He can't kill my dad
Jeff was on his way to the infirmary when Tin-Tin had called. It wasn't an emergency, but she wanted him down in the medical room as soon as possible. It had been just over 24 hours since Scott and John got back, and everyone was on edge. John had stopped breathing again just as Scott had finished landing TB3. Luckily, Virgil and Tin-Tin were just outside and managed to start him breathing again via resuscitation. They moved John to the infirmary from there and started treating him. He had a huge blow to his skull and the right side was fractured, whist encountering oxygen starvation and few broken ribs from the impact. It was only now, when Tin-Tin called, he had woken up. Jeff's walk become somewhat of a jog, which then evolved into a light run. For a man of 56, he sure was healthy and reached the infirmary doors without even being out of breath. He bumped into Alan, who too he assumed had been called down to the infirmary, and right behind him was Gordon,
"Evening Boys, I'm presuming Tin-Tin called you too?"
"Yeah she did, myself and Gordon were just setting dinner when she rang"
"Ok then, guess I'll go first"
Jeff typed in the 10 digit code to the room. If there had ever been a 10 digit code, it was always the same one,
04-08-15-14-12
The activation beep sounded and the door slid open to reveal the medical room. It was only ever used to treat an injured Tracy, and rarely was it used. The last time it was used was when Alan received a 4 degree burn from a fire, whilst trying to save a girl. Horrible memories are usually re-created in this room, making it the least popular to be in after Tin-Tin's, it was far too girly for any of the boys tastes.
Jeff strolled up to 1 of the 3 beds in the room with Gordon and Alan looking round him from either side, toward the three figures that were already present in the medical room. One, was John stirring in the bed, with little colour in his face, dark circles smeared under his eyes and IV lines hooked up everywhere possible on him. The second was Virgil, dressed in his doctors' uniform with his white lab coat and electronic data tablet in hand, eyes focused on John. And the third was an exhausted Scott, still dressed in his IR uniform with his head resting in his arms which lay gentle on the edge of John's bed. Scott hadn't left John's side ever since he landed. He couldn't bare the idea of something happening and he not being there, no, not again was he ever going to let that happen. Jeff stopped at the end of the bed and looked toward his middle son,
"What's wrong Virgil? Has he improved?"
"Well father, considering I believe he is waking up, and that he is responding well to the antibiotics and medical treatment Tin-Tin has been giving him, I can confidently say he's on his way to recovery"
There was a sigh of relief from Jeff, Gordon and Alan. They weren't allowed in with John, and didn't know his state of health and as Scott wouldn't give into leaving; Jeff had no choice other than to just leave him there. Taking into consideration that Scott was not sound asleep, he probably didn't know about John's health status nor would he have seemed a bother. In Gordon's spirit of good will, he gently shook Scott's shoulder mildly, just as John was coming round,
"Psst, Scott! You need to wake up, Johnny is coming to"
Scott raised his weary head and looked toward John. When John started to open his eyes, Scott sat bolt up and looked as though he had just had 4 coffees. Everyone, smiled as John slowly woke,
"Hmmm, where am I?"
Jeff nodded to Virgil, who in turn told John,
"Well your safe down on earth, in the infirmary. Now John, tell me, how much of when you were last awake do you remember?"
Everyone leaned in closer wanting to hear for themselves what he was about to say,
"There was a beach, and the sea was there. And of you where there! Although Tin-Tin wasn't, sorry Tin-Tin"
Everyone looked puzzled at each other and then all toward Tin-Tin. Tin-Tin was too busy recording down readings on the different machines connected up to John's frail body to take insult, instead just carried on John into talking more,
"That's ok John; now tell us, what were you doing on a beach?"
"Hmmm don't know... mum was there and Alan was smaller than that"
John pointed at Alan and then did a height gesture with his hand. Everyone was looking so puzzled; they couldn't understand what John was talking about. Jeff however had a rough idea, and after hearing that John was on a beach with his mother, he pulled Virgil toward the back of the room and whispered,
"Virgil, those pain killers you gave him have made him slightly loopy, but do you think he's thinking back to that day when we all went to the beach together? You know the night before I told you my plans?"
