Disclaimer: I don't own the TBs or the Tracy family with the exception of Sam.
A/N: Thanks to all those who have reviewed. Please do not copy, print, or hyperlink this fiction without my express written or verbal consent. I may be reached at my email of record. Any and all original characters are mine and may not be used without my written consent.
Chapter 26
They watched their dad climb back into the cab and drive off. Scott had told him that he, Virgil and Gordon could get their bags up to their rooms. John's right wrist was still in a cast and his right ankle was in a walking cast. He was still somewhat slow getting around because of those injuries and the two broken ribs that he had suffered as a result of their dad's plane crashing the day they'd left school to go back to the island.
"John, are you ready?" asked Sam as she took a few slow and awkward steps towards the dorm. The crutches that she had to use helped her maintain her balance but she still moved slowly due to the heavy and bulky cast that covered her entire right leg.
"Coming, Sam," he answered as he picked up his and Sam's carryon bags. Scott had already taken their book bags to their rooms. They had gotten up to the door of the dorm when John heard his name. He looked around and saw Catie running up to them. Sam continued through the open doors and into the dorm. John waited for his girlfriend.
"What happened?" she asked as glanced at the casts and the way he kept his right arm tight against his ribs.
"The day we flew home we crashed in Kansas," he answered. "The wings iced over and we had to initiate emergency landing procedures and we crashed into a snow bank. We spent four days in the hospital and then went home."
"Is Sam upset with me?" Catie asked. Her best friend didn't even say hi.
"Nah, she's just tired and that cast is heavy and awkward for her to move around in," he answered. They walked into the dorm together and found Sam leaning against one of the chairs. Virgil and Alan were next to her.
"Hi, Catie," she called. "Let's get upstairs before my body says enough with the crutches." They all got onto the elevator and went up to the third floor. Scott was waiting with Gordon when they got off the elevator.
"What took you so long?" asked Scott as he looked at his siblings. Sam smirked at him as she approached him slowly.
"Gee, Scott, what could possibly slow us down?" she asked sarcastically. The short walk to the dorm and up to their floor had tired her a bit. She hated the big cast and the crutches but knew that due to the two breaks she would have to wear it for sometime. Then she realized something as she made her way to her bed.
"Crap!" she exclaimed as she sat down awkwardly on the edge of her bed. Scott looked over at her and was surprised to see the tears of frustration pooling in her eyes. He knew that her leg gave her problems and she had nightmares, as they all did, of the plane crash.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he sat next to her. She looked up at her big brother and shook her head. She turned her head and looked over at her bookshelf that was lined with her cross-country trophies and ribbons. He followed her gaze and figured out what was wrong.
"Sam, you can rejoin the team next year," he said gently. Again, she shook her head.
"This is your last year on the team, Scott. I won't be able to run with you again as your teammate," she sighed. "Cross-country was the one thing that you and I shared. It gave us time to be together doing something that we enjoyed. Next year, I'll be on the team alone for the first time since you encouraged me to try out in junior high school." Unable to stop them, her tears coursed their way down her face. She tried to wipe them away only to have them replaced by new ones.
"Its okay, Sis," he replied quietly. He wrapped his arm around her and smiled when she snuggled up next to him. Within minutes he felt her relax and knew that she'd fallen asleep. He was worried about her and John. Both had broken bones to contend with but they had also withdrawn from the family. It was as if they felt guilty about something. He was still sitting there pondering his thoughts when he heard a sharp intake of breath at the door. Quickly shifting his gaze, he saw Alex standing there.
"Hi, Alex, come on in."
Alex walked towards Sam and Scott. His eyes were wide with disbelief.
"What happened to Samantha?" he asked as he stared at the bulkiness of the cast beneath her sweatpants and the crutches leaning next to her. The only pants that she could wear while she had the cast on were sweatpants. Her dad had bought her eight new sweat suits that she could wear until it was removed. The Headmaster knew that she would not be able to wear the required school uniforms.
"We were in a plane crash the day we left school," answered Virgil as he walked into Sam's room. He went over to her bed and helped Scott lay her down. She grimaced when her broken leg was shifted. Her brothers waited to see if she was going to wake up. They knew that she and John still relied on pain medications and Scott was responsible for making sure that they only took a half dose. Scott looked at his watch and figured that the medicine that she'd taken in the cab on the way from the airport had kicked in.
