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. I'd also like to give a special thank you to Lillehafrue for letting me bounce some ideas off of her as well as giving me different scenarios to play with. 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 27
"Jeff, what's wrong with them?" asked a woman's voice. He knew that voice but couldn't figure it out. His head hurt and he had that awful feeling that he was going to throw up. He felt himself being lifted and sat back down. Then movement like he was in a wheelchair. He groaned when he felt himself being lifted again. Then a light blanket was placed over him. He heard another groan and realized that his sister was in the same room.
"Sam?" he whispered. He tried to look at her but his head hurt too badly. "I'm going to be sick." He felt someone help him turn on his side and a basin was placed next to his mouth. Unable to stop he continued to throw up until he had the dry heaves. He stayed curled up on his side. He was relieved to feel a cool cloth wiping his hot face and neck. He tried to open his eyes again to see where he was at. He groaned at the bright light.
"Shh, you're alright, John," said a soothing voice. It was a voice he associated with love and safety.
"Grandma?" he whispered. "Where am I?"
"Yes, Sweetie, I'm right here. You're at home in the infirmary. Samantha's in the next bed. Go back to sleep and you'll feel better before long."
"Okay," he managed before he fell asleep again. When he woke next it was to the sound of someone throwing up.
"I'm sorry I can't see," cried a raspy voice. "I want Johnny!"
"Calm down, Samantha, you're alright," said the same soothing voice that John had heard before. "Lie back down and relax. That's my good girl."
"Grandma, where's Johnny?" she whispered. "I can't open my eyes. It's too bright."
"He's right next to you, Honey," she answered.
"Is he awake?" she asked. She had to squint her eyes to try and see for herself that her brother was near her.
"I'm here, Sammie," he whispered back to her.
"Johnny, I don't feel so good," she whispered.
"Neither do I," he admitted. He leaned over the side of his bed just in time to get sick yet again. He groaned again and felt a cool cloth on his face.
"Thanks, Grandma," he whispered apologetically.
"You're welcome, Son," answered his dad's voice. Instantly John shifted away from him with a deep scowl on his handsome face.
"Get away from me," he ordered in a hoarse whisper as he edged away from his dad even though he couldn't see him. He suddenly bumped against the bed rails that had been raised to keep him from falling off the bed. The one on his left was lowered when someone was awake and watching him and Sam. Her bed rail was down on the right side and raised on the left.
"John Glenn Tracy, that is no way to speak to your father," admonished Grandma. "Now you behave yourself, young man." John tried to look for his grandma but his head hurt too badly.
"I'm sorry, Grandma," he whispered. He leaned back against his pillow and fell asleep.
"Johnny, wake up. I'm bored," called Sam. He groaned and looked over at her. He realized for the first time that he could open his eyes without pain shooting through his head. He looked at his sister and was surprised to see her so happy.
"What are you in such a good mood for?" he asked.
"Mainly because I can see and I'm not puking my guts up," she answered. "Grandma made her special oatmeal for us." She smiled at him as she took a bite of her cinnamon apple oatmeal. She suddenly pushed the table away and grabbed the basin next to her and promptly got sick.
"Real nice, Sam," he said as he tried to keep from getting sick himself.
"Spoke to soon," she said as she tried to get off of her bed. She had just gotten to a semi standing position and had one crutch in position and the basin in her other hand.
"Samantha Michelle Tracy, get yourself back onto that bed," ordered her grandmother. Sam looked over at her and smiled slightly. Her grandmother marched over to her and took the basin from her hand and went to dump it. She looked at John and was irritated to see him smirking at her. She grabbed her pillow and threw it at him.
"SAMANTHA!"
She looked towards the door and saw her dad approaching her. Instantly, she backed away from him and scooted up on her bed and laid back down.
Jeff approached her bed with a cursory glance at John. He appeared to be asleep. Sam looked up at him with a blank look. He reached out to brush a stray hair out of her eyes only to have her shift away from him.
"Sam, what's wrong?" he asked. Never before had any of his children moved away from him like Sam and John had been the last couple of days. Sam looked up at him and glared at him.
"You pull us away from school and our brothers and then have the nerve to ask me what's wrong," she snapped. "You kept us sedated for so long that it made us sick and you know that we don't tolerate the medicines that well."
"YOU are the one that begged Scott to call me to come and get you," Jeff shot back. "YOU are the one that was caught trying to take your brother's pain medicines." Sam flinched away from him and narrowed her eyes in anger. She sat up again and slid off of her bed and grabbed her crutches.
"Let me tell you something, Dad," she hissed in total anger. "I asked to come home after I had hit my head. I'd much rather be at school than stuck here in this place." She began to walk past him when he reached out to stop her.
"DON'T DO IT!" she warned him as she saw him reaching for her. He grabbed her arm and was surprised to see her jerk out of his grasp. "Leave me alone and leave Johnny alone too." She continued towards the door and had just about got there when John gave a cry of warning.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!"
