Chapter Twenty-Six

Okay I am gonna trust ya and not beg for reviews, please don't disappoint me! (That doesn't count as begging right?)

I gave myself a little break from this last night and came up with a little ditty instead (You're Gone)! I don't want to run the risk of rushing this story to get it posted quicker, because a lot of hard work has gone into it and I don't want it to be wasted.

Chapter Twenty Six

Scott lay awake in bed, it was almost seven am and he had hardly slept a wink. He felt that he needed to be doing something, anything. It was driving him insane, just laying there watching time tick slowly by. At first he had been glad of the time alone, in hospital he had had someone watching him all of the time, and even on his first day home John had snuck off to sit with him while he slept. Scott grinned slightly; he would bet that even Jeff didn't know about that, John had a gift of fading into the background and disappearing. He sighed in frustration, he was so bored, he thought he would have slept better after sharing the events of the mine with his younger brother, yet it had made it even harder to get it out of his head, and his brain would just not shut down enough to allow sleep to take him

Virgil groaned tiredly, it was already time to get up and he had hardly slept a wink all night. He felt much better after talking things through with John, yet he still couldn't relax, his brother really was concerning him. He knew that Scott was planning something, and whatever it was it wouldn't be good. Virgil knew that his brother could handle himself very well, but he had also known up to that point that Scott would not use his skills in a violent act against another human being, he wasn't so sure oft hat now. He had seen that cold steel glint in his brother's expressive blue eyes, and whatever it meant, he didn't like it one bit.

Alan and Gordon were causing havoc in the kitchen, and Grandma was not liking it one bit.

"boys must you make so much mess, if you can just wait ten minutes I will rustle you up some breakfast myself" Ruth told her two youngest grandsons, desperate to prevent the kitchen from looking more like a bombsite.

"No grandma, we'll do it. This isn't for us this is for Scott" Alan told her proudly showing her the humungous pile of food the two boys had prepared for their brother. The two placed all of the food onto a tray with a jug of coffee and carefully made their way to the bedroom of their older brother. Alan knocked loudly on the door then entered without waiting for a response.

"Scott we've made you breakfast" he told his brother, Scott turned to look at them, his mouth dropping open as he caught sight of the huge pile of food that was being placed on his lap.

"My God! There's enough here to feed an army" he stated, almost speechless.

"Now come on Scott, don't forget we know all about you and your endless appetite" Gordon teased his brother, pouring him a mug of steaming coffee." Anyway we shall leave you to it, enjoy" Gordon continued with a grin, and a wink as he dragged his younger brother out of the door with him. Scott looked at the mound of food in front of him, deeply touched by the thoughtful gesture of his youngest brothers, but knowing for certain that their wasn't a cat in hells chance of him clearing the plate. He sighed and picked up the knife and fork and valiantly started eating the contents on the first plate.

Jeff stretched hard; he had slept well that night for the first time in what felt like forever. He was so pleased that the hole family were all under the same roof together relatively okay and happy. He was especially glad that Scott was home, if he had his way his oldest son would never leave the house again without a personal guard and being wrapped in cotton wool. He sighed not wanting to dull his brightened mood; he set off to see his convalescing son. When he got to his room, he was amazed to see his oldest son battling with the largest plate of fried breakfast he had ever seen in his life.

"Oh dad, thank God! Help me with this lot?" Scott asked his father as soon as he noticed him in the doorway, Jeff chuckled to himself.

"Grandma at it again huh?" he asked, being all too aware of the elderly lady making it her personal mission to fatten up her recovering Grandson.

"No, no this was Gordon and Alan" Scott replied, and Jeff almost choked on his toast, Scott chuckled at the astonishment on his father's face.

"Are you sure it's edible? There's definitely no poison in it? No itching powder? No gobstoppers?" Jeff asked well aware of his youngest sons' penchant for practical jokes. Scott shook his head, unable to speak through his giggles; it felt good to laugh again, to not worry about what had happened even if it was only for a moment. He sobered when his still healing ribs made their presence known.

"I think the rest is yours" Scott told his father, pushing the plate towards his father, Jeff was concerned to see that Scott had barely put a dent in the contents of the plate, yet refrained from commenting.

"No thanks son, now that I know who made it my appetite has disappeared" Jeff replied with a grin. Scott returned the gesture before changing the subject.

"Dad, when did the doctor say my surgery was scheduled for?" he asked.

"Wednesday"

"Wednesday? But that's nearly a week away" Scott whined in response, and he sounded so much like a five year old that Jeff had to laugh at him.

"Scott you've only been home for a day" he told his son good naturedly.

"I know, but I am so bored, I have nothing to do. The sooner I have the surgery, the sooner I can start getting back on my feet, and back into TB1" Scott told his father, pleading him with his eyes to understand.

 "Okay son, I'll contact the doctor and see if it can be brought forward, but I am only going to do it because I know that you won't rest unless I do. I have no intention of rushing you back into TB1, if none of you ever set foot back into a TB craft again I don't think I would especially care" Jeff told his gob smacked son. Jeff stopped himself from saying anymore, already having said more than he had intended.

"Dad, you're not really considering of quitting IR are you?" Scott asked quietly. Jeff rubbed his hands over his face.

"I don't know son, I just don't know. I'd rather have the five of you home safe and sound, than send you out time and time again into unknown danger to save other people. I know it sounds foolish, but I have taken enough from you all without taking your lives as well." Jeff told his son with tears in his eyes, he did not get the reaction from Scott that he had expected. Scott's face flushed with anger.

"Now you listen to me, and you listen good. You haven't taken anything from us, anything that we have given up, is exactly that given not taken. I don't think you are foolish I think you are damn selfish. It was my decision to join IR; it should be my choice to leave. You didn't force me to join, why force me to give it up? If my accident scared you, then I'm sorry, but it scared me too, the difference is that I am not using it as an excuse to quit" Scott told his father absolutely fuming, his voice gradually rose in volume throughout his ran, and ended at a near shout. As soon as he had said what he had to say he got unsteadily to his feet and limped out of the room on his crutches, leaving a confused and astonished Jeff Tracy behind.

End Chapter Twenty Six

That's it for now, hopefully more tomorrow!