Virgil nodded slowly, all the memories flooding his brain. He looked back over to John to see him pointing at Gordon and wanting to touch his hair. Virgil pulled his father closer inwards so he could whisper more quietly so the others wouldn't hear,
"Dad, I think John was re-living memories when he was knocked out, and at the moment, that's all he can remember. I just feel maybe I should give him something to send him back to sleep, he might say something he shouldn't and plus he might over work his head if continues to talk like that, but how does he remember that so well? That happened years ago!"
Jeff nodded, then shrugged his shoulders in turn to Virgil's questions and gave the all clear to Virgil to do so. Virgil called over Tin-Tin and they went into a side room to prepare John's next dose. Jeff now had the trouble of clearing out Scott, Gordon and Alan, whilst trying to keep John relaxed and calm,
"Gordon and Alan, could you come here please?"
The two youngest walked over to the Tracy patriarch and looked at him with happy smiles,
"You alright father?"
"Boys, I need you to convince Scott to leave the room, whilst I try and relax John so he can take his next shot of antibiotics, can you do that for me?"
The boys replied in unison,
"F.A.B"
Scott truly didn't look well when Jeff got a second glance at him; he looked exhausted and didn't look as though he was moving anytime soon. His body was hung over the edge of the bed with no real strength holding it up, and his face looked tired and dark. Jeff went and sat on the other side of John and started to calm him down from his now constant talking state, whilst Gordon and Alan quietly talked to Scott. Jeff had no idea what they had said, but Scott got up, only to fall back into Gordon and Alan's arms. The two youngest had to heave Scott to the door, and turned right down the corridor, presumable heading toward Scott's room. Jeff sighed in relief and looked back down at John who had calmed hugely, and was now humming tiredly to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Virgil injecting John's body with the antibiotics,
"So how long will that last him?"
"About another 12 hours. He needs the sleep; he needs to regain his head slowly. That sudden out burst of energy had me going; he could have given himself a heart attack"
Jeff nodded once more and looked over to where Tin-Tin was signing and organizing paper work,
"Tin-Tin, could you give me and Virgil a minute alone?"
"Of course Mr Tracy, I'll be outside"
Virgil and Jeff smiled the Tracy smile as she left the room. Only when she was gone Virgil turned to Jeff,
"Dad, would you like me to give something to Scott? Because I'm not sure who looked worse, him or John"
"He's had it tough. I think just a mild sleep drug will help. He cares for you boys so much. He really is like your second father, he can't help but feel hopeless when one of you is injured and feels as though he needs to do everything to make the situation better. It just isn't right for one person to take all of that onboard. And after seeing Alan and Gordon practically drag him out of here, I feel as though I should have kicked him out of here earlier. He saw John on death row, twice. Imagine what that does to a man?"
"But father, we work with this sort of thing all the time, surely Scott is use to this? I expect it nearly every rescue"
"This is the thing. John's family. Scott's oldest, younger brother. Imagine what he thought when he thought he had lost John a second time? Scott can't bare one of you being hurt, net alone nearly gone forever. It could have been any of you, he's just being your older brother. "
"Hmmm, well hopefully he'll be alright after I've given him something and what about yourself dad?"
"I'll be fine Virg; I have to stay strong for my boys don't I?"
Virgil smirked at this father as he rotated his shoulders and cracked his neck, he knew in the morning that was going to ache. Virgil started monitoring John again whilst Jeff left for the door,
"Oh by the way Virg"
Virgil looked up and raised his eyebrows with a smile, awaiting his father's words,
"Don't tell anyone I said that, Scott would hate me forever"
"Now dad when have I been one to release secrets that you've told me?"
Jeff smiled back at his brown eyed son and left the room quietly, leaving Tin-Tin to return with Virgil and John,
"So Virgil"
"Yes Tin-Tin?"
"Who's going to tell Alan about Scott destroying his 'bird's thrusters? Those things were pretty much dust when I looked them over"
Virgil paused and looked at her, and then looked around the room with a frown, expecting something to pop out of the blue with an answer, he hovered,
"I'm going to leave that job to my dad, I think. He can't kill my dad, where as Scott, he just better find a good hiding place"