"Stop, Brains!" Jeff exclaimed. Sam walked back to John's bed and lowered his side rail while watching her dad and Brains.
"Come on, Johnny, let's go up to our rooms," she said as she kept a weary eye on their dad. John slid off of his bed and followed Sam out of the infirmary. He looked back over his shoulder and saw that their dad had made no move to stop them. Sam and John slowly climbed the stairs. By the time they reached the second floor Sam was out of breath and sweaty.
"John, will you stay in my room with me?" she asked quietly. She quickly opened her door. John followed her into her room and helped her sit down on her bed.
"I'm going to go grab a change of clothes," he said as he went back to his room. Moments later he was back and locked the door. Sam was still sitting where he left her.
"Sam, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I can't believe that I talked to Dad like that," she said. She looked up at John with a confused expression. "I don't remember asking to come home. Did I?"
"I don't know, Sam, I was asleep," he admitted. He looked away and shifted nervously.
"What aren't you telling me, John?" she asked. "Please don't hide things from me."
"You did take my pain medicines," he said.
"I know I took them. I couldn't stand the nightmares anymore," she said. "I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" John sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.
"Sis, there is nothing to forgive," he said. "Do you mind if I take a shower?"
"Go ahead; there are extra towels in the cabinet by the shower as well as an extra razor. You need to shave. You're getting stubbly," she said as she absently ran her hand through her hair. She was still sitting there when John came out of her bathroom.
"Sam, are you alright?"
"My leg itches and it's driving me crazy," she said as she used her crutches to help get to a standing position. She hobbled her way to her bathroom only to turn around and go to her dresser. She somehow managed to lay her clothes in a pile on her dresser.
"John, can you take my clothes to the bathroom? I can't walk and carry them," she asked. John picked up her clothes and took them into the bathroom and laid them on the vanity.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No, I think I'm good now," she said as she shut the door and started her shower. She carefully stepped into her shower and enjoyed the sensation of the hot water hitting her tense muscles. She quickly washed her hair and rinsed it free of shampoo residue. When she was done she carefully dried off and put on a pair of baggy shorts that fit over her cast and a t-shirt. She had to sit on the toilet seat to get dressed because she couldn't balance well enough to do it standing up. When she was done she grabbed her crutches and walked back to her room. Her hairbrush was tucked in the waistband of her shorts.
She sat down on her bed and brushed her long hair. She was more relaxed than she had felt in a couple of weeks and was beginning to feel drowsy. She put her brush down and picked up her remote for her stereo and programmed one of Virgil's cds to play. The beautiful sounds of his piano playing soon filled her room with a sense of peace and tranquility. It also made Sam and John miss their brothers even more. Sam laid down on her right side and let the music relax her. She wasn't feeling to well and was beginning to feel hot.
"John, can you adjust the thermostat to make it cooler in here?" she asked.
"It's cold in here now, Sam," he replied but turned it down a notch. He lay down next to her and pulled a blanket over his shivering frame. They both fell asleep and neither of them was aware of their dad checking on them. Sam had shifted position and was now lying flat on her back and John was on his left side facing her. Jeff watched them and wondered what was going on in their minds.
"What can I do to help them be the way they were before the crash?" he wondered to himself. He noticed John shivering in his sleep but Sam was sweating and had pushed the blanket that he'd just covered her with on the floor.
"'S hot…don't want…a blanket…" she mumbled. Sensing his sister's agitation, John held her hand in his. Not once did either of them wake up but Sam calmed down when she felt his touch.
Jeff sat down in a chair next to Sam's bed and continued to watch them. Soon the memories of them growing up filtered into his mind's eye and he was lost in years gone by.
Flashback:
"Samantha, you need to stay in your bed. Johnny is sick and needs to sleep," Lucy said as she stared down at her three year old daughter. Samantha shook her head as she tried to climb into bed with her sleeping brother.
"NO, I wanna sleep next to Johnny, Mommy," she said. "Johnny's my bestest brother and I love him. I make him feel better."
"Samantha, your mother told you to do something now do it," admonished her dad. Sam looked up at her dad with tears in her eyes. She crawled up into her bed and let her mother tuck her in.
"I want Johnny, Daddy," she looked up at him with her big blue eyes.
"Your mommy told you that Johnny is sick and needs to sleep alone tonight," he said as he leaned over and picked her up. He gave her a kiss and laid her back down on her bed.
"Daddy, can Virgie sleep with me since Johnny can't?" she asked.
"No, Samantha, you have to be a big girl and sleep in your bed by yourself," he answered her. "Now close your eyes and go to sleep."
"Goodnight, Sweetie, we love you," said Lucy softly to her little girl.
"I love you, too, Mommy and Daddy," she said as she watched them leave. She rolled onto her side and watched Johnny sleeping in the bed next to hers. Wanting to have her brother or something of his close to her, she got up and switched pillows with him and then climbed back into her bed. She managed to keep her eyes open for another hour and then drifted off to sleep.
