Seventy Two - BF
It was finally morning. Virgil was the last to arrive at the table and silently took his seat, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he did so.
Jeff Tracy looked round at his family. None of them looked as if they'd got any sleep the previous night, and Jeff doubted that he looked any better.
In contrast Professor Bunsen was bright, breezy and extremely excited. He tucked into his mornings breakfast with gusto. The Tracy family and their friends were more circumspect.
Alan pushed his still full plate away. "I can't eat. The suspense is killing me."
"Killing you?" Scott noted. He wasn't eating this morning. "What about me?"
"I can assure you that no one will be killed." The Professor said through a mouthful of toast. "By the end of the day Scott, your vision will be reinstated. And then, dear Robot Head," Brains cringed at the hated nickname, "you and I can get down to discussions as to what I can do to help your marvellous organisation."
"Fine B-Bunny."
"International Rescue." The Professor breathed. "When these two young men came to my door I would never have picked them to be members of International Rescue."
"You understand why our secrecy is so important." Jeff said warily.
"Of course, of course." Professor Bunsen waved his concerns away. "The technology in your hands is awesome. In someone else's it could be terrible. I could not be party to the ruination of innocent lives." He drained his glass and stood up. "Come on Scott. Time to act."
"What already?" Scott squeaked.
"Get it over and done with. Then you can reacquaint yourself with your family and friends. Come Tin-Tin. Come Robot Head." He swept out of the dining room.
"I swear M-Mr Tracy." Brain muttered. "I-If it weren't for Scott, I would h-have walked out by now."
"He is a bit annoying at times." Jeff agreed, "but he'll be good for the organisation. I'll set him up so that he can work from home."
Professor Bunsen poked his head back into the room. "Robot Head!" he said imperiously.
Muttering to himself Brains took his plate to the counter and left to get ready.
Scott slowly stood up. "Well I guess this is it."
Jeff came around and laid his hand on his first-born son's shoulder. "Good luck Scott. I..." He felt he should say something important but words failed him. Impulsively he wrapped his arms around Scott in a fatherly hug.
Surprised Scott dropped his cane.
Gordon picked it up and handed it to him. "Guess you won't be needing this too much longer."
"I wouldn't need it now if you didn't leave your shoes around the house!" Scott refused the invitation to take the cane. "From this moment on I'm never going to use that thing again."
"Positive thinking, huh." John said. "Imagine! It'll be all over in an hours time."
"I'll have to get used to looking at your ugly mug again won't I."
John chuckled.
"See you soon Scott." Alan said optimistically.
"I hope to be seeing you, Alan." Scott turned slowly to where he knew Virgil was standing. "Well Virg." he said with false bravado. "Time to see what your machine can do." He held out his hand to his brother. "Wish me luck?" he asked hopefully.
Virgil looked at the outstretched hand and then took it slowly.
They shook solemnly.
It was no good. "Come here." Virgil said suddenly and pulled Scott into a bear hug. "Good luck." He whispered. "I've got a surprise for you when it's over." He released his oldest brother and stood back.
Jeff placed his arm around Virgil's shoulders and gave him a squeeze.
Scott received a solemn handshake from Kyrano and a nervous kiss, with a "Good luck Darling" from his Grandmother before the Professor stuck his head into the room again. "Scott!"
He disappeared.
"His lordship calls!" Scott said ironically. "Wish me luck everyone." He started walking towards the door before turning back. "Please tell me he hasn't got the rabbit suit on..."
"Of course not!" Gordon told him. "He's a professional. Only don't be surprised if you wake up covered in feathers."
"Feathers?"
"From the chicken suit."
"Gordon, behave!" Jeff scolded.
"I'm glad you talked him out of the pig outfit."
"Alan!" Jeff rumbled warningly.
"You know..." Scott said. "I would have been quite happy to be an only child."
There was a shout from down the hallway. "Scott!"
"I'd better go. Be seeing you... I hope."
***
The procedure was going to take 30 minutes per eye. That hour seemed to drag on forever to everyone waiting in the lounge.
Jeff turned the TV on to give everyone something to think about.
No one watched it.
