Twenty Seven
Scott's mouth was dry. His face hurt. He moaned slightly as he remembered the last nightmare. It had seemed so real... Virgil unconscious. Doctors and nurses giving orders. Being drugged. He became a little more awake and then realised with a shock that it hadn't been a dream. The reason why it had seemed so real, was that it was...
"Virgil!" he sat up anxiously hoping that his brother would reply.
"It's alright Scott." The unwanted voice of Nurse Stone was attached to a hand that gently urged him to lie down again. "Lie back down and relax. We'll get you back into your room shortly."
"But Virgil! How is he?" Scott's mouth was so dry he felt as if he were gagging on the words.
"He's fine. Would you like something to drink?" He was aided into a sitting position and a cup of water was held to his lips. He sipped gratefully.
"What happened?" he asked when he felt he could articulate clearly.
"We had to sedate you. While you were unconscious we checked your burns. Most are healing nicely, though there are a couple that may need further treatment. Your eyes are looking better too."
Scott wasn't worried about the state of his face. He just needed to know that his brother was going to be okay, and mere words wouldn't set his mind at rest. "I want to go to him."
"Do you feel strong enough to sit in a wheelchair? If you do we'll take you out of recovery and back to your own room."
Scott practically willed himself into the 'chair.
The feelings of helplessness that filled Scott were partly due to the fact that he had no idea as to where he was and mainly because he was concerned about Virgil's condition. "What happened to him?" he asked Nurse Stone.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I'm sorry but I haven't had a chance to find out."
"Haven't had a chance or couldn't be bothered?" he asked her coldly.
She said nothing. They pushed through a set of doors.
"Scott!"
"Father! What are you doing here?"
"The hospital called me. I came straight away..."
Scott felt the wheelchair turn to the right, Nurse Stone apply the brakes and then lift up his footrests. "There you are. Your bed is to your left. Can you get in yourself?" She was calm, professional, but there was a chill to her voice.
Ignoring her Scott stood and headed to the right. "Is Virgil all right?"
"He's going to be fine Scott." Jeff tried to reassure him. "Get into bed."
Scott bumped into Virgil's bed and placed his hands on the counterpane. "Where is he? I need to know he's okay. Say something Virgil!"
Jeff watched him with a myriad of emotions coursing through his system. It was bad enough to be called, urgently, to the sickbed of one son, but to see Scott... Scott who was normally so calm, so in control, so sure of himself... feeling about blindly, desperate to find his brother... Jeff thought his heart would break.
"He's okay, Scott. He's just asleep at the moment." Jeff said gently. "Give me your hand." He grasped one of Scott's hands, noticing how tense it was, and laid it gently on Virgil's limp one. Scott picked it up and clutched it in both hands.
"I'm here Virg. I'm not going to leave you again. You're going to be okay," he whispered. "Just hang in there."
Jeff stood up and put his arm around Scott's shoulders. "Come on Scott. Time you went back to bed."
With evident reluctance, Scott placed Virgil's hand gently back down and Jeff guided him back to his own bed.
"It's thanks to you, Scott, that he's going to be just fine." Both men jumped, they'd forgotten that Nurse Stone was still present. "You should be proud of him, Mr Tracy. He found Virgil before it was too late. He's a hero."
During his career with International Rescue, Scott had often been called a hero. But he never felt less like one than he did at this moment. That he'd discovered Virgil before it was too late had been luck, pure and simple. And for this nurse to call him a hero was, in his present state of mind, hard to swallow.
"Rubbish! Get out!" he said bluntly before falling back on his pillow.
Jeff gaped at Scott. He'd never known him to be so rude to anyone, especially someone who wanted to help. Then he directed an apologetic expression towards Nurse Stone.
She gave him a timorous smile and, pushing the wheelchair before her, left the room.
"Scott? Why..." Jeff started to say but was interrupted by a gentle snore from his eldest. Clearly the sedative still hadn't fully worn off. He returned to his seat beside Virgil's bed and picked up his son's hand and held it close. "I'm sorry Virgil, so sorry."
Jeff's system had run through so many emotions today that he felt drained. Now that the shock of Scott's behaviour was starting to wear off, guilt was returning.
Last time he'd been here it'd been when both sons had just been admitted to hospital. He'd been torn between wanting to be with both of them and had decided that Scott would need him more. After all Virgil only had a broken arm! During that first day he'd visited Virgil periodically, but had spent most of his time with Scott. Virgil had said that he'd understood and agreed with his father's decision. But now, Jeff thought as he gently removed a stray strand of brown hair that had crept over Virgil's closed eyes, now he wasn't sure that he'd made the right decision. Was it right that Virgil should have been left alone for so long? What if all this had happened when he was alone? What if no one had found him in time? What if...?