John had awoken sometime after Sam had fallen asleep and realized that his sister wasn't next to him. Looking at her seldom used bed, he was surprised to see her sound asleep. He slipped out of his bed and grabbed the pillow on his bed. Noticing the bright red color, he looked at it and saw that it was Sam's. He looked at the pillow Sam was using and saw the bright blue color. He put the pillow on her bed and climbed up next to her. Within moments, he was sound asleep and snuggled as close to his sister as he could be.
When Jeff had come by later that evening, he found both of them asleep in Sam's bed. He was shaking his head when Lucy came up behind him.
"What's wrong, Jeff?" she asked. He pulled her into the bedroom and she sighed when she saw their twins in the same bed. "Sam's going to be sick next."
Present time:
Jeff smiled at how John and Sam were always there for each other. He knew that Sam often spoke for John because of his shyness. In turn, John helped Sam calm down faster than anyone else in the family. She and Gordon were a lot alike in that regard. Both had a lot of energy and had to be constantly doing something. When they were together everyone else was on high alert for pranks.
"Sam must be going crazy," thought Jeff. "She can't run in cross-country, swim, or to be honest just walk without getting tired from that heavy cast. I wonder if Brains could put something just as strong only lighter on her leg." He sighed as he stood up. With a last glance at the sleeping twins, he left the room.
Hours later things took a turn for the worst.
An anguished groan woke John up from a deep sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at Sam. She was flushed looking and moaning in her sleep.
"Sam, what's wrong?" he asked as he tried to wake her up. She suddenly opened her eyes.
"'S hot…too hot, Jo-Johnny," she whispered. "Leg is burning." Her eyes glazed over and she began to mumble incoherently.
"M-M-Mom…don't lea-leave us…Johnny wake…you can't…leave me…"
John watched his sister in confusion.
"Sammie, I'm not leaving you. I'm right here," he said as he watched her reaching out for something. "Look at me, Samantha!" Sam looked in his direction and to his puzzlement tears formed in her eyes.
"Why'd you have to go with Mom, Johnny? Don't you know how much I miss you?" she cried in her delirium.
John got out of bed and went to Sam's intercom unit and called for Jeff.
"Dad, something is wrong with Sam," he said as soon as his dad answered.
"I'll be there in a moment," he replied.
"GET DOWN HERE NOW!" screamed John as Sam began to thrash around in her bed more. John tried to hold her and comfort her.
"Sammie, I'm here. I'm not leaving you now or ever. Please wake up and look at me," he whispered as he held her close to him. He pressed his face into her hair and prayed that she was alright.
"Just who do you think you are young man?" demanded his dad when he made a sudden appearance at Sam's bedside.
"Dad, please help her. Something is wrong and I can't get her to talk to me," John looked at his dad and pleaded for help. Jeff looked at Sam and instinctively knew that something was wrong with her. He carefully picked her up and headed for the infirmary.
"John, call Brains and let him know that I'm on my way down with Sam," he said as John started to follow him. "Then you can come down to be with Sam." By the time Jeff had gotten to the infirmary, Brains was waiting and had one of the beds prepped for Sam.
"Wh-what's wr-wr the problem?" he asked as Jeff laid Sam down.
"John said that she was moaning in her sleep and when he tried to talk to her, her eyes glazed over and she started acting different," he replied.
"She said that her leg was hot and itchy," added John as he entered the room.
"Infection," said Brains. He quickly got the tools to cut Sam's cast off and the smell from the infection hit them at once. Brains gave Sam some morphine and a local anesthetic. When he was sure that she couldn't feel anything, he carefully cut along her previous incision. As soon as he did, pus began to ooze out of the wound. He quickly flushed the wound and started an IV drip with antibiotics. He flushed the incision again and placed a few stitches. He didn't sew it all the way closed because he wanted to make sure that the infection was truly gone before closing it all the way. He put a light dressing over the wound. When he was done, he made sure that Sam was comfortable and turned to speak with Jeff and John.
"Sh-she will have to st-stay down here again," he said. "I'm not p-p-putting another c-c-cast on her so she'll have to st-st-stay in bed or in a wh-wh-wheelchair. At least until the in-incision heals." He adjusted the IV drip and looked back at Jeff.
"She's g-going to ne-need a lot of h-h-help with p-p-private matters," he said embarrassed.
"I'll talk to Mom and she'll help out when needed," Jeff said. "Tin-Tin would probably be willing to help her out too."
"I'll help Sam. She's my sister and I will stay with her," said John in a gruff tone.
"John, you can't help her with bathroom issues," said Jeff calmly. "Besides that you are going to be doing your school work and some basic therapy for your wrist and ankle. Not to mention counseling."
"How am I going to do counseling?" he asked sullenly.
"Either myself or Brains will fly you to San Diego," his dad said. John backed up and shook his head.
"NO, you can't make me get on a plane," he said as his eyes widened in fright at the thought of getting on a plane. He continued to back up until he backed into the door.
"John, I have already decided that you need professional help to get over the trauma of the crash. YOU will go to counseling so you might as well get used to the idea."
