Thirty Six - AR
Later that day Jeff held a debriefing.
Everyone in the household attended, eager to find out just what exactly had happened to Scott and Virgil.
By the end of the session, they had a good idea of the events that had happened, and some idea of the emotions that accompanied it.
"Anything you want to add boys?" Jeff asked.
"Well there is one thing." Virgil said hesitantly.
"Yeah. Something important." Scott said in the same tone.
The family waited.
"Well?" John asked.
Scott cleared his throat but didn't say anything.
They looked at him expectantly and then back at Virgil.
He adjusted the placement of the knot on his sling.
"Well?" Gordon asked.
Virgil cleared his throat. "When you're stuck in a situation..."
"...that seems hopeless..." Scott added.
"...such as trapped in an ventilation shaft..." Virgil said quietly
"...with icy water up to your necks..." Scott spoke equally quietly
"...getting higher and higher,..."
"...and you're getting colder and colder,..."
"...you start to think of things that you wished you'd done..."
"...or that you'd wished you'd said..."
"...to those you care about..."
"...and you hope for the opportunity..."
"...to do those things..."
"...and then when the opportunity arises..."
"...it's amazing how difficult it is..."
"...to say them." Scott finished.
The assembled group had been watching this exchange like a tennis match, amazed at how smoothly the transition between speakers had progressed. Jeff was once again reminded of the almost telepathic link between his two sons.
It was Gordon who broke the silence. "Have you two been practising this?"
They appeared surprised. "Practising what?" Scott asked.
"Saying whatever it is you're talking about."
They looked at him blankly.
"Hand's up all those who know what these two are on about." John asked
No hands were raised.
"What we are trying to say..." Scott started
"...is how proud we are..." Virgil continued
"...to be part of this family,..."
"...including Brains..."
"...and Tin-Tin and Kyrano,..."
"...and how proud we are..."
"...to work with you..."
"...as International Rescue...."
"...And how we admire you..."
"...individually..."
"...and as a team..."
"...and how we respect your talents..."
"...and the contributions you each make..."
"...and while sometimes..."
"...you really annoy us..."
"...especially when you put frogs in my bed..."
"...we..."
"...we..."
"...we..."
"..."
"..."
"All the way home." Alan interjected exasperatedly. "What?"
Virgil looked at Scott.
Scott looked at Virgil.
"Love you all." They said embarrassedly in unison.
Gordon sat back, his hands held up protectively. "If you to are going to start kissing us, I'll tell you right now, I'm leaving!"
"Some things don't need to be said." Jeff noted. "We all know."
"But sometimes it seems important to have said them." Scott protested.
"Honestly!" Grandma Tracy rebuked them. "Why do you men find it so difficult to express your feelings and emotions?"
"Yes, why?" Tin-Tin added emphatically. Though it wasn't at any of the older Tracys she was looking at. Alan blushed.
"Somehow it seems easier when you think you're going to die." Virgil said pathetically.
His grandmother let out a snort that showed her disgust at such an idea.
"And you thought you were going to die?" Jeff asked cautiously.
Virgil let out a mirthless laugh. "No of course not. I didn't once give up hope."
"Just as I didn't panic." Scott added ironically, before facing his father. "Just like we know you didn't seriously consider shutting down International Rescue, because of your concerns for our welfare."
Jeff stared at him. "Why'd you say that... I didn't... how'd you know..."
"We all know Father." Virgil said. "Every time one of us gets into trouble you think along the same lines. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'd be disappointed if you did shut up shop, just because something happened to one of us... or two of us." His brothers nodded their agreement.
"Virgil's right Dad." Gordon said. "International Rescue is bigger than all of us and more important."
Jeff looked at his team - his family. "I'm proud of you all." He said simply.
They all looked embarrassed.
Jeff decided that it was time to bring the meeting to a close. It was his turn to clear his throat. "Have we learnt anything from what happened?"
"Yeah. Don't look over walls when the generator's about to blow." Scott said wryly.
The resulting laugh brought closure to the debriefing.
