Twenty Two
Twelve hours after Scott and Virgil's admission to hospital, Jeff sent his other sons home. International Rescue had been out of action for too long. It was a view backed up by the two invalids.
"I don't need a babysitter." Scott had complained. "I'm fine. You guys are needed back at work."
When Alan, Gordon and John had moaned about their forced departure to Virgil his reaction had been similar. "Imagine if someone were to get into trouble and we weren't available to help them. I couldn't live with the fact that someone had died because you were visiting me."
Reluctantly the three of them had bid their goodbyes and returned to the world of International Rescue.
Jeff and his mother alternated their visits between Scott and Virgil, before Jeff decided, early the following morning, that they too were needed back on Tracy Island. The decision was made reluctantly. It would mean that Scott would be left alone. It also meant leaving Virgil behind as he'd developed an infection and the hospital wouldn't release him.
"Can't we share a room?" Scott asked. "I mean, I don't need company, but it would be nice... for both of us."
Scott's doctor said no emphatically.
"Can't we share a room?" Virgil asked. "Scott shouldn't be left alone and I wouldn't mind the company."
Virgil's doctor said no emphatically.
Both Tracy boys were left alone in their rooms.
It wasn't long afterwards that Virgil found his way to Scott's room.
"Virg.! What are you doing here?"
"Oh I got bored with my own company." Virgil said lightly.
"How'd you get here?"
"Walked! How else?"
"Does your doctor know you're here?"
"No."
Scott frowned under his bandages. "Do you think that's wise?"
"Are you complaining?" Virgil asked. "I can always go back to my own room."
"No, stay a while. Please."
Scott heard the door open and Virgil groan quietly.
"Virgil! I thought I saw you come in here! I've got another question."
"I've told you Buddy. I can't tell you anything."
"Okay. So you can't remember the plane, but what about the people?"
"Huh?" Scott was confused.
"Buddy's an orderly." Virgil explained. "He's really interested in International Rescue. He's already interrogated me about Thunderbird... which one was it Buddy?"
"Two!" Buddy said eagerly. "What were the uniforms like? What colour?"
"Colour!" Virgil sounded exasperated. "Do you think I've got an eye for colour or something?"
Scott grinned to himself.
"You must have seen their uniforms." Buddy persisted.
"I remember the bowl I was sick in." Virgil informed him. "That was metal."
Buddy wasn't impressed. "Did you have an impression of colour?"
Virgil sighed. "Okay." He sounded thoughtful. "I think they were blue."
Buddy grabbed a notebook and started scribbling. "What shade?"
"Shade? Oh I don't know dark blue..." Buddy added something to his notebook. Virgil started to string him along "...or was it green? No I think it was green. What do you think Scott?"
"Oh. I thought everything was black." Scott cheerfully joined in. "Definitely black."
"You could be right." Virgil said thoughtfully. "Black!"
Buddy was writing excitedly. Then he looked at Scott and took in his bandages. Reluctantly he crossed out Scott's comments. "Can't you remember anything?"
"I'm sorry Buddy. I told you, I can't tell you anything about International Rescue!"
Just then the door opened and a nurse came in. "Buddy! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Nurse Stone. I was just finding out about International Rescue."
"Buddy! You know better than to annoy the patients. Now go back to work!"
With a chastened "Yes Nurse." Buddy slunk out of the room.
Nurse Stone transferred her attention to Virgil. She folded her arms and fixed him with a hard stare. "And I suppose you are Scott's brother. What's your name?"
"Virgil." Virgil supplied helpfully.
"Do your nurses know you are here, Virgil?"
"Ah, no."
"Has your doctor given you the okay to go visiting?"
Virgil sounded as chastened as Buddy had been. "No." he said quietly.
"Then don't you think you should stay in your room?"
"Does it matter?" Scott asked. "I need the company and he's still in the hospital here..."
Nurse Stone looked at Virgil. To her trained eye he didn't look well. "How'd you get here, Virgil?"
"I walked."
"Then I'll get you a wheelchair."
"I don't need a 'chair." Virgil protested.
She got a wheelchair from the corner of the room and pushed it so it was directly in front of him. "Get in." She ordered.
"I can walk!" he persisted stubbornly.