"GO TO HELL!" he shouted as he wrenched the door open and hurried as fast as he could down the hallway and to the lounge. He went out to the pool deck and down the path that would take him to the beach. He had just reached the end of the path when Jeff grabbed his right wrist.
"OUCH!" he cried as Jeff grabbed it. He looked up to his dad's face and paled. Suddenly all of the anger and fear burst from him and he fell against his dad. Jeff stumbled backwards but maintained his balance.
"Dad, I'm sorry but I…" he muttered into his dad's shoulder. "I'm afraid of crashing again. I was so afraid when we crashed, you were already unconscious and I could hear everyone screaming in the passenger cabin and the shrieking of metal as the plane skidded across the runway before crashing into the snow bank."
Jeff gave silent thanks that his son was finally confiding in him. He looked down at John and hugged him closer.
"John, I know that you're afraid and you have every right to be. What happened was enough to scare anybody adding that to the fact that this was your first time flying the new plane and you're even more entitled to be afraid but you can't let your fears dictate your life." John looked up at his dad and nodded.
"You're right but I don't want to fly anywhere right now, Dad," he said firmly. "Please understand that and let me do the counseling over the vidphone. When Sam is able to go to the counseling sessions in San Diego I promise that I will go without arguing or the need for sedation."
"I'm going to hold you to that, John," said Jeff relieved that they had been able to compromise. "We just have one other thing to discuss. I don't care how old you get, I never want to hear you tell me to go to hell again."
"I'm sorry for saying that. Now I understand how Sam felt," he said as he looked down at the sand. "She was shocked that she had been talking back to you yesterday."
"Dad, I know that Sam and I seem aloof some times but she and I really love this family and this is hurting us. We want to be with our brothers and classmates. Sam is already having a hard time of this cus she knows that next year Scott will be at Yale and for the first time since junior high school they won't be on the same cross-country team. That was the one activity that she and Scott shared and enjoyed challenging each other in. Their times improved because they were always challenging each other. She knew that she wouldn't be able to run the rest of this season but she wanted to be there to cheer Scott on and take pictures."
"Please let us go back to school when Sam's leg heals and we get some counseling," he begged as he watched his father's face.
"I'll think about it, John," said his dad. "Let's see how Sam's recovery goes as well as your counseling. I don't foresee any reason why you can't but I don't want to give a definite answer yet. Now, let's go back to the house and see if Sam is still asleep. I'm pretty sure that she'll want to see you when she wakes up." He and John walked back up the path to the house just as Tin-Tin came running down.
"Mr. Tracy, Brains needs you in the infirmary right now," she said breathlessly. Jeff took off at a run with John struggling behind him in the walking cast.
Jeff burst into the infirmary and rushed to Sam's bed. She was fighting against Brains and her grandma.
"LET ME GO!" she cried as she tried to free herself. She had jerked her IVs out and blood was seeping out of the injection site. "It hurts please let me go. Oh, gawd, it hurts."
"Samantha, what hurts?" asked Jeff as he brushed his fingers through her hair.
"My leg hurts, Daddy, it burns," she cried. "Please let me go."
"If we let you go, you can't get up," said her dad. "Brains had to take the cast off because the incision on your leg was infected." Brains and Grandma backed up and Jeff stepped next to his daughter's side. She began to calm down as he continued to talk to her in a soothing tone and brush her hair back
"Brains is going to put your IV back in and give you something to take the edge off but not put you to sleep," Jeff said as Brains set about taking care of Sam. Sam leaned back against her pillow and let him do what was necessary. The struggle with her grandma and Brains had worn her out. She was beginning to doze off when John and Tin-Tin came through the door.
"What's wrong with Sam?" asked John as he limped to her bedside. Sam looked at him and smiled.
"Sorry, John," she said quietly. "I'm alright now. Brains gave me something to take away the pain. I'm just tired from trying to get my way." Grandma chuckled at her remark.
"Fought us like a wildcat," she said as she looked at her granddaughter.
"Sorry, Grandma," she replied as her eyes began to close. "Stay here John. Please don't leave me for awhile." He took her hand in his and watched her as she fell asleep. When he was sure that she was asleep he let go of her hand and pulled a chair next to her bed and curled up in it and fell asleep.
Meanwhile in at the boarding school in New York:
Virgil sat at their table in the cafeteria and stared around at nothing in particular. It was hard getting used to John and Sam not being at school with them.
"Virgil, can you…?" asked Scott as he sat down. Virgil looked at him and waited for him to finish with what he was saying. "What's wrong with you? You've been really quiet since John and Sam went home."
"I just can't get used to them not being here," he admitted. "I actually went to John's room today to ask him an astronomy question thinking that he and Sam would be in there." He shook his head and began to eat his dinner. Gordon and Alan soon joined them and even they were more subdued. Virgil sighed again and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and called home. Jeff answered right away.
"Dad, how are John and Sam doing?" asked Virgil as soon as his dad answered.
