Seventy Five - BF
After 24 hours Scott was feeling fine. He was up and about and exploring a whole new world of light and colour and movement.
The only dark spot was that Virgil seemed to be avoiding him.
"I don't know..." Scott complained to his father, "... every time I try to talk to him someone else turns up, or he says he has something to do, or else he makes sure he's somewhere where I can't see him because the light's hurting my eyes. I know we've got to talk, but it's impossible when he doesn't want to be anywhere near me."
"I don't think it's that he doesn't want to be near you." Jeff surmised. "I think he's taken your words of a year ago literally."
"That I was glad that I couldn't see him?"
"And he's doing all he can to save you from the... strain... of looking at him."
"The idiot. I thought he knew I didn't mean what I said."
"I did too, but he's clearly taken it to heart."
"I was going to talk to him before the operation, but then we went on that rescue, and then we came back..." Scott shuddered at the memory. "And I haven't spoken to him properly since. And it's been a week! It's as if we're neighbours, not brothers. Just passing in the hallways, saying hello, but not really stopping to talk to each other. I hate this!"
Jeff had noticed that Virgil had been very quiet this past week too. "I don't think he's happy either."
"Could you talk to him first? Smooth the way?"
"I thought I'd done that the other night. What say I arrange it that you'll get some uninterrupted time together."
"It'd be a start."
"Then you've got the hard job. Finding the words to say."
"Not my strong point." Scott said wryly. "I'm a man of action not words. I wonder if I could convince John to do this for me."
Jeff gave a quiet chuckle. "I don't think it would have the same impact coming from him. No, you'll be fine. You just need the right situation..."
***
The right situation involved every member of the family being involved in an International Rescue training session.
"Where's Scott and Virgil?" Alan asked.
"They're not always going to be available." Jeff explained. "It won't hurt you to get in some practise without them."
"What do I do, Jeff." Grandma Tracy asked.
"You play a little old lady trapped in the Round House."
"Why?"
"There's been an earthquake and the only exits have collapsed."
"So all I have to do is stand at the window and scream 'Help'."
"You've got it."
"A starring role, Grandma!" Gordon grinned. "We'll get you out on rescues yet."
"Yeah. I can just see you tearing up to the burning building on the hoverbike, and yelling 'Virgil Tracy! Get away from there! You'll get your uniform dirty!'" Alan laughed at his unsubtle imitation of his Grandmothers voice.
"Come on." Jeff said. "Let's get started. Tin-Tin, you can man Mobile Control and Kyrano and Brains can be other victims."
His mother stared at him, hands on hips. "And just what are you going to do Jeff Tracy?"
"Me? I'm the one who'll feed John and Mobile Control all the information about the rescue as if I'm the fire chief or local rescue co-ordinator. Are you with me John?"
"I can hear you." His second son replied via a hand held radio. "Ready and waiting to dispatch the gallant forces of International Rescue out to save the damsel in distress..."
"All right. We've got the idea. I'm also the Marshall on this exercise. So I'll take notes on everyone's performance." Jeff declared.
"See how he's always willing to take on the hard, dangerous jobs." Gordon said in a stage whisper to Alan. "Fearless, that's what our father is."
Jeff didn't rise to the bait. "So are you if you're going to start teasing your old man. Right! Lets get started..."
***
Scott had worked out a plan of his own. He knew Virgil was planning to use some of the unexpected spare time to get in some piano practise and hoped that he would take the path past Scott's bedroom door.
Scott listened until he heard his brother's familiar humming, then, leaving the door to the room open, he started pulling at the furniture in his room.
He heard Virgil stop humming as he drew close to the door.
"Hey, Virgil! Give me a hand will you?"
"Doing what?" Virgil asked warily from the hallway.
"I've lost my wings. I threw them somewhere ages ago and now I can't find them. It's a shame I've 'outgrown' Brains' specs. I need your eyes."
"You threw them!"
