Ninety Seven - BF
Late that evening Scott went back to his bedroom. It had been a big day and he was exhausted, although still somewhat keyed up after his flight in Thunderbird One. His eyes were tired and just the thought of resting them made his eyelids droop.
He'd closed the door behind him and made his way over to the bed when it'd dawned on him that he hadn't bothered turning on the light. He hadn't needed to. He grinned to himself as he reached over and flicked the switch beside his bed.
The sudden glare hurt his eyes and he shut them momentarily before cautiously opening them again.
Propped up against his pillow, the size of a large book, was a flat, rectangular parcel, wrapped in brown paper.
Mystified, he gingerly picked it up and turned it over.
There were no descriptive markings on the wrapping.
He turned it over again and looked at it speculatively. Then he began to unwrap the parcel.
The brown paper fell away to reveal a layer of tissue paper. He ripped this away, revealing yet a second layer of tissue. Soon this too was discarded on the floor.
The back of a framed picture was presented to him.
Hesitantly he turned it over.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was a portrait.
A portrait of his family.
He didn't need to look at the signature to identify the artist. The style and brushwork were clearly Virgil's.
Scott's eyes flicked over each face in the painting, marvelling at the detail. A photograph couldn't have been more accurate.
His Father's face was in the centre of the picture. In front of this image were seated Virgil, Gordon and Alan. Scott was to his left and John to his right. They were all dressed in International Rescue blue, but their distinctive sashes were missing.
Behind them, her arms embracing them as if she were protecting them all, was his mother - Lucille Tracy. The golden glow from her aura reflected on her family.
She was as beautiful as he remembered her.
They all looked so happy together, a complete family embracing one another.
There was a silver nameplate on the bottom part of the frame. Scott opened the drawer of his bedside cabinet and took out a magnifying glass. Holding it over the plate, he read the engraved lettering of this incredible painting.
'Forgiven'
There was a gentle knock at the door.
He managed to find his voice. "Come in."
The door remained shut.
He got off his bed an opened the door.
It slid back to reveal Virgil. He smiled shyly. "I see you found it."
"It's incredible."
"Well, initially, I thought a painting was more appropriate to mark you regaining your sight, than composing a tune would be. I had it ready to give to you after your operation, but then you weren't too well, and after that your sight wasn't that great, and then by the time you could see things up close, other things happened and it never seemed to be the right time..." His words were cut off by a by a bear hug from Scott. "Hey! You're choking me!"
Scott released his grip. "Virgil... Thank you."
"So, you like it?"
Scott couldn't take his eyes off the painting. "I love it. This means... so much. In more ways than one. Do you mean it?"
Virgil nodded and then spoke in his soft voice those words Scott had longed to hear for nearly a year. "I forgive you for what you said to me. I know you didn't mean it. The title came much later, after I'd finished the painting."
"Thank you." Scott repeated again.
There was a sound in the hall. "I thought you boys had gone to bed." Jeff stated.
Scott reversed the picture so his father could see it. "Have you seen what Virgil painted for me?"
"No." Jeff took the portrait. They noticed that his hands lost their steadiness as he took in the detail. "Virgil..." he looked up. "This is amazing. It's quite possibly the best thing you've ever painted."
Virgil reddened modestly.
"There's no possibly about it, it's definitely your finest work. Mind you I haven't seen most of what you've painted over the past year." Scott's already wide smile, widened some more. "I'm flattered that you think I'm worthy of receiving it." He took it back off his father and looked at it in awe. "It's us to a T. It's incredible."
Virgil went even redder.
"You know," Scott said thoughtfully, "as much as I'd like to keep this in here, all to myself, I think it's something the whole family should be able to share. Would you both mind if I found somewhere in the lounge to hang it?"
"Good idea Scott." Jeff agreed. "Are you okay with this Virgil?"
Virgil shrugged non-committedly. "Sure. I don't mind."
"Do you want to help me find somewhere to hang it?" Scott asked him.
Virgil hesitated. "No. I'm sure you'll find somewhere suitable."
Jeff yawned. "Well I'm off to bed. I'll see you boys in the morning. Good night."
"'Night!" Scott was still gazing at his painting.
Jeff looked at Virgil. Good one. he signed.
Virgil smiled. Thanks. 'Night.
Jeff retreated to his room.
"It's been a big day." Virgil commented.
"Hmmn?" Scott looked up. 'Uh. Yes it has. Look, I know where Grandma's hidden the chocolate cake. What say we go and have a midnight snack to celebrate?"
"It's only 11 pm."
"Okay, an 11 pm snack."
Virgil grinned. "Okay. I know where she'd hidden the cake too."
