Chapter 19 Good bye
All too soon, it seemed they were being released and Virgil had yet a chance to speak alone to Marie. Luckily, Scott, Gordon, and his father had left to go back home, leaving John to escort them home.
The three had bounced back to good health rather quickly. If Virgil noted a little coolness coming from Marie he equated it mostly with embarrassment over the fuss he and his brothers made over her. Brains gave her an animated rendition of Virgil's session with the med students which brought an onslaught of giggles. She showed them her borrowed leg which she swore had the knobbiest knees outside of a camel's and why couldn't artificial limbs look nice? She and Brains fell into an animated discussion about technical specifications as opposed to aesthetics.
Marie and Brains were continuing their discussion on artificial limbs. The scientist was writing notes on scraps of paper, some of which were their medical release papers. Virgil sat in a chair with his long legs stretched out comfortably. Without thinking he leaned down to scratch his healing sand flea bites.
"I-if you scratch..." Brains said without looking up.
"...you'll make it worse!" Marie chimed in. She turned a warm smile on him that suddenly faded from her face. "I'm sure your brothers will remind you."
"No doubt." Virgil said sourly. His brothers had seen more of Marie than he had lately, that somehow didn't seem fair. Now, if he could just get her away from Brains for a few moments.
"We are leaving soon. Ah, Brains could you see if John has arranged our transport?" Virgil tried raising an eyebrow as a signal which the genius managed to look dense about.
"He has everything w-well in hand, as you know. But, I b-believe I would l-like to see the d-doctor about an analgesic for your fl-fleas." As he left the room, Marie also got up to leave.
"I'll be going soon too. "She turned to the door.
"Wait." Virgil bounced to his feet and intercepted her. "I haven't had the chance to say...to say well, thank you." He took a step closer and to his dismay she took a step back.
"You're welcome, Virgil." He might of just thanked her for passing the butter for the lack of warmth to the response.
"Marie, some things happened..." He was a little confused.
"It was just happenstance, propinquity, serendipity if you wish. "She shrugged. "You know how it works." She laughed lightly.
There was silence between them. Virgil took a breath. "Yeah. You're right. Ships passing in the night." He couldn't look her in the eyes. If he did, he'd do something stupid. "Hey." He dared to pat her shoulder lightly. "Take care."
"Sure, you too."
Neither one looked back.
One week later...
Jeff Tracy had never seen Penelope so upset before. Of course, her upset was still very ladylike.
"I am absolutely furious Jeff! I don't know who to be mad at more, Lord Geoffrey or Marie Ryker."
Jeff frowned slightly. He was hoping that that adventure was over. Brains had been working on a new prosthetic leg for the lady, he supposed they owed her that. Virgil hadn't said more than three words about their adventure. Jeff had supposed that he'd regretted telling the lady about International Rescue.
"What has happened? Did she say something about us?" Jeff growled.
"That's just it. Not one word. She refused to say anything about her absence. And I mean anything. Geoffrey blew his top and fired her. Said he couldn't trust her."
"She could have said something." Jeff 's brow furrowed. "Told some kind of story."
Penelope gave a refined snort. "I told her that. She just said that she wouldn't say a word and it was best if things were forgotten."
Jeff Tracy winced as his words came back to him. "She didn't have to risk her job. We could have rigged a cover story, I just thought she would handle it herself." Jeff paced to the window.
"Jeff?" Penny's voice sounded strained. "What did you tell her?"
"Not to say a word and to forget about what happened." He replied flatly and faced her.
"Really Jeff, sometimes you go too far." The Lady was now icy furious. "Marie Ryker may not save thousands of lives a year like International Rescue, but I do know that there are hundreds of children whose lives are better and happier through her efforts."
"Can you-we fix this?" Jeff Tracy found it hard to admit to making any kind of mistake.
"Trust has been broken on both sides, I doubt if the Agency and Marie would feel comfortable working together. Jeff..?" Penny's voice softened.
"All right. I'll admit it. I messed up." He threw his hands up in the air.
"And you want me to fix it?"
"You'll do that for me Penny?" Jeff took her hands in his. Such beautiful hands and so capable.
"Yes Jeff. I'll do it for Marie, too." For a moment she thought he would kiss her, but the moment passed.
"How about Virgil?" Lady Penny fussed a little with her hair.
"He's fine. He was a bit upset about some minor damage to Thunderbird 2, but he seems almost normal, been teasing his brothers." Jeff grinned, the noise level at home seemed to be rather high, but he figured that everyone was just happy to have Brains and Virgil home safe.
"Funny, I thought maybe Virgil and Marie..." Penny said half to herself. "Well I have some work to do, don't I?" She smiled brightly.
