Just Another Day
Disclaimer: I don't own, never will, oh bother.
AN: Thanks for the reviews, they were great and I'm glad you liked. Sorry about the cliffhanger but I had to.
Okay, Tikatu, I don't know about the USA but here not all cars come with standard airbags. And the seatbelt thing will be explained, as will the minimum injury to the driver as well. And I don't have a beta cause ... well, she ran away actually.
Faith, Olympics 2012 london, and vampiress66613 thanks, I'm glad you like.
KD Almasy, big up the Brits!
And Agent Five, no you're not being cynical…but I'll get to that bit eventually.
Might be a four parter guys.
And so…onto the story…
Part Two
Gordon's POV
We stood there, waiting. It was all we had done for hours. Waited. And now he was making us do it. I can't take much more of this! What's happening!
"Dad?" Virgil returned the grip I hand on him, his hand sliding into mine and we held our breath. Alan was standing beside me and I blindly grabbed at him, pulling him near. I had to hold on; I had to keep myself grounded. They were fine, both of them. They would be fine.
"I spoke with a doctor. They're both still in surgery." Dad sounded so much different. It was kinda like the way John used to speak to me when I had a nightmare. Or the way Scott used to tell me off for playing a prank on Alan. When we were little, and dad still had to work, Scott and John were the ones who held the family together. John was the best cook I knew, next to Onaha. And Scott was an excellent role model. He used to sit with me when I didn't want to do my homework. He'd sit with me and we'd do it together, it made it better, Scott made it better. "Scott's got punctured lungs and his leg was fractured in a few places. He needs reconstructive surgery to fix the damage." Oh God, this will destroy him. He's always been so concerned with his fitness. He's always been a fond runner. How will he take this?
"What about John?" Alan asked softly. I tightened my grip on Virgil and pulled Alan closer still. I was now able to wrap my arm around Alan, and Virgil's whole left side was pressing against my right side. "How's John?" Alan asked again, and I saw it. The look of dread across my father's face, the tears in his eyes.
No. John was fine. John would be fine!
"John went through the windscreen. Head first." His voice was so low I almost didn't hear him. Virgil choked on a sob and I pulled him in front of me, my arm going around his neck and pulling his head to my shoulder. Sure, he was older, but I would let it out later. "His skull was cracked; there was pressure on his brain."
No. No, no, no, no. No!
"But he'll be all right. Won't he?" Alan was so young. He was so young and this shouldn't happen. I pulled him to me as well, engulfing both brothers in a hug that could've choked them if we weren't so preoccupied. Alan finally returned the hug, holding close to me while gripping on Virgil as well. I think we all needed to know we weren't alone. That we wouldn't be going through this alone.
"The doctors are hopeful that there won't be any permanent damage, but they won't know for sure until he wakes up." I noticed the when straight away. It wasn't a case of if, it was when. Dad was firm with that at least. "Boys, we need to be prepared for the worst." Virgil pulled away from me when dad said that.
"Why? Nothing's going to be wrong. Scott will get better, he'll pull through. And John, John won't let this stop him anymore than the Hood did." It was true. John had suffered flashbacks and nightmares for weeks after the missile attack on Thunderbird 5. Dad almost didn't let him go back, almost started training him for Thunderbird 3 and me for Thunderbird 5. But John wouldn't have it. He refused to let someone like the Hood ruin his life, and Thunderbird 5 was his life. He'd nearly built an entirely new home up there.
"Virgil, this is a little more serious than flashbacks and nightmares. This is more serious than either of them have ever encountered. This will be hard." Dad was trying to stay calm and be strong at the same time. Dad hated being weak in front of us. He never admitted it, and probably never would. But I could see, and so could Penny. Her delicately manicured hand on his shoulder showed it.
"It's not fair!" Virgil said, sobs choking his voice, he was falling apart and I couldn't help him. He's probably berating himself, he's my big brother. He's Alan and I's big brother. But he's just that little bit more sensitive. And he's closer to Scott than I am. "Why them? Why! You saw Mark, he was fine!"
"He suffered some cracked ribs actually." Dad said, rubbing a hand over his face. They were going to start yelling. I could tell. They did this sometimes when I pulled a particularly daring prank on Dad, it was before Dad and I came to the agreement. Virgil always stood up for me, even when he shouldn't have. "I know it's not fair, Virgil, but sometimes life isn't fair."
"I don't care about life, I care about my brothers! They're going to be fine!" Virgil tore away from my grip and stalked off down the corridor, heading for the exit. Alan was about to follow, peering after Virgil with the deer-in-the-headlights look he get sometimes.
