Chapter 18 Family
The sound of voices brought him awake. There had been moments, barely lucid, where he saw the faces of his brothers and of strangers. Mouths moved and sounds came forth, but none of them made sense.
"....interesting cases." The voice was a rather annoyingly nasal and the tone was definitely in lecture mode.
"Surely sir, the food poisoning alone couldn't have caused such systemic breakdown?"
Virgil cracked open an eye to see that his bed was surrounded by people.
"Good question, Carruthers. Any theories?" Again the lecturer. Virgil was wondering if this was a very strange dream.
"Well, sir." Virgil turned his head slightly to peer at a young man who reminded him of Alan, except Alan didn't wear glasses and wasn't pudgy and nervous. "Some other toxin might have been present."
"Be more specific, Carruthers. Doctors cannot quibble." The lecturer turned out to be the oldest one of the whole crowd by the crown of graying hair.
Carruthers was apparently cowed by the attention and looked at his feet.
"The water supply had to be under suspicion sir, plus any other infections from plant life or smaller organisms." A young Asian girl said assertively.
"Very good O'Brian." Before Virgil knew what was going on the blanket and sheet were twitched off of him leaving him in the barely civil hospital gown. "Note if you will the red markings on the legs of Mr. Tracy." The doctor's eyes met Virgil's horrified ones for a second. Virgil swore that there was a fiendish twinkle in them.
"My blanket..." Virgil croaked.
"Sand fleas." The doctor stated ignoring Virgil's attempts to wrest the covering back. "Combined with the food poisoning, the water contaminants and the parasites, a very nasty cocktail. Treatment?" He focussed on the very unIrish looking O'Brian.
"Uhm. Push fluids, broad spectrum antibiotics, and rest."
"Very good." The doctor twitched the blanket back over Virgil who clutched it protectively.
"So, let us give Mr. Tracy some rest." The gaggle of students then disappeared out the door.
"V-very graphic." Virgil heard a chortle from the next bed. Brains was lying there looking rather pale, with his arm tightly bound in a sling.
"Why weren't they picking on you?" Virgil grouched and shifted cautiously in the bed. He felt pretty good, though his stomach muscles felt like he'd just done a hundred sit-ups and his leg throbbed at the movement. He stopped moving.
"Pr-professional c-courtesy."
Virgil snorted, but felt suddenly too tired to make a clever remark.
"M-med students are getting younger all the t-time." Brains remarked more to himself as Virgil had already fallen asleep.
Jeff had the satisfaction of sitting for some time besides the sleeping Virgil. He carefully touched his son on the cheek and gave a little sigh of contentment to feel the warmth and his son's breath fanning across his hand. He had already a few words with Brains who seemed to be recovering a little quicker than his son. He'd been told the bare bones of the story.
"V-virgil was in the jungle the m-most." The young scientist looked almost ashamed. "I w-wasn't m-much h-help."
Jeff had surprised the young man by giving him a careful hug. "You got yourself and the others out of real mess. I'm proud of you, son." He said gruffly. "All of you have your own unique talents, don't be ashamed of them or jealous of the others. Okay? End of lecture. You get some rest too." After all of his years with them, Brains still occasionally felt he couldn't live up to the Tracy's expectations, though they only wanted him to be himself.
Marie found herself almost enjoying the hospital stay. Well, as much as one could enjoy being deathly ill, having various tubes running in and out of embarrassing places, and dealing with the awful memories it all brought up. What was nice was the company. A rather brash young man called Gordon kept her company for the first night, holding her hand and telling rather desperately that she'd be all right. He was spelled occasionally by a rather more serious version of Virgil who she recognized as a Tracy. Scott wasn't as enthusiastic in his ministrations as Gordon, but just as kind. By the time she met John Tracy, she was wishing heartily that she had brothers growing up. Brothers just like them. Flowers and candy appeared daily - the candy was consumed by the visitors as she found the thought of eating chocolate just a little too unsettling for the woozy stomach. They joked with her, but kept her up to date with the going ons of her fellow victims. She found it not so strange to be visited by another Tracy, but his visit wasn't so congenial.
"Miss Ryker? I'm Jeff Tracy." The distinguished gray-haired man was a little chilling.
"Another brother? How many does Virgil have?" She said half jokingly.
"I'm Virgil's father." The chill factor dropped a few more degrees. He didn't bother sitting down, but loomed rather dominantly over her. "I want to thank you for your role in the saving of my son's and Brains' lives." The icy chill warmed for a moment then dropped to an all time low. "I believe that my son has put some trust in you. I hope not misplaced?" Jeff began cautiously.
"I understand."Marie met his gaze. "Completely."
"Not a word of your adventures can be leaked out, and it would be best if the whole thing is forgotten."
"I agree." Marie felt a little dip and rumble in her gut that had nothing to do with the miseries of the last few days.
"I doubt if we will run into each other again, you have your work and we have ours." Jeff said half relieved. He wanted to believe that she would keep her promise, but then again he hardly knew her. He only had Virgil's judgement to rely on and he wanted to trust his son. It was just Miss Ryker he was unsure of.
"Yes. Of course." Her voice was flat and tired. If that is how International Rescue wanted it then that was how it would be, no matter what she felt. Better yet, best not to have any feelings at all.
