Disclaimer: Thunderbirds is not mine, and I make no money from my fics.
They are for the pure enjoyment of other fans on the Net.
Author's Note: Reviews, reviews, beautiful reviews! I love writing my Thunderbirds Fanfic and I'm glad others enjoy it too.
Now here's chapter 15. The first chapter so far where I actually cried whilst reading over it. Here we go.
Fate
By Suzi Roberts
Chapter 15 – Saying Goodbye...?
Virgil sat by the bed of his brother, watching for any signs of movement.
It had been THREE weeks now.
THREE WEEKS, and Scott hadn't regained consciousness.
Virgil was getting better every day.
Scott's health didn't change.
He didn't get better and he didn't get worse.
Virgil would be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.
How long would Scott have to stay in there?
*****
Josie Tracy sat on the hard plastic chair near the entrance to the hospital.
She'd been sitting with Scott and Virgil for most of that morning, but just for the last half-hour she'd come to stretch her legs and wait for Jeff to return.
After much persuasion, he'd finally gone home to have a shower and change his clothes, assured that his mother would be at the hospital to let him know if anything happened to Scott.
Now Josie sat there, waiting for his return.
As she sat she thought about her two eldest grandsons.
First she thought about Scott, the one who'd bravely risked his life so many times in the past and now for his brother – and this is how he was being paid for it.
By being connected to what seemed like hundreds of tubes to feed him and give medication.
By being stuck in a bed, unaware of anything that was going on.
If Scott knew the pain it was causing the family he'd have been devastated.
Then Josie thought about Virgil.
The guilt he must be feeling was indescribable.
She knew he'd been blaming himself from the start, as Jeff had told her during that dreadful phone call.
Since he'd been able to get out of bed more, Virgil had spent as much time as he could with his brother, unable to leave his side.
Virgil had been worried something like this might happen for a long time before the operation.
He'd been reassured that everything would be fine.
But he'd been right all along.
Josie was distracted from her thoughts as her son walked through the doors of the building.
******
No-one said a word. They stood by Scott's bed in complete silence, all watching, as they had been for the last two weeks, for a sign of movement.
The life support machine bleeped.
Scott didn't move.
They continued their vigil until the door opened and a young male consultant walked in.
He looked at them with eyes full of sadness. The doctor knew that he shouldn't feel any emotion towards patients, but he'd watched this family each day as they'd sat at their loved ones' side.
"I wonder," he began, very quietly, "If you'd like to come with me to my office. I have a matter I'd like to discuss with all of you."
******
Jeff and his mother sat on the two chairs in front of the doctor's desk. Virgil stood by the arm of his father's seat.
The consultant swallowed and looked down at his file.
"Mr Tracy," he said, addressing Jeff, "I'd think it would be wise if you called the rest of your family to the hospital to be with your son."
He paused a moment.
"If Scott was to regain consciousness, I'm afraid the chances of brain damage are extremely high."
"What are the chances?" Jeff said, as clearly as he could manage.
"There's an eighty-five percent chance, Mr Tracy."
He didn't need to say more.
Jeff held his head in his hands.
"You will, of course, need time to discuss this with your family first, I understand," the doctor said slowly.
Jeff nodded and followed Josie and Virgil blindly to the door.
As they walked back into Scott's room, Josie turned to Virgil.
"Sweetheart. Will you go and ring your brothers for Grandma?" she said, as though she was talking to a six-year old once again.
Virgil nodded, glanced worriedly over at his father, and left.
"Mom."
Josie walked over to where her only son sat by her grandson's bedside, and lay a hand on his shaking shoulder.
"Mom. Scott can't leave us. The boys need him. I need him!"
Then he burst into tears and took Scott's hand, sobbing.
Josie sat on the chair next to him and held him in her arms, on the verge of tears herself.
"I know sweetheart. I need him too."
******
The little room was cramped and hot, but nobody cared.
They were all here now.
Here to be with Scott.