***
Late that evening Scott went back to his bedroom. It had been a big day and he was exhausted, although still somewhat keyed up after his flight in Thunderbird One. His eyes were tired and just the thought of resting them made his eyelids droop.
He'd closed the door behind him and made his way over to the bed when it'd dawned on him that he hadn't bothered turning on the light. He hadn't needed to. He grinned to himself as he reached over and flicked the switch beside his bed.
The sudden glare hurt his eyes and he shut them momentarily before cautiously opening them again.
Propped up against his pillow, the size of a large book, was a flat, rectangular parcel, wrapped in brown paper.
Mystified, he gingerly picked it up and turned it over.
There were no descriptive markings on the wrapping.
He turned it over again and looked at it speculatively. Then he began to unwrap the parcel.
The brown paper fell away to reveal a layer of tissue paper. He ripped this away, revealing yet a second layer of tissue. Soon this too was discarded on the floor.
The back of a framed picture was presented to him.
Hesitantly he turned it over.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was a portrait.
A portrait of his family.
He didn't need to look at the signature to identify the artist. The style and brushwork were clearly Virgil's.
Scott's eyes flicked over each face in the painting, marvelling at the detail. A photograph couldn't have been more accurate.
His Father's face was in the centre of the picture. In front of this image were seated Virgil, Gordon and Alan. Scott was to his left and John to his right. They were all dressed in International Rescue blue, but their distinctive sashes were missing.
Behind them, her arms embracing them as if she were protecting them all, was his mother - Lucille Tracy. The golden glow from her aura reflected on her family.
She was as beautiful as he remembered her.
They all looked so happy together, a complete family embracing one another.
There was a silver nameplate on the bottom part of the frame. Scott opened the drawer of his bedside cabinet and took out a magnifying glass. Holding it over the plate, he read the engraved lettering of this incredible painting.
'Forgiven'
There was a gentle knock at the door.
He managed to find his voice. "Come in."
The door remained shut.
He got off his bed an opened the door.
It slid back to reveal Virgil. He smiled shyly. "I see you found it."
"It's incredible."
"Well, initially, I thought a painting was more appropriate to mark you regaining your sight, than composing a tune would be. I had it ready to give to you after your operation, but then you weren't too well, and after that your sight wasn't that great, and then by the time you could see things up close, other things happened and it never seemed to be the right time..." His words were cut off by a by a bear hug from Scott. "Hey! You're choking me!"
Scott released his grip. "Virgil... Thank you."
"So, you like it?"
Scott couldn't take his eyes off the painting. "I love it. This means... so much. In more ways than one. Do you mean it?"
Virgil nodded and then spoke in his soft voice those words Scott had longed to hear for nearly a year. "I forgive you for what you said to me. I know you didn't mean it. The title came much later, after I'd finished the painting."
"Thank you." Scott repeated again.
There was a sound in the hall. "I thought you boys had gone to bed." Jeff stated.
Scott reversed the picture so his father could see it. "Have you seen what Virgil painted for me?"
"No." Jeff took the portrait. They noticed that his hands lost their steadiness as he took in the detail. "Virgil..." he looked up. "This is amazing. It's quite possibly the best thing you've ever painted."
Virgil reddened modestly.
"There's no possibly about it, it's definitely your finest work. Mind you I haven't seen most of what you've painted over the past year." Scott's already wide smile, widened some more. "I'm flattered that you think I'm worthy of receiving it." He took it back off his father and looked at it in awe. "It's us to a T. It's incredible."
Virgil went even redder.
"You know," Scott said thoughtfully, "as much as I'd like to keep this in here, all to myself, I think it's something the whole family should be able to share. Would you both mind if I found somewhere in the lounge to hang it?"
"Good idea Scott." Jeff agreed. "Are you okay with this Virgil?"
Virgil shrugged non-committedly. "Sure. I don't mind."
"Do you want to help me find somewhere to hang it?" Scott asked him.
Virgil hesitated. "No. I'm sure you'll find somewhere suitable."
Jeff yawned. "Well I'm off to bed. I'll see you boys in the morning. Good night."
"'Night!" Scott was still gazing at his painting.
Jeff looked at Virgil. Good one. he signed.
Virgil smiled. Thanks. 'Night.
Jeff retreated to his room.
"It's been a big day." Virgil commented.
"Hmmn?" Scott looked up. 'Uh. Yes it has. Look, I know where Grandma's hidden the chocolate cake. What say we go and have a midnight snack to celebrate?"
"It's only 11 pm."
"Okay, an 11 pm snack."
Virgil grinned. "Okay. I know where she'd hidden the cake too."
***