What if he'd never formed International Rescue? Then both these boys would be fit and well and back at the island. Virgil would be playing the piano and Scott would be able to see the world.
But then, Jeff reflected, if he'd never started International Rescue things would have been so different. Scott would have been rising through the ranks in the Air Force. Virgil would have been enjoying an engineering career. John would have been devoting his time to his astronomical work. Gordon would probably still be with the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, despite the hydrofoil accident. And Alan would have been jetting around the world competing in various Formula One races. They would have gone their separate ways and he wouldn't have enjoyed the close relationships that had developed over the last few years.
'And what would I have been doing?' Jeff asked himself ruefully. 'I wouldn't have bought my island. I would have been working my butt off in some stuffy office in a crowded city in the States. I'd probably have had a heart attack by now. Instead of nearly having one every time something happens to my sons."
A small moan focused his thoughts away from himself. "Virgil?" He willed those eyes that were so much like Lucille's, to open again. "Come on son, it's time to wake up."
Those eyes flickered open and then closed again. "Don't wanna to go school today, wanna sleep longer?" Virgil murmured indistinctly.
Jeff grinned. He'd heard those words many times over the years. "You don't have to go to school today Virgil." He ran his fingers through his son's hair.
"F-Father?" Virgil was dragging himself back to a state of wakefulness. "W-What happened?"
"You had a reaction to the medication. It made you sick."
"Sick." Virgil appeared to doze off again, before rousing himself a bit more. He removed his hand from Jeff's grasp and tried to pull the oxygen mask off his face.
Jeff encouraged him to leave the mask alone, by grasping the hand again more firmly. "How're you feeling son?"
"Terrible." Virgil said honestly, his eyes closed. "My head h-hurts, my arms hurt, my chest h-hurts. W-What are you doin' here?" He continued groggily. Then his eyes snapped open. "It's Scott isn't it! Is he okay?"
All the stresses of the last few days suddenly came to the fore. Jeff snapped. "I wish for once, you boys would look after your own health and quit looking out for each other. Then we wouldn't have half these problems." He saw Virgil's startled expression and softened his tone. "Sorry son. Scott's fine. It's you I'm here to see."
"Me?" confusion was evident in Virgil's eyes.
"What's all the noise about?" Another groggy voice was heard from behind Jeff.
"Virgil's woken up..." Jeff was startled to suddenly find Scott standing at his shoulder.
"Virgil! How're you feeling?" Scott asked.
Jeff could no longer handle worrying about two sons at once. "Get back to bed Scott!" he ordered.
"But..."
Virgil decided that he had a headache that couldn't stand his father yelling again. "I'm okay Scott. Go back to bed." He said weakly.
"You sure?"
"Scott!" Jeff snapped.
"Please." Virgil pleaded. "I've got a headache."
"Sorry." Scott said quietly.
Once again Jeff ran a gentle hand through Virgil's hair. "Go back to sleep." Virgil closed his eyes.
Jeff looked at his son. He knew he should contact home, but didn't feel inclined to release his grip on Virgil's hand. "Scott." He whispered.
"Yeah."
"Will you do me a favour please?"
"If I can."
"Will you phone home...?"
"... And let them know he's okay. Sure!"
"No..." Jeff said slowly. "Will you let them know where I am?"
Scott froze, his hand halfway to the buttons on the videophone. "What!"
"I, ah, left home without telling anyone where, or why, I was going."
Scott shook his head but refrained from further comment.
"Was I that bad?"
Jeff turned back at the sound of Virgil's weak voice. "I thought you were asleep."
"Too much talking. How sick was I?"
"You gave us a quite a fright." Jeff said gently.
"What caused it?" Scott asked. "They're bound to ask."
"An allergic reaction to some of his medication. The doctors have replaced it with something else now. You're going to be fine Virgil."
The rhythmical breathing that answered him told him that, this time, Virgil had fallen asleep.
Scott dialled the number that he knew so well.
The 'phone was answered by Gordon. He sounded wary. "Hi Scott! Um, If you want to talk to Dad, he's - ah - not here at the moment."
"I know that, Gordon. He's here."
"He's WHAT!" The redheads temper came to the surface.
"He's here, with us..."
"THERE! WITH YOU!" Gordon was shouting. Then he paused, struggling to regain his composure. "Why?"
"He got a call from the hospital that Virgil wasn't doing too good."
"Virgil! Is he..."
"He's going to be fine. He's sleeping at the moment. So keep your voice down so you don't wake him, okay."
