Forty Three - BF
Virgil Tracy clenched his jaw muscles to try to stop himself from grinding his teeth together in frustration.
It was just on three weeks since Scott had come home and Virgil was as pleased as anyone in his family to have his brother back where he belonged. But, and he hated to admit this, the way his family was treating Scott starting to get on his nerves.
"Would you like me to give you some more apple sauce, Scott?" Gordon asked.
"That would be great thanks Gordon." Scott finished his drink as Gordon spread the sauce on the sandwich. "Any more juice?"
"I'll get it!" Alan grabbed Scott's glass and filled it.
It wasn't only that everyone was slavishly catering to Scott's every smallest need that irked Virgil, it was the fact that Scott was letting them.
Scott tried the pork sandwich that his Grandmother had made him. "I think this needs a bit of salt."
"I'll do that..." Tin-Tin reached for the salt cellar.
"For Pete's sake! Let him do it himself!" Virgil finally snapped. It was as if the words had popped out unbidden and he found himself being stared at by eight pairs of eyes.
"What?" Tin-Tin asked.
Virgil took a breath. There was no backing down now. "I said let him do it. He's capable. Aren't you Scott?"
"Well..." Scott's reply was cut short by a rumble from Jeff.
"Virgil!"
The stares were becoming vaguely hostile. Virgil tried to explain. "He's not helpless. He can look after himself. Can't you Scott." His plea for support went unanswered.
"Virgil Tracy. How can you be so heartless?" Tin-Tin pouted.
"Heartless... Is that what you think? I'm being realistic. You're all feeling sorry for him and not giving him a chance to do things for himself. To do the things that he went to rehab to learn." Virgil was starting to feel a little hot under the collar.
He wasn't the only one. "I think we should finish this conversation - later." Jeff said ominously.
"Why?" Virgil asked stubbornly. "To give me time to feel guilty and apologise. Well it won't happen. How can he learn what he can and can't do if you won't let him do anything?"
"Virgil!" There was a definite warning in Jeff's voice.
"What!" Virgil snapped. He'd had it. "Can't you see what you're all doing? I'm sorry Scott but I can't take this anymore. This isn't you! You've changed? Why? You've lost your sight, not your personality!"
Virgil's statement resulted in a collective gasp from the family. "Steady on Virg." Gordon said quietly.
Virgil wasn't listening. "That doesn't mean you're helpless. I know EXACTLY what you can do!"
"Do you? What do you want me to do, Virgil?" Virgil's tirade was finally getting to Scott. "I'm a bit limited with my options now..."
Virgil gave a bitter laugh. "Limited! The only thing that's limiting you Scott is attitude. Yours and our family's." He stood up, his chair banging against the wall. He ignored it. "Look at yourselves! You all think you're helping him, but you're not. And Scott you're certainly NOT helping yourself. I'm not going to stay here and watch you all ruin his life!" With that pronouncement he stormed out.
"Virgil Tracy! Come back here and apologise!" Jeff yelled. But Virgil had gone.
Although all his sons were now men, Jeff expected, and usually got, unquestioning obedience. Virgil ignoring him on top of what had just been said enraged his father.
"How dare he..." Jeff rose and strode off after his errant son.
He reached the hallway and hesitated. Virgil could either have retreated to his room, or headed into the lounge. There were no sounds coming from the piano so Jeff decided to try the bedroom.
The door was shut. Jeff was angry enough to open it without knocking.
The room was empty. Becoming even angrier Jeff stormed off back down the hallway to the lounge.
This room was empty too. There was a myriad of exits that Virgil could have taken, both obvious and hidden, but Jeff knew he had an advantage. "Base to Thunderbird Five. Come in John."
John's portrait disappeared to be replaced with the real thing. The smile of greeting quickly disappeared. "What's wrong?"
Jeff wasn't in the mood to elaborate. "Can you track Virgil's watch for me!"
"Sure." This was an unusual request, but John complied without question. "He's on the chute to Thunderbird Two..."
"I should have guessed..." Jeff was about to head to the transporter plane when John stopped him.
"The signal's heading back up the chute. It's stopped now."
"Stopped! Then the little devil's left his watch on the slide!" Jeff knew that from Thunderbird Two's hanger there were any number of exits that Virgil could have taken. The fact that he'd left his watch behind showed that he didn't want to be found.
"Thanks John." He eventually said. "Go back to lunch."
"Lunch! Is it lunchtime. I hadn't even thought about it. What are you having?"
"Pork sandwiches."
"With Grandma's apple sauce? I'd love one of those now."
"The way Virgil's been behaving you may be relieved earlier than you expect. You could come home and have your meals here."
"Virgil! What's he done?"
"Told us to stop helping Scott."
"Virgil?! You're kidding aren't you?"
"I wish I was. Go get your lunch son. I'll talk to you later."
