Thirty Six - BF
They were sitting alone outside. Enjoying the last rays of the setting sun. They'd survived the first week in rehabilitation.
"You should go home." Scott surprised Jeff by saying.
"Home? I can't go home yet." His father exclaimed.
"You're needed there. There's no one to take control if there's an emergency. It was always either you or me in charge."
"But I can't leave you alone."
"I'll be fine." Scott said quietly. He didn't sound convincing.
"Scott..." Jeff started to protest, and then he stopped as an idea popped into his head. "Would you like Virgil to take my place here?"
"Virgil?"
"He's on sick leave at the moment anyway. He needs physio on that arm and there's a physiotherapist on site. If he's agreeable would you like him to come here and support you?"
Scott smiled. It was the first smile Jeff had seen from him in a long time. "Yes. That'd be great."
"Fine." Jeff grunted as he stood up. "I'll go phone him now."
"Father!" Scott managed to catch his parent's arm as he walked past.
"Scott?"
"Thanks for everything. I know it hasn't been easy, but you've helped me survive this first week."
Jeff laid a hand on Scott's shoulder. "That's okay son. If you ever need my help you only need to ask."
Scott nodded. "It helps to know that."
"It's always been true. I know I'm not the most demonstrative father..."
"I've always known though. We all have. None of us could have asked for a better Dad."
Jeff found himself overwhelmed by the statement. He squeezed Scott's shoulder and hurriedly left the porch. It wasn't until he was back in his room that he realised that his haste had been unwarranted.
Scott wouldn't have been able to see the tears that had formed in his eyes...
***
"Hey there, Scott!"
"Gordon? What are you doing here?"
"Virgil still can't pilot the plane so I offered to bring him. Dad's just showing him around. So how's it going?"
"Fine."
Gordon looked at his oldest brother. Scott appeared to be pleased to 'see' him and yet... There was an air of fragility about Scott that Gordon had never seen in him before. "You've got some brilliant bruises there."
"That's because I keep on bumping into things."
"But apart from that how are you coping?"
"Well... I'll tell you Gordon, I'd rather be piloting a crashing Fireflash at the moment."
"And I'm not here to save you this time."
Scott made a helpless gesture. "I just want to go home."
"I can understand that, but the sooner you've got the basics mastered the sooner you'll be able to get home."
Scott sighed. "I know. How is everyone?"
"Missing you. We need you to boss us all around."
"Now that Father's going home he can do it."
"It'll be good to have him home..."
Scott sensed that there was something missing from this sentence. "Why?"
"'Cause it means Virgil'll be out of our hair. He keeps on trying to play his favourite pieces and getting frustrated because he can't play the treble and bass one handed. So he takes it out on us. At least you'll be able to keep him occupied."
The anticipated chuckle from Scott wasn't forthcoming.
"So..." Gordon said awkwardly. "How much longer do you have to stay here?"
"Whatever it is it'll be too long..."
***
Jeff had given Virgil a quick tour of the complex. They ended up in the room that was going to be Virgil's for the next month or so.
"Sit down son. I want to talk to you before we catch up with Scott and Gordon."
Virgil frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"
"I just want to prepare you for what you'll have to deal with. Scott's finding it hard. Very hard. You think he's coping and then he blows his top or breaks down completely." He explained about the highs and lows that they'd experienced over the previous few days. "I wouldn't even consider going home if it weren't for... the business," Virgil nodded his understanding, "and for the fact that you are going to be here to support him. I won't lie to you Virgil. You're going to find it hard. The instant it gets too much for you I want you to call me and talk to me. I don't care what time of the day or night it is. Call me! And if you need to come home, tell me. We can swap places again."
Virgil nodded again. He didn't know how often he'd be on the phone to home over the next few days.
"I'm sorry to lay all this on you. I wouldn't even consider it if hadn't been Scott's suggestion. And, I guess, you've got the best idea of all of us what Scott has been through."
Virgil nodded a third time.
There was a knock on the door and Jeff went to answer it. "Dusty. Come in. Virgil, this is Dusty, Scott's therapist. Dusty. This is my son Virgil."
Virgil held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise." She said. "Scott's told me a lot about you."
He appeared surprised. "He has?"
She didn't elaborate. "If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."