"Okay." Gordon took a deep breath. "I can't believe Dad did that. He didn't tell anyone he was leaving. Didn't tell us why. Just took off. He could have informed John while he was in the plane, for pete's sake!" The agreement to keep quiet hadn't lasted long as Gordon worked himself back up into a fury again. "If any of us had done that he would have hung us by our heels from the radio mast for a week!" Scott silently agreed with the sentiment. "Scott - he didn't tell us about Virgil! How could he!?"
Although he empathised with his younger brother totally, Scott decided to try to cool things down. "Calm down Gordon."
It didn't work. "Doesn't he realise that we've all been worried sick about him? We've searched the house and grounds three times! I was just about to get Thunderbird Four out and do a circuit of the island in case his body had washed up on shore!" Jeff's head snapped round at the unguarded mention of the craft, a worried frown on his face.
But Scott was equal to the situation. "Well just be grateful that you didn't get the yacht out and that you're not going to have to clean her down again."
Gordon realised his slip. "Yeah, you're right Scott." He said sheepishly. "I guess I was getting over excited."
"Well go tell everyone that everything's okay. Father's fine, Virgil's fine and I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."
"Okay Scott. Thanks for putting my mind at rest. I'll talk to you soon."
"Look forward to it, Gordo'."
***
After he'd terminated the call Gordon lent on the desk for a moment trying to get his emotions back under control.
Alan burst in. "The jet's gone, but there's no sign of a flight plan... What's wrong?"
"He's at the hospital Alan."
"He's what?" Alan's jaw dropped.
Gordon realised that he'd been misunderstood. "I mean he's at the hospital visiting Virgil and Scott."
"Oh! Good." Alan relaxed and then frowned. "Why? And why didn't he tell anyone he was going?"
"I think it slipped his mind."
"Slipped his mind! How can a simple thing like letting one of us know where he was going slip his mind? What did he say?"
"I only talked to Scott. He said something about Virg. not doing to good. Whatever that means. It must have been pretty bad for Dad to forget the rest of the family."
"What's this about Virgil?" Grandma entered the lounge closely followed by the rest of the household.
"Scott said he's okay now..." Gordon got John on the line and then explained all that he knew.
"That son of mine's going to get a piece of my mind when he gets home." Grandma Tracy declared.
"Join the queue Grandma, join the queue!" Alan fumed.
Scott's mouth was dry. His face hurt. He moaned slightly as he remembered the last nightmare. It had seemed so real... Virgil unconscious. Doctors and nurses giving orders. Being drugged. He became a little more awake and then realised with a shock that it hadn't been a dream. The reason why it had seemed so real, was that it was...
"Virgil!" he sat up anxiously hoping that his brother would reply.
"It's alright Scott." The unwanted voice of Nurse Stone was attached to a hand that gently urged him to lie down again. "Lie back down and relax. We'll get you back into your room shortly."
"But Virgil! How is he?" Scott's mouth was so dry he felt as if he were gagging on the words.
"He's fine. Would you like something to drink?" He was aided into a sitting position and a cup of water was held to his lips. He sipped gratefully.
"What happened?" he asked when he felt he could articulate clearly.
"We had to sedate you. While you were unconscious we checked your burns. Most are healing nicely, though there are a couple that may need further treatment. Your eyes are looking better too."
Scott wasn't worried about the state of his face. He just needed to know that his brother was going to be okay, and mere words wouldn't set his mind at rest. "I want to go to him."
"Do you feel strong enough to sit in a wheelchair? If you do we'll take you out of recovery and back to your own room."
Scott practically willed himself into the 'chair.
The feelings of helplessness that filled Scott were partly due to the fact that he had no idea as to where he was and mainly because he was concerned about Virgil's condition. "What happened to him?" he asked Nurse Stone.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I'm sorry but I haven't had a chance to find out."
"Haven't had a chance or couldn't be bothered?" he asked her coldly.
She said nothing. They pushed through a set of doors.
"Scott!"
"Father! What are you doing here?"
"The hospital called me. I came straight away..."
Scott felt the wheelchair turn to the right, Nurse Stone apply the brakes and then lift up his footrests. "There you are. Your bed is to your left. Can you get in yourself?" She was calm, professional, but there was a chill to her voice.
Ignoring her Scott stood and headed to the right. "Is Virgil all right?"
"He's going to be fine Scott." Jeff tried to reassure him. "Get into bed."
Scott bumped into Virgil's bed and placed his hands on the counterpane. "Where is he? I need to know he's okay. Say something Virgil!"
