he is never coming near you or your brothers again, I swear it."
"I'm scared, Dad."
Barely hearing Scott's whisper, Jeff immediately felt tears well up in his own eyes as he felt Scott's defences lower. Considering how adamant Scott had been only a few hours before that he was not afraid, Jeff knew that for his son to finally admit it, was a sign that he was finally overcoming the first hurdle. He had seen Scott angry, withdrawn, quiet, even frustrated since the events of that weekend. But never once had he seen Scott let anyone witness him at his most vulnerable. Having seen the videos that Blag had used as a means of contacting him, Jeff knew why. He had seen the maniac practically destroy his son through all that Scott had had to witness and suffer. And that gave him all the answers he needed. Scott knew he had been vulnerable and alone then. So he was damned if anyone was going to see that side of him again.
"It's okay, baby. It's alright to be scared. John's scared. Virgil's scared. Gordon and Alan are scared. And so am I, Scott. I'm scared of losing you all over again, scared that one day I will wake up and find that we were too late." Swallowing hard, Jeff shut his eyes, immediately being assaulted with images of Turner standing over Scott once more. His son hadn't been the only one who had been hiding how afraid he had been.
"But then I see you there, see your brothers, and I know that you are all safe."
"When is he going to leave me alone?" Scott whispered, shuddering slightly and making as if to draw back from his father. In turn, however, Jeff merely held on tighter, knowing that if Scott drew back, he would once again put the barriers up. This time, Jeff was determined to keep them down. It was about time Scott accepted that he was safe once and for all. They couldn't keep going on the way they had been.
"I can't answer that, Scott. But I do know that we are all here for you. We always have been, we always will be, all of us, even Alan. Especially Alan. Don't let him win, Scotty."
"I don't know how."
"That one is easy," Jeff responded with a laugh, pushing Scott away from him so that he could look his son directly in the eye. "You tell him. You tell yourself, Scotty. You look in that mirror and tell yourself that he has not – and never will – win. Can you promise me that you'll do that, Scott? Promise that you won't let him win?"
"I promise," Scott said quietly, the tremble in his voice clearly betraying that whilst he might have been saying it, he didn't truly believe it. Resting back on the pillows, it didn't take long for his eyes to flicker shut again and for his breathing to even out. Letting out an explosive breath, Jeff leant back, running a hand through his hair.
"Nicely handled, Sir."
His head twisting so fast he thought his neck would crack, Jeff had completely forgotten about the young doctor still hovering in the room.
"Hardly."
"Oh trust me, if you both carry on like that, he will be right as rain in a couple of days."
"How can you say that?" Jeff all but cried, not understanding how the doctor could be so relaxed about what the two Tracys had just discussed. Fixing him with a rather stern look, the young man folded his arms across his chest, pointedly raising an eyebrow as he looked towards Scott.
"What can you hear, Sir?"
"Wha-? Nothing."
"Exactly. He'll be able to go home tomorrow." And so saying, the doctor walked from the room, leaving Jeff staring after him in surprise. What had the man meant? As Jeff too turned his glance towards the snoozing teenager, he suddenly realised. He had managed to calm Scott down enough to let him go back to sleep. For the first time in over a month, Scott had banished his demons enough to let his mind and body properly relax. They had done it! They had overcome the first hurdle. Slipping himself from the bed and back onto the chair, Jeff leant his elbows on his knees, leaning forward so that his face was resting in his hands. He wasn't naive; he knew they still had a long way to go. But maybe now, for the first time, they would be able to properly take a step forward, rather than carrying on going around in the circles they seem to have been trapped in.
TBTBTB
The night was an eventful one. Scott had awoken nearly every hour for the first three, the screams giving way to huge sobs before Jeff finally got him calm enough to go back to sleep. As the night drew on, the teenager was able to stay asleep for longer and longer each time, although his watching father had intervened more than once, waking him up before the nightmare got too bad. By the time the nurse came in on her morning round, Scott had managed to find some sort of peace, and Jeff was utterly exhausted.
"You need a coffee, you do, Sir," she told him cheerfully, checking a reading and making a note on Scott's chart. As he watched, Jeff couldn't help but wonder how full the boys' records had suddenly become over the last month, what with everything that had happened. Before he could say anything though, Scott stirred once more.
