Chapter 5
Scott lowered himself gingerly onto the deck chair by the pool. He'd gotten away with only bruises on that last rescue, but they were still painful. Alan had the worst of it, being knocked unconscious. Granny, Father, and Tin Tin were off to the mainland to bring him home after a two day stay in the hospital. Marie had joined them for that female sport known as 'shopping'. That left Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Kyrano on their own for the day.
Virgil and Gordon were already by the pool. Virgil was reading a book and Gordon was snoring gently.
Virgil's slight grin probably didn't have anything to do with the book he was reading, as it seemed to be a jet fighter manual. Scott had never seen Virgil so happy, so rested, so everything. Virgil hadn't even turned a hair at the rescue scene when one of the search and rescue dogs used Thunderbird 2 as a 'relieving post'. He had just laughed. It seemed strange, and almost surreal how one woman had made such a difference in his brother. She was making a difference in all of their lives. Something he hadn't thought about. It made him wonder...
"What's it like?" Scott heard himself say out loud.
"Hmmphff?" Virgil directed his gaze towards his brother. "What?"
"What's it like, being married?"
"It's a sad day when you have to tell your older brother about the facts of life. You see son, men and women are different."
"Oh stuff it." Scott indulged in a small sulk.
"Seriously?" Virgil ventured lowering his book.
"Yeah, seriously." Scott admitted.
"I'm not sure if I can give you a good answer. It's like my whole life has changed, everything is different."
"Color are brighter. Birds sing louder?" Scott said sweetly.
"Huh!" Virgil snorted. "I wish. That's for love songs. It's like learning to ride a bike. You fall over a lot and get discouraged, but there is someone there to pick you up and put you back on. I figure I'll get the hang of it someday. You better ask me in a few years what it is like being married."
Gordon's fingers twitched involuntarily. He hoped his brothers didn't know he was awake.
"I gotta wait that long for a decent answer?" Scott chided his brother with a wry grin.
"You could try it for yourself. I recommend it highly." Virgil grinned evilly.
"Yeah. Right. You got lucky. I can't see myself doing a good job if I was hitched." Scott said and then hastily added as his brother sat up to stare at him." I mean me, you seem to do fine..." His voice trailed off.
The three men were silently tense for a moment. Scott waited for the blow-up and was surprised when Virgil settled back into his deck chair.
"It's harder." Virgil said softly. "I know that I could get hurt or killed and that would also hurt Marie terribly. But it's also easier because I know she's waiting for me. She's gives me her strength. I know she's here for me. That's something I didn't expect."
Gordon squeezed his eyes shut. He had gotten over it, long time ago. So, why did he feel so wretched? He tightened his muscles in resolve.
"I never thought..." Scott shook his head. "Sorry about the crack, bro."
"I tell you though." Virgil said. "If you find someone, don't let them go. No matter what. "
To the older men's surprise Gordon shot off his deck chair like a rocket and took off towards the house.
"Oh boy." Scott breathed. "That sure set him off."
"I wish he'd talk to us." Virgil mourned. "Maybe Johnny can get him to open up. They've always been close."
"John won't be back for a week, yet." Scott winced as he moved injudiciously. "I'd hate to ground Gordon, maybe Marie could talk to him?"
"You trust her?" Virgil looked amazed. Scott had been pretty quiet during their debriefing these days since Marie took them over.
"She trusts me to bring you back home to her. I think I should trust her in return." Scott averred.
"She asked you that?" Virgil said amazed.
"Yeah. And I promised, so don't screw it up." Scott closed his eyes in embarrassment.
"I'm not the one all stoved up with bruises and scrapes." Virgil reminded him. "But thanks."
Gordon sat on his bed with his hands knotted together. He hadn't bothered with the curtains this morning and the only light in the dim room came from the big aquarium that took up the whole wall. His hands looked a ghastly shade of gray green in the uncertain light. The aquarium. That was when things started going really wrong. That was when he lost Em.