"She'll be asleep for a little while," he informed the small group in the room. He looked around and was surprised that John wasn't with Sam. He looked in Virgil's direction.
"He and Catie are in his room," he replied to the unspoken question.
Meanwhile in John's room:
"How come you didn't call me and let me know that you had been hurt?"
"Catie, the first two days I couldn't think about anything. I was really out of it due to a big screw up from the medical staff and worried about Sam. The doctors had given us full doses of pain medicines and neither of us tolerated them well. Dad made them discharge us on the fourth day after the nurse in charge of Sam made her mad which resulted in Grandma helping her to the bathroom only to have Sam get dizzy and pass out. Grandma checked on her and found her lying on the floor with her crutches next to her. We spent the rest of our vacation in the infirmary because Sam can't manage stairs and our rooms are on the second floor. I'm sorry for not calling you." He lowered his head and looked at the floor. Catie took his hand in hers and he looked at her.
"Just don't do it again," she teased. John wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her to him.
"I won't," he said as he gently kissed her on the lips. Before long he wanted to do more and Catie would have been willing. A sudden knock on the door got their attention. Without waiting for an invitation to enter, Scott walked in and smirked at his brother's flushed face.
"Not interrupting anything was I?" he asked as he saw Catie straighten her blouse. John glared at him and was just about to tell him to get out.
"Yes, you were. Now can you please get out?"
Scott looked at his brother and smirked again. "Looks like I interrupted at just the right time." He thought to himself. "He is really worked up and I doubt Dad's 'talk' has been remembered." Scott pulled out his wallet and pulled a small package out and tossed it to John. Without another word he left the room and closed the door behind him.
John looked down at what his brother had tossed him and turned even redder. Catie looked at him questioningly. He held it up and she began to giggle.
"I guess it was obvious," she said as she looked at him.
"Well, he effectively killed the mood for me," John admitted as he carefully stood up. "It is kind of hard to want to do something when your big brother is in the next room quite aware of what you're doing." He shrugged his shoulders apologetically.
"That's alright, John, it just wasn't our time yet," said Catie. "Maybe his interruption was a good thing." She stood up and kissed him goodbye.
"I'll see you later," she said. "I'm going to say bye to Sam and go unpack my stuff." She walked out of his room and gently closed the door. John sat back on his bed and groaned in frustration.
"If only I had locked the door," he thought to himself. "I'm going to kill Scott. None of us have interrupted him and Brook when they are in his room." He stood back up and went to check on Sam. He was surprised to find her door closed but unlocked. He peeked in her room and saw that she was asleep on her bed. He remembered that she had taken a pain killer for her leg. Not only did she have to deal with the broken bones but she also had stitches where the bone had broken through the skin and the doctors had to cut more to get in and repair the damage. She had already been complaining of the itching from around the stitches.
He looked up at her when he heard her mumbling in her sleep.
"It's my fault that we crashed…If I had heard the weather alert earlier," she mumbled. "Virgil, has anyone checked on Dad and John? Move Scott, I want to see John. I have to make sure that he's alright." John limped over to her bedside and tried to shake her awake. Just as he leaned over her, she flailed out her right arm as if she were pushing someone away from her. Unfortunately, her arm connected with John's broken ribs and he gasped in shock and pain. Gordon had just come into check on Sam when he saw what happened.
"John, are you alright?" he asked as he hurried to his side. John shook his head no and stumbled to Sam's desk chair and sat down. "Do you need me to get Scott for your pain medicine?"
"Please," he groaned as he held his good wrist against his ribs. Gordon ran out of Sam's room and down to Scott's.
"Scott, John needs his pain medicines. He's in Sam's room," called Gordon through Scott's closed door. He could hear a mumbled curse word and then Scott opened the door.
"Why does he need it now?" he asked.
"Only cus Sam hit him in the ribs," Gordon shot back. "I mean, she hit him in her sleep. She's having a bad dream and he tried to wake her up and her right arm caught him in the ribs." Scott grabbed John's pain medicine bottle and headed for Sam's room. When he got to Sam's room he was shocked to see John trying to wake Sam up. She in turn was fighting him in her sleep.
"Sam, wake up!" he called. He kept trying to shake her arm but every time he got near her she'd hit him.
"'S my fault…shouldn't have switched…gotta see John…move Scott…is he alive…" She suddenly jerked her broken leg and grimaced as her nightmare continued.