"Dad?" His voice sounding hoarse and rough from the use it had received over the night, Scott rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up, looking utterly exhausted. Jeff was sure that his son's eyes were clearer though, the normal haunted look fading ever so slightly as his son leant back, watching Jeff closely.
"How are you feeling, Scott?"
"I wanna go home," Scott mumbled, his voice more than reflecting his exhaustion. Sparing a glance at the nurse to see her reaction before he started promising his son something he couldn't deliver, Jeff felt relieved at the small nod she gave him.
"I'll get the doctor to come and give you the all clear then, shall I, sweetie?" As she bustled out, Scott turned towards his father, surprise more than evident in his face.
"I can really go home?"
"Why, you changed your mind?" Jeff teased lightly, smiling reassuringly at his son. He had spoken to one of the doctors during the night after the man had been sent running for the teenager's room for the third time. With the rest of the ward fairly quiet, he had stayed to give the tired father some company. Looking back now, Jeff was glad. It had meant that time was saved this morning; he had already talked through various different programmes and solutions that could be used to help Scott return to a normal sleeping pattern and be able to move on with his life.
"Take me home, Dad," Scott pleaded, his eyes swimming with tears once more, his exhaustion making him lose any control he had over his emotions.
"Sure thing, kiddo."
And that was just what Jeff did. Wrapped in his own dressing gown brought from home, Scott allowed his father to help him to and from the car at both ends of the journey. As he pushed the door to the house open, Jeff found that he was quickly brought up short by the sound of laughter bouncing down the stairs. Raising his eyebrows as John's giggles increased in pitch, he gently pushed the door to the lounge open, leading his son in and sitting Scott down on the couch. Straightening up, he frowned as he watched Scott lean back, still concerned by how pale the boy was. He had phoned home whilst the doctor was checking his son out, telling his mother what was going on, but telling her not to tell the boys, just in case something delayed them. The last thing he wanted was to get their hopes up, only to have them dashed again. As his mother came bustling in from the kitchen, he smiled. It was time to find his sons.
Shutting the door behind him in an attempt to keep the surprise for a bit longer, Jeff quickly jogged up the stairs, letting the noise lead him.
And that was where he was still was now, just waiting whilst the boys calmed down a little.
"Boys?" Craning his head around again towards the door, John was the first to catch sight of his father standing in the doorway. Jerking his head towards the door, he quickly brought his brothers' attention to who was home.
As Alan gave a small yell of delight and pulled himself to his feet again, Jeff bent down, scooping his youngest son into his arms and giving him a long overdue cuddle. He had been concerned about the mood that had infiltrated the household on his brief visits home, his own mood not helped by his conversations with his mother. As Gordon gave another annoyed hiccup, Jeff felt his smile widen.
"You okay there, Gordy?"
Nodding, Gordon finally relinquished his hold on his brother's legs, spinning around to face his father.
"Daddy, Grandma said you had a surprise for us."
"Gordon!" Virgil instantly hissed, also letting go of his older brother. "You can't say things like that."
"Why – hic – not, Virgy?" Gordon asked, accusations burning in his voice. "Grandma said he did, so it must be true."
As Virgil opened his mouth to make a retort back, Jeff smoothly cut in. He had no desire for the relaxed atmosphere to be spoilt.
"Your grandmother is indeed right. If you let your brother up off the floor and come downstairs, you'll see." Immediately, both Gordon and Virgil jumped to their feet and raced for the stairs, but waited at the top, knowing the rules. As John climbed to his feet, he rotated his shoulder slightly, making Jeff frown at him.
"Are you hurt, son?"
"I'm fine, Dad," John responded with a smile, meaning every word. To his surprise, he found it was true. He had been worried that he would feel his brothers' attack, but to his delight, he hadn't noticed a thing.
"Come on then, son. We don't want to keep your brothers waiting." Carrying Alan out, Jeff moved past his sons, leading the way down the stairs. Pausing outside the lounge, his hand resting on the closed door as he shifted Alan's position, Jeff took a moment to drink in the excited anticipation on their faces, silence falling across them apart from Gordon's hiccups. Smiling gently, he pushed open the door.
"Scott!"