Their faces were tear-stained and red as they stood watching their loved one.
Even John had left the space satellite to be there.
International Rescue didn't matter that day.
They had each come into Scott's room with a mask of bravery on their faces, only to find their father sobbing in their grandmother's arms.
A sight like that could break a heart of stone.
They stood around the bed, just watching.
"Please, son. Please, just wake up." Jeff kept whispering.
It would be a miracle if Scott could bounce back and prove the doctors wrong.
Jeff was praying and praying for that miracle.
Scott lay as still as before, looking as though he was asleep.
Everyone tried to kid themselves that's what he was.
Asleep.
Or THEY were asleep, and this was all a nightmare.
Virgil sat the opposite side of Scott, holding his other hand.
This is all my fault, Scott, he thought to himself, tears blinding him. I hope you can forgive me.
The consultant walked into the crowded room carrying a clipboard and pen.
Jeff looked at the two items like they were shotguns.
The doctor could not bring himself to say a word to the poor man as he handed over the clipboard.
Jeff read the sheet of paper and tears filled his eyes once again.
There was no need to explain what the paper said.
The others nodded.
Scott wouldn't want to live like this.
Jeff signed his name at the end of the page and the words swam in front of him.
The doctor walked over to the life-support machine and placed a finger on the "OFF" switch.
"Dad!" Virgil's cry suddenly halted the doctor in his tracks.
Jeff looked up at Virgil through his tears, registering the look of shock on the younger man's face.
"Dad!" Virgil repeated shakily. "Look! He – he's holding my hand!"
Unable to quite believe it, Jeff stood up and look over Virgil's side of the bed.
He stared as he saw that Virgil spoke the truth; Scott's long fingers were curled tightly around his younger brother's hand, squeezing until the tips of his fingers turned white.
___________________________________________________________________
End Note: (*sobbing*) Did you honestly think I'd kill Scott? I was actually going to end this chapter as the doctor had his finger on the OFF switch of the life-support machine, but even I thought that was too cruel a cliff- hanger!
Chapter 16 coming on Sunday!
Author's Note: Reviews, reviews, beautiful reviews! I love writing my Thunderbirds Fanfic and I'm glad others enjoy it too.
Now here's chapter 15. The first chapter so far where I actually cried whilst reading over it. Here we go.
Fate
By Suzi Roberts
Chapter 15 – Saying Goodbye...?
Virgil sat by the bed of his brother, watching for any signs of movement.
It had been THREE weeks now.
THREE WEEKS, and Scott hadn't regained consciousness.
Virgil was getting better every day.
Scott's health didn't change.
He didn't get better and he didn't get worse.
Virgil would be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days.
How long would Scott have to stay in there?
*****
Josie Tracy sat on the hard plastic chair near the entrance to the hospital.
She'd been sitting with Scott and Virgil for most of that morning, but just for the last half-hour she'd come to stretch her legs and wait for Jeff to return.
After much persuasion, he'd finally gone home to have a shower and change his clothes, assured that his mother would be at the hospital to let him know if anything happened to Scott.
Now Josie sat there, waiting for his return.
As she sat she thought about her two eldest grandsons.
First she thought about Scott, the one who'd bravely risked his life so many times in the past and now for his brother – and this is how he was being paid for it.
By being connected to what seemed like hundreds of tubes to feed him and give medication.
By being stuck in a bed, unaware of anything that was going on.
If Scott knew the pain it was causing the family he'd have been devastated.
Then Josie thought about Virgil.
The guilt he must be feeling was indescribable.
She knew he'd been blaming himself from the start, as Jeff had told her during that dreadful phone call.
Since he'd been able to get out of bed more, Virgil had spent as much time as he could with his brother, unable to leave his side.
Virgil had been worried something like this might happen for a long time before the operation.
He'd been reassured that everything would be fine.
But he'd been right all along.
Josie was distracted from her thoughts as her son walked through the doors of the building.