"SAMMIE, you need to wake up," said Scott as he joined John at Sam's bedside. Sam's eyes suddenly opened and she looked at her brothers though they could tell that she was still locked in her nightmare.
"I don't want any pain meds. I'm sensitive to them and can't handle the full dose. John is the same way. Don't give him a full dose please," she continued in her dream. Scott and John looked at each other. The doctors had said that they weren't aware of the twins' sensitivity to medications but Virgil had told them and evidently so had Samantha.
"Dad's going to be angry," Scott said. They tried to wake Sam up again. Virgil and Alan had joined them by this time.
"Virg…why did…they give me a full dose? I told them…we're sensitive…"
"Sammie, you're at school and need to wake up," said Virgil as he brushed her hair out of her face. Her eyes suddenly lost that glazed over look and she gasped at the sight of all of her brothers around her.
"Why are all of you here?" she asked embarrassed. She remembered every bit of her nightmare and was afraid of what they heard. She looked at John and noticed how pale he was and that he was holding his left arm tight against his ribcage.
"Johnny, I hit you didn't I?" she asked. She struggled to sit up and silently cursed the heavy cast. John didn't answer her question and she noticed the lull in conversation. She looked up at them again and saw John's medicine bottle in Scott's hand.
"I'm sorry John. I didn't mean to hit you," she mumbled as she gave up on sitting up and pulled her blanket up over her head to block out her view of her brothers. It was her fault that they had crashed and didn't see how they could forgive her.
"Sam, what's wrong?" Scott asked as he struggled to pull the blanket off of her face.
"Go away, Scotty," she said as she struggled against him. Finally, he jerked the blanket off of her.
"Not happening, Sis. Not until you tell us what's wrong," he shot back. "How can you think that the plane crash was your fault? You couldn't stop the ice from forming on the wings." Sam tried to roll on her left side but was unable to because of the cast. Her emotions had finally hit the breaking point and she exploded.
"If I would have heard the weather alert earlier then I could have warned Dad sooner. We would have been able to miss the damn storm. If I hadn't switched places with John then he wouldn't have gotten hurt as bad cus he would have been in his seat and fastened in. Please just leave me the hell alone. I screwed up and I am responsible for my dad and brothers getting hurt." She closed her eyes and turned her head towards the wall. Her brothers all stood around her bed in shocked disbelief. Virgil recovered from his shock first and reached out to Sam.
"Sam, that's not true. It was an accident and you know it. You couldn't prevent the ice buildup and besides that Dad is an experienced pilot. He heard the weather alert and even he didn't expect to have an ice problem," he said. "Please look at us. We're here for you Sam." She flinched away from his touch and shuddered in self-recrimination.
"Go away, please," she whispered. "I just want to be left alone." She felt someone crawl up next to her and felt his arms pull her close to him. Her resolve crumbled and she started to cry.
"It's alright, Sammie," whispered John softly. He held her close and was relieved when she turned to face him and buried her face in his chest.
"I'm so sorry for hurting you, Johnny," she cried. "I thought you were Scott blocking me from helping you and Dad. I want to go home. I don't want to be here right now. I'm tired and every time I close my eyes I have a bad dream about the crash." Her brothers were astonished at her confession. Sam never backed down from anything. She was worse off than they thought if she wanted to go home. Suddenly her cell phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to Scott.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Scott, why are you answering your sister's phone?" asked his dad. Scott left the room and went out to the hallway.
"Dad, Sam's not doing too well right now. I've had the feeling that she and John were hiding something from the family and it turns out that I was right. Sam blames herself for the plane crash and everyone's injuries. She just woke up from a nightmare in which we heard her say that the crash was her fault and that she told the doctors and nurse that she and John were sensitive to pain medicines. She also hit John in the ribs while she was asleep."
"Do you think that I should come back?" asked Jeff. He had been worried about all of his children but like Scott he had noticed the withdrawal of the twins.
"Sam wants to come home. She doesn't want to be here this semester," admitted Scott. "I've never known Sam to back down from any kind of challenge Dad. I'm really worried about her."
"I'm coming back. I should be there tomorrow," he said. "Keep an eye on her for me until then."
"You know that I will, Dad, but you're going to have another nut to crack. He goes by the name of John. He's just as bad off," Scott acknowledged. His dad groaned at the prospect of having to deal with both of his headstrong yet quiet twins.
"Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Bye, Dad." Scott hung up and went back to Sam's room. She and John were still on the bed and by the looks of it both had fallen asleep. Virgil was sitting in the chair by the desk. Gordon and Alan were sitting just below the window. They looked up at Scott when he walked back into the room. He motioned for them to follow him out into the hall.
"Has John said anything to any of you about the crash?" he asked as he quietly closed Sam's bedroom door.
"He hasn't said anything out loud but one day while he and Sam were still in the infirmary he had a dream," said Virgil. "He blames himself for the crash as much as Sam does. Evidently Dad was already unconscious when the plane struck the snow bank. John called out in his sleep that he was going to hit it and couldn't stop in time. He said something about if only he hadn't tormented Scott on his way to the cockpit." Virgil looked confused but it suddenly clicked for Scott.
"Shit, I know what he was talking about. He made a comment about how it helped to have connections," he said. "It was right after Sam had called him to the cockpit. I can't believe that both of them are beating themselves up over this. Dad is coming back tomorrow." Gordon and Alan looked shocked at this bit of news. A loud thump from Sam's room caused all of them to run back in. Sam was sitting at the foot of the bed and John was still asleep. Her crutches had fallen and she couldn't reach them.
"Damnit, this is just friggin' great," she muttered. She stared down at the crutches and tried to push herself up into a standing position. She finally managed to stand and used the wall for support to get to her bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Scott asked. She looked up and realized that they had been watching her.
"Um, I have to use the bathroom," she answered as she hurriedly stuck her hand in her pocket but she couldn't hide the noise. Scott walked up to her and reached into her pocket and pulled out John's pain medicines.
"What are you doing with these?" he asked. "You're not due for anything for another two hours." Sam turned bright red. She shifted her gaze to the floor and refused to meet his eyes. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her a bit roughly.
"Well?" asked Scott as he glared at her.
"Well what?" she shot back angrily.
"What the hell is this?"
Eyes downcast she responded quietly. "I wanted to stop the dreams."
"Aw, Sam," Scott said sadly. Gordon and Alan looked at each other with fear in their eyes. They had never seen any of their siblings so lost looking not even after their mother had died.
"That's real good, Sam, try to numb yourself with an addiction," said Virgil angrily. "Screw this, I'm out of here." He stormed out of her room with his brothers staring after him. Sam flinched backwards at his parting remark and lost the precarious balance that she had. She was close to her bed but not close enough to land on it. As she fell back, she hit her back and her head on the footboard of the bed and cried out. She lay there for a moment stunned. Then the pain set in from where she hit her head and back. She rolled on her side and cried. More from what Virgil had said than her actual wounds. A sharp intake of breath startled her and she glanced up at Scott.
"What?" she asked.
"Let's get you up off of the floor," he said tersely. Sam looked up at him again. Something wasn't right but she couldn't think of what could be wrong. Sam sat up and Scott got behind her and helped her to her feet.
"Sam, what happened to your head?" asked John suddenly. He jumped up and went to Sam's side.
"Nothing is wrong with my head," she answered. She moved her hand to the back of her head and felt something warm. When she brought her hand back to where she could see it she gasped.
"I can't do this, Scotty. I want to go home. I…I just want to go home," she stammered. "Call Dad and tell him please. I just want to go home." She somehow got to her bed and sat down. She rocked back and forth muttering that she wanted to go home. Scott quietly told Gordon and Alan to go get the school nurse. John sat next to Sam and held a clean cloth to the back of her head. She wasn't even aware of anything around her. She had locked herself in her mind.
"Sam, please answer me," said John's voice. It sounded like he was in a tunnel and Sam looked around. She glanced at him but continued with her rocking motion and muttering. She saw the nurse come in and say something but didn't respond until she saw the hypodermic needle moving towards her arm.
"NO! I can't handle any medicines. I…don't need it…please…NO," she screamed. The nurse tried to give her the injection again only to have Sam knock it away. "I SAID NO! Johnny, don't let her give it to me." Sam struggled to stand up. While she was trying to stand up the nurse quickly gave her the sedative.
Sam looked around the room at her brothers. Gordon and Alan were huddled together and shaking. She reached out to them.
"Come here, Gordy and Ally," she slurred as the sedative started to work. She tried to make herself walk to them and stumbled. She fell into Scott's arms and he carefully moved her back to her bed and laid her on it.