"Until I hear your doctor say that you are allowed to get about unaided, you are going back to your room in this wheelchair!" Nurse Stone could be just as stubborn.
Virgil looked at Scott. He hated to admit it but he was feeling tired. One broken arm, a small infection and he was dead on his feet after walking two hallways! Reluctantly he moved out of the bedside chair and into the wheelchair. "I'll see you soon Scott." He said as he was wheeled away.
"Look forward to it." Scott said unhappily.
Virgil was spared a lecture by his doctor, by virtue of the fact that he fell asleep as soon as he'd been assisted back into his bed.
Scott wasn't so lucky. Nurse Stone had told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to encourage Virgil. "At least until he's been given the green light by his doctor."
Five hours later, Virgil awoke feeling refreshed. Once again he managed to sneak out and down to Scott's room.
Scott refrained from comment. "I'm glad you're here Virg. I'm going crazy with no one to talk to."
"Well I'm here now, so talk away."
Their conversation lasted only five minutes before, once again, they were found by Nurse Stone.
"Virgil!" she said exasperatedly, before getting the wheelchair again. "What will your doctor say?"
Scott was surprised when Virgil climbed in without complaining.
This time Virgil managed to stay awake long enough to get a telling off from his doctor about the need for bed rest. Ear bashing finished, he tiredly ate his evening meal and fell asleep.
Nurse Stone once again reminded Scott that Virgil was a patient too and needed to look after himself. She then took him for a walk around his ward.
***
Next morning, after breakfast, Virgil was back.
Scott didn't even ask if he had permission. "How'd you like to take me for a walk?"
"Sure. Where to?"
"I want to find where the exits are, in case there's an emergency."
"I think the nursing staff will look after you if there is." Virgil pointed out.
"Doesn't matter. I need to know."
"I know." Virgil sighed. He didn't really feel like going for a walk. Didn't feel like doing anything energetic, but his loyalty to Scott prevented him from saying so.
They managed to sneak past the nurse's station by walking the fire escape to the ground floor. They reached an exit and stepped out into the hot sun.
"Boy that feels good!" Scott exclaimed.
Virgil didn't comment. The heat and exertion was making him sleepy.
"I don't believe this!" An all too familiar voice was heard.
Virgil looked over his shoulder. Nurse Stone was standing there, in a disapproving pose. Despite the fact that she was out of uniform she still looked every bit the strict ward sister.
"Oh no." Scott moaned quietly, recognising her voice. "Not her again."
"What are you two doing here?" she asked firmly.
"I was showing Scott around the hospital." Virgil said sheepishly.
"Including the exits? Wait here." She said in a resigned voice. "I'll get a wheelchair."
"She has a thing about wheelchairs." Scott muttered darkly.
Nurse Stone was back a short time later. "There you are Virgil. You look tired."
The pronouncement startled Scott. He could only picture Virgil full of energy. He'd never even considered that Virgil's desire to keep his brother company could be taking its toll.
Virgil sat in the 'chair gratefully. He was passed the stage of being embarrassed at being wheeled around.
"Here Scott." Nurse Stone took Scott's hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I'll push the chair, and you follow."
"I can push him." Scott offered stubbornly.
"You're still my patient." She said. "You're to take it easy. I'll push him!"
They made it back to Virgil's ward easily enough. But once there they ran into a very irate Doctor Carlow.
"What is going on here?" he barked. "Nurse Stone?"
"Just returning Virgil to his room." She explained. "I found them both outside the hospital."
"Scott needed to know the layout of the building." Virgil said lamely.
"Why?" The doctor wanted to know.
"In case there was an emergency." Scott explained. "I needed to know where the exits..."
"You two are a menace to each other!" Doctor Carlow exploded. "You're not my patient Scott, but I'm going to speak to your doctor about confining you to your room. As for you Virgil, you are going to stay in your bed if I have to strap you in!"
Scott was just about to open his mouth to say something about patient care, but his brother arrested his speech.
"Okay. I'll stay." Virgil said. "I'm sorry Scott."
"Are you okay?" Scott asked, concerned at this submission.
"I'm feeling a little tired." Virgil admitted. "Maybe after I've had a rest the doctor will let me visit you."
A humph from Doctor Carlow made them think that that was highly unlikely.