Jeff watched him with a myriad of emotions coursing through his system. It was bad enough to be called, urgently, to the sickbed of one son, but to see Scott... Scott who was normally so calm, so in control, so sure of himself... feeling about blindly, desperate to find his brother... Jeff thought his heart would break.
"He's okay, Scott. He's just asleep at the moment." Jeff said gently. "Give me your hand." He grasped one of Scott's hands, noticing how tense it was, and laid it gently on Virgil's limp one. Scott picked it up and clutched it in both hands.
"I'm here Virg. I'm not going to leave you again. You're going to be okay," he whispered. "Just hang in there."
Jeff stood up and put his arm around Scott's shoulders. "Come on Scott. Time you went back to bed."
With evident reluctance, Scott placed Virgil's hand gently back down and Jeff guided him back to his own bed.
"It's thanks to you, Scott, that he's going to be just fine." Both men jumped, they'd forgotten that Nurse Stone was still present. "You should be proud of him, Mr Tracy. He found Virgil before it was too late. He's a hero."
During his career with International Rescue, Scott had often been called a hero. But he never felt less like one than he did at this moment. That he'd discovered Virgil before it was too late had been luck, pure and simple. And for this nurse to call him a hero was, in his present state of mind, hard to swallow.
"Rubbish! Get out!" he said bluntly before falling back on his pillow.
Jeff gaped at Scott. He'd never known him to be so rude to anyone, especially someone who wanted to help. Then he directed an apologetic expression towards Nurse Stone.
She gave him a timorous smile and, pushing the wheelchair before her, left the room.
"Scott? Why..." Jeff started to say but was interrupted by a gentle snore from his eldest. Clearly the sedative still hadn't fully worn off. He returned to his seat beside Virgil's bed and picked up his son's hand and held it close. "I'm sorry Virgil, so sorry."
Jeff's system had run through so many emotions today that he felt drained. Now that the shock of Scott's behaviour was starting to wear off, guilt was returning.
Last time he'd been here it'd been when both sons had just been admitted to hospital. He'd been torn between wanting to be with both of them and had decided that Scott would need him more. After all Virgil only had a broken arm! During that first day he'd visited Virgil periodically, but had spent most of his time with Scott. Virgil had said that he'd understood and agreed with his father's decision. But now, Jeff thought as he gently removed a stray strand of brown hair that had crept over Virgil's closed eyes, now he wasn't sure that he'd made the right decision. Was it right that Virgil should have been left alone for so long? What if all this had happened when he was alone? What if no one had found him in time? What if...?
What if he'd never formed International Rescue? Then both these boys would be fit and well and back at the island. Virgil would be playing the piano and Scott would be able to see the world.
But then, Jeff reflected, if he'd never started International Rescue things would have been so different. Scott would have been rising through the ranks in the Air Force. Virgil would have been enjoying an engineering career. John would have been devoting his time to his astronomical work. Gordon would probably still be with the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, despite the hydrofoil accident. And Alan would have been jetting around the world competing in various Formula One races. They would have gone their separate ways and he wouldn't have enjoyed the close relationships that had developed over the last few years.
'And what would I have been doing?' Jeff asked himself ruefully. 'I wouldn't have bought my island. I would have been working my butt off in some stuffy office in a crowded city in the States. I'd probably have had a heart attack by now. Instead of nearly having one every time something happens to my sons."
A small moan focused his thoughts away from himself. "Virgil?" He willed those eyes that were so much like Lucille's, to open again. "Come on son, it's time to wake up."
Those eyes flickered open and then closed again. "Don't wanna to go school today, wanna sleep longer?" Virgil murmured indistinctly.
Jeff grinned. He'd heard those words many times over the years. "You don't have to go to school today Virgil." He ran his fingers through his son's hair.
"F-Father?" Virgil was dragging himself back to a state of wakefulness. "W-What happened?"
"You had a reaction to the medication. It made you sick."
"Sick." Virgil appeared to doze off again, before rousing himself a bit more. He removed his hand from Jeff's grasp and tried to pull the oxygen mask off his face.
Jeff encouraged him to leave the mask alone, by grasping the hand again more firmly. "How're you feeling son?"
"Terrible." Virgil said honestly, his eyes closed. "My head h-hurts, my arms hurt, my chest h-hurts. W-What are you doin' here?" He continued groggily. Then his eyes snapped open. "It's Scott isn't it! Is he okay?"
All the stresses of the last few days suddenly came to the fore. Jeff snapped. "I wish for once, you boys would look after your own health and quit looking out for each other. Then we wouldn't have half these problems." He saw Virgil's startled expression and softened his tone. "Sorry son. Scott's fine. It's you I'm here to see."
"Me?" confusion was evident in Virgil's eyes.