"John is doing a bit better but Sam is back in the infirmary," he answered. "Her cast is off because her incision from surgery got infected and Brains had to reopen it and flush it out. She is restricted to bed, couch, lounge chair, or wheelchair." Virgil whistled softly.
"How has that gone over?" he asked.
"Not as bad as you think," his dad responded. "She's asleep now."
"Where's John?" Virgil asked. "Never mind that was a dumb question." Jeff chuckled and agreed with him.
"Yes, Virgil, you should know that wherever one is the other is close by."
"Can I speak to John?" he asked. Jeff handed the phone to John who had woken up when the phone rang.
"Hello?" John answered as he cautiously stretched.
"Hey, John, how are you? How's the cut on your forehead?" asked Virgil.
"I'm doing a bit better and the cut is healing," he replied. "Sam and I miss you guys." He rubbed his hand over his eyes and tried to compose himself. He had never really thought about how much his brothers meant to him. He could hear the voices of Scott, Gordon, and Alan. They were all trying to get Virgil to give them the phone next.
"Virg, put it on speaker," he suggested.
"Hi, John," said Scott.
"How are you, big brother," said Gordon and Alan at the same time.
"Hi guys! Are you staying out of trouble?" John asked.
"We haven't done anything to get into trouble," retorted Gordon. "Is Sam around?"
"She's asleep, Gordy," he answered as he looked down at their sleeping sister.
"What's wrong with her, John?" asked Scott. He had heard the slight catch in John's voice and knew that something was wrong with their sister. Alex and Catie had just walked up and invited to join them.
"Brains had to cut off her cast and reopen the incision site. She developed a bad infection and it needed to be drained and flushed," he answered wearily. He hated telling them this kind of news over the phone. "She's been restricted to lying around in bed, on the couch, or on a lounge chair by the pool. Her other choice is sitting in a wheelchair. She can't put any kind of weight on her leg at all."Alex took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He really missed Sam and hearing what she was going through was upsetting him.
"How are you really doing, John?" Virgil asked.
"The best I can," he answered honestly. "I miss being at school with you guys and I miss Catie. Have you told her what happened?"
"Yes, John, they told me and I wish you were here too," Catie said. "Just get better soon and come back to all of us." John was surprised to his girlfriend and asked to speak to her alone.
"Virg, can you let Catie borrow your phone for a moment?" he asked. Virgil shut off the speaker phone and handed it to Catie.
"Hi, John," she said as she walked away from his brothers.
"Catie, I miss you," he admitted.
"John, I miss you too. I can't believe how much I had gotten used to being with you and you've only been gone a couple of days."
"Technically it's been longer cus I didn't get to see you but for a few minutes after we got back from the holiday," he said. "Don't let my brothers hound you too much."
"They have been really good to me and Alex," she said. "They have let us know what is going on with the both of you as they've gotten updates. Alex is really worried about Sam. How bad is she really?" John took a deep breath and sighed.
"Her IVs are in again cus she's on pain meds and antibiotics. She is totally dependant on someone helping her to the bathroom and basic stuff like showering. She is absolutely restricted to lying around and you know how Sam is. If you get a chance email her so that she feels in contact with her friends. Pass it on to Alex too. Catie, would you email me too?"
"I'll email you as long as you answer me," she answered. "I have to go. Your brothers are glaring at me. Bye."
"Bye," he said automatically. Scott's voice came through the line.
"Keep us updated with how you and Sam are doing," said Scott. "John, please don't shut us out anymore or Dad."
"Dad and I have an agreement. I have until Sam's leg is better and then she and I will be going to San Diego for counseling. We may get to come back to school this term if we show improvement. Dad hasn't decided for sure but at least he's thinking about it."
"That's great to hear. We'll all talk to you soon, okay?" he asked. "Bye, John and tell Sam that we miss her."
"I will, Scott, and you tell everyone that we miss all of you," he answered. The line went dead and John handed the phone back to his dad and sat back down. He glanced at Sam and leaned back in his chair. He stood back up and looked at his dad.
"Dad, I'm going back up to my room and lie down," he said. "Can you let Sam know when she wakes up?" Jeff was shocked to hear him say that he was voluntarily leaving his sister's side.
"Sure, John, are you alright?" he asked.
"Just tired," he said as he left the infirmary. Instead of going to his room he walked out to the pool and sat down in one of the lounge chairs. He leaned back and fell asleep.
A short while later, Tin-Tin woke him up and told him that Sam was asking for him.
She glared at him as soon as he came into the room. He realized that she was angry but didn't know why.
"What did I do?" he asked. "I needed a break and went outside and fell asleep."
"It must be nice. I'm stuck here for I don't know how long. I can't get a break unless it's a bone." Tears of frustration and anger streamed down her face and she roughly wiped them away. Her IV tube got caught on something and pulled at the catheter that was in her vein. She gasped at the stinging sensation and then deliberately pulled it out. She held a cloth over it until it stopped bleeding.
"Samantha, you are not supposed to remove your IV," said Jeff as he made her look at him.
