Sineater asks: For Whumptober, 8. Back from the Dead - John.
Characters: John, Scott, Jeff, Grandma
Warnings: Referenced canon MCDs, Avalanche, Buried, Presumed Dead, Hospital, Medical Procedure
The book was amazing! His father had bought it for his Christmas present, and even though John had read it over and over – exactly 32 times in two months – he still marvelled at the images. Somehow they had managed to layer the pictures in such a way that they looked 3-D and moved ever so slightly as he moved the page.
Today he was seated in the large deep armchair that their Grandfather usually used, Alan seated beside him and just as entranced in the pictures. The two-year-old was content to listen to John read to him and watch the pictures in a way that he usually only did with Scott, and John was secretly hopeful that he'd have another brother to share his love of space with. Scott tried; he listened intently but space wasn't his passion. Maybe Alan would be the one.
John looked up as Grandpa Grant brought them both a drink through and smiled up at the man. He always thought that Grandpa was a giant in disguise. He was taller than Dad and broader than any man John had ever met. John had once told him that when he'd been extra tired after a day being taught how to take care of the horses, and Grandpa had chuckled and agreed. Gentle Giant Grandpa Grant. It had tickled both of them and Grandma had come and told them off for making so much noise when she'd only just managed to get baby Gordon off to sleep.
They drank their juice and John carried on reading, soothed in turn by the sounds and smells of his Mom and Grandpa in the kitchen making dinner.
He was almost half-way through the book when he became aware that something wasn't right. There was a tiny bit of juice left in the cup and it was vibrating, like that scene in that old original Jurassic Park movie, and he stopped reading to watch. Alan, now asleep huddled into his side, didn't stir, but a smash of pottery from the kitchen told him he wasn't the only one aware that something was going on.
'Mom?'
He didn't get much further than that. In seconds it went from eerily quiet to thunderously noisy and any reply his mom made was lost. John didn't need to know what she'd said, however. He knew exactly what was going on.
There wasn't time to do anything other than pull Alan into a tight hug and say a quick prayer that his brothers and his father and Grandma would be alright before the snow hit the cabin and John knew no more.
Scott loved his new snowboard.
It was an early fourteenth birthday gift and he had used it every day so that now he felt able to do tricks. He'd made it to the top of the intermediate slope, and he looked around to make sure that his family were all in sight. Dad and Virgil were on skis beside him. Grandma was down in the play area with Gordon. His brother may be water-loving, but it turned out the seven-year-old wasn't actually that fond of water in its' cold form. They were going to build a snow squid, and Scott was secretly looking forward to seeing it.
'You ready, Scott, Virgil?'
'Yes Dad.'
'Yes Dad.'
'Let's go then!'
The three set off together, but it didn't take long going downhill for both his dad and his brother to outpace him, but for once Scott didn't mind about being the fastest. No, he was heading slightly to the left where the jumps were for stunts…
The first time he'd jumped it had taken is breath away – both literally and figuratively. It still did, and as he reached peak air he bent his knees and grabbed the heel of his board for a Melon.
The second jump he tried a Frontside 180, and just about made it! He screamed in pure delight and looked up to see his Dad and Virgil had stopped just below the second jump to watch him. They were clapping, and probably cheering too, he couldn't hear from the speed he was going.
The third and last jump Scott was preparing to try a Frontside 360, a full-circle spin, but just before he hit the jump the ground began to shake and it was enough to ruin his momentum and cause him to crash.
He hadn't realised what had caused him to fall until he stood up. Scott could feel the vibrations, and he looked wildly at the mountain above him for the source. At first he couldn't see it, but then…there! A plume of white was spreading and speeding down the side of the mountain.
Scott sighed in relief. The avalanche wasn't coming down on this side. He was safe. Dad and Virgil were – the blood drained from his face.
They might have been safe, but that side was the side the cabins were on…
Mom! Grandpa, John and Alan!
Before he even finished the thought Scott had set off across the mountain as other skiers and boarders also seemed to realise what was happening and set off too. He was soon joined by his Dad and Virgil and the three raced around the mountain side, dreading what they would find.
There wasn't a single cabin visible.
Six hours.
It had taken almost six hours for their cabin to be uncovered. It was all hands on deck and many people had arrived from other areas to help. But the specialist equipment that could have found people via heartbeats was too far away and then too difficult to get up the mountain. Some of those who had survived and were only 'mildly' injured had stayed to help.
Grandma had taken Gordon and Virgil over to the centre but Jeff had not been able to get Scott to go as well, and even now, on the last dregs of their reserves, he was so proud of his eldest son and his tenacity.
But he was even more thankful that Scott didn't find his Mom like this. Or his Grandpa. Jeff dashed half-frozen tears from his face as he held his Lucille briefly before the ambulance crew took them away.