"Scott, why?" she mumbled as she gave into the sedative. John left the room as quickly as he could and went to his own. He sat down on his bed and stared at the wall. He knew that his sister was just on the other side of that wall and was locked in her own private hell. He was so lost in his thoughts that he wasn't aware of the nurse and Scott walking towards him. It wasn't until he felt the prick of the needle did he realize that he had been sedated just as Sam had been. He struggled against the nurse and managed to knock the needle away before she had gotten all of the sedative in.
"NO, I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP!" he shouted. "SCOTT, MAKE HER STOP! PLEASE MAKE HER STOP!" He pushed her away and went after his brother.
"YOU ASSHOLE, WHY ARE YOU LETTING HER DO THIS TO ME AND SAM," he screamed. He raised his left fist as if to punch him when he felt the sting of another needle in his right arm. He dropped his left arm and fell to his knees. He looked up at Scott and then fell forward. Scott bent down and picked his brother up and carried him back to Sam's room. He wanted both of them to be in the same room so that he could keep an eye on them. He gently laid him next to Sam and covered both of them up.
"Please forgive me," he whispered as he stared down at his sleeping brother and sister. Gordon and Alan came up next to him and leaned against him.
"You did what you had to and they know it," said Gordon as they all looked down at John and Sam. Even in their sedated state, they had moved close together. Their faces were turned towards each other much like they had slept as newborns and toddlers. Virgil looked in Sam's room as he walked past. He was alarmed to see the nurse leaning over Sam's bed.
"What happened to Sam?" he demanded as he walked to her bed. Scott turned towards him and glared.
"What difference does it make to you? If you wouldn't have made your stupid remark then Sam wouldn't have had to be sedated," he snapped. "I had to have the nurse sedate both of them." He pushed past Virgil and went to his room and called his dad.
"Dad, you need to come back as soon as possible," he said when his dad answered.
"What's wrong, Scott? What happened?"
"I caught Sam trying to sneak into her bathroom with John's pain medicines. Virgil tore into her and she fell back and hit her head and back on the footboard of her bed. She sat on her bed and began to rock back and forth all the while muttering how she wanted to go home. I had the nurse sedate her and John. He isn't doing any better. Dad, I really think that they should come home."
"They are that bad?" he asked.
"Yeah, they're scaring Gordon and Alan with their behavior."
"I was going to stop in NYC and drive up tomorrow but I'll just fly straight to the airport and I should be there in about a half hour."
"Okay, Dad, we're all in Sam's room."
Scott leaned against the wall and sighed deeply. He felt someone staring at him and looked over to see Virgil.
"What do you need Virgil?"
"I'm sorry Scott. I've just never seen Sam act like that and it is scaring me," he said quietly. "Why did they have to be sedated and where did all of that blood come from in Sam's room?"
"The blood is from the back of Sam's head. After you tore into her she fell and hit the footboard of her bed. She had to be sedated because she began to rock back and forth and begged to go home. Her actions upset John and I had the nurse sedate him also. Dad will be here in about a half hour."
"God, Scott, I screwed up. If I would have noticed that she didn't have her seatbelt on before we crashed she wouldn't have gotten hurt as bad," he said as he looked around the room. "It's my fault that those doctors over medicated her. I should have told him on the way to the exam room. The look on her face as she reached out for me to help her and all I could do was stand there and watch her fall to the floor." Scott reached out and pulled Virgil close to him.
"It isn't your fault, Virgil. You didn't know that the doctors would give them medications without checking into their medical history. Let's get back to Sam's room so that we can keep an eye on them."
"Do you think Sam will ever forgive me?" he asked as they walked into Sam's room.
"Without a doubt, Virgil, she loves you and knows that you are worried."
Gordon and Alan were sitting on the floor next to Sam's bed. Neither Sam nor John had moved in their sedated sleep. The nurse had gone back to the office after telling Gordon to come and get her if the twins needed her. They all watched their brother and sister sleep and wondered how it had gotten so bad for them so quickly. They didn't even notice their dad in the doorway until he gasped at the sight of John and Sam asleep on her bed. Even in their sleep, he could see the pain and guilt etched into their young faces.
"How are they doing, Scott?" he asked as he walked over to them. Brains was right behind him. Jeff still had a cast on his arm and Brains had been doing the flying of the plane.