Later that day Jeff held a debriefing.
Everyone in the household attended, eager to find out just what exactly had happened to Scott and Virgil.
By the end of the session, they had a good idea of the events that had happened, and some idea of the emotions that accompanied it.
"Anything you want to add boys?" Jeff asked.
"Well there is one thing." Virgil said hesitantly.
"Yeah. Something important." Scott said in the same tone.
The family waited.
"Well?" John asked.
Scott cleared his throat but didn't say anything.
They looked at him expectantly and then back at Virgil.
He adjusted the placement of the knot on his sling.
"Well?" Gordon asked.
Virgil cleared his throat. "When you're stuck in a situation..."
"...that seems hopeless..." Scott added.
"...such as trapped in an ventilation shaft..." Virgil said quietly
"...with icy water up to your necks..." Scott spoke equally quietly
"...getting higher and higher,..."
"...and you're getting colder and colder,..."
"...you start to think of things that you wished you'd done..."
"...or that you'd wished you'd said..."
"...to those you care about..."
"...and you hope for the opportunity..."
"...to do those things..."
"...and then when the opportunity arises..."
"...it's amazing how difficult it is..."
"...to say them." Scott finished.
The assembled group had been watching this exchange like a tennis match, amazed at how smoothly the transition between speakers had progressed. Jeff was once again reminded of the almost telepathic link between his two sons.
It was Gordon who broke the silence. "Have you two been practising this?"
They appeared surprised. "Practising what?" Scott asked.
"Saying whatever it is you're talking about."
They looked at him blankly.
"Hand's up all those who know what these two are on about." John asked
No hands were raised.
"What we are trying to say..." Scott started
"...is how proud we are..." Virgil continued
"...to be part of this family,..."
"...including Brains..."
"...and Tin-Tin and Kyrano,..."
"...and how proud we are..."
"...to work with you..."
"...as International Rescue...."
"...And how we admire you..."
"...individually..."
"...and as a team..."
"...and how we respect your talents..."
"...and the contributions you each make..."
"...and while sometimes..."
"...you really annoy us..."
"...especially when you put frogs in my bed..."
"...we..."
"...we..."
"...we..."
"..."
"..."
"All the way home." Alan interjected exasperatedly. "What?"
Virgil looked at Scott.
Scott looked at Virgil.
"Love you all." They said embarrassedly in unison.
Gordon sat back, his hands held up protectively. "If you to are going to start kissing us, I'll tell you right now, I'm leaving!"
"Some things don't need to be said." Jeff noted. "We all know."
"But sometimes it seems important to have said them." Scott protested.
"Honestly!" Grandma Tracy rebuked them. "Why do you men find it so difficult to express your feelings and emotions?"
"Yes, why?" Tin-Tin added emphatically. Though it wasn't at any of the older Tracys she was looking at. Alan blushed.
"Somehow it seems easier when you think you're going to die." Virgil said pathetically.
His grandmother let out a snort that showed her disgust at such an idea.
"And you thought you were going to die?" Jeff asked cautiously.
Virgil let out a mirthless laugh. "No of course not. I didn't once give up hope."
"Just as I didn't panic." Scott added ironically, before facing his father. "Just like we know you didn't seriously consider shutting down International Rescue, because of your concerns for our welfare."
Jeff stared at him. "Why'd you say that... I didn't... how'd you know..."
"We all know Father." Virgil said. "Every time one of us gets into trouble you think along the same lines. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'd be disappointed if you did shut up shop, just because something happened to one of us... or two of us." His brothers nodded their agreement.
"Virgil's right Dad." Gordon said. "International Rescue is bigger than all of us and more important."
Jeff looked at his team - his family. "I'm proud of you all." He said simply.
They all looked embarrassed.
Jeff decided that it was time to bring the meeting to a close. It was his turn to clear his throat. "Have we learnt anything from what happened?"
"Yeah. Don't look over walls when the generator's about to blow." Scott said wryly.
The resulting laugh brought closure to the debriefing.