Scott had wanted to see, but Jeff had caught him in a strong embrace and refused to let him go, enduring the fists and the tears until a shout from a helper shouted about finding two boys.
John and Alan!
They both rushed over, only to stop in fear. Neither boy was conscious and, in the powerful beams of the lights erected once darkness had fallen, both were blue. Jeff held his breath as both were examined. A shout and quick movement told him Alan was alive, but nothing came from the worker with John. Jeff dithered.
'Go with Alan, Dad. He'll need you. I'll look after Johnny until…until you're ready.'
Jeff nodded, squeezed his shoulder and was off. Scott might be right, but it still felt wrong to leave his eldest to deal with his brother like that. His son was right, though. Alan needed him. With a last look back at Scott, who offered a watery grin, Jeff climbed into the back of the waiting ambulance.
Scott sat holding John's hand. He ignored the people bustling about him and sat on the floor. They had placed John onto a stretcher and covered him with a blanket, and someone had placed one around his own shoulders. He wasn't really aware of what was going on around him, all his attention was on his brother and he was holding his hand between both of his.
He needed to warm John up. He was so cold and John hated to be cold, so Scott slipped the blanket off his shoulders and placed it over his brother and began to rub John's hand between his. It wasn't working.
Workers came and loaded John into an ambulance and Scott climbed right in beside him, ignoring the two paramedics and picked up John's hand and began rubbing it again. Another blanket was placed over Scott's shoulders and immediately he once again took it off and covered John with it.
Still John was motionless and blue.
The medic with him tried to get Scott to stop, but he shrugged the man off, once more placing the blanket straight onto John's body.
'Son, I'm sorry. But you need to get warm yourself, your brother is beyond helping.'
'No! No, don't say that!'
And Scott pushed the man away. If he needed to get warm and John needed to get warm then he knew exactly how to do that.
Scott climbed under the covers and hugged his brother. The medics sighed but left him, it wasn't like it could hurt him. They piled the stretcher with all the blankets they had and just watched over the silent pair.
By the time they arrived at the makeshift hospital, Scott was asleep, the exertion and stress finally catching up with him. He was removed from John and placed on a chair next to the stretcher as a doctor looked over John's body.
John was still ice, still no pulse, still…dead…but this doctor had an idea and he had John whisked away. He took a look at Scott and, seeing no adult around, picked him up and followed the racing stretcher.
They were medevacked away and still Scott slept. He slept through arrival at the hospital, through them both being transported through to surgery. He was left in the care of a nurse as the doctor and several others performed a cardiopulmonary bypass, gently warming him both inside and out.
Scott was woken up by his phone ringing. He blinked sleep and confusion away and yawned as he answered.
'Hello?'
'Scott! Thank goodness, we've been looking all over for you!'
'Grandma?'
'Are you alright, dear?'
'I – I don't know where I am? Where's John?'
Scott looked frantically around, catching the eye of the nurse who smiled at him. He completely forgot the phone was on as he pleaded with her.
'Where's John? Where's my brother? Please!'
'Sweetheart, do you remember what happened?'
'Avalanche. There was an avalanche. My brother…'
Scott's words were whispered, but there was a world of hurt in them. The nurse was about to answer when the doors opened and the doctor strode in.
'Ah good! You're awake!'
'Do you know where my brother is? Where John is?'
'I do. Would you like to see him?'
The man must have heard the sharp intake of his Grandmother, for he gestured to the phone in Scott's hand. Scott passed it to him.
'Who am I talking to please?
'My name is Sally Tracy; I am Scott and John's grandmother.'
'Ah, good. I am Doctor Rodrigues. Scott and John are currently in Aspen Valley Hospital. I take it you know about John's condition?'
'John's condition? We – we were told John was dead when he was found!'
'My sincerest apologies! I can confirm when I got to examine John yes, it did seem like that was the case, but the crew told me that Scott kept his brother warm, layering him with blankets and climbing in with him, so I made a more thorough examination and we took a calculated risk.'
'A risk?'
'Yes. We performed a procedure to warm his blood, slowly.'
'You performed a cardiopulmonary bypass?'
'You know the procedure?'
'Yes, I am a trauma medic. I've heard of it but never performed one. Were you successful?'
'We were, Mrs Tracy. John is currently a good, healthy temperature. He has no injuries that we can see other than a small bump to his head which might give him a touch of concussion when he wakes up. He should hopefully wake up soon, if Scott would like to be there when he does, I will make sure that your family can be brought over here as soon as possible.'
'Thank you, Doctor. Thank you.'
'What do you say, Scott? Want to come and sit with your brother?'
'Absolutely!'
Sally Tracy welcomed the short laugh that Scott gave before the phone went dead. The future looked dark at the moment, but even despite the loss of her husband and her daughter-in-law, they had been granted a miracle in John.