The stress was getting to Virgil. He would go to the doorway leading to the hall and look towards the sickbay. Then he'd walk back to the piano, sit down and open the lid. Then, without playing anything, he'd close it with a bang and move out onto the balcony. He could only stand there for half a minute before he was back at the hallway again.
It was on his twelfth circuit of the room that Jeff intercepted him. Placing both hands on Virgil's shoulders he looked him straight in the eye and said, quietly but with emphasis. "Virgil - will - you - calm - down."
"But Father. I'm worried about the equipment. What if I didn't fix something correctly? Something could go wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong with the equipment. Both you and Brains checked and double checked each other's work. The machine's perfect." Jeff adjusted his grip so that his hands now held Virgil's shoulders from behind enabling him to steer his worried son to the piano. "Now sit there and stay there." Virgil went to open the keyboard. "And leave it shut!" Jeff snapped, expressing some of the strain he was feeling.
He turned to return to his customary seat at his desk when he heard a sound behind him. He wasn't surprised to find Virgil standing again. "Virgil! Sit before I tie you to that stool!"
"Tell you what Dad." Gordon offered. "Hold him down on the floor and I'll sit on him."
"I'll help." Alan said.
"Me too." John added.
"Leave room for me!" Grandma Tracy stated, surprising everyone.
Virgil put his elbows on the closed lid of the keyboard and rested his head in his hands.
Someone entered the room.
"We've finished." Tin-Tin said.
She was nearly bowled over by Virgil as he raced out the door.
She had to step backwards just as quickly to avoid being crushed by a mass of anxious Tracys all heading for the sickbay.
Scott was on the bed, asleep.
Brains was looking at some charts.
The Professor stood at the head of the bed with his arms folded proudly. "It was good. I'm very pleased."
Virgil sat in the seat to Scott's left. Brains came over and laid his hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Th-The equipment worked perfectly." He reassured him. Virgil gave him a smile of relief.
"Scott can you hear me son?" Jeff asked
"Come on Scott. Wake up." Alan pleaded.
"Yeah, wake up Scott." John said.
"Come on Scott." Grandma and Gordon said in unison.
"Wake up." Virgil placed a hand on Scott's arm. "Come on Scott. Wake up!"
Scott began to awaken...
It was finally morning. Virgil was the last to arrive at the table and silently took his seat, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he did so.
Jeff Tracy looked round at his family. None of them looked as if they'd got any sleep the previous night, and Jeff doubted that he looked any better.
In contrast Professor Bunsen was bright, breezy and extremely excited. He tucked into his mornings breakfast with gusto. The Tracy family and their friends were more circumspect.
Alan pushed his still full plate away. "I can't eat. The suspense is killing me."
"Killing you?" Scott noted. He wasn't eating this morning. "What about me?"
"I can assure you that no one will be killed." The Professor said through a mouthful of toast. "By the end of the day Scott, your vision will be reinstated. And then, dear Robot Head," Brains cringed at the hated nickname, "you and I can get down to discussions as to what I can do to help your marvellous organisation."
"Fine B-Bunny."
"International Rescue." The Professor breathed. "When these two young men came to my door I would never have picked them to be members of International Rescue."
"You understand why our secrecy is so important." Jeff said warily.
"Of course, of course." Professor Bunsen waved his concerns away. "The technology in your hands is awesome. In someone else's it could be terrible. I could not be party to the ruination of innocent lives." He drained his glass and stood up. "Come on Scott. Time to act."
"What already?" Scott squeaked.
"Get it over and done with. Then you can reacquaint yourself with your family and friends. Come Tin-Tin. Come Robot Head." He swept out of the dining room.
"I swear M-Mr Tracy." Brain muttered. "I-If it weren't for Scott, I would h-have walked out by now."
"He is a bit annoying at times." Jeff agreed, "but he'll be good for the organisation. I'll set him up so that he can work from home."
Professor Bunsen poked his head back into the room. "Robot Head!" he said imperiously.
Muttering to himself Brains took his plate to the counter and left to get ready.
Scott slowly stood up. "Well I guess this is it."
Jeff came around and laid his hand on his first-born son's shoulder. "Good luck Scott. I..." He felt he should say something important but words failed him. Impulsively he wrapped his arms around Scott in a fatherly hug.
Surprised Scott dropped his cane.