"I don't want the damn thing in my arm. I'm tired of being in here and I'm tired of being told what to do," she said in a deadly serious voice.
"Can I please go to my room and be confined there?" she asked. Jeff looked at Brains for his advice.
"N-N-No, I h-h-have to mo-mo watch the wound," he said. Sam's head dropped in defeat and she closed her eyes.
"Dad, can you make everyone leave except Brains?" she asked. John had walked to a chair and sat down. "I don't want anyone in here at all." John looked at her sharply and she met his gaze.
"I need a break, John, and this is the only place I can go," she said as she dared him to say something.
"FINE, you can have your break!" he growled at her. "I'll come and check on you when you can stop acting like a little brat." He stormed out of the room and up to his own suite of rooms. He turned his stereo on and listened to the music and paced around his room. He didn't hear his dad knock and was shocked when he looked up and saw him standing in the doorway between the bedroom and sitting room.
"Dad, I'm sorry I didn't hear you," he said as he turned down the music.
"What was that about down there?" asked his dad.
"I don't know what is going on with her but until she stops acting like that I'm not going down there again. She acts like she is the only one affected," he snapped as he continued to pace.
"I know that she isn't very pleasant to be around but John think about this. You said it yourself. Sam is a very active person and now she is 100 confined to lying around until the incision heals and another cast can be put on. Try to imagine how she must feel and you are her best friend and she's venting and you're getting the brunt of it. You know that she doesn't mean half of what she is saying. She's just angry and needs a release and she depends on you to help her through this. Just as she'd be there for you if the roles were reversed and you were confined to bed."
John looked stricken at what his dad had just said. Everything he had said was true and he had stormed away from his twin and best friend without looking into why she was lashing out.
"Dad, I have to apologize to Sammie. I can't believe that I didn't understand what her problem was," he said as he shut his stereo off. "I have to go back down to the infirmary and talk to her."
"Please let her come back to her room and recuperate," he said as he walked out of his room. He knocked on the door to the infirmary and waited for Brains to open it. As soon as Brains saw that it was John, he glanced over his shoulder at Sam. She had cried herself to sleep after John had left.
"Wh-what c-c-can I do for you?" he asked.
"I just want to stay in here with Sam, please," John said.
"Don't up-up make her mad," he warned. John pulled a chair over to Sam's bedside and sat down. He watched her and tentatively put his hand over hers and laid his head on the side of her bed.
"I'm sorry, Sam. I should have known that you were venting," he whispered as he listened to her steady breathing. He closed his eyes and let himself relax. Suddenly, he felt her hand jerk away from his. He sat up and looked at her. She was glaring at him and he swallowed nervously.
"What are you doing in here?" she demanded.
"Sammie, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I should have known how this was going to affect you. Some best friend I am, I didn't stop to think how hard and irritating this would be for you. If you want me to stay with you I would really like to. I want to be here with you and keep you company." Sam continued to stare hard at him even though she knew every word he was saying was honest and heartfelt. She turned away from him and closed her eyes. John sighed and touched her on her shoulder.
"Alright Samantha, I'm leaving. Take care and remember that you're still my best friend even if you don't want me to be yours," he said quietly as he headed towards the door. He heard a small sob but didn't turn around until he heard his name.
"Don't leave, Johnny," she cried. "I don't want to be here without my bestest brother." He smiled at the phrase they had started using when they were two years old. He turned around and limped back to her bedside. She held out her arms to give him a hug. He leaned against her and held her close. Neither of them noticed that Jeff, Brains, and Grandma were watching them.
Over the course of the next few days, Sam and John worked on their class work together and John did some light therapy for his wrist and ankle. Sam finished her antibiotics and the infection cleared up. Brains kept her on total bed rest for another week and a half to make sure that the incision had healed without anymore problems. At the end of the second week he took x-rays of her leg and was pleased to let her know that the fractures were still healing nicely. He put another full length cast on her leg. Thankfully he had developed a lighter weight material to use that was less bulky.
"Can I get up now?" she asked excitedly. Jeff smiled at her as he and Brains helped her stand up and Tin-Tin handed her crutches over. John stood off to the side and smiled at her.
"Grandma, I'm eating lunch at the table and I'm hungry," she said as she made her way into the kitchen. Grandma came up to her and gave her a slight hug.
"Aw, Grandma, what kind of hug is that?" she asked. She handed John her crutches and steadied herself. "Now come and give me a real hug. Tin-Tin, come here and give me a hug. I want to thank you for helping me the last few weeks. It really meant a lot to me that you'd be willing to help me when I was dependant on everyone." She looked around and saw Kyrano.
"Kyrano, I would like to thank you also. Your kindness and patience helped me maintain a better outlook," she said shyly. Kyrano gave her a slight bow but he was pleased that she was appreciative of his indirect care that he gave to each of the Tracy children. She turned back to John awkwardly and motioned for him to get closer. She gave him a big hug.
