Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds in any way, they belong to Gerry Anderson (wonderful man!) and Company.

Fate

By Suzi Roberts

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I'm hoping this chapter will cause a bit of a stir! (tee hee). This won't make any sense now, but you'll understand why I put this note here after you've read the chapter – fibrin is a special kind of foam used in operating theatres to stop you from losing too much blood!

******

Chapter 12 – Twenty-Four Hours – Part B

Virgil sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes blearily. It was already 6.00am; three hours before his surgery. Still, he had to be up to be checked over by the doctor yet again and to have an intravenous line put into his arm, to administer drugs to prevent dehydration.

He also had to have another needle injected into him to take an autotransfusion; blood for transfusion during surgery.

At seven o'clock the first doctor appeared, and after greeting Virgil, inserted the intravenous line into his arm.

"Good morning to you, too." Virgil thought grimly.

********

Jeff stepped onto the hard tarmac of the hospital grounds. He'd had a strange feeling of dread surrounding him all day; he just couldn't understand why.

Everything had been checked. They'd gone over the procedure with him and Virgil about half a dozen times.

He looked at the building in front of him. It was the same building where Alan had been born; and where Lucille had died.

Every time he'd seen the place he'd give a shudder, his mind clouded over with the memories of that day.

Jeff shook the thoughts off agitatedly; this wasn't the same, and nothing like that would happen anyway.

"They'll be fine," he said aloud to calm himself. "Yes, they will."

******

Jeff had visited each of his sons alternately through the next two hours. He'd endured two lots of moaning; both about exactly the same things – how bored the boys were, how sick they were of doctors, and how sick they were of being jabbed with needles.

At a quarter to nine the porters arrived. They took Scott first.

"Good luck, son." Jeff said as he was wheeled past.

"Oh, come on Dad, don't go soft. I'll be fine – you know I will."

"Keep up the fighting spirit." Jeff thought to himself, smiling a little.

Then they came for Virgil.

"Dad."

Virgil reached out and grasped Jeff's hand tightly, like a frightened child.

"Don't worry son." Jeff said, tenderly pushing a curl of brown hair behind his son's ear. "You'll be OK. I'll be here when you come back."

He looked up at Virgil, and if he hadn't known better he would have thought there were tears collecting in the corners of his sons' deep brown eyes.

"You'll be OK." Jeff repeated, a lump suddenly forming out of nowhere in his own throat.

He gave Virgil a wave as they wheeled him out of sight.

******

"OK, Virgil," Dr Jackson smiled. "Now, not to worry. You and your brother are in good hands. Now hang on a minute there whilst the anesthetist administers the sedative."

Virgil felt far too tense to sleep. He didn't think ANY sedative could put him to sleep. He didn't really notice the sting as the needle went into his arm, lost in thought.

"Virgil. Can you count backwards from ten?"

As Virgil counted, he felt his eyes become more and more heavy.

The last thing he remembered was saying a quick prayer in his mind.

"Please God. Don't take me away from my family."

*****

"OK," said Dr Jackson, pulling on his white latex gloves. "Let's get this show on the road."

Taking the scalpel from the assistant doctor, he began his work.

*******

Jeff stared at the floor of the waiting room. It had only been thirty minutes so far, yet it felt like thirty hours.

Jeff was suddenly aware of a nurse standing over him.

"Would you like some, coffee, Mr.Tracy?" she asked.

"Oh...er, no thank you. I'm fine."

The nurse didn't look convinced, but she left Jeff alone to continue his wait.

*****

They began the process of removing the damaged kidney.

Scott's consultant began to operate for the replacement.

Both doctors frowned with concentration.

It had begun.

*****

Jeff sat in exactly the same position as before. It was only when a cramp in his leg made him jump did he get up and begin pacing.

He still had a feeling in the back of his mind that he shouldn't have put the boys through this yet.

He kept pushing the thought to the back of his mind, but it almost immediately wormed it's way back to the front.

He finally convinced himself he was too anxious for his own good, and sat down again.

*****

"Doctor! This one's hemorrhaging!"

"Use the fibrin!"*

"It's no good, doctor! It's barely staunching the flow!"

"Keep it under pressure, and for God's sake, please don't panic."

"Blood flow's slowing down, doctor."

"Good."

It was all Dr Jackson could say at that point. His relief was short-lived as the heart monitor began bleeping and flashing wildly.

"We're losing him!"

"Crash cart!"

They began to work desperately hard on the patient who was slipping through their grasp.

******

Jeff had been standing by the doors of the operating theatre. He'd left the ward, unable to keep still in his seat.

He'd paced back and forth in front of the double-doors. He was still uneasy about everything. The silence of the corridor was almost eerie.

It had been almost an hour now. Dr Jackson had said he would try to complete the procedure as soon as possible, as it was dangerous for Virgil to be under a general anesthetic for too long, because of the risk of stroke.

Jeff leant against the wall, waiting.

*****

"Any response?"

"No pulse, doctor."

"Try it again."

"But Sir..."

"TRY IT AGAIN!"

The assistant didn't argue, but continued to work.

****

Josie Tracy stood on the balcony of her bedroom, overlooking the clear blue water. She couldn't settle to anything today.

Her mind was on her two grandsons who were so far from her at that moment.

As she turned to leave the room, her eyes fell on a piece of paper, it's corner poking out from under the bed.

She tutted, and went over to pick it up. About to toss it in the waste bin, Josie just noticed the single word on the front.

"Grandma."

Curiously, Josie unfolded the page to its full size.

Her eyes slowly scanned the page.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, eyes filled with tears, some of which spilled down her cheeks.

"Oh, Virgil. My poor little boy." She whispered.

It was the first letter.

******

"So who's going to tell his father?"

"It makes no difference. He had a lot of faith in us – I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"It could have been a lot worse, doctor."

"I suppose it could. Tests will decipher the damage done."

******

Jeff shifted his weight from one foot to the other. As he leant on the wall, something in the pocket of his jacket crackled.

Automatically, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

He looked at it.

All it said was "Dad."

Jeff read it through slowly – then again – and again. He raised a hand to his face and was rather astonished to find it wet.

"Mr. Tracy?" a voice said from behind.

Jeff rubbed a hand harshly across his face and turned to face the doctor.

Dr Jackson looked at Jeff with eyes that showed a sadness that had not been there before.

"Mr. Tracy. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

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End Note: I hate me sometimes! I'm so cruel to those poor Tracy's! Chapter 13 is coming.... Drop us a review if you get the time!