"What's all the noise about?" Another groggy voice was heard from behind Jeff.
"Virgil's woken up..." Jeff was startled to suddenly find Scott standing at his shoulder.
"Virgil! How're you feeling?" Scott asked.
Jeff could no longer handle worrying about two sons at once. "Get back to bed Scott!" he ordered.
"But..."
Virgil decided that he had a headache that couldn't stand his father yelling again. "I'm okay Scott. Go back to bed." He said weakly.
"You sure?"
"Scott!" Jeff snapped.
"Please." Virgil pleaded. "I've got a headache."
"Sorry." Scott said quietly.
Once again Jeff ran a gentle hand through Virgil's hair. "Go back to sleep." Virgil closed his eyes.
Jeff looked at his son. He knew he should contact home, but didn't feel inclined to release his grip on Virgil's hand. "Scott." He whispered.
"Yeah."
"Will you do me a favour please?"
"If I can."
"Will you phone home...?"
"... And let them know he's okay. Sure!"
"No..." Jeff said slowly. "Will you let them know where I am?"
Scott froze, his hand halfway to the buttons on the videophone. "What!"
"I, ah, left home without telling anyone where, or why, I was going."
Scott shook his head but refrained from further comment.
"Was I that bad?"
Jeff turned back at the sound of Virgil's weak voice. "I thought you were asleep."
"Too much talking. How sick was I?"
"You gave us a quite a fright." Jeff said gently.
"What caused it?" Scott asked. "They're bound to ask."
"An allergic reaction to some of his medication. The doctors have replaced it with something else now. You're going to be fine Virgil."
The rhythmical breathing that answered him told him that, this time, Virgil had fallen asleep.
Scott dialled the number that he knew so well.
The 'phone was answered by Gordon. He sounded wary. "Hi Scott! Um, If you want to talk to Dad, he's - ah - not here at the moment."
"I know that, Gordon. He's here."
"He's WHAT!" The redheads temper came to the surface.
"He's here, with us..."
"THERE! WITH YOU!" Gordon was shouting. Then he paused, struggling to regain his composure. "Why?"
"He got a call from the hospital that Virgil wasn't doing too good."
"Virgil! Is he..."
"He's going to be fine. He's sleeping at the moment. So keep your voice down so you don't wake him, okay."
"Okay." Gordon took a deep breath. "I can't believe Dad did that. He didn't tell anyone he was leaving. Didn't tell us why. Just took off. He could have informed John while he was in the plane, for pete's sake!" The agreement to keep quiet hadn't lasted long as Gordon worked himself back up into a fury again. "If any of us had done that he would have hung us by our heels from the radio mast for a week!" Scott silently agreed with the sentiment. "Scott - he didn't tell us about Virgil! How could he!?"
Although he empathised with his younger brother totally, Scott decided to try to cool things down. "Calm down Gordon."
It didn't work. "Doesn't he realise that we've all been worried sick about him? We've searched the house and grounds three times! I was just about to get Thunderbird Four out and do a circuit of the island in case his body had washed up on shore!" Jeff's head snapped round at the unguarded mention of the craft, a worried frown on his face.
But Scott was equal to the situation. "Well just be grateful that you didn't get the yacht out and that you're not going to have to clean her down again."
Gordon realised his slip. "Yeah, you're right Scott." He said sheepishly. "I guess I was getting over excited."
"Well go tell everyone that everything's okay. Father's fine, Virgil's fine and I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."
"Okay Scott. Thanks for putting my mind at rest. I'll talk to you soon."
"Look forward to it, Gordo'."
***
After he'd terminated the call Gordon lent on the desk for a moment trying to get his emotions back under control.
Alan burst in. "The jet's gone, but there's no sign of a flight plan... What's wrong?"
"He's at the hospital Alan."
"He's what?" Alan's jaw dropped.
Gordon realised that he'd been misunderstood. "I mean he's at the hospital visiting Virgil and Scott."
"Oh! Good." Alan relaxed and then frowned. "Why? And why didn't he tell anyone he was going?"
"I think it slipped his mind."
"Slipped his mind! How can a simple thing like letting one of us know where he was going slip his mind? What did he say?"
"I only talked to Scott. He said something about Virg. not doing to good. Whatever that means. It must have been pretty bad for Dad to forget the rest of the family."
"What's this about Virgil?" Grandma entered the lounge closely followed by the rest of the household.
"Scott said he's okay now..." Gordon got John on the line and then explained all that he knew.
"That son of mine's going to get a piece of my mind when he gets home." Grandma Tracy declared.
"Join the queue Grandma, join the queue!" Alan fumed.