"Thank you most of all, Johnny, for being my bestest brother," she said as she took her crutches and hobbled to the table. Jeff looked at his twins and was relieved to see them slowly returning to their normal selves. The counseling had been helping and tomorrow they were flying to San Diego for a couple of weeks for more counseling. If all went well, he planned on taking them to see Gordon's competition and help celebrate his 13th birthday. His ultimate goal was to let them go back to school with the rest of their brothers after the regionals.
"John and Sam, tomorrow we're flying to San Diego for a couple of weeks for your counseling sessions. So, you need to pack your suitcases tonight," he said as he watched John. John looked up at him and shrugged.
"Alright, Dad, we'll be ready," he replied as he continued to eat his lunch. Sam reached under the table and squeezed his leg.
"May we be excused?" Sam asked as she finished her lunch. Jeff nodded and Sam and John got up and went up to Sam's room.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Sam, I don't know if I'm ready," he admitted.
"John, I will be with you every step of the way and together with the support of our family we will get over the fear of flying. I am actually looking forward to it so that I can stop dreading it," she said. "Now can you help me get packed?"
Working together, they were both soon packed and had everything they'd need for the two weeks on the mainland including their school work. Early the next morning Sam and John walked along the path to the hangar. As soon as John saw the plane his face paled. Sam grabbed his hand and placed it on her crutch.
"Come on and we'll go together," she said. They got to the stairs and Sam shifted her crutches to one hand and held on to the handrail and awkwardly made her way on to the plane. She looked back at John and smiled.
"Come on," she encouraged him. He took a deep breath and quickly climbed the stairs and joined her. She led him to their seats and sat down. She fastened his seatbelt and then her own and leaned back. "Now relax and enjoy the ride." Jeff checked on them and made sure that they were fastened in. Before long the plane was in the air and John was beginning to relax. Sam looked at him and smiled and prodded his shoulder and leaned against him. They were both sound asleep when Jeff came back to check on them. Brains was flying the plane for Jeff and the twins. A couple of uneventful hours later they landed in San Diego.
"I'm proud of you, John," said Sam as she grinned at her brother. "I guess all of our late night chats in the infirmary really helped both of us." John smiled at her shyly.
"Thanks for helping me get through this, Sam," he replied. She looked at him and her grin faded and was replaced by a serious look.
"I am always here for you no matter what. I couldn't have gotten through all those hours of being confined to bed and dependant on Grandma and Tin-Tin to take care of my personal needs if it weren't for you," she said quietly. "You're my rock and touchstone. Whenever things get crazy, you're the one I can count on to keep me grounded." She grabbed her backpack from under the seat and stood up. After securing it on her back she grabbed her crutches and they made their way to the steps where Jeff was waiting on them.
Sam saw Brains in the cockpit and said goodbye. He waved back at her. Jeff had his SUV ready and loaded by the time Sam was able to hobble her way over. She and John got in and Jeff drove them to the house that he owned and used when he was in town for business. It was smaller than what the twins were used to but since it was just the three of them it didn't seem to bad. They each had their own room and John and Sam shared a bathroom. Jeff and John were able to get the beds made and Sam opened all of the blinds in the house to let the sunlight in. By the time they had everything the way that they wanted it was time for lunch.
"We'll go out for lunch and then I'll take you to your counseling session," said their dad as they left the house. John and Sam were quiet over lunch and even quieter on the way to the counselor's office. They were greeted and led to a private office.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Tracy. Samantha and John it is a pleasure to meet you in person. I'm Lori and I will be your counselor for the next few weeks."
"Good afternoon to you, too, Lori," responded Sam shyly as John shifted closer to her. Lori noted that he was more quiet of the two yet both were in tune to each other and extremely shy. This was going to be a difficult case because she had experience with shy individuals. They didn't like to talk about themselves.
"Mr. Tracy, there is a waiting room just outside of this office for you to wait in while I speak with Samantha and John." Jeff stood up and went out to the waiting room. Sam and John stared at the floor and waited for her to begin.
"Samantha, why don't you start us off?" she asked. Sam looked up at her and took a deep breath.
"What do you mean? Start off about the plane crash or all of the stuff that has happened since then?" she asked, clearly confused.
"Tell me something about yourself and your family."
"I'm called Sam by my friends and family. I have 5 brothers. John is my twin and closest brother. Scott is our oldest brother who will be graduating from high school this year. Virgil is eleven months younger than us. Gordon will soon be 13 and Alan is the youngest and he'll soon be 12. Our dad is raising us alone but with the help of our grandmother. Our mother was killed four years ago in an avalanche." She paused and turned her head to look at John. She took a deep breath and steadied herself as she grasped his hand tightly within her own. He gave her a small smile of reassurance and she continued.
"John and I are in our sophomore year of high school and the top of our class. We plan on going to Harvard after we graduate. But I really think that the reason that we are here is so help work out our feelings about the plane crash. In all honesty, I feel guilty cus I switched places with John and he suffered multiple broken bones and a concussion," she said quietly. "If I would have stayed in the cockpit my brother wouldn't have been hurt as bad. It was my fault we had to leave school when I tried to steal John's pain medicine from Scott so that I could stop the bad dreams I was having." She stopped again and stared down at her hands.