All too soon, it seemed they were being released and Virgil had yet a chance to speak alone to Marie. Luckily, Scott, Gordon, and his father had left to go back home, leaving John to escort them home.
The three had bounced back to good health rather quickly. If Virgil noted a little coolness coming from Marie he equated it mostly with embarrassment over the fuss he and his brothers made over her. Brains gave her an animated rendition of Virgil's session with the med students which brought an onslaught of giggles. She showed them her borrowed leg which she swore had the knobbiest knees outside of a camel's and why couldn't artificial limbs look nice? She and Brains fell into an animated discussion about technical specifications as opposed to aesthetics.
Marie and Brains were continuing their discussion on artificial limbs. The scientist was writing notes on scraps of paper, some of which were their medical release papers. Virgil sat in a chair with his long legs stretched out comfortably. Without thinking he leaned down to scratch his healing sand flea bites.
"I-if you scratch..." Brains said without looking up.
"...you'll make it worse!" Marie chimed in. She turned a warm smile on him that suddenly faded from her face. "I'm sure your brothers will remind you."
"No doubt." Virgil said sourly. His brothers had seen more of Marie than he had lately, that somehow didn't seem fair. Now, if he could just get her away from Brains for a few moments.
"We are leaving soon. Ah, Brains could you see if John has arranged our transport?" Virgil tried raising an eyebrow as a signal which the genius managed to look dense about.
"He has everything w-well in hand, as you know. But, I b-believe I would l-like to see the d-doctor about an analgesic for your fl-fleas." As he left the room, Marie also got up to leave.
"I'll be going soon too. "She turned to the door.
"Wait." Virgil bounced to his feet and intercepted her. "I haven't had the chance to say...to say well, thank you." He took a step closer and to his dismay she took a step back.
"You're welcome, Virgil." He might of just thanked her for passing the butter for the lack of warmth to the response.
"Marie, some things happened..." He was a little confused.
"It was just happenstance, propinquity, serendipity if you wish. "She shrugged. "You know how it works." She laughed lightly.
There was silence between them. Virgil took a breath. "Yeah. You're right. Ships passing in the night." He couldn't look her in the eyes. If he did, he'd do something stupid. "Hey." He dared to pat her shoulder lightly. "Take care."
"Sure, you too."
Neither one looked back.
One week later...
Jeff Tracy had never seen Penelope so upset before. Of course, her upset was still very ladylike.
"I am absolutely furious Jeff! I don't know who to be mad at more, Lord Geoffrey or Marie Ryker."
Jeff frowned slightly. He was hoping that that adventure was over. Brains had been working on a new prosthetic leg for the lady, he supposed they owed her that. Virgil hadn't said more than three words about their adventure. Jeff had supposed that he'd regretted telling the lady about International Rescue.
"What has happened? Did she say something about us?" Jeff growled.
"That's just it. Not one word. She refused to say anything about her absence. And I mean anything. Geoffrey blew his top and fired her. Said he couldn't trust her."
"She could have said something." Jeff 's brow furrowed. "Told some kind of story."
Penelope gave a refined snort. "I told her that. She just said that she wouldn't say a word and it was best if things were forgotten."
Jeff Tracy winced as his words came back to him. "She didn't have to risk her job. We could have rigged a cover story, I just thought she would handle it herself." Jeff paced to the window.
"Jeff?" Penny's voice sounded strained. "What did you tell her?"
"Not to say a word and to forget about what happened." He replied flatly and faced her.
"Really Jeff, sometimes you go too far." The Lady was now icy furious. "Marie Ryker may not save thousands of lives a year like International Rescue, but I do know that there are hundreds of children whose lives are better and happier through her efforts."
"Can you-we fix this?" Jeff Tracy found it hard to admit to making any kind of mistake.
"Trust has been broken on both sides, I doubt if the Agency and Marie would feel comfortable working together. Jeff..?" Penny's voice softened.
"All right. I'll admit it. I messed up." He threw his hands up in the air.
"And you want me to fix it?"
"You'll do that for me Penny?" Jeff took her hands in his. Such beautiful hands and so capable.
"Yes Jeff. I'll do it for Marie, too." For a moment she thought he would kiss her, but the moment passed.
"How about Virgil?" Lady Penny fussed a little with her hair.
"He's fine. He was a bit upset about some minor damage to Thunderbird 2, but he seems almost normal, been teasing his brothers." Jeff grinned, the noise level at home seemed to be rather high, but he figured that everyone was just happy to have Brains and Virgil home safe.
"Funny, I thought maybe Virgil and Marie..." Penny said half to herself. "Well I have some work to do, don't I?" She smiled brightly.