Virgil Tracy clenched his jaw muscles to try to stop himself from grinding his teeth together in frustration.
It was just on three weeks since Scott had come home and Virgil was as pleased as anyone in his family to have his brother back where he belonged. But, and he hated to admit this, the way his family was treating Scott starting to get on his nerves.
"Would you like me to give you some more apple sauce, Scott?" Gordon asked.
"That would be great thanks Gordon." Scott finished his drink as Gordon spread the sauce on the sandwich. "Any more juice?"
"I'll get it!" Alan grabbed Scott's glass and filled it.
It wasn't only that everyone was slavishly catering to Scott's every smallest need that irked Virgil, it was the fact that Scott was letting them.
Scott tried the pork sandwich that his Grandmother had made him. "I think this needs a bit of salt."
"I'll do that..." Tin-Tin reached for the salt cellar.
"For Pete's sake! Let him do it himself!" Virgil finally snapped. It was as if the words had popped out unbidden and he found himself being stared at by eight pairs of eyes.
"What?" Tin-Tin asked.
Virgil took a breath. There was no backing down now. "I said let him do it. He's capable. Aren't you Scott?"
"Well..." Scott's reply was cut short by a rumble from Jeff.
"Virgil!"
The stares were becoming vaguely hostile. Virgil tried to explain. "He's not helpless. He can look after himself. Can't you Scott." His plea for support went unanswered.
"Virgil Tracy. How can you be so heartless?" Tin-Tin pouted.
"Heartless... Is that what you think? I'm being realistic. You're all feeling sorry for him and not giving him a chance to do things for himself. To do the things that he went to rehab to learn." Virgil was starting to feel a little hot under the collar.
He wasn't the only one. "I think we should finish this conversation - later." Jeff said ominously.
"Why?" Virgil asked stubbornly. "To give me time to feel guilty and apologise. Well it won't happen. How can he learn what he can and can't do if you won't let him do anything?"
"Virgil!" There was a definite warning in Jeff's voice.
"What!" Virgil snapped. He'd had it. "Can't you see what you're all doing? I'm sorry Scott but I can't take this anymore. This isn't you! You've changed? Why? You've lost your sight, not your personality!"
Virgil's statement resulted in a collective gasp from the family. "Steady on Virg." Gordon said quietly.
Virgil wasn't listening. "That doesn't mean you're helpless. I know EXACTLY what you can do!"
"Do you? What do you want me to do, Virgil?" Virgil's tirade was finally getting to Scott. "I'm a bit limited with my options now..."
Virgil gave a bitter laugh. "Limited! The only thing that's limiting you Scott is attitude. Yours and our family's." He stood up, his chair banging against the wall. He ignored it. "Look at yourselves! You all think you're helping him, but you're not. And Scott you're certainly NOT helping yourself. I'm not going to stay here and watch you all ruin his life!" With that pronouncement he stormed out.
"Virgil Tracy! Come back here and apologise!" Jeff yelled. But Virgil had gone.
Although all his sons were now men, Jeff expected, and usually got, unquestioning obedience. Virgil ignoring him on top of what had just been said enraged his father.
"How dare he..." Jeff rose and strode off after his errant son.
He reached the hallway and hesitated. Virgil could either have retreated to his room, or headed into the lounge. There were no sounds coming from the piano so Jeff decided to try the bedroom.
The door was shut. Jeff was angry enough to open it without knocking.
The room was empty. Becoming even angrier Jeff stormed off back down the hallway to the lounge.
This room was empty too. There was a myriad of exits that Virgil could have taken, both obvious and hidden, but Jeff knew he had an advantage. "Base to Thunderbird Five. Come in John."
John's portrait disappeared to be replaced with the real thing. The smile of greeting quickly disappeared. "What's wrong?"
Jeff wasn't in the mood to elaborate. "Can you track Virgil's watch for me!"
"Sure." This was an unusual request, but John complied without question. "He's on the chute to Thunderbird Two..."
"I should have guessed..." Jeff was about to head to the transporter plane when John stopped him.
"The signal's heading back up the chute. It's stopped now."
"Stopped! Then the little devil's left his watch on the slide!" Jeff knew that from Thunderbird Two's hanger there were any number of exits that Virgil could have taken. The fact that he'd left his watch behind showed that he didn't want to be found.
"Thanks John." He eventually said. "Go back to lunch."
"Lunch! Is it lunchtime. I hadn't even thought about it. What are you having?"
"Pork sandwiches."
"With Grandma's apple sauce? I'd love one of those now."
"The way Virgil's been behaving you may be relieved earlier than you expect. You could come home and have your meals here."
"Virgil! What's he done?"
"Told us to stop helping Scott."
"Virgil?! You're kidding aren't you?"
"I wish I was. Go get your lunch son. I'll talk to you later."