Scott lowered himself gingerly onto the deck chair by the pool. He'd gotten away with only bruises on that last rescue, but they were still painful. Alan had the worst of it, being knocked unconscious. Granny, Father, and Tin Tin were off to the mainland to bring him home after a two day stay in the hospital. Marie had joined them for that female sport known as 'shopping'. That left Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Kyrano on their own for the day.
Virgil and Gordon were already by the pool. Virgil was reading a book and Gordon was snoring gently.
Virgil's slight grin probably didn't have anything to do with the book he was reading, as it seemed to be a jet fighter manual. Scott had never seen Virgil so happy, so rested, so everything. Virgil hadn't even turned a hair at the rescue scene when one of the search and rescue dogs used Thunderbird 2 as a 'relieving post'. He had just laughed. It seemed strange, and almost surreal how one woman had made such a difference in his brother. She was making a difference in all of their lives. Something he hadn't thought about. It made him wonder...
"What's it like?" Scott heard himself say out loud.
"Hmmphff?" Virgil directed his gaze towards his brother. "What?"
"What's it like, being married?"
"It's a sad day when you have to tell your older brother about the facts of life. You see son, men and women are different."
"Oh stuff it." Scott indulged in a small sulk.
"Seriously?" Virgil ventured lowering his book.
"Yeah, seriously." Scott admitted.
"I'm not sure if I can give you a good answer. It's like my whole life has changed, everything is different."
"Color are brighter. Birds sing louder?" Scott said sweetly.
"Huh!" Virgil snorted. "I wish. That's for love songs. It's like learning to ride a bike. You fall over a lot and get discouraged, but there is someone there to pick you up and put you back on. I figure I'll get the hang of it someday. You better ask me in a few years what it is like being married."
Gordon's fingers twitched involuntarily. He hoped his brothers didn't know he was awake.
"I gotta wait that long for a decent answer?" Scott chided his brother with a wry grin.
"You could try it for yourself. I recommend it highly." Virgil grinned evilly.
"Yeah. Right. You got lucky. I can't see myself doing a good job if I was hitched." Scott said and then hastily added as his brother sat up to stare at him." I mean me, you seem to do fine..." His voice trailed off.
The three men were silently tense for a moment. Scott waited for the blow-up and was surprised when Virgil settled back into his deck chair.
"It's harder." Virgil said softly. "I know that I could get hurt or killed and that would also hurt Marie terribly. But it's also easier because I know she's waiting for me. She's gives me her strength. I know she's here for me. That's something I didn't expect."
Gordon squeezed his eyes shut. He had gotten over it, long time ago. So, why did he feel so wretched? He tightened his muscles in resolve.
"I never thought..." Scott shook his head. "Sorry about the crack, bro."
"I tell you though." Virgil said. "If you find someone, don't let them go. No matter what. "
To the older men's surprise Gordon shot off his deck chair like a rocket and took off towards the house.
"Oh boy." Scott breathed. "That sure set him off."
"I wish he'd talk to us." Virgil mourned. "Maybe Johnny can get him to open up. They've always been close."
"John won't be back for a week, yet." Scott winced as he moved injudiciously. "I'd hate to ground Gordon, maybe Marie could talk to him?"
"You trust her?" Virgil looked amazed. Scott had been pretty quiet during their debriefing these days since Marie took them over.
"She trusts me to bring you back home to her. I think I should trust her in return." Scott averred.
"She asked you that?" Virgil said amazed.
"Yeah. And I promised, so don't screw it up." Scott closed his eyes in embarrassment.
"I'm not the one all stoved up with bruises and scrapes." Virgil reminded him. "But thanks."
Gordon sat on his bed with his hands knotted together. He hadn't bothered with the curtains this morning and the only light in the dim room came from the big aquarium that took up the whole wall. His hands looked a ghastly shade of gray green in the uncertain light. The aquarium. That was when things started going really wrong. That was when he lost Em.