"Yeah, I know. It sounds silly now. It was my first day home and I guess I was a little upset."
Virgil took a step into the room. "So where'd you throw them?"
"Um..." Scott sat on the bed where he'd sat a year ago. "I just threw them. They must be behind one of those chests of drawers. Help me find them please?" He pleaded. "My eyesight's not good enough yet."
"Okay." Virgil took another step into the room. He didn't notice the door slide quietly shut behind him or hear the lock slide home. "So they could be behind this cabinet." He tried peering behind the large piece of furniture. "When was the last time you cleaned back here!"
Scott felt as if he'd engineered a kidnapping. He tried to sound relaxed. "I couldn't see the dirt, so I didn't worry. Can you see them?"
"No. Can we pull it out from the wall?"
They each took a corner and pulled. The cabinet moved a little. Virgil peered behind. "I think I can see them. We need to pull this out further."
"Lets get rid of the drawers, that'll make it lighter."
It was then a relatively easy job to pull the chest of drawers away from the wall. Virgil managed to reach behind and retrieve the wings. "There you go. A little dirty, but otherwise unhurt." He wiped the cobwebs off and then started to pin the badge to Scott's collar. "Back where they belong," he smiled.
He stopped when he realised that he was face to face with his brother. "I'm sorry... I'll leave now!" He turned and found the door shut. He tried to open it. "Scott!"
Scott's own smile at being reacquainted with his wings, fell from his face. "Don't go! Let's talk."
"Don't go!? You've locked the door! Was this some kind of trick?" Virgil asked angrily.
"No! Everything I said was true. I'd lost my wings. I'm truly grateful that you've found them for me," Scott removed the treasured item from his lapel and clutched them tightly to his chest. "But I think we need to sit down and talk."
"I'm busy!"
"Please Virgil! Talk to me!"
"About what!"
"About us! You've been avoiding me!"
Virgil moved over to the window and stood with his back to it. "Okay, talk!"
"Please sit down."
"I'm comfortable here."
"But I'm not. I can't see you properly when you're backlit like that." Scott grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him over to the chair that was well away from the window. "Sit there where I can see you."
Virgil sat down and stared at the floor.
"Look at me." Scott pleaded.
"Do you really want me to?" Virgil asked quietly.
"Yes I do. I want to see you. I've wanted to see you for the past year. I know that's not what I said, but it's the truth."
Virgil was silent.
"I was angry that day in rehabilitation. Nothing was going right. I was helpless. I was out of control. The only thing that I KNEW I could do confidently was to hurt the people around me. I thought of the one thing that I knew would hurt you and I said it! And I'm really, really sorry. "
Virgil looked at his hands.
"Believe me Virgil," Scott begged, "I didn't mean it! If it had have been Father, or John, or Gordon, or Alan, I still would have tried to find something hateful to say to them. Unfortunately I picked on you."
The ominous silence continued.
"You've been a help to me over this last year. You've supported me, and cajoled me, and threatened me, and made me realise that my life wasn't over just because I was blind. If it hadn't been for you I'd probably be sitting in here all day weaving baskets or something."
Virgil didn't comment.
"I've never believed that Ma's accident was your fault. I've never believed that Ma would have blamed you... that was something I dredged up from the sewer of my mind."
Scott was starting to feel a mild form of panic. He was desperate to break through the wall that Virgil had erected between the pair of them. "And I don't think of Ma every time I look at you. You're an individual Virgil, and when I see you I don't see Lucille Tracy, my mother, I see Virgil Tracy... I see my brother... I see my hero..."
The familiar klaxon went off.
"Oh NO!" Scott exclaimed angrily. "Not now! Somebody up there hates me!"
Virgil stood. "We'd better go." He said quietly.
Scott carefully placed his wings on the bedside table and unlocked the door. "Virgil... please... this isn't finished, let's talk some more later. You haven't heard everything that I want to say to you..."