"Neither of them have moved except to be closer to the other," he reported. "Are you going to take them home?" Jeff looked at Brains who was checking both Sam and John. Brains looked up after checking the back of Sam's head.
"I th-th-think that th-th-they should go ba-ba-back to Tr-Tracy Island," he answered to Jeff's silent question.
"They can finish the semester from home with Tin-Tin. Scott and Virgil, will you please go to John's room and pack his belongings? Make sure you get everything because he won't be back until the fall semester. Gordon and Alan, I need you to help pack up Sam's stuff." Virgil and Scott went to John's room and quickly packed his clothes and personal belongings including his bedding and electronics. They made sure nothing was left behind.
Gordon and Alan had packed up all of Sam's belongings and clothes except for her underclothes. Those they left for their dad to do. Her trophies and pictures were carefully packed away in a sturdy box. They helped Scott and Virgil take everything from the two rooms down to the car and load it into the trunk. They had just come up the stairs when they could hear voices from Sam's room.
"I don't want to go home, Dad," said Sam as she looked at him groggily. He had tried to wake her up and now realized that it would have been easier to leave them sleeping. Sam's eyes slowly closed as the sedative continued its work.
"Scott, do you think that you can carry Sam down to the car?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, she's not heavy even with the cast on," he answered. "But I need to take John first." He leaned over and scooped his brother up and headed towards the elevator. Jeff followed behind them. He had to go and talk to the Headmaster and let him know that Sam and John were going home and set up arrangements for them to do their schoolwork from home. He had just started crossing the common area when he heard some shouting coming from the direction of his car. He changed direction and followed the shouting.
"I'M NOT GOING HOME!" shouted John as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. "I have a girlfriend here and I can't miss school. It's going to mess up my chances to get into Harvard."
"John, I have already decided that you and Sam are coming home for the semester," said his dad. John turned his icy gaze to his dad.
"I SAID I'M NOT GOING. I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO ANOTHER PLANE AND I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!" His face was getting red and he was aware of the crowd of people around them. Scott had just come out of the dorm with Sam in his arms. John limped up to him and blocked his way.
"Move it John," he ordered. John refused to budge.
"TAKE HER BACK UPSTAIRS NOW!" demanded John.
"JOHN, Get into the car now or we'll sedate you again," said Jeff. John looked at him and turned back to the dorm and walked off.
"Bite me," he muttered as he continued towards the dorm. He hadn't gotten but a few feet when he suddenly felt dizzy. The world began to spin around him and he dropped to his knees. He could see Virgil coming towards him but fell face first onto the curb of the parking area before Virgil could catch him. Scott had gotten Sam into the car and he rushed over to pick John up again. He winced when he saw the cut across his forehead. John groaned as Scott picked him up.
"No, Scotty, we don't want to go home," he slurred pitifully. "Wanna stay with you guys."
"You need to get better, Johnny," said Scott. "You and Sam both need better care than what is here at the school." He gently placed him in the car next to Sam and fastened his seatbelt and shut the door.
"They're both in, Dad," he said as he continued to gaze in the window at his brother and sister. Virgil, Gordon, and Alan had all joined the family in the parking lot.
"I'll see you in just a few weeks for Gordon's regional swim competition. I'll fly here to pick you four up and take you to the competition. While we're out we'll celebrate Gordon's thirteenth birthday. I'll keep you updated on your brother and sister."
"Will Sam and John be able to come to the competition and birthday celebration?" asked Gordon.
"I don't know, Gordon. I want to find out exactly what's wrong with them," he answered. He hugged his boys and climbed into the car. Brains started it and headed for the airport.
Virgil stood there and stared after the car. Scott, Gordon, and Alan headed back towards the dorm.
"Come on, Virgil," called Scott when he realized that Virgil hadn't moved.
"This feels weird," he said quietly. "Someone has to let Catie and Alex know that they left."
Meanwhile at the airport:
Brains and Jeff had gotten Sam on the plane and fastened in her seat. She was still unconscious. They were just about to the plane with John when he woke up again. He freaked out when he realized that they were trying to get him on the plane.
"NO, please, I don't want to get on the plane," he cried as he struggled against them.
"John, you've flown numerous times and you have your pilot's license," said his dad. "What's wrong with you?" John continued to struggle against them.
"NONONONO!" His eyes were wide with panic and his breathing was harsh. Jeff nodded at Brains and cringed when he watched his son get sedated yet again. Within in a few minutes, John's struggles eased up and he leaned heavily against his dad.
