Chapter 21

"Dad, this is Dr. Bennett. He has come to talk to you," said Scott, and the doctor offered Jeff his hand. Jeff did not take it.

"Psychiatrist?" he asked.

"Yes, I've come t-"
"Thought so. Thanks, Scott."

The doctor looked at Scott, and Scott made his eyes wide, and then narrow. "Why don't I get you some coffee?" he asked, and left the room without waiting for an answer.

"Mr. Tracy?"

No answer.

"Mr. Tracy?"
"What?"
"I'm here to help you."

"I don't want your damn help! Can you help my son?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Then goodbye!"

"You need help, Mr. Tracy. You're not yourself."
"How the hell would you know? Have we met?"
"No."
"Then goodbye!"

"Mr. Tracy?"
"Yes?" replied Scott.

"Your father won't take his medicine, and he won't talk to me."
"So you can't help him?"
"The only way I could is if we were to commit him."
Scott looked around anxiously at his brothers for support.
"Oh, no," said Gordon. "No thanks."
"Wait a minute, Gordon. Would that help him, Doctor?"

"I won't know until I try, Mr. Tracy. But I see no other course. Your father isn't eating; isn't taking care of himself, and is deeply, deeply depressed. This is hardly surprising given the circumstances, but I really feel he needs proper help," said Dr. Bennett.

Knowing he had already lost Gordon's support, Scott looked at Virgil.

"Not me, Scott. I won't sanction this!" he said, waving his hands.

"Nor me," said Alan, quietly.

"So I'm in this alone?" said Scott. "Thanks a lot, guys! Dr. Bennett, I'm afraid we'll have to think about it."

"Don't think about it for too long, Mr. Tracy, or you may be too late."
"Thanks, Dr. Bennett. Gordon will see you out."

"John?"

"Yes?"
"It's me."
"Who?"
"You know who it is."
"Is it really-"
"Yes."
"Where am I?"
"The world between."
"Between?"
"Between being and unbeing,life and death."
"How did I get here?"
"You died."
"I remember!"
"You have to go back."
"I tried. I couldn't find my way. I thought I was stuck here."
"You were. But now you can go back, if you can find your way."
"Can't I stay awhile with you?"
"No, John. You have more important things to do."
"Like what?"
"Everything you ever dreamed of. One day you will come here for the last time, and you will never be able to go back. Seize the opportunity."
"I'm trying! I can't get back!"

"Relax. I'll help you."
"Can't you come with me?"
"No, John."
"I miss you."
"I miss you all, too."

"I can't get through."
"I'll push you."
"You're getting further away!"

"I love you, John."

"I love you, John." Jeff planted a kiss on his son's cheek. He sank back into his chair, and saw his son's open eyes. He turned to look out of the window. He had seen John open his eyes every day for the last six months. It was his imagination. He rubbed his eyes, blinked, and shuffled in his chair to snap himself out of it. When he turned back, John's eyes were still open. He couldn't believe it, and stared in silence for several minutes. He deemed it a figment of his mind, but for some reason, he leaned over and gently brushed his finger over John's eyelid. John's face twitched and he blinked.
Jeff recoiled in surprise and elation. He put his hands either side of John's face and kissed him. Then he ran like a wild animal out of the room.

"Scott! Scott! Virgil! Galan! Scordon!" he cried, cantering into the lounge, and then immediately running out again. One more time, he ran in and then out.

"What the hell?" said Scott. "Has he gone completely tonto?" He followed Jeff back to the sickroom.
"Good God!" exclaimed Scott. "John!" He ran over and bashed the panic bar with his fist. In less than a minute, this brought the rest of the household. There was a great deal of hugging, talking and joy in the house. Although Jeff was still thin, and his complexion pale and yellow, he was a changed man.

Brains spent a great deal of time checking John over, and found that he was very weak, and had to keep his tube for the moment. This mean that John could not talk. He was too weak to raise his arms to write so he had to answer with a 'one blink yes, two blinks no' system of communication. He also seemed vague and unable to remember some of the things that had happened to him. The family did not press him to answer their questions but were overjoyed that he was back with them, against all the odds. Brains could not imagine how John had been healed. The others advised him to simply drop the issue, and not question why. But Brains was determined to get to the bottom of it. It might help to save somebody else's life. He worked around the clock on John's blood and tissue samples.

After two days, it had come to nothing. He was still nursing John, and was delighted with his improvements. He thought that John might be rebuilding his muscle tone a little quicker than he might have expected, and an idea came to him. "I wonder!" he thought to himself.

He went into his lab, and looked through the newly rebuilt kit cupboards for the SEM phial, and filled it with a sample from John's blood. He set up the equipment, and was almost disappointed to find nothing wrong. He kicked at the cupboard door, and it fell open. It's contents spilled, including the hand held device. A flash of inspiration came to him, and he ran upstairs to the instrument room. He transferred all the data from the hand held device to the body scanner computer, and began reprogramming it.

"Mr. Tracy? I would like to do a body scan on John," stammered Brains. "
"Alright, Brains," said Jeff. "We'll give you a hand." He and Scott stood up.

Brains smiled at Jeff. He was clean shaven, well groomed and dressed. Apart from needing to put on a little weight, Jeff Tracy was back.
Jeff, Scott and Brains loaded John into the body scanner, which was no small task given that John was still hooked up to kit and monitors, and Brains started the scan. After some minutes examining the data, he stepped back from the machine.
"Well, I'll be!" he stammered.

"What is it, Brains?"

"Nanobots!" cried Brains.

"You have got to be kidding!" said Scott, seriously.