***
After 24 hours Scott was feeling fine. He was up and about and exploring a whole new world of light and colour and movement.
The only dark spot was that Virgil seemed to be avoiding him.
"I don't know..." Scott complained to his father, "... every time I try to talk to him someone else turns up, or he says he has something to do, or else he makes sure he's somewhere where I can't see him because the light's hurting my eyes. I know we've got to talk, but it's impossible when he doesn't want to be anywhere near me."
"I don't think it's that he doesn't want to be near you." Jeff surmised. "I think he's taken your words of a year ago literally."
"That I was glad that I couldn't see him?"
"And he's doing all he can to save you from the... strain... of looking at him."
"The idiot. I thought he knew I didn't mean what I said."
"I did too, but he's clearly taken it to heart."
"I was going to talk to him before the operation, but then we went on that rescue, and then we came back..." Scott shuddered at the memory. "And I haven't spoken to him properly since. And it's been a week! It's as if we're neighbours, not brothers. Just passing in the hallways, saying hello, but not really stopping to talk to each other. I hate this!"
Jeff had noticed that Virgil had been very quiet this past week too. "I don't think he's happy either."
"Could you talk to him first? Smooth the way?"
"I thought I'd done that the other night. What say I arrange it that you'll get some uninterrupted time together."
"It'd be a start."
"Then you've got the hard job. Finding the words to say."
"Not my strong point." Scott said wryly. "I'm a man of action not words. I wonder if I could convince John to do this for me."
Jeff gave a quiet chuckle. "I don't think it would have the same impact coming from him. No, you'll be fine. You just need the right situation..."
***
The right situation involved every member of the family being involved in an International Rescue training session.
"Where's Scott and Virgil?" Alan asked.
"They're not always going to be available." Jeff explained. "It won't hurt you to get in some practise without them."
"What do I do, Jeff." Grandma Tracy asked.
"You play a little old lady trapped in the Round House."
"Why?"
"There's been an earthquake and the only exits have collapsed."
"So all I have to do is stand at the window and scream 'Help'."
"You've got it."
"A starring role, Grandma!" Gordon grinned. "We'll get you out on rescues yet."
"Yeah. I can just see you tearing up to the burning building on the hoverbike, and yelling 'Virgil Tracy! Get away from there! You'll get your uniform dirty!'" Alan laughed at his unsubtle imitation of his Grandmothers voice.
"Come on." Jeff said. "Let's get started. Tin-Tin, you can man Mobile Control and Kyrano and Brains can be other victims."
His mother stared at him, hands on hips. "And just what are you going to do Jeff Tracy?"
"Me? I'm the one who'll feed John and Mobile Control all the information about the rescue as if I'm the fire chief or local rescue co-ordinator. Are you with me John?"
"I can hear you." His second son replied via a hand held radio. "Ready and waiting to dispatch the gallant forces of International Rescue out to save the damsel in distress..."
"All right. We've got the idea. I'm also the Marshall on this exercise. So I'll take notes on everyone's performance." Jeff declared.
"See how he's always willing to take on the hard, dangerous jobs." Gordon said in a stage whisper to Alan. "Fearless, that's what our father is."
Jeff didn't rise to the bait. "So are you if you're going to start teasing your old man. Right! Lets get started..."
***
Scott had worked out a plan of his own. He knew Virgil was planning to use some of the unexpected spare time to get in some piano practise and hoped that he would take the path past Scott's bedroom door.
Scott listened until he heard his brother's familiar humming, then, leaving the door to the room open, he started pulling at the furniture in his room.
He heard Virgil stop humming as he drew close to the door.
"Hey, Virgil! Give me a hand will you?"
"Doing what?" Virgil asked warily from the hallway.
"I've lost my wings. I threw them somewhere ages ago and now I can't find them. It's a shame I've 'outgrown' Brains' specs. I need your eyes."
"You threw them!"
