Chapter 7: Virgil's Vigil

Despite efforts from his family to move him, Virgil insisted on staying by Gordon's bedside. The guilt monster had Virgil by the throat and wouldn't let him go. He figured that the least he could do was watch over Gordon if that would make a difference to his chance of recovery. Maybe it would encourage Gordon to wake up just so he could continue their argument. Whatever the case, Virgil felt he had to be there and, apart from trips to the restroom, the seat by Gordon's bed became his world.

The family were well used to Virgil's stubbornness and, in the end, worked around him as they alternated spending time with Gordon and getting some rest back at the hotel a few blocks away where Jeff had reserved some suites. Virgil was lost in thought most of the time and didn't even comment when both Alan and John appeared in Gordon's room at the same time, Scott presumably having decided that John should be brought back from Thunderbird 5.

After a couple of days one of the nurses took pity on the man sitting by her patient's bed. She had already worked out that there must be some familial connection between the two but had been instructed by her manager not to pry.

"You should talk to him, you know."

"Sorry?" replied Virgil.

"Talk to him while you're sitting there."

"But he's in a coma," said Virgil, puzzled.

"Coma patients can often be aware of what's going on around them. It's important that he hears the voices of people who care for him. That may help him make the right decision."

"What decision?"

"About whether there's anything worth waking up for."

"Oh…right…" Virgil stared at the still form of Gordon, wondering whether Gordon would consider Virgil a particularly good reason to wake up for right now. Still, anything was worth a try and it sure beat sitting around doing nothing.

Virgil was generally not prone to speaking unless he had something to say. He left the verbal diarrhoea to Alan and Scott. To start with he had no idea what to say to Gordon, especially since he was so used to Gordon wise-cracking back. He began by telling Gordon about the hospital and why he was there, reminding him of what had happened on the rescue and describing the hospital room they were in. Then he moved onto his hopes that Scott and Alan had got Thunderbird 2 back to Base in one piece despite their assurances that they had. This then brought him on to providing Gordon with a long description of some refit work that he and Brains were going to do on his beloved Thunderbird machine.

By the next day, despite various interruptions by the rest of the family, Virgil had run out of things to say. On the way to get coffee he had come across a newspaper so he had picked it up and, by late evening, had read The Times cover to cover to Gordon. The next day Grandma had insisted that he go for a walk out of the hospital and he had happened across a bookshop. Rifling through the shelves he came across a high-school text on marine biology. He decided that a badly written, ill-conceived and inaccurate book on Gordon's favourite subject would be bound to irritate Gordon enough to bring him around.

It was mid-afternoon and Virgil was alone with Gordon and halfway through a chapter on "Marine organisms: functions and environment" when Virgil became aware of a gentle coughing. He looked up sharply, realising the sound must have come from Gordon. The book slid to the floor as Virgil leaned towards Gordon's bed.

"Gordon? Gordon? It's Virgil. Wake up."

Gordon's lips looked like they were trying to form words but no sounds came out. He coughed again and this time was able to speak. It was only a whisper and Virgil put his ear close to his brother's face, eager not to miss anything Gordon had to say. With enormous effort Gordon managed to push the words out that he had been longing to articulate.

"Shut up," said Gordon.

Virgil sat back. Suddenly a big grin covered his face. He had never been so glad to have Gordon insult him in his whole life.