******
No-one said a word. They stood by Scott's bed in complete silence, all watching, as they had been for the last two weeks, for a sign of movement.
The life support machine bleeped.
Scott didn't move.
They continued their vigil until the door opened and a young male consultant walked in.
He looked at them with eyes full of sadness. The doctor knew that he shouldn't feel any emotion towards patients, but he'd watched this family each day as they'd sat at their loved ones' side.
"I wonder," he began, very quietly, "If you'd like to come with me to my office. I have a matter I'd like to discuss with all of you."
******
Jeff and his mother sat on the two chairs in front of the doctor's desk. Virgil stood by the arm of his father's seat.
The consultant swallowed and looked down at his file.
"Mr Tracy," he said, addressing Jeff, "I'd think it would be wise if you called the rest of your family to the hospital to be with your son."
He paused a moment.
"If Scott was to regain consciousness, I'm afraid the chances of brain damage are extremely high."
"What are the chances?" Jeff said, as clearly as he could manage.
"There's an eighty-five percent chance, Mr Tracy."
He didn't need to say more.
Jeff held his head in his hands.
"You will, of course, need time to discuss this with your family first, I understand," the doctor said slowly.
Jeff nodded and followed Josie and Virgil blindly to the door.
As they walked back into Scott's room, Josie turned to Virgil.
"Sweetheart. Will you go and ring your brothers for Grandma?" she said, as though she was talking to a six-year old once again.
Virgil nodded, glanced worriedly over at his father, and left.
"Mom."
Josie walked over to where her only son sat by her grandson's bedside, and lay a hand on his shaking shoulder.
"Mom. Scott can't leave us. The boys need him. I need him!"
Then he burst into tears and took Scott's hand, sobbing.
Josie sat on the chair next to him and held him in her arms, on the verge of tears herself.
"I know sweetheart. I need him too."
******
The little room was cramped and hot, but nobody cared.
They were all here now.
Here to be with Scott.
Their faces were tear-stained and red as they stood watching their loved one.
Even John had left the space satellite to be there.
International Rescue didn't matter that day.
They had each come into Scott's room with a mask of bravery on their faces, only to find their father sobbing in their grandmother's arms.
A sight like that could break a heart of stone.
They stood around the bed, just watching.
"Please, son. Please, just wake up." Jeff kept whispering.
It would be a miracle if Scott could bounce back and prove the doctors wrong.
Jeff was praying and praying for that miracle.
Scott lay as still as before, looking as though he was asleep.
Everyone tried to kid themselves that's what he was.
Asleep.
Or THEY were asleep, and this was all a nightmare.
Virgil sat the opposite side of Scott, holding his other hand.
This is all my fault, Scott, he thought to himself, tears blinding him. I hope you can forgive me.
The consultant walked into the crowded room carrying a clipboard and pen.
Jeff looked at the two items like they were shotguns.
The doctor could not bring himself to say a word to the poor man as he handed over the clipboard.
Jeff read the sheet of paper and tears filled his eyes once again.
There was no need to explain what the paper said.
The others nodded.
Scott wouldn't want to live like this.
Jeff signed his name at the end of the page and the words swam in front of him.
The doctor walked over to the life-support machine and placed a finger on the "OFF" switch.
"Dad!" Virgil's cry suddenly halted the doctor in his tracks.
Jeff looked up at Virgil through his tears, registering the look of shock on the younger man's face.
"Dad!" Virgil repeated shakily. "Look! He – he's holding my hand!"
Unable to quite believe it, Jeff stood up and look over Virgil's side of the bed.
He stared as he saw that Virgil spoke the truth; Scott's long fingers were curled tightly around his younger brother's hand, squeezing until the tips of his fingers turned white.
___________________________________________________________________
End Note: (*sobbing*) Did you honestly think I'd kill Scott? I was actually going to end this chapter as the doctor had his finger on the OFF switch of the life-support machine, but even I thought that was too cruel a cliff- hanger!
Chapter 16 coming on Sunday!