The sound of voices brought him awake. There had been moments, barely lucid, where he saw the faces of his brothers and of strangers. Mouths moved and sounds came forth, but none of them made sense.
"....interesting cases." The voice was a rather annoyingly nasal and the tone was definitely in lecture mode.
"Surely sir, the food poisoning alone couldn't have caused such systemic breakdown?"
Virgil cracked open an eye to see that his bed was surrounded by people.
"Good question, Carruthers. Any theories?" Again the lecturer. Virgil was wondering if this was a very strange dream.
"Well, sir." Virgil turned his head slightly to peer at a young man who reminded him of Alan, except Alan didn't wear glasses and wasn't pudgy and nervous. "Some other toxin might have been present."
"Be more specific, Carruthers. Doctors cannot quibble." The lecturer turned out to be the oldest one of the whole crowd by the crown of graying hair.
Carruthers was apparently cowed by the attention and looked at his feet.
"The water supply had to be under suspicion sir, plus any other infections from plant life or smaller organisms." A young Asian girl said assertively.
"Very good O'Brian." Before Virgil knew what was going on the blanket and sheet were twitched off of him leaving him in the barely civil hospital gown. "Note if you will the red markings on the legs of Mr. Tracy." The doctor's eyes met Virgil's horrified ones for a second. Virgil swore that there was a fiendish twinkle in them.
"My blanket..." Virgil croaked.
"Sand fleas." The doctor stated ignoring Virgil's attempts to wrest the covering back. "Combined with the food poisoning, the water contaminants and the parasites, a very nasty cocktail. Treatment?" He focussed on the very unIrish looking O'Brian.
"Uhm. Push fluids, broad spectrum antibiotics, and rest."
"Very good." The doctor twitched the blanket back over Virgil who clutched it protectively.
"So, let us give Mr. Tracy some rest." The gaggle of students then disappeared out the door.
"V-very graphic." Virgil heard a chortle from the next bed. Brains was lying there looking rather pale, with his arm tightly bound in a sling.
"Why weren't they picking on you?" Virgil grouched and shifted cautiously in the bed. He felt pretty good, though his stomach muscles felt like he'd just done a hundred sit-ups and his leg throbbed at the movement. He stopped moving.
"Pr-professional c-courtesy."
Virgil snorted, but felt suddenly too tired to make a clever remark.
"M-med students are getting younger all the t-time." Brains remarked more to himself as Virgil had already fallen asleep.
Jeff had the satisfaction of sitting for some time besides the sleeping Virgil. He carefully touched his son on the cheek and gave a little sigh of contentment to feel the warmth and his son's breath fanning across his hand. He had already a few words with Brains who seemed to be recovering a little quicker than his son. He'd been told the bare bones of the story.
"V-virgil was in the jungle the m-most." The young scientist looked almost ashamed. "I w-wasn't m-much h-help."
Jeff had surprised the young man by giving him a careful hug. "You got yourself and the others out of real mess. I'm proud of you, son." He said gruffly. "All of you have your own unique talents, don't be ashamed of them or jealous of the others. Okay? End of lecture. You get some rest too." After all of his years with them, Brains still occasionally felt he couldn't live up to the Tracy's expectations, though they only wanted him to be himself.
Marie found herself almost enjoying the hospital stay. Well, as much as one could enjoy being deathly ill, having various tubes running in and out of embarrassing places, and dealing with the awful memories it all brought up. What was nice was the company. A rather brash young man called Gordon kept her company for the first night, holding her hand and telling rather desperately that she'd be all right. He was spelled occasionally by a rather more serious version of Virgil who she recognized as a Tracy. Scott wasn't as enthusiastic in his ministrations as Gordon, but just as kind. By the time she met John Tracy, she was wishing heartily that she had brothers growing up. Brothers just like them. Flowers and candy appeared daily - the candy was consumed by the visitors as she found the thought of eating chocolate just a little too unsettling for the woozy stomach. They joked with her, but kept her up to date with the going ons of her fellow victims. She found it not so strange to be visited by another Tracy, but his visit wasn't so congenial.
"Miss Ryker? I'm Jeff Tracy." The distinguished gray-haired man was a little chilling.
"Another brother? How many does Virgil have?" She said half jokingly.
"I'm Virgil's father." The chill factor dropped a few more degrees. He didn't bother sitting down, but loomed rather dominantly over her. "I want to thank you for your role in the saving of my son's and Brains' lives." The icy chill warmed for a moment then dropped to an all time low. "I believe that my son has put some trust in you. I hope not misplaced?" Jeff began cautiously.
"I understand."Marie met his gaze. "Completely."
"Not a word of your adventures can be leaked out, and it would be best if the whole thing is forgotten."
"I agree." Marie felt a little dip and rumble in her gut that had nothing to do with the miseries of the last few days.
"I doubt if we will run into each other again, you have your work and we have ours." Jeff said half relieved. He wanted to believe that she would keep her promise, but then again he hardly knew her. He only had Virgil's judgement to rely on and he wanted to trust his son. It was just Miss Ryker he was unsure of.
"Yes. Of course." Her voice was flat and tired. If that is how International Rescue wanted it then that was how it would be, no matter what she felt. Better yet, best not to have any feelings at all.