***
They were sitting alone outside. Enjoying the last rays of the setting sun. They'd survived the first week in rehabilitation.
"You should go home." Scott surprised Jeff by saying.
"Home? I can't go home yet." His father exclaimed.
"You're needed there. There's no one to take control if there's an emergency. It was always either you or me in charge."
"But I can't leave you alone."
"I'll be fine." Scott said quietly. He didn't sound convincing.
"Scott..." Jeff started to protest, and then he stopped as an idea popped into his head. "Would you like Virgil to take my place here?"
"Virgil?"
"He's on sick leave at the moment anyway. He needs physio on that arm and there's a physiotherapist on site. If he's agreeable would you like him to come here and support you?"
Scott smiled. It was the first smile Jeff had seen from him in a long time. "Yes. That'd be great."
"Fine." Jeff grunted as he stood up. "I'll go phone him now."
"Father!" Scott managed to catch his parent's arm as he walked past.
"Scott?"
"Thanks for everything. I know it hasn't been easy, but you've helped me survive this first week."
Jeff laid a hand on Scott's shoulder. "That's okay son. If you ever need my help you only need to ask."
Scott nodded. "It helps to know that."
"It's always been true. I know I'm not the most demonstrative father..."
"I've always known though. We all have. None of us could have asked for a better Dad."
Jeff found himself overwhelmed by the statement. He squeezed Scott's shoulder and hurriedly left the porch. It wasn't until he was back in his room that he realised that his haste had been unwarranted.
Scott wouldn't have been able to see the tears that had formed in his eyes...
***
"Hey there, Scott!"
"Gordon? What are you doing here?"
"Virgil still can't pilot the plane so I offered to bring him. Dad's just showing him around. So how's it going?"
"Fine."
Gordon looked at his oldest brother. Scott appeared to be pleased to 'see' him and yet... There was an air of fragility about Scott that Gordon had never seen in him before. "You've got some brilliant bruises there."
"That's because I keep on bumping into things."
"But apart from that how are you coping?"
"Well... I'll tell you Gordon, I'd rather be piloting a crashing Fireflash at the moment."
"And I'm not here to save you this time."
Scott made a helpless gesture. "I just want to go home."
"I can understand that, but the sooner you've got the basics mastered the sooner you'll be able to get home."
Scott sighed. "I know. How is everyone?"
"Missing you. We need you to boss us all around."
"Now that Father's going home he can do it."
"It'll be good to have him home..."
Scott sensed that there was something missing from this sentence. "Why?"
"'Cause it means Virgil'll be out of our hair. He keeps on trying to play his favourite pieces and getting frustrated because he can't play the treble and bass one handed. So he takes it out on us. At least you'll be able to keep him occupied."
The anticipated chuckle from Scott wasn't forthcoming.
"So..." Gordon said awkwardly. "How much longer do you have to stay here?"
"Whatever it is it'll be too long..."
***
Jeff had given Virgil a quick tour of the complex. They ended up in the room that was going to be Virgil's for the next month or so.
"Sit down son. I want to talk to you before we catch up with Scott and Gordon."
Virgil frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"
"I just want to prepare you for what you'll have to deal with. Scott's finding it hard. Very hard. You think he's coping and then he blows his top or breaks down completely." He explained about the highs and lows that they'd experienced over the previous few days. "I wouldn't even consider going home if it weren't for... the business," Virgil nodded his understanding, "and for the fact that you are going to be here to support him. I won't lie to you Virgil. You're going to find it hard. The instant it gets too much for you I want you to call me and talk to me. I don't care what time of the day or night it is. Call me! And if you need to come home, tell me. We can swap places again."
Virgil nodded again. He didn't know how often he'd be on the phone to home over the next few days.
"I'm sorry to lay all this on you. I wouldn't even consider it if hadn't been Scott's suggestion. And, I guess, you've got the best idea of all of us what Scott has been through."
Virgil nodded a third time.
There was a knock on the door and Jeff went to answer it. "Dusty. Come in. Virgil, this is Dusty, Scott's therapist. Dusty. This is my son Virgil."
Virgil held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise." She said. "Scott's told me a lot about you."
He appeared surprised. "He has?"
She didn't elaborate. "If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."
***