"Yeah, I know. It sounds silly now. It was my first day home and I guess I was a little upset."
Virgil took a step into the room. "So where'd you throw them?"
"Um..." Scott sat on the bed where he'd sat a year ago. "I just threw them. They must be behind one of those chests of drawers. Help me find them please?" He pleaded. "My eyesight's not good enough yet."
"Okay." Virgil took another step into the room. He didn't notice the door slide quietly shut behind him or hear the lock slide home. "So they could be behind this cabinet." He tried peering behind the large piece of furniture. "When was the last time you cleaned back here!"
Scott felt as if he'd engineered a kidnapping. He tried to sound relaxed. "I couldn't see the dirt, so I didn't worry. Can you see them?"
"No. Can we pull it out from the wall?"
They each took a corner and pulled. The cabinet moved a little. Virgil peered behind. "I think I can see them. We need to pull this out further."
"Lets get rid of the drawers, that'll make it lighter."
It was then a relatively easy job to pull the chest of drawers away from the wall. Virgil managed to reach behind and retrieve the wings. "There you go. A little dirty, but otherwise unhurt." He wiped the cobwebs off and then started to pin the badge to Scott's collar. "Back where they belong," he smiled.
He stopped when he realised that he was face to face with his brother. "I'm sorry... I'll leave now!" He turned and found the door shut. He tried to open it. "Scott!"
Scott's own smile at being reacquainted with his wings, fell from his face. "Don't go! Let's talk."
"Don't go!? You've locked the door! Was this some kind of trick?" Virgil asked angrily.
"No! Everything I said was true. I'd lost my wings. I'm truly grateful that you've found them for me," Scott removed the treasured item from his lapel and clutched them tightly to his chest. "But I think we need to sit down and talk."
"I'm busy!"
"Please Virgil! Talk to me!"
"About what!"
"About us! You've been avoiding me!"
Virgil moved over to the window and stood with his back to it. "Okay, talk!"
"Please sit down."
"I'm comfortable here."
"But I'm not. I can't see you properly when you're backlit like that." Scott grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him over to the chair that was well away from the window. "Sit there where I can see you."
Virgil sat down and stared at the floor.
"Look at me." Scott pleaded.
"Do you really want me to?" Virgil asked quietly.
"Yes I do. I want to see you. I've wanted to see you for the past year. I know that's not what I said, but it's the truth."
Virgil was silent.
"I was angry that day in rehabilitation. Nothing was going right. I was helpless. I was out of control. The only thing that I KNEW I could do confidently was to hurt the people around me. I thought of the one thing that I knew would hurt you and I said it! And I'm really, really sorry. "
Virgil looked at his hands.
"Believe me Virgil," Scott begged, "I didn't mean it! If it had have been Father, or John, or Gordon, or Alan, I still would have tried to find something hateful to say to them. Unfortunately I picked on you."
The ominous silence continued.
"You've been a help to me over this last year. You've supported me, and cajoled me, and threatened me, and made me realise that my life wasn't over just because I was blind. If it hadn't been for you I'd probably be sitting in here all day weaving baskets or something."
Virgil didn't comment.
"I've never believed that Ma's accident was your fault. I've never believed that Ma would have blamed you... that was something I dredged up from the sewer of my mind."
Scott was starting to feel a mild form of panic. He was desperate to break through the wall that Virgil had erected between the pair of them. "And I don't think of Ma every time I look at you. You're an individual Virgil, and when I see you I don't see Lucille Tracy, my mother, I see Virgil Tracy... I see my brother... I see my hero..."
The familiar klaxon went off.
"Oh NO!" Scott exclaimed angrily. "Not now! Somebody up there hates me!"
Virgil stood. "We'd better go." He said quietly.
Scott carefully placed his wings on the bedside table and unlocked the door. "Virgil... please... this isn't finished, let's talk some more later. You haven't heard everything that I want to say to you..."
***