"Samantha, I read what your father gave me and it has come back from the investigative team that ice had formed on the wings of the plane and that John's quick actions saved all of you. He didn't panic but managed to slow the plane down and land it despite everything." Sam's head snapped up and she looked at John. He was just as shocked as she was.
"So there was really nothing anyone could have done?" he asked. "I saved my family from injuries worse than the ones we got?"
"Yes, you did, John, that's what your dad has been trying to tell you."
A big grin crept across his handsome features and a huge sigh of relief. Sam grabbed her crutches and stood up. She walked to the door and looked into the waiting room.
"Dad, can you come here a minute?" she asked when he saw her. He was in the room in just seconds thinking that something bad had happened.
John and she surrounded him and hugged him tightly. He looked surprised and gazed at the counselor.
"It wasn't our fault," John said quietly.
"I've been trying to tell you that for the past month," replied his dad.
"I thought that you were just protecting me," he said. Jeff shook his head.
"I'm not going to lie and protect you because that won't help you," he responded.
Lori was jotting notes down as she watched this family begin to pick up the pieces of their life right before her. Sam noticed her and smiled. "Thank you" she mouthed to Lori. Lori smiled back at her.
"Mr. Tracy, this session is just a few minutes away from being over and I would like to speak with John before we call it a day." Jeff nodded and let go of his son and daughter and returned to the waiting room.
"Do you want me to leave also?" asked Sam. John shook his head.
"Sam, I want you to stay with me. I'll tell you anyway," he said quickly. Lori jotted down another note. Sam got just a bit irritated when she saw that and Lori noticed her expression.
"What's wrong, Samantha?"
"Why do you keep writing notes when John says or does something?" she demanded. John looked between the two of them and could just tell that this wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Honestly, Samantha, it's none of your business but I will tell you. I think that John relies on you too much." Sam sat up ramrod straight and glared at Lori.
"He does not rely on me 'too much.' He is his own person and has his own pursuits that I don't share. We do have a close bond because we're twins and we were together when our mom died and we almost died too." She angrily got to her feet and left the room as quickly as she could with the crutches. She stormed past her dad and straight to the ladies room.
"Sam?"
John came out of the office and looked around for Sam. He had an irritated look on his face.
"What happened to Sam?" Jeff asked.
"SHE," he pointed at Lori, "Told Sam that I rely on her too much and that set her off." Jeff looked at Lori and back at John.
"These counseling sessions were to help them deal with the trauma of the plane crash. I would appreciate it if that is what you kept to," Jeff said.
"Mr. Tracy, can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked. Jeff followed her and closed the door. "I don't think that the relationship between John and Samantha is healthy. They seem to rely on each other just to survive."
"I appreciate your concern but their relationship is not the reason I hired you," he said tersely. "My children have a close bond with all of their siblings. They have always been close and even closer since their mother died. Now I need to know if you can help them overcome the issue I hired you for or do I need to find someone else?"
"I will focus on the trauma but I have to say in my professional opinion, you're going to have serious issues with those two children."
"Good day and they'll be back the day after tomorrow," he said as he left her office. John was still in the waiting room but there was no sign of Sam.
"Has she come out yet?" Jeff asked. John shook his head no. "Has anyone gone in there?" John shook his head again. Jeff walked into the ladies room and saw Sam sitting on the floor against the wall. Her broken leg stretched out in front of her and the other was drawn up against her chest and her head was resting on it.
"Sam?" She looked up at her dad and wiped the stray tear away.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked. She tried to stand up and was grateful for her dad's help as she finally got to her feet and he handed her the crutches.
"I came to check on you and to let you know that Lori will be sticking with the plane crash from now on."
"Dad, do John and I really rely on each other too much?"
"Do you think that you do?" he asked.
"I don't depend on John to be happy and he doesn't depend on me. We enjoy different things and hang out with different friends," she paused and looked at her dad. "Thanks, Dad, I guess that's my answer. We're individuals that happen to be close." Jeff smiled at her and together they walked out to the waiting room.
"Sam, are you alright?" John asked worriedly.
"I am now," she answered as she glared over at Lori. "Plane crash only for the duration of our sessions or you will be bored with twiddling your thumbs cus I will not talk about any other fucking feelings or issues." She walked out of the waiting room with her brother right behind her. Jeff looked at Lori and made a comment.
"Swearing aside, I believe Sam is right."
Lori kept to her word and slowly John and Sam expressed their feelings and guilt for the plane crash. By the end of the two weeks, John had asked to copilot the plane home.
"We're not going home. We're flying to New York as soon as the doctor removes our casts, John," Jeff admitted. The twins cheered and hurriedly packed their stuff and John and Jeff loaded it into the truck. Within a few hours, they were flying to New York and John was copiloting. Sam hobbled to the cockpit to check on him and he smiled back at her.
"I have really missed this," he admitted. Sam and Jeff smiled at him.