Twelve hours after Scott and Virgil's admission to hospital, Jeff sent his other sons home. International Rescue had been out of action for too long. It was a view backed up by the two invalids.
"I don't need a babysitter." Scott had complained. "I'm fine. You guys are needed back at work."
When Alan, Gordon and John had moaned about their forced departure to Virgil his reaction had been similar. "Imagine if someone were to get into trouble and we weren't available to help them. I couldn't live with the fact that someone had died because you were visiting me."
Reluctantly the three of them had bid their goodbyes and returned to the world of International Rescue.
Jeff and his mother alternated their visits between Scott and Virgil, before Jeff decided, early the following morning, that they too were needed back on Tracy Island. The decision was made reluctantly. It would mean that Scott would be left alone. It also meant leaving Virgil behind as he'd developed an infection and the hospital wouldn't release him.
"Can't we share a room?" Scott asked. "I mean, I don't need company, but it would be nice... for both of us."
Scott's doctor said no emphatically.
"Can't we share a room?" Virgil asked. "Scott shouldn't be left alone and I wouldn't mind the company."
Virgil's doctor said no emphatically.
Both Tracy boys were left alone in their rooms.
It wasn't long afterwards that Virgil found his way to Scott's room.
"Virg.! What are you doing here?"
"Oh I got bored with my own company." Virgil said lightly.
"How'd you get here?"
"Walked! How else?"
"Does your doctor know you're here?"
"No."
Scott frowned under his bandages. "Do you think that's wise?"
"Are you complaining?" Virgil asked. "I can always go back to my own room."
"No, stay a while. Please."
Scott heard the door open and Virgil groan quietly.
"Virgil! I thought I saw you come in here! I've got another question."
"I've told you Buddy. I can't tell you anything."
"Okay. So you can't remember the plane, but what about the people?"
"Huh?" Scott was confused.
"Buddy's an orderly." Virgil explained. "He's really interested in International Rescue. He's already interrogated me about Thunderbird... which one was it Buddy?"
"Two!" Buddy said eagerly. "What were the uniforms like? What colour?"
"Colour!" Virgil sounded exasperated. "Do you think I've got an eye for colour or something?"
Scott grinned to himself.
"You must have seen their uniforms." Buddy persisted.
"I remember the bowl I was sick in." Virgil informed him. "That was metal."
Buddy wasn't impressed. "Did you have an impression of colour?"
Virgil sighed. "Okay." He sounded thoughtful. "I think they were blue."
Buddy grabbed a notebook and started scribbling. "What shade?"
"Shade? Oh I don't know dark blue..." Buddy added something to his notebook. Virgil started to string him along "...or was it green? No I think it was green. What do you think Scott?"
"Oh. I thought everything was black." Scott cheerfully joined in. "Definitely black."
"You could be right." Virgil said thoughtfully. "Black!"
Buddy was writing excitedly. Then he looked at Scott and took in his bandages. Reluctantly he crossed out Scott's comments. "Can't you remember anything?"
"I'm sorry Buddy. I told you, I can't tell you anything about International Rescue!"
Just then the door opened and a nurse came in. "Buddy! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Nurse Stone. I was just finding out about International Rescue."
"Buddy! You know better than to annoy the patients. Now go back to work!"
With a chastened "Yes Nurse." Buddy slunk out of the room.
Nurse Stone transferred her attention to Virgil. She folded her arms and fixed him with a hard stare. "And I suppose you are Scott's brother. What's your name?"
"Virgil." Virgil supplied helpfully.
"Do your nurses know you are here, Virgil?"
"Ah, no."
"Has your doctor given you the okay to go visiting?"
Virgil sounded as chastened as Buddy had been. "No." he said quietly.
"Then don't you think you should stay in your room?"
"Does it matter?" Scott asked. "I need the company and he's still in the hospital here..."
Nurse Stone looked at Virgil. To her trained eye he didn't look well. "How'd you get here, Virgil?"
"I walked."
"Then I'll get you a wheelchair."
"I don't need a 'chair." Virgil protested.
She got a wheelchair from the corner of the room and pushed it so it was directly in front of him. "Get in." She ordered.
"I can walk!" he persisted stubbornly.