"Please don't make me get on the plane, Dad," he whispered as his eyes closed and he fell asleep. Jeff and Brains got him on the plane and into a seat next to Sam. Jeff fastened John's seatbelt and covered both of his children with a blanket. He went up front to the cockpit to see if Brains needed anything.
"I-I-I'm fine. K-K-Keep an eye on th-th-the tw-twins," he stuttered. Jeff nodded his head in agreement and went back to watch over Sam and John. Brains had them flying back to the island before long. They were going to stop in Birmingham, Alabama and get a hotel room. Jeff wanted to make sure that everyone got enough rest. He knew that the days ahead of them were going to be long and difficult. Several hours later, they were in Birmingham and in a nice hotel near the airport. Brains went to his room after leaving a couple of hypodermic needles prepared with a sedative in case they were needed. Jeff shared a room with John and Sam. Sam was asleep on one bed and John was on the other. Jeff sat in a chair and stretched his legs out onto the end of the bed John was in. He watched them for awhile and started to doze off.
"John, where are you?" called Sam. She was thrashing around on her bed. Jeff got up and went to her.
"Samantha, it's alright. John is in the next bed asleep," he whispered as she suddenly opened her eyes.
"Where am I?" she asked. Her gaze darted all around the room. Nothing looked familiar.
"We're in a hotel in Birmingham."
"Where are Virgil, Scott, Gordon, and Alan?" she asked next.
"They're at school still," he answered. "You and John are going home for the semester."
"No, that's not fair. We have a life at school. You know friends and boyfriends or girlfriends."
"And you try to sneak your brother's pain medicines to stop the dreams. Damnit, Samantha, Scott had to have the nurse sedate both of you. John had to be sedated just to get him on the plane," Jeff snapped. "How do you think your other brothers feel after watching you and John lose it?"
"Sorry, Dad, that we aren't the perfect pilots and that we crashed your plane," she snapped back. "Heaven forbid that we don't worry about how we're affecting everyone else and forget how we're feeling." She rolled away from her dad and closed her eyes.
"Sam, look at me," he ordered.
"I'm tired leave me alone," she replied. Jeff grabbed her arm and made her look at him. "OUCH!"
"When I tell you to do something, young lady, you had better do it." Sam continued to stare at him as she rubbed her shoulders where he grabbed her.
"YES, SIR!" she hissed back at him. Her eyes were bright with anger and another emotion that he wasn't sure about.
"I am going to set you and John up in counseling to help you deal with this," he said in a more composed tone. "All of us are worried about you and are determined to help you through this."
Tears began to form in Sam's eyes and Jeff reached out and pulled her to him.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to worry anyone but I can't stop the nightmares and neither can John. We feel guilty cus we didn't prevent the accident," she said.
"Sam, you couldn't stop the ice from forming on the wings," he said. A noise from John's bed got their attention. John quickly sat up looked around and hurried as fast as he could to the bathroom. Moments later they could hear him throwing up.
"How much did he get?" asked Sam as she tried to stand up. She used the wall as an aid to get to the bathroom. She knocked on the door.
"Johnny, are you okay?" she asked.
"Sammie, get Dad," he responded. Jeff had heard him and was by Sam's side in seconds. He opened the door and Sam could see John on his knees leaning over the toilet. Jeff helped him stand back up while Sam got a cup of water for John to rinse his mouth out with and a washcloth to wipe his face. She gently wiped his sweaty forehead and face. He took the cup and rinsed his mouth.
"Thanks, Sis," he said as he offered his left side to help her back to her bed. She settled into her bed and he sat down next to her. Jeff watched the two of them as they began to doze off again. John slid down until he was right next to her and she rolled on her right side and put her arm across him. He turned his face towards hers and soon both were sound asleep.
The next morning, they were driven back to the airport and their plane. John refused to get out of the car and his fear began to rub off on Samantha.
"Daddy, don't make us get on the plane," she begged as they refused to get out of the cab. Jeff looked at Brains and nodded. Brains quickly sedated John when he was looking at Jeff. He leaned across John and did the same to Sam. The twins looked at them and then at each other. The sedatives were really wreaking havoc with their bodies. John was nauseous and Sam had a headache. As soon as they were asleep Jeff and Brains got them onto the plane and fastened in. They flew back to the island.