"Come on Alan, lets go get some air." I nodded my head in the direction Virgil had gone. Knowing that we would probably be needed more by him. Penny and Parker could take care of Dad, and they'd come get us if there was some change. Alan just nodded his head, eyes looking hollow.
I could tell that I was gonna be the same soon. We all were.
-
Jeff's POV
It was too much. I couldn't hold it together. I can't hold it together.
Gordon's being calmer about this than I am. Gordon, who usually can't help but be emotional, is holding his brother's together and keeping Alan safe. I can't help but be proud and amazed. At the same time though, he shouldn't have to do this. I should be doing it. I should be keeping my boys safe. I should've been keeping Scott and John safe.
"Jeff, here. Sit down." Penny ushered me towards a bench and I practically collapsed in it. I was emotionally drained. I could feel it. There was nothing left to feel but regret, guilt and dread.
My boys, my two oldest, were on operating tables while I knew nothing or next to nothing. The doctor Penny had cornered said Scott had needed a blood transfusion, that John had flat lined twice. How? How could this happen? I was never prepared for something like this.
But Virgil had a good point. How could Scott and John suffer so much while the driver walked away, virtually unharmed. That question was plaguing my mind constantly. Why my boys? Why them?
They had done so much, so much for other people, so much for the better of the world. So much good. How could this be deserved?
"Don't worry, Jeff. They'll pull through." Penny whispered, I could feel her hand running through my hair, and as soothing as it was I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge the touch. As much as I needed it my attention couldn't be drawn away.
"Will they? What if they don't?" I asked, almost to myself. I didn't expect her to answer, and she knew that. "What if John's comatose? What if Scott dies? What if I lose them Penny?" I heard my voice crack and felt myself crumbling. This isn't right; this isn't how it's meant to be.
The tears fell freely and I let them. Penny pulled me into her embrace and I clung to her the same way I had clung to John when Lucille died. Crying against her chest like I had with John.
You're not supposed to bury your children. I don't want to have to.
-
Virgil's POV
The air was good. Refreshing, but cold. The tear stains on my cheeks dried in the wind and cold, my face hardening slightly in the bitter weather.
So much different from home.
I sat down on the curb, dropping my face into my hands again. The stress was starting to eat away at me. The hollowness inside was starting to fill with grief. Two people sat beside me, Alan and Gordon. My little brothers. What a crap big brother I was being.
Alan tried to shield himself against the cold and I pulled an arm around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, looking from blue eyes to olive eyes. "I'm so sorry." Gordon just smiled weakly, while Alan rested his head against my shoulder, snuggling slightly.
"I wanna go home." He said, I frowned. Gordon shook his head.
"Once we've got John and Scott." He told him, getting a small nod from Alan.
"They'll be better at home. It's better there than here." There was a drawn out pause while Alan yawned loudly. "Everything'll be better at home."
Maybe he's right. Maybe John and Scott would be better off at home. It's a better environment for a recovery anyway. They would prefer it. Brains and Kyrano and Fermat and TinTin and Onaha would prefer it too!
"You okay?" Gordon asked quietly, trying not to wake up Alan, who was dozing on my shoulder now. "You got pretty…tense back there." That was an understatement. I yelled at my dad!
"Yeah," I grumbled, "I'm okay. I'm sorry I was a pain. It's just hard, y'know?" Of course he knows, they're his brothers too. It was just as hard on him as it was for me. But he was taking it so much better, God I'm such an idiot. "I'm sorry I laid it all on you." Gordon just shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. You'll be my shoulder later." And that was it for a few minutes. We just sat there in silence, enjoying each others company. That's what I like about sitting with Gordon, when he takes the time to just sit still and think for a while, we can do it and not feel uncomfortable. With Scott I usually get awkward and think that one of us should say something. And I don't really get the time to sit and think with John around. Usually it's talking and thinking at the same time.
"Masters Tracy." Gordon looked over his shoulder, while I tried not to jostle Alan too much.
"'Sup Parker?" Gordon asked, sighing a little.
"There is some news on your brothers. Your father asked me to get you." Gordon was up in a flash and in the doors, before stopping, turning and coming back to help me with Alan.
"Sorry." He mumbled, blushing slightly. "C'mon Al, we gotta go see Scott and John." Alan walked with us into the hospital, muttering sleepily.
For some reason my stomach started to fill with lead. Standing beside Dad and Penny was a doctor. That wasn't strange though. The three policemen were though.
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AN: Okay, thanks for the reviews. Once more I'd really like feedback on this, it'd help me figure out where I was going wrong.
Thanks for reading though.