Gordon picked it up and handed it to him. "Guess you won't be needing this too much longer."
"I wouldn't need it now if you didn't leave your shoes around the house!" Scott refused the invitation to take the cane. "From this moment on I'm never going to use that thing again."
"Positive thinking, huh." John said. "Imagine! It'll be all over in an hours time."
"I'll have to get used to looking at your ugly mug again won't I."
John chuckled.
"See you soon Scott." Alan said optimistically.
"I hope to be seeing you, Alan." Scott turned slowly to where he knew Virgil was standing. "Well Virg." he said with false bravado. "Time to see what your machine can do." He held out his hand to his brother. "Wish me luck?" he asked hopefully.
Virgil looked at the outstretched hand and then took it slowly.
They shook solemnly.
It was no good. "Come here." Virgil said suddenly and pulled Scott into a bear hug. "Good luck." He whispered. "I've got a surprise for you when it's over." He released his oldest brother and stood back.
Jeff placed his arm around Virgil's shoulders and gave him a squeeze.
Scott received a solemn handshake from Kyrano and a nervous kiss, with a "Good luck Darling" from his Grandmother before the Professor stuck his head into the room again. "Scott!"
He disappeared.
"His lordship calls!" Scott said ironically. "Wish me luck everyone." He started walking towards the door before turning back. "Please tell me he hasn't got the rabbit suit on..."
"Of course not!" Gordon told him. "He's a professional. Only don't be surprised if you wake up covered in feathers."
"Feathers?"
"From the chicken suit."
"Gordon, behave!" Jeff scolded.
"I'm glad you talked him out of the pig outfit."
"Alan!" Jeff rumbled warningly.
"You know..." Scott said. "I would have been quite happy to be an only child."
There was a shout from down the hallway. "Scott!"
"I'd better go. Be seeing you... I hope."
***
The procedure was going to take 30 minutes per eye. That hour seemed to drag on forever to everyone waiting in the lounge.
Jeff turned the TV on to give everyone something to think about.
No one watched it.
The stress was getting to Virgil. He would go to the doorway leading to the hall and look towards the sickbay. Then he'd walk back to the piano, sit down and open the lid. Then, without playing anything, he'd close it with a bang and move out onto the balcony. He could only stand there for half a minute before he was back at the hallway again.
It was on his twelfth circuit of the room that Jeff intercepted him. Placing both hands on Virgil's shoulders he looked him straight in the eye and said, quietly but with emphasis. "Virgil - will - you - calm - down."
"But Father. I'm worried about the equipment. What if I didn't fix something correctly? Something could go wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong with the equipment. Both you and Brains checked and double checked each other's work. The machine's perfect." Jeff adjusted his grip so that his hands now held Virgil's shoulders from behind enabling him to steer his worried son to the piano. "Now sit there and stay there." Virgil went to open the keyboard. "And leave it shut!" Jeff snapped, expressing some of the strain he was feeling.
He turned to return to his customary seat at his desk when he heard a sound behind him. He wasn't surprised to find Virgil standing again. "Virgil! Sit before I tie you to that stool!"
"Tell you what Dad." Gordon offered. "Hold him down on the floor and I'll sit on him."
"I'll help." Alan said.
"Me too." John added.
"Leave room for me!" Grandma Tracy stated, surprising everyone.
Virgil put his elbows on the closed lid of the keyboard and rested his head in his hands.
Someone entered the room.
"We've finished." Tin-Tin said.
She was nearly bowled over by Virgil as he raced out the door.
She had to step backwards just as quickly to avoid being crushed by a mass of anxious Tracys all heading for the sickbay.
Scott was on the bed, asleep.
Brains was looking at some charts.
The Professor stood at the head of the bed with his arms folded proudly. "It was good. I'm very pleased."
Virgil sat in the seat to Scott's left. Brains came over and laid his hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Th-The equipment worked perfectly." He reassured him. Virgil gave him a smile of relief.
"Scott can you hear me son?" Jeff asked
"Come on Scott. Wake up." Alan pleaded.
"Yeah, wake up Scott." John said.
"Come on Scott." Grandma and Gordon said in unison.
"Wake up." Virgil placed a hand on Scott's arm. "Come on Scott. Wake up!"
Scott began to awaken...