"Until I hear your doctor say that you are allowed to get about unaided, you are going back to your room in this wheelchair!" Nurse Stone could be just as stubborn.
Virgil looked at Scott. He hated to admit it but he was feeling tired. One broken arm, a small infection and he was dead on his feet after walking two hallways! Reluctantly he moved out of the bedside chair and into the wheelchair. "I'll see you soon Scott." He said as he was wheeled away.
"Look forward to it." Scott said unhappily.
Virgil was spared a lecture by his doctor, by virtue of the fact that he fell asleep as soon as he'd been assisted back into his bed.
Scott wasn't so lucky. Nurse Stone had told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to encourage Virgil. "At least until he's been given the green light by his doctor."
Five hours later, Virgil awoke feeling refreshed. Once again he managed to sneak out and down to Scott's room.
Scott refrained from comment. "I'm glad you're here Virg. I'm going crazy with no one to talk to."
"Well I'm here now, so talk away."
Their conversation lasted only five minutes before, once again, they were found by Nurse Stone.
"Virgil!" she said exasperatedly, before getting the wheelchair again. "What will your doctor say?"
Scott was surprised when Virgil climbed in without complaining.
This time Virgil managed to stay awake long enough to get a telling off from his doctor about the need for bed rest. Ear bashing finished, he tiredly ate his evening meal and fell asleep.
Nurse Stone once again reminded Scott that Virgil was a patient too and needed to look after himself. She then took him for a walk around his ward.
***
Next morning, after breakfast, Virgil was back.
Scott didn't even ask if he had permission. "How'd you like to take me for a walk?"
"Sure. Where to?"
"I want to find where the exits are, in case there's an emergency."
"I think the nursing staff will look after you if there is." Virgil pointed out.
"Doesn't matter. I need to know."
"I know." Virgil sighed. He didn't really feel like going for a walk. Didn't feel like doing anything energetic, but his loyalty to Scott prevented him from saying so.
They managed to sneak past the nurse's station by walking the fire escape to the ground floor. They reached an exit and stepped out into the hot sun.
"Boy that feels good!" Scott exclaimed.
Virgil didn't comment. The heat and exertion was making him sleepy.
"I don't believe this!" An all too familiar voice was heard.
Virgil looked over his shoulder. Nurse Stone was standing there, in a disapproving pose. Despite the fact that she was out of uniform she still looked every bit the strict ward sister.
"Oh no." Scott moaned quietly, recognising her voice. "Not her again."
"What are you two doing here?" she asked firmly.
"I was showing Scott around the hospital." Virgil said sheepishly.
"Including the exits? Wait here." She said in a resigned voice. "I'll get a wheelchair."
"She has a thing about wheelchairs." Scott muttered darkly.
Nurse Stone was back a short time later. "There you are Virgil. You look tired."
The pronouncement startled Scott. He could only picture Virgil full of energy. He'd never even considered that Virgil's desire to keep his brother company could be taking its toll.
Virgil sat in the 'chair gratefully. He was passed the stage of being embarrassed at being wheeled around.
"Here Scott." Nurse Stone took Scott's hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I'll push the chair, and you follow."
"I can push him." Scott offered stubbornly.
"You're still my patient." She said. "You're to take it easy. I'll push him!"
They made it back to Virgil's ward easily enough. But once there they ran into a very irate Doctor Carlow.
"What is going on here?" he barked. "Nurse Stone?"
"Just returning Virgil to his room." She explained. "I found them both outside the hospital."
"Scott needed to know the layout of the building." Virgil said lamely.
"Why?" The doctor wanted to know.
"In case there was an emergency." Scott explained. "I needed to know where the exits..."
"You two are a menace to each other!" Doctor Carlow exploded. "You're not my patient Scott, but I'm going to speak to your doctor about confining you to your room. As for you Virgil, you are going to stay in your bed if I have to strap you in!"
Scott was just about to open his mouth to say something about patient care, but his brother arrested his speech.
"Okay. I'll stay." Virgil said. "I'm sorry Scott."
"Are you okay?" Scott asked, concerned at this submission.
"I'm feeling a little tired." Virgil admitted. "Maybe after I've had a rest the doctor will let me visit you."
A humph from Doctor